“WITH a horsey girl you either get involved or walk away - there is no in-between.”

Andy Birdsall had not the remotest interest in horses when he met Diane Verity, but quickly realise that that was about to change.

“They live on planet horse - you have to get involved.”

They met in 1986. Mechanic Andy was running his own garage in Birkenshaw and Diane was a manager with Scholl footcare in Leeds and Bradford.

“Diane had been involved with horses since childhood but I was not into horses at all,” says Andy.

At the time they both lived in Leeds and Diane paid rent to keep her horses on a farm at Tong.

“Diane had four horses so we decided to look for somewhere with land where the horses could be kept,” says Andy, who “got into horses quite quickly”.

They spotted the perfect spot, a smallholding in Queensbury with a house nearby.

Not only did Queensland Farm tick all the boxes, the space allowed the couple to open a small shop selling equestrian equipment including saddlery, clothing, horse feed and bedding for stables.

“We extended the buildings to open the shop and started in a small way,” says Andy, who carried on running his garage part-time as Diane built up the shop, until he sold it in 2006.

He and Diane loved their venture from day one. “If we were not in the shop we would be outside with the horses and other farm animals.”

The farm is home to 12 Shetland ponies, two part-Arab ponies - mother and son Nem and Nemo - border collies Gem and Jess, cats Elsa and Alice and three sheep Tiger, Mr No Ears and Mr Big Ears.

“We adopted Mr No Ears and Mr Big Ears - both Black Welsh sheep - after they were attacked by a dog as lambs in their field. Mr No Ears had his ears ripped off.

“Over the years we have had quite a few rescued lambs who have all died of old age. The first two sheep we had lived to be 21.”

An extremely vocal cockerel called Barney struts his stuff around the farmyard.

Customers come as much to see the animals as visit the shop,” says Andy. “Children love to come and see the ponies - we show them around.”

They gradually built up the shop. “We began with a small level of stock which has grown year on year.”

Knowing nothing about the horse world, he had to learn from scratch. “I had to learn about everything to do with it.

The Riding Habit provides fittings for riding hats and body protectors. “Diane has been nominated for the hat fitter of the year award organised by word-leading riding hat manufacturer Charles Owen,” says Andy.

“During lockdown some people bought their first horse or pony and came to us for hat fitting. We also help out with advice, if asked, about feeding, or bitting - there are hundreds of different bits - it is very specialised.”

They have to keep abreast of trends, especially in clothing. “Riding wear is not like it used to be, it is very fashionable now. Different styles come in, and seasonal changes. We sell clothing from the German company Pikeur, which is like a designer label in equestrian fashion, and Ariat clothing and footwear. It’s not cheap but it is really good quality.”

The couple run a Shetland pony stud, Claylands, having taken it over from Maurice Arden and Shirley Nadin who ran the original Claylands stud in Staffordshire.

One of their finest ponies is Shetland stallion Percy. He is so fine a specimen that on a trip to Shetland, where he was assessed and graded, he was awarded gold, with the highest mark ever given. “They didn’t want us to take him home,” laughs Andy.

Percy has also trotted away with top prizes at the Great Yorkshire Show and Royal Windsor Horse Show.

“Size for size, Shetlands are the strongest of all breeds - they were bred to go down mines,” says Andy. “They are really clever - in training you only have to tell them once and they have got it.”

Percy lends a ‘helping hoof’ to test Shetland pony products prior to them being sold in the shop.

While they breed ponies they have never sold one. “All our ponies have died of old age - our oldest , Chloe, is now 24.”

Amazingly, Andy does not ride. When he first met Diane had a part-Arab horse, Isis, the first horse she ever bred and who lived to the ripe old age of 32. “Diane encouraged me to ride and I got on Isis just once,” says Andy. “Although I spend a lot of times with horses I’m not a rider.”

Andy is self-building a new home on the site, which will includes extra space to extend the shop.

The business is a labour of love. “It is not like a job, it is more a way of life,” adds Andy.

*The Riding Habit, Queensland Farm, Station Road, Queensbury, Bradford BD13 1HR W: ridinghabit.co.uk T: 01274 816328