Outwith Horses · Ibthorpe, Hampshire

A place where horses find calm, confidence and a way forward.

Expert racehorse rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming from a quiet yard in the Hampshire Test Valley — under the care of Kate Mieczkowska, BHS qualified and RoR registered retrainer.

Photo: Riyaz
RoR Registered Retrainer BHS Qualified Royal Academy exhibitor Test Valley Arts Foundation trustee

What we do

01

Rehabilitation & Retraining

Expert care for horses leaving racing. Herd-based, unhurried, individual. Every horse is different. We work at their pace, not ours.

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02

Painting on the Hoof

Equestrian art sessions combining life drawing and painting with expert insight into equine anatomy, movement and psychology. Small groups and one-to-one.

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03

About Kate

BHS qualified. RoR registered. MA Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art. Twenty-five years working with horses. Two things most retrainers cannot offer.

Kate's story →

Kate with a horse at Windmill Hill, Ibthorpe

Patience over pressure. Always.

When a horse arrives, the first task is to let it just be a horse. Herd company, turnout, grazing, movement. Decompression before anything else.

Kindness, handling and nutrition are not principles we aspire to — they are how we work, every day. There is no production line here.

Kate's philosophy →

How we work

What this yard stands for.

Patience Over Pressure

We work at the pace the horse sets. Rushing undoes the work.

Respect Runs Three Ways

For the horse, for the client, and for the expertise Kate brings. Good outcomes depend on all three being honoured.

Kindness as Method

Kindness isn't softness. It's how we handle, how we feed, how we train, and how we treat everyone who comes through the gate.

Honesty Always

We tell owners what we see, not what they want to hear. Trust is built on truth.

Nature First

Horses need to be horses. Herd companionship, movement, grazing, sky above them. Everything we do is built around what they need, not what is convenient for us.

A child at the yard, Windmill Hill
Horses at the gate, Windmill Hill

Windmill Hill, Ibthorpe.

A quiet, unhurried environment in the Test Valley, Hampshire. Close to Lambourn — first-class veterinary centres, expert farriers, leading chiropractic practitioners all within reach.

The calmness of the location is part of the therapy. One co-worker reported not needing her anxiety medication while working here.

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The herd at Windmill Hill, Ibthorpe

Art & horses. Together.

Equestrian art sessions combining life drawing with expert insight into equine movement and psychology. Small groups, one-to-one sessions, corporate days. Recognised by the Test Valley Arts Foundation.

Kate Mieczkowska — charcoal horse study
Kate Mieczkowska — pastel horse in blue

Kate Mieczkowska — works on paper. MA Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art, UAL.

About Painting on the Hoof →
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