People

Garfield and Martin Clunes

But what about that old adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? “I think you can teach an old dog new tricks”, she replies, “even animals who you can’t teach to do anything on command you can bribe them into doing it! Cats for example will do anything for a piece of fish. If you want a cat to walk from one end of the room to the other end but via a table, there’s no way he’s going to do it on command. But if you dangle a kipper from the ceiling he will!”

Tilly with a severed hand for Midsomer Murders

Jackie’s actors have a long ream of credits, including Casualty, Coronation Street, Chuckle Vision, Rory Bremner, My Hero, My Family, French & Saunders, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Graham Norton, Shooting Stars and scores more.

Father Ted fans will remember the famous rabbit scene when bunny-phobic Bishop Brennan goes to his bedroom to find it over-run with the furry creatures. All 50 rabbits were supplied by Jackie.

Jackie also had a famous deer on her books. Star appeared in a Spice Girls video for their hit Two Become One. How did she train a wild animal?

Dexter and Richard Wilson

So can anyone become an animal trainer? “I don’t think so", she says firmly, "you’ve got to have something special, what it is I don’t know, but like the horse whisperer and Barbara Woodhouse, they’ve got that special something.

You can hire a xmas sleigh with pony or reindeer

Jackie has a long history in animal training, starting out at just 15 in 1979 to work for a major horse supplier to the film industry. “All I wanted to do when I left school was work with horses” she said. Lucky Jackie found herself travelling the country working with actors, both human and equine, in productions such as The Flambards, The Onedin Line and Pride and Prejudice.