'I wish the course was longer, it's a wonderful opportunity for me'

Tanager has done his bit over the years. He won ten point-to-points, got round in the Fox Hunters' at Aintree, was still making the frame at the age of 13. What he's doing now, though, might be the best day's work he's ever done.

All he's doing is standing still in his box at the British Racing School in Newmarket, patiently waiting for David to put a saddlecloth on his back. David isn't finding it easy, keeps getting it the wrong way round. Tanager shows no irritation, no restlessness, doesn't even shuffle his feet through the straw, but simply stands perfectly still to give David another chance to get it right.

You might think putting a saddlecloth on a horse is a simple thing, a flick of the wrist, done. But five days ago David had never even touched a horse, let alone walked up to one in its box, mucked it out, groomed it, dressed it. He is one of nine young people on this Prince's Trust Get Started five-day residential programme, designed to help those who have not had the start to life they might have wished. If it has been a steep learning curve for David and his eight new friends – Amber, Jasmine, Josie, Katrina, Lucy, Mohammed, Stephanie and Tasha – it has been a similar story for those helping them along the way.