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
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