Veterinary consultant

Jane Hastie née Nixon on a fascination with equine structure that began back in childhood, her involvement in the showing world and why she rates the farrier as the most important player in a horse's support network

- Eleanor Jones

I’m an equine vet, and everything I do is related to that. I’m now a consultant but I’m still a vet; I never wanted to do anything else. When I was nine, unfortunately I had a pony who was hit by a car and the first thing I did was feel his legs to make sure they were OK. I knew what his legs should feel like and presumed I’d know if there was something wrong, and it went from there.

I got my first pony when I was seven and have had a horse more or less ever since – until six months ago, when I decided to stop as I’m 71. I was extremely lucky; I had a great-uncle in practice in Sheffield, so I started seeing practice when I was 10, which you can’t do these days. Every Saturday when I was at school, I either saw practice or went hunting. I’ve been driven by an interest in equine structure and function, suitability for purpose and what makes the best horse, and that started long before I became a vet.