About Us
"Great things happen when passion meets relentlessness"
Our Story
Spear Hill Stud is the brainchild of the Schrøter family, fuelled by a passion for working with horses and the determination to create a facility where high performance can be achieved in a harmonious environment. Purchasing a blank canvas plot of land in 2018 marked the first step in the development of the Stud. Two years later and Spear Hill Stud was up and running as base for the Breeding Programme and Performance & Rehabilitation Centre. A remarkable achievement in itself considering the pandemic and the difficulties faced as a result.
This sets a precedence for the Schrøter family's ethos, an unwavering dedication to achieve what they set out to do and strive to work to the highest standards, which is mirrored with the care for their horses.
The Schrøter family's passion for horses started from a young age for Henrik. He rode at the local riding centre in Denmark and ultimately competed in pure dressage up to Advanced level, whilst also working with young horses with ties to the famous Schockemöhle Stud. Carrie enjoyed horses for leisure, and it was at their shared livery yard in Surrey that Carrie and Henrik met. At the same yard, Laura and younger brother, Paul, learnt to ride before the family relocated to Sussex.
Laura
4* Event Rider
British Equestrian Podium Potential Pathway 2021-2025.
British Equestrian Young Professionals Programme 2018-2019.
Mark Todd Bridging the Gap Scholarship Winner 2018/2019
Laura is a 28 year old International Event Rider. Laura started riding at the age of 4 and progressed up through the levels in the Pony Club on her first pony who gave Laura her first taste of producing horses and eventing. Laura then went on to compete and win at numerous Pony Club and NSEA Championships on young horses whilst under the age of 18, including winning the Pony Club Intermediate Eventing Championships on 6yo, Akarlo T.
From the age of 14, Laura worked at show jumping and sales yards around school hours. Upon leaving school after her A-levels in 2013, Laura fully focussed on her chosen career in Eventing and started a working pupil position with GB Olympic eventer, Gemma Tattersall. Laura was a working pupil and rider for Gemma for three and a half years where she learnt a huge amount about running a top level yard and managing high performance horses. Gemma gave Laura the perfect kick start to her career.
In between riding for Gemma and running her own yard at home, Laura rode for Donal Barnwell, The Billy Stud, for two years, gaining invaluable experience riding young, sharp horses and learning true horsemanship skills.
In 2017 Laura set up fully on her own to focus on her growing team of competition horses and her client base. Laura was selected onto the World Class programme for 2021-2023 and is hugely grateful for the support from the extensive sports science teams and coaches. Her aim to represent Team GB at the highest level and produce horses for the top of the sport.
Along with competing, training and coaching, Laura still continues to further her education. In 2015, age 21, Laura passed the Pony Club A test with distinction and in 2016 she gained her UKCC Level 2 coaching qualification to become a BHS Professional Accredited Coach. In 2021 Laura completed the Centre 10 Applied Psychology for Equestrian Coaches Foundation Certificate to further support her coaching skills. With the expansion of Spear Hill Stud to include Rehabilitation facilities Laura is now a Qualified TheraPlate Specialist and has completed training with the Equine Massage Academy in Equine Water Treadmill for Training and Rehabilitation.
Laura's main international results include
Bicton CCI**L - Marengo Bonaparte - 1st
Burnham Market CCI****S - Willem van Wup - 6th
Cornbury House CCI***S - Willem van Wup - 1st
Kelsall Hill CCI***S - Corgary Femme Fatale - 3rd
Tattersalls CCI***Lu25 - Zorro Rocco - 3rd
Belton Park CCI***S - Willem van Wup - 3rd
Lignieres CCI***L - Willem van Wup - 6th
Barbury Castle CCI***S - Willem van Wup - 2nd
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Our Values
The horse comes first. The welfare of the horses is our main priority, physically and mentally. Just like humans, horses have unique personalities with different likes and dislikes. Each horse in our care has a routine that suits their individual needs for their day-to-day management and their training.
A successful team is a group of people who trust each other. Staying true to our values with everything we do has built a strong and unique culture of like-minded people within our team. We have full trust in the Equine Science Professionals we work with, and we aim to provide excellent communication for our clients to give peace of mind.
What is right today may not be right tomorrow. We adapt, are observant and intuitive to ensure we are always providing the best we can for our horses. We leave no stone left unturned in our pursuit of the perfect management. This high attention to detail is driven by our love and passion for horses. We want the horses in our care to feel and look good so they have an optimal quality of life which will also positively impact on their performance.
We encourage true all-round horsemanship. This is a value Laura very strongly believes in, as a rider you need to be involved and engaged in all aspects of your horses' care. Understanding and feeling how their body and mind works is the key to a happy horse and high-level performance. Our team and clients we work with will benefit from the influence of this mindset with the aim to always be learning ourselves and inspiring others to improve the horses' welfare.
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Meet The Team
Laura Schrøter
Spear Hill Stud Partner
Megan Rowland
Yard Manager
Megan has worked with us since 2019. She has an extremely high attention to detail and standards with excellent communication skills which makes the yard run smoothly. Megan is a fundamental member of the team which we is very grateful for.
Joe Gillings
Farrier
Joe has been the team farrier since 2013 and we wouldn't trust anyone else with her horses feet. Laura just needs to get to Badminton so he can win best shod!
