Hayley graduated with a BSc (Hons) Biology and Psychology in 1990, and gained her PhD in Animal Science on cattle in 1995 at Exeter University, UK.  Hayley has worked in higher education for over 20 years, delivering on a range of animal, welfare, statistics and more recently equitation science subjects to a variety of students in a number of institutions over the world.  Hayley has led a number of projects to develop academic land-based programmes which closely align with contemporary industry needs.  Hayley has also done extensive work on Teaching and Learning Quality Assurance on a national level and has regularly undertaken expert witness work specialising in horse behaviour.  Hayley is a frequent reviewer for a number of high impact animal and veterinary journals and examines PhDs internationally. In 2007 Hayley became one of the inaugural members of the International Society for Equitation Science Council and has held the roles of Hon. Secretary and all of the President roles. She is regularly involved in the Scientific committee for the annual ISES international conference, and chaired these in 2012, 2016 and 2017.  She was one of the main organisers of the very successful ISES 2017 conference looking at Equitation Science in Practice:  Communication, Collaboration and Change at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Hayley is currently involved in a number of projects investigating quality of life in equids.   She is currently enjoying her role as Associate Head of the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Charles Sturt University.  Any spare time is spent working with a collection of project horses, two young kelpies and a border collie and her son Harley - a dirt bike mad teenager.

Hayley has conducted research on a large number of exotic, farm, companion and equine species.  Currently her main research interests are focused on equine welfare.  She is involved in a number of studies looking at the direct and indirect impact of riders/handlers on horses within equestrianism.  This includes research on rein tension, the ridden horse ethogram, application of Learning Theory in training, breeding management plans for feral herds of equids and the impacts of weaning practices on mare and foal welfare.