West Herrington Riding School

Innocence

New Member
Jun 1, 2009
7,694
0
0
Not sure if there are any people from the North East who would of used the riding school. I used to volunteer there many years ago, manager was Margaret (grouchy old bag) and deputy manager Lynne who still knocks about. The riding school was sold to developers who since knocked it down and built houses on the site. I'm sure the RS is still up and running though behind the new estate, all the old fields have horses in them apart from the one across the road.

Would love to know what happened to any of the horses there

King - Bay Stallion
Lucky - Bay Stallion
Lady
Westie (i think he was pts, loved him)
Velvet (again think he has now been pts)
Ebony fell mare
Thunder grey heinz57
Bertie coloured heinz57
Snowy
Cloud
Henry
Echo - dun broodmare with a hernia, did breed a foal called sandpiper who died in the field.
William - real sweetie worked to death, poor wee man
2 shetlands but can't remember their names
Dun and white mare - had a dun and white colt called Jester
Foxy

Can't think of anymore at the mo, wasn't a very good riding school, horses over worked and not good lives.
 
Not sure if there are any people from the North East who would of used the riding school. I used to volunteer there many years ago, manager was Margaret (grouchy old bag) and deputy manager Lynne who still knocks about. The riding school was sold to developers who since knocked it down and built houses on the site. I'm sure the RS is still up and running though behind the new estate, all the old fields have horses in them apart from the one across the road.

Would love to know what happened to any of the horses there

King - Bay Stallion
Lucky - Bay Stallion
Lady
Westie (i think he was pts, loved him)
Velvet (again think he has now been pts)
Ebony fell mare
Thunder grey heinz57
Bertie coloured heinz57
Snowy
Cloud
Henry
Echo - dun broodmare with a hernia, did breed a foal called sandpiper who died in the field.
William - real sweetie worked to death, poor wee man
2 shetlands but can't remember their names
Dun and white mare - had a dun and white colt called Jester
Foxy

Can't think of anymore at the mo, wasn't a very good riding school, horses over worked and not good lives.

Gee - guess they'd love to know they didn't have good lives! They were all well-looked after and anything but overworked compared to the vast majority of places. Glad my teaching sucked so bad.

The owner is now dead, school moved to the farm at Houghton that was used for the broodies, retirees and youngstock, but closed completely when he was terminally ill. Lynne took over as manager about a year after Margaret retired, she still has her two horses Rio and Noddy.

Echo was a gelding - his Mum was Sea-Jay who lost Sandy. Both dead now Sea-Jay to bad arthritis, Echo to a twisted gut while in private ownership. She had two other foals, Eclipse who only died fairly recently in his 20's and Shadow who is still alive in private ownership. Sandy died with a nasty little bug called Rhodococcus and died in the stable. I was one of the people who tried to nurse him through it and saw the massive vet bill incurred doing so.

King died aged 21yo of a heart attack while on loan to a stud near Ferryhill. Standing eating after he had been out playing with his Shetland fieldmate and dropped dead.

Lucky PTS at rising 27yo having been in full retirement for 9 years after breaking a hind leg and recovering from it. Peter was too precious about him after that to have him ridden or covering mares so he was a happy field ornament.

I'm assuming you mean bay Lady - her owner sold her on and she escaped from the livery yard she was on and was found with a broken neck. The other Lady (chestnut) belonging to one of the liveries just died last winter secondary to bad Cushing's.

Velvet was in private ownership when he died with grass sickness.

AFAIK Westie is still alive and in his early 40's. I saw him out winning vet classes a couple of years ago.

Ebony is still alive and in private ownership. Her full sister Magic died from colic. Jack, full brother, belongs to my friend and I competed him in affiliated dressage until this year.

Thunder was PTS as he had rampant melanoma. Snowy also died with melanoma.

Cloud was sold.

Bertie died with colic while in private ownership.

Henry died very recently in private ownership, he was very old.

William was early 30's when he died and was ill suddenly. Even then he was only doing half hour walks.

Billy and Sidney were probably the two Shetlands you remember. Billy PTS with general frailty of old age. Sidney went into private hands, am assuming he has died by now as he would be late 30's.

Opal and Jester are both dead with rampant early onset Cushings. Both foundered in private hands. Jester down to someone kindly letting him out of his bare paddock onto the nice grass next door at the sanctuary where his owner worked - he died the next day.

Foxy broke a leg and was PTS while in private ownership.

Zen and Tosca were both PTS with cancer while in retirement.

Pip died of grass sickness while on loan. Silver died in his early 30's in his retirement home. Badger went on loan but think he died a few years ago.

