Autumn at the stables is a favourite time of year. It’s a privilege to be based in the idyllic setting at Chestnuts, which makes for a truly restorative place to ride. We love to immerse ourselves in our surroundings that leave us in awe as the rich October colours come through making a stunning spectacle on the Downs. This week the riders spotted some buzzards in the sky doing a display flight, everyone thought … Continue reading →
Hello to our lovely followers. Here at LFRDA HQ we are putting together a fabulous festive tombola with a colour theme of purple, silver and gold. But, we have a very big ask, do you have any goodies that you would be willing to donate? Every donation makes our stall look enticing, eye-catching and exciting helping us spread festive cheer at the fair whilst raising funds for us. Items need to be new and … Continue reading →
The saddest thing about having a holiday is not seeing our equine friends as much, which means we were excited to be reunited and bring the herd (ponies and people) together. Last term we had so many dry sessions it was only a matter of time before having some wet ones but, after the downpours, our beautiful stables are looking much greener, it was needed! This week, our cherished horses and ponies ensured they looked … Continue reading →
Despite the soggy start to September we hope everyone has been enjoying the summer break. The horses have had a well earned holiday, behaving themselves, looking beautifully relaxed, unwinding and making the most of the tranquillity of their peaceful surroundings. For us it’s time to get out of our airy sandals and back into our boots, back to our routines and back to doing what we love. Hands up, who’s excited for a … Continue reading →
Summer holidays are go! As we start our break the horses and ponies are enjoying a well earned rest too from their RDA work. They are relaxing in their fields, happy as can be, making memories with their herd mates and, although they might be on holiday, the gang still needs daily care to make sure their needs are met. It will be lovely to be re-united with them in September but even heart of … Continue reading →
It’s been all about tea and tombolas this week! Grateful thanks to the brilliant Enjoolata Foundation for our Coffee and Cake Grant which is a fund designed to help teams take a break, recharge, and reconnect away from work. LFRDA volunteers met up at South Downs Nurseries to have a well-deserved treat and get to know each other better in a relaxed and informal setting. This wellbeing boost was welcome by the team, especially eating … Continue reading →
Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! There was certainly plenty of magic on Saturday at Ashington Festival and we are thrilled to announce we raised an amazing £1006! Massive thanks to everyone for taking part and without all the donated bottles we would not have raised so much. Special thanks to the terrific team of helpers throughout the day – you know who you are! What a stellar bunch full of … Continue reading →
And that’s a wrap folks for this riding term which has been everything we hoped for and much more! It was great to see everyone getting into the end of term spirit for our fun sessions and whilst the weatherman might have reported one thing the actual conditions were a bit different and yes, we had to dodge the showers at times but we’re going to ignore that and focus on the … Continue reading →
Hooray! It’s nearly festival time and we can’t wait to reconnect with old friends and forge new connections. Thanks to our generous community we have 170 bottles for our stall which is certainly not going to disappoint this year – we’re excited to see who goes home with these amazing prizes! The weather forecast is looking great so get the sunglasses and sun cream on and come along and join us for a fun … Continue reading →
Some of our lovely bright summer rosettes ready for our fun sessions. We’re sure the riders will be very pleased to receive them and the horses will be very proud to wear them! There is just something about a rosette we all love and we can’t wait to hand them out! 😊
Continue reading →We are cantering through this term and we’re in full summer swing with another wonderful week. The horses gave their absolute best, the riders embraced every moment with a smile, all helped by the volunteers’ unstoppable spirit, we couldn’t wish for anything else. There’s plenty more fun and games to come next week but first let’s take a summer slowdown with a peaceful pause this weekend.
Continue reading →This week an absolute glorious morning was made even brighter by a visit from Jo and Sally from the Enjoolata Foundation. Thank you Jo and Sally for making our relationship with Enjoolata that much more special and we were thrilled to show you some of the activities we get up to, you had such a positive interaction with everyone including the foot perfect ponies. We are deeply honoured to be involved with such a … Continue reading →
Members of the LFRDA family were treated to a return visit to Hickstead at the weekend. Although the weather might not have been quite as hot as June the level of action and excitement certainly was! We loved our time at Hickstead, unbeatable atmosphere, well organised and thanks to all the staff for making the event so special. Congratulations to all the competitors, the quality of horses and ponies was top class. In between watching … Continue reading →
Wow what a week, summer’s here folks! The weather has been incredible and the horses are looking great. The sun has definitely popped its hat on but luckily there’s always a shady spot nearby. Big praise to our super cool riders, volunteers and all star cast of experienced equines. Some days are full of sunshine, simple joys and little moments that make your heart smile and life magical🌞
Continue reading →With wall to wall sunshine, it was sunshine all the way for members of the LFRDA family who had a scorcher of a time at Hickstead, thanks to receiving complimentary tickets courtesy of Edward Bunn, Executive Director of Hickstead. The venue is world-renowned, attracting some of the best riders and equines in the world and well done to all the competitors along with their support teams and not least the beautiful horses and ponies who … Continue reading →