Kate Havord would gallop around on all fours, wear a bridle and even eat grass.
She said: ‘It was like the spirit of the horse entered me – I felt so free and powerful and this euphoria was intensified by the fact that I won the race by a long shot.
Single Kate, who has no children, said as younger sister Sarah, 44, joined in with her creative fantasy the pair eventually cultivated the personalities of 32 different horses. She now works with children.