Goldie died peacefully after a long retirement. She was found in the field aged 41yo, just lay down to sleep and never woke up. Her bosom buddy Holly, died with age-realted illness in her 30's.

Shamrock was sold by his owner and the girl who bought him let her mates ride him while he was ill so he ended up with dreadful broken wind and was then pretty much ignored - but for the staff at the school caring for him he would have died in her care. As it was he managed a few years retirement with maximum care. Even then Lynne had to take the decision for him to go, owner didn't even come to see him.

Freckles died with surgical colic - lipoma round the gut and there was too much damage from ischaemia.

Flame, Peggy, Bacchus, Moonie, Zenda, Lynne-Rose and Megan died in retirement.

Sweep was still going the last I heard of him - he will be in his 30's now.

Merlin is still going and is on permanent loan to one of the old staff.

Galaxy is in private hands now, she was a bit neglected by her first private owner but was bought by someone who knew her. She is still going well aged 26yo, she bogged off with the owner's daughter a couple of weeks ago :D

Topaz still alive and well, on loan as her owner has been having babies.

Della failed suddenly aged 24yo and was PTS. She had three foals - Rio still belongs to Lynne and her other two foals are still alive and well. Debbie is a happy hacker now in her early 20's having jumped and evented. Indy reached a massive 18.1hh, raced over fences and is now a trainer's hack and hunter.

George is still alive and in the ownership of another friend, he will be celebrating his 30th birthday next spring. Still fit and well, being ridden lightly a couple of times a week and is nanny to my colt foal. Took up affiliated dressage aged 15yo and competed to Advanced level. He won his last ever affiliated dressage competition aged almost 27yo. His full brother Curly is in private hands as a companion pony.

I own Peri (one of Lucky's daughters) and J owns Kirti her full brother. Peri competed to Inter I level in dressage and has now bred me two foals - have kept the filly who is now 4yo, the colt is almost 5 months old and for sale. Number three (and last one) is due in late May, then she is going to be nanny to any more foals and a happy hacker. P's half brother Minstrel belongs to another friend.

Posts 14, 15, 16 in this thread are Peri and Belle

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197719&highlight=Peri

Belle as a 4yo

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211076&highlight=belle

If you follow the link in this thread you will see the latest foal

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211527&highlight=Firefly
 
Sorry didn't mean to offend but myself and Margaret never got on, she used to always put me on the pony which was the hardest work! Usually Thunder!

And probably saying the horses weren't very well cared for was the wrong choice of words and my judgement is clouded by how i look after my own horses today. Back in the day of New Zealand rugs, one type of feed, feeds all and deep littered beds obviously something was working for so many of them to be well into their old ages and still going!

I don't think i was ever taught by you. I remember Denise, she was nice and taught my mum and i got on very well with Lynne. She used to pick us up on early frosty mornings to go to the yard. When i saw her about i always said hi, is she still driving her VW polo pick up, she had that years and her landy.

I would have to disagree over William though as i remember his final days and that he was put in a lesson when he couldn't be bothered because there was no-one else for the little girl to right. Lynne was a brilliant yard manager but Margaret came across as a money grabber, again apologies if she was a friend of yours.


Lady was a bay and privately owned by a girl who taught at the yard. I'm talking nearly 15 - 20yrs ago when i was there.
I'm glad Westie is still going, he was my favourite pony and the one i learnt to ride on.

Sandy died shortly after i left, i remember seeing him in the field and lots of people around him that is why i assumed he died in the field. I remember Sea-Jay now you say it.

Can't remember Peggy, Bacchus, Moonie, Zenda, Lynne-Rose, Zen or Tosca but do remember that everyone always wanted to Shamrock.
 
Last edited:
AFAIK Westie is still alive and in his early 40's.

No way! I am also still alive and in my early 40's, and I remember riding Westie when we must both have been about 8. :biggrin:

I remember Tosca too, and the shetlands Billy and Sidney, and William. I also remember a little Welsh (?) called Heidi with a wall eye who was my absolute favourite.

My mum tells me the stables is now a restaurant, with the dining room where the old indoor was.
 
I remember Heidi!

My mum used to ride George or Galaxy when she went there, her friend was always stuck on Bertie which she hated but she was a larger lady! They did a fancy dress competition one year and my mum's friend went as Bertie Bassett. lol

I was about 10 when i rode there, i'm 30 now so Westie must have been going into his 20's when i rode him.

There was so much of it i remember back then, there used to be a pub at the end of the yard can't remember the name of it now Stable something?!? or i could be totally wrong.

I also remember a girl called Karen who i think owned bay Lady but was on working livery, she wouldn't be allowed out on hacks because she used to nick off (again this could be a vague memory and i could be totally wrong).