Henrik Schrøter
Spear Hill Stud Partner
Emma Eades
Part Time Groom
Emma worked for Laura from 2015-2018 before heading off to University to study Criminology and Forensics. Now Emma comes back to help us 2 days a week, always bringing her brilliant bubbly personality and lovely cocker spaniel, Ralph.
Dr Caitlin McCaffery
Chiropractor
Caitlin has been a fundamental member of the team since 2012. She has vast experience and is crucial in making sure the horses have long, happy and sound careers.
Carrie Schrøter
Spear Hill Stud Partner
Molly Le Page
Part Time Groom
Molly works for us over the weekends and is a joy to have around. Always reliable and very mature for her age. She is a cracking rider and enjoys a lot of success with her horse, Clooney.
Lucy Gover
Sports Massage Therapist
Lucy started massaging our horses soon after she set up her business in 2015. She keeps all the horses muscles loose and supple. They all very clearly show that they benefit from the treatments.
Paul Schrøter
Spear Hill Stud Partner
Ed Lyall
Vet
We are very fortunate to have Ed as our team vet. Ed is an experienced performance horse vet and is a partner at his world class practice, Sussex Equine Hospital, which is conveniently only 2 minutes from us.
Carl Duggan
Sports Massage Therapist
Carl has been our Equine Dentist since 2015. He is a true horseman and active horse breeder himself. He is excellent at handling young and nervous horses. We have full trust in Carl.
Do you want to work with us?
Apprentice and Work Experience Positions Available
Please email laura@lauraschroter.com if you are interested in joining our team and to find out more about the role.
"Working for Laura was my first job since leaving college, I worked with her for 2.5 years full time. Laura helped me source a loan horse to have based with her; and I received regular training. It is a family run business, and they never make you feel like you're not part of the family. The horses' well-being is always the main priority. In the 6 years I've known Laura, I have seen her progress through the levels to where she is today, watching all the hard work she has put in. Laura's current yard facilities are outstanding. Since leaving, around 4 years ago, I return on a freelance basis to help, and I still feel like a valued member of the team!" - Emma Eades
Our Sponsors
Equestrian Reflections have sponsored Laura since 2015. They supply the highest quality arena mirrors in the market and Laura sees them as an essential training aid for schooling her horses on the flat and jumping. The precision and alignment are second to none and the clarity of the reflection is beyond compare.
Laura has been using Equisorb from horsebedding.co.uk since 2018 and is thrilled to now be supported by them. The bedding is hypoallergenic, dust free and highly absorbent giving the horses the best air quality and living conditions. The delivery service is also second to none which makes it very easy to have the bedding ordered and delivered when running a competition yard.
Voltaire Design combine comfort and performance for the horse and rider, alongside innovative design to produce saddles that enable every rider to fulfil their potential. Laura has been riding in Voltaire Saddles since the end of 2020. The quality and fit of the saddles speak for themselves and the exceptional aftercare service enables the same saddle to be adjusted to fit perfectly as the horse changes shape.
Adrian Taylor has known Laura almost 13 years and has been a great support to her competitive career, so Laura was thrilled that Adrain would be sponsoring Laura's 'owners hospitality'. This enables Laura to provide her extremely supportive owners with the best experience at events, whilst also giving all our supporters the facilities to relax and enjoy the eventing sport. Look out for our Taylor Made gazebo at events!
Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus. They are committed to improving equine health through research and innovation in the respiratory and digestive health issues. The Haygain hay steamer has been shown conclusively in scientific trials eliminate harmful mould, fungal spores, bacteria and dust mites found in hay; and remove the health threat from respirable dust.
Founded in 1982 and still family owned and run, Baileys Horse Feeds manufacture top quality horse feeds using natural ingredients, carefully prepared to scientific formulations. Laura has been feeding Baileys Horse Feeds for a number of years so is thrilled to have support from them. Their nutritionist team work with Laura to provide each horse with a diet specific for their needs, this helps keeps our team of horses in excellent condition.
NDS Equine have a range of supplements to support Equine health and performance. Their Collagen products are characterised by being produced from pure Bioactive Collagen Peptides which can be absorbed through the intestine and used by the body. With specific Collagen Peptides for specific parts of the body. NDS supplements have been essential in keeping Laura and her horses strong and sound athletes.
FLAIR® Strips are drug-free, self-adhesive nasal strips that support horses’ nasal passages and promote optimum respiratory health of equine athletes. Laura has been using FLAIR strips since 2018 for her horses when doing any strenuous exercise such as country training, show jumping, galloping and in competition. They work by supporting the nasal passage and allowing oxygen more easily into the lungs, which improves lung health and performance.
Protexin Equine Premium is a leading range of unique probiotic supplements for horses and ponies from Probiotics International Ltd. The Somerset based manufacturer is dedicated to producing innovative research based products of the highest quality.
Probiotics in the Equine Premium range are specifically developed to survive the transit through the gut and contain no known prohibited substances as defined by The Jockey Club and the FEI.
Activo-Med is the leading German creator of most of these unique equine therapy products. Serena works very closely with their development team, feeding back the desires of leading riders to offer continual improvements and new products. Her ability to select only the highest quality, unique products, coupled with her insistence that customer service and after sales service are of paramount importance, gives FMBs the edge.