MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

Two women riding horses in an indoor riding arena, one woman smiling on a white horse and the other woman looking down on a dark horse, both wearing equestrian riding attire including helmets and jackets.

OUR TEACHING TEAM

At Cousland Park, our dedicated instructors bring passion, experience, and expertise to every lesson. Whether you’re taking your first steps in the saddle or refining advanced skills, our team is here to support your journey with patient guidance and personalized instruction.

The Cousland Park Instructors

  • A woman smiling, taking a selfie with a white horse inside a stable.

    Karon Carson

    TRAINER

    Karon is an accredited coach featuring the former double Scottish grassroots champion and double regional dressage champion. With over 35 years experience, Karon will fine-tune your horse and riding in every aspect with her holistic approach and boosting your confidence too!

    A BHS II (Stage 4 Teach) / Stable Manager, UKCC Level 2 and British Eventing Development Coach, Karon has spent decades on the sport-horse circuit, including working with international and Olympic riders and producing young horses for competition.

    She coaches across Scotland and is known for practical, confidence-focused clinics and workshops—helping riders overcome show nerves and build ring craft.

  • A woman in a black jacket gently holding the face of a brown horse in a green field with trees in the background.

    Aimee Gardiner

    TRAINER

    Aimee Gardiner brings a wealth of experience to her coaching, having previously worked as a pupil for renowned riders Joseph Murphy and Rob Brady, before going on to run her own yard in East Lothian.

    She has successfully competed in British Eventing and British ShowJumping, worked with Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), and continues to enjoy training and competing with her own horses. Aimee runs a variety of clinics across central Scotland , including flatwork, polework, jumping and cross-country. Her sessions are suitable for riders of all levels and are hugely popular thanks to her encouraging, confidence-building approach. With a supportive and positive coaching style, Aimee helps riders develop both technical skills and self-belief, making her clinics rewarding for both horse and rider.

  • A smiling man in a riding helmet and black jacket standing next to a brown horse with a white star on its forehead, inside a stable.

    Richard Johnston Smith

    TRAINER

    Richard is a BHSI Accredited Performance Coach and BDCC/BECC Level 3 coach with 20+ years’ experience across eventing and dressage. In 2025 he was appointed British Eventing’s Lead Regional Coach for Scotland, supporting rider development from grassroots upward. His clinics are rider-centred and confidence-building, and he regularly delivers BHS Stage 3–4 training alongside flatwork and jumping sessions across Scotland.

    As a competitor, Richard holds British Dressage points up to Advanced level, bringing current ring craft into every lesson.