It was inevitable that Kirsty Aird would make a career out of horses but from being one of the country's leading show rider and producers she's now making a switch to showjumping.

With an impressive track record in working hunter and show hunter ponies, Kirsty (21) has transferred that success onto horses.

Most recently, she has started to move towards showjumping after spending part of the winter at Graham and Tina Fletcher's yard in Oxfordshire. Early 2011 Kirsty had spent a week there for training and was offered a job but decided to return home to Fife as she was committed to her own horses. However, she was keen to return for more training and left last November for the winter. During her time away Kirsty was responsible for bringing back Tina's good horse Hello Sailor into work as well as competing most weekends, riding horses for Graham and Tina and also the Old Lodge Stud.

"I was most impressed with the amount of flatwork the horses did," says Kirsty. "Tina was always out teaching and it was a great experience to jump the older horses over bigger tracks. It was very well organised and I'd ride the same horse each day, and was good for learning."

She returned home in February, and during Kirsty's time away her own horses went back to their owners for a holiday. "They've came back the better for it," points out Kirsty.

Her parents James and Trude are supportive behind the scenes – Trude looks after the stables and turnout and James himself competed and worked the young horses at home, breaking and schooling. He too was a regular in the show ring whilst Kirsty was on ponies but has taken a back seat recently while recovering from an accident. It has meant that travelling to shows is difficult, although her brother Robert has been driving the horsebox until Kirsty passes her test.

With ponies, Kirsty made her mark with Hayesford Hideaway Harry, a 14hh working hunter that "really tried my patience" recalls Kirsty. As a show hunter and working hunter pony he was twice champion at Blair and champion at the BSPS winter championships.

"He won almost everything in Scotland as well as being the Scottish points winner," said Kirsty.

"Harry taught me how to ride; he was quite sharp – a horse inside a pony body. Jill Cousens helped me a lot with him and even with the showjumping ponies, adapted the way she teaches to bring out the best in them," added Kirsty.

It was around this time that the Airds first started producing horses for Euan Snowie and ponies for his daughter Louise. This has continued and since then Kirsty has struck up a formidable partnership with Playboy Forever, winning working hunter classes around the country. They were second in the working hunter championship at the Royal International Horse Show two years ago and already this year have secured dual Hickstead qualification in both the workers and the heavyweight hunter classes.

"He's lovely to ride and gave me my first experience of riding in the main ring at Hickstead," explains Kirsty.

"He is a big horse but he's so responsive to ride and so powerful – I'd love to do a puissance on him. Euan has been a very supportive owner. I give him the aims for the year ahead and he's been very helpful and realistic."

Kirsty has her own horse Freckleton Mayday, which is a full sister to Carly Brewster's HOYS working hunter champion Freckleton Maxiums. She has been competed lightly as Kirsty explains clients' horses come first, but has still had notable results, qualifying for HOYS in 2010 and is jumping at newcomers level.

"She's very trainable and within six months was doing flying chnges – the more you ask of her the more she tries."

Now, Kirsty teaches Louise, producing Novella Gold and Noble Elton for intermediate show hunters and working hunter classess for Louise to ride. However, both horses also showjump, something that Kirsty is keen to fit in more of this year.

"Once a show horse qualifies for the Horse of the Year Show what else is there to achieve?," points out Kirsty.

"Showing can make some horses a bit robotic and can take a long time to unravel and let down. I think showing is good for youngsters to socialise but it's good for horses to have another job to do. At least with showjumping there's always another level to aim towards.

"I like my horses to hack out around the farm, and go out and see things. We're very fortunate that we've unlimited hacking. We don't have a fancy arena but it makes them learn to cope with other things. If a horse can go up and down the hills in the stubble fields then it's much easier for a horse to go well at a show – it teaches them balance and how to keep their rhythm over uneven ground. Too many horses never go out of an arena and it shows in the ring."

Currently, there's 10 horses in work at Kirkforthar Farm on the Balbirnie Estate, near Glenrothes. The have all types ranging from a Connemara for flat and native worker classes, several working hunters, riding horses and most recently some showjumpers.

"Since I've been away at the Fletchers people now realise I can jump and I've had a few new horses, it's been giving me the confidence to do more," adds Kirsty.

In fact, Euan's Boquhan Angelina is currently giving Kirsty a taste of the showjumping life and benefited from the Fletchers' watchful eye when Kirsty took her down south for training. The seven-year-old mare is jumping 1.30m classes and Kirsty hopes to qualify for the foxhunter and young masters classes at the Highland Show. Kirsty has also been fortunate to have the ride on a number of Lesley Bothwell's horses, some of which are jumping at 1.30m and 1.40m level.

As well as riding, Kirsty is currently a UKCC level 2 coach and is working towards her level 3 coaching certificate. She has also been studying through North Highland College an equine studies course through the winter.

This year at the Royal Highland, Kirsty has horses entered in 12 classes, over the four days including mountain and moorlands, coloured, working hunter, part-bred Arab and riding horses. On the day of our visit, Kirsty was busy getting seven horses ready to take to Ingliston EC for a weekend's showjumping, showing that she doesn't do things by half!

"I like being busy, and I'm happiest when I've got plenty to ride," concluded Kirsty.