I used to beg to ride Ebony every week but always be put on someone slow and hard work :cry: don't think i ever got to ride Ebony.

I remember the farm on the A690 but last time i was up north it was up for sale or is that just the cottages at the front?

I don't ever remember seeing a restaurant on the site but do remember the housing estate that was/is there.

I don't remember any of the riding instructors apart from Denise and a blonde lady who used to ride King.
 
Hi Lesley (ldg),

My name is Nikki I used to ride at this school from the age of 6 till 15 (now 30) and I used to ride Gemini the little palomino that belonged to you every Sunday morning she was an amazing little pony.

I was over the moon to read all your information about all the horses from the old riding school.

I have always wondered what happened to them all? Especially Ebony Topaz Opel Foxy and Lady.

When the yard was closing I remember I begged my father to buy Ebony but at the time we had no where to house her.

I stumbled across the site whilst looking for a riding school for my Daughter do you run a riding school yourself now or know anywhere local I'm in Ashbrook.

Would love to hear from you and any more info on Ebonys whereabouts would be lovely

Nikki
 
Blimey this so takes me back. William Tosca and then Thunder were favourites. I loved Sidney Billy William Freckles flare Harvey and many more. Where are Lynne and Margaret now? Peter was the owner? I rode with a girl called Nicky Mackay...does anyone know where she is now? I live in the South East now with kids and horsesHave Margaret and Co to thank for getting me into it all as a 6 year old! I'm now 40 plus !! X
 
A worked there with karen kye & louise until kye got me the sack little shetland domino was my fav i no echo was sold to an instuctor who used to work there fogot her name she had curly ginger hair she was lovely a seen her riding passed a livery yard i was working on at cleadon over 15 year ago god im getting old hehe
 
Last edited:
This was absolutely brilliant to find. I did a quick search on Google to see if Herrington RS still existed and found a link to here. Anyway I'm now aged 40 and live in Seattle- still riding weekly. I learnt to ride from age 4 on Dixie and another shetland then Snowy and Sweep. I still remember the layout of the school and the little hack around the fields at the back. My mum took me on the bus every Saturday until we moved away to Northumberland. It was £4 an hour in the mid 80s! I absolutely loved riding and fell off a heck of a lot jumping barrels in the outdoor school! Lovely memories. Thanks to the previous posters for the info.
 
This was absolutely brilliant to find. I did a quick search on Google to see if Herrington RS still existed and found a link to here. Anyway I'm now aged 40 and live in Seattle- still riding weekly. I learnt to ride from age 4 on Dixie and another shetland then Snowy and Sweep. I still remember the layout of the school and the little hack around the fields at the back. My mum took me on the bus every Saturday until we moved away to Northumberland. It was £4 an hour in the mid 80s! I absolutely loved riding and fell off a heck of a lot jumping barrels in the outdoor school! Lovely memories. Thanks to the previous posters for the info.
It's a very old thread @Sarino but I'm glad you found what you were looking for!
 
I've just found this post now!!! It's brought back many fond memories. I guess different people remember different things. I have never found a better riding stables than these ones and, although the horses were worked fairly hard, they were very loved and looked after. I used to help all day on a Sunday and teach. I really liked all the staff there and never had a problem with Lynn or Margaret.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
I also learnt to ride here - 45 years ago! It was great to read of the updates. I remember the “old” indoor school with the pillars and helping out all day on Sundays.
In my 30’s I finally got my own horse and I still have one now at 56. Great memories.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Huggy
Hello everyone, I recently thought about looking up old riding friends from West Herrington, and sadly found out that Lesley Davidson, who taught me when I was a teenager, had passed away earlier this year. I missed the chance to tell her what a brilliantly passionate and knowledgeable teacher she was. I learnt so much from her. I volunteered there around 1985-88 and used to teach on a Sunday too. Would love to hear from anyone who was there at the same time. Lesley's post above just highlights to me the immense passion she had for the horses, and how amazing to read about how long some of the horses and ponies lived! I started riding on Tosca and then Westie and ended my riding there on Della, who I loved. She belonged to Margaret and I was always glad that she encouraged my to ride her. Mounting a 15.3hh horse from the ground as a kid was no mean feat! Julie Briggs
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
Hello,
I stumbled across this whilst reminiscing about my younger days . I used to have lessons every Sunday from 1976 to 1986. Absolutely loved going ...does anyone remember Strider , Harvey, Bacchus (my fav) and I think Zen .
Used to do display rides ....one to Delaney's Donkey ..if anyone remembers that ?
Had some pretty impressive falls ..particularly over in the jumps area across the road !
Only tough days were when I was given Moonraker ....he was tricky to get moving !!
 
newrider.com