Karen Abrey

How I make it work: Having a flexible employer and living virtually next door to the yard

Karen Abrey has spent more than 20 years working for the Environment Agency. A relative latecomer to riding, she finds that time spent with her gypsy cob Pippin is the perfect antidote to a demanding role.

Work life…

I’ve worked for the Environment Agency (EA) for 21 years across a variety of roles, including as a freshwater ecologist (working with macro-invertebrates and fish). Around 15 years ago, I started working in Water Resources, which balances the needs of the environment/ ecology with those of people and elements like drinking water, agriculture, etc.

When I met my husband, Graham, 12 years ago, I moved