Harry Styles: How pop star was taught to ride a horse for video

Zana Cousins-Greenwood said Harry Styles was "what you want him to be, which is lovely"

A horse trainer has told how she urged Harry Styles to "fake it to make it" when getting in the saddle for his latest music video.

In the video for Daylight, the singer rode a horse from Hertfordshire-based Stampede Stunt Company.

Handler Zana Cousins-Greenwood had to keep her experience secret after they met on set in Kent 14 months ago.

She said: "We trained him to ride, we trained him to look good and he listened."

Stampede Stunt Company said Harry Styles "took the time with everybody and learnt all the skills"

The former One Direction singer revealed he had never a ridden a horse to Ms Cousins-Greenwood and her team as they shared a lunch break together.

This meant Styles only had about 20 minutes of training before cameras started rolling.

• Harry Styles concert leaves 'feather boa massacre'

• In pictures: 10 years of One Direction

• Zayn opens up about One Direction split

"We said to Harry 'just look like you're confident on a horse - fake it until you make it'," Ms Cousins-Greenwood told BBC Three Counties Radio.

The Hemel Hempstead company has worked with many celebrities including Sir Anthony Hopkins and the late Paul O'Grady.

Usually, stars visit the training centre to practice. However, due to his busy schedule, the team met Styles for the first time on set at a circus outside a garden centre.

Stampede Stunt Company has been training horses for 20 years

Towards the end of the video, released on Wednesday, Styles rears the horse in slow motion while coolly holding eye contact with the camera.

"I'm pleased that the horse went nice and high, he can be lazy at times," said the trainer.

The Friesian horse, named Teake, was not initially meant to star in the video.

Harry Styles only received 20 minutes of training before filming started

Originally a horse named Carnival was chosen, with Teake brought along to the shoot to keep the white stallion company.

However, the the video's director preferred Teake and Carnival was forced to instead appear in the background of a shot.

Poppleguy has previously worked with the comedian and broadcaster Paul O'Grady

The firm also provided a parrot for the video shoot.

Poppleguy the parrot sits on Styles' shoulder as he feeds him a cashew nut.

Ms Cousins-Greenwood said that inclusion was unplanned because, although the parrot often features in music videos, he does not normally like to sit on people's shoulders.

"He's a little bit picky and he went straight on Harry Styles' shoulder, the sign of a good vibe," she said.