This week even the weather decided to smile down on us, having our sessions without melting in the sun or drowning in a downpour was perfect! Well done to our riders and thank you to the volunteers for making our return a brilliant one. Of course, the biggest thank you of all goes to the horses. They proved once again they have the most reliable hooves in … Continue reading →
The time has come to dust off those riding hats! As we swap our airy sandals for boots, we are looking forward to getting back to doing what we love. We can’t wait to catch up with all our returning riders and give a huge, warm welcome to anyone joining our stable for the first time. Hands up, who else is excited for the new term? We know we are!
Continue reading →Autumn is off to a magical start, and it’s all thanks to the Enjoolata Foundation. We are very grateful to receive their generous grant, which means the world to our entire team, both humans and horses alike. This support makes a difference in helping us continue creating special RDA moments for everyone. Thank you Enjoolata. You haven’t just made our day or our month, you’ve made our whole year!
Continue reading →This summer LFRDA has grown a little bigger and a lot cuter! We’re overjoyed to share that two of our wonderful volunteers have welcomed baby girls. Congratulations to Steph on the arrival of Eloise Mary, born on 14 July 2026, and to Kate on the arrival of Ruby Christina born on 10 August 2026. We are sending both families all our love. We are counting down the days until their first stable visits and can’t … Continue reading →
Our amazing four-legged pals are having a wonderful time out in the fields, enjoying plenty of fun, freedom and friendship during their RDA break. As always, they are receiving the best possible care and lots of love every single day. After such a hot summer it’s good to see the grass finally turning green again. We are already counting down the days until we reunite with our wonderful herd for the start of … Continue reading →
In Loving Memory of Denise LFRDA Volunteer & Trustee (2015 – 2026) It is with heavy hearts that we share that our friend and volunteer, Denise, passed away on 16 August 2026. Denise’s time with us began when she answered an advert in a magazine looking for helpers for a new adult RDA group. After attending our open morning, she knew instantly she wanted to join us. Her natural passion and commitment shone through and within six … Continue reading →
That’s an official wrap on our summer term. It has been everything we hoped for and so much more! This week brought the perfect end of term spirit to our sessions, which were scorching in more ways than one! Every rider completed a course, which turned into a brilliant, laughter filled mix of a slalom meets handy pony challenge. The riders were justly rewarded with gorgeous rosettes crafted by Rachel’s Rosettes. These awards celebrate their … Continue reading →
August started in a wonderful way bringing us sunshine, laughter, and some very special guests. While looking out over the Downs, we watched Red Kites gliding high in the distance. A helper shared that these clever birds can build very messy nests with strange treasures like clothes, sunglasses, and toys. We are definitely going to watch our favourite arena toys very closely from now on! 😀 Sharing these happy moments with our precious horses reminds … Continue reading →
We all love a bit of sunshine, but with temperatures soaring again we are cancelling our lessons this week. We know how disappointing this is, but the safety and wellbeing of our riders, volunteers and precious horses always comes first. The great news is that cooler weather is on the way for next week. We are already looking forward to seeing you for our usual sessions and making up for lost time with double … Continue reading →
What an unforgettable return to Hickstead with complimentary tickets, stunning weather and thrilling arena action that matched the magic of our June visit. Everything was perfect from the seamless organisation to the top-class horses and ponies, highlighted by Robert Whitaker and Vermento winning the Al Shira’aa King George V Gold Cup for a record-equalling third time. We are incredibly lucky to have Hickstead right on our doorstep, we are already counting down to 2027! A … Continue reading →
Congratulations to Louise, Jenny and Val for passing their Emergency First Aid at Work course. The team enjoyed refreshing their skills and catching up with both familiar friends and new faces from across the region. Sincere thanks go to the South-East Region for organising such a great day, and to the trainer Lee, for delivering an engaging course perfectly tailored to the RDA world. We are incredibly grateful to all our first aiders for everything … Continue reading →
What a wonderful week here! The heatwave cleared for our sessions leaving us with warm sunshine and a gentle South Downs breeze – perfect riding weather. Well done to our riders, and thank you to our tireless helpers and horses. Our equine team constantly prove to be the best therapists around, patient, loving and asking for very little in return… well, aside from a few well deserved hugs, of course!
Continue reading →We had a fantastic evening giving a talk to the Small Dole Tuesday Group! Despite the soaring temperatures, everyone was incredibly welcoming and engaged as we shared our passion for all things LFRDA. A huge thank you to the group for being such wonderful hosts and for their generous donations to our charity. We also want to say a massive thank you to our amazing volunteer team (and our rider!) for putting on such a … Continue reading →
LFRDA group members had a brilliant time soaking up the atmosphere at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby meeting. A massive thank you to Edward Bunn for the complimentary tickets that made this memorable experience possible. We loved every second, from admiring the immaculately turned-out horses to cheering on William Whitaker’s epic Derby win. Our riders returned inspired and ready to bring that champion spirit to their next lessons! 🏆
Continue reading →Owing to the extreme heat forecast for this week, all riding lessons are unfortunately cancelled. The safety of our riders, volunteers, and amazing horses always comes first and we want to ensure no one is exposed to unnecessary heat stress. Our horses will be happily relaxing in the shade and, just like them, we hope you find a lovely, cool way to do the same. Please look after yourselves and we look forward to welcoming … Continue reading →