As you are all aware under the current climate, and strain of the corona virus pandemic, our riding school has had to scale down temporarily to all our wonderful clients.

Our busy riding school is in the north of the Island, we currently have 11 horses and ponies. We do not take any liveries, so rely solely on people booking rides to cover all of our expenses. It is a family run business started over 40 years ago. We teach people of all ages, and are open 7 days a week. We run pony mornings and pony days in the holiday times teaching children how to care for the horses and ponies. We take 4 Project Trident students every year for work experience, and 4 Highlands College Students (doing their animal Management degree courses) for work experience every year, and have done for many years. We also hold Birthday parties for many children.

We are the sole yard supplying ponies for the Riding for Disabled Charity, which is run from our yard with 11 rides a week for children with varying disabilities. They have approx 60 volunteers on the island that come and help with the rides each week. The difference it makes to the children and adults is incredible to watch, just being around the horses really calms them down, and helps some of them to focus.

We have tried for many years to keep our costs low, to encourage more people to be able to learn to ride correctly and safely, and as a result have enough clients to run smoothly through the months of March - September taking that little bit extra to see us though the months of October - February when the weather is not so good and clients cancel.

We have just come though the worse months and should now have been able to increase our takings, but in light of the coronavirus our biggest client the Riding for Disabled, which is appox 40% of our income, had to cancel all their rides from 13th March 2020 until further notice, and on top of that approx 50% of the other clients have cancelled until, after the coronavirus, due to self isolating, or being vulnerable, which leaves us, with not enough funds to cover the cost of feeding our ponies etc.

Many of you have expressed your concern about the upkeep of our ponies, and asked if there is any way you can help us, or if you can make a donation somehow, of course due to the lockdown we are unable to welcome volunteers to help us, but i am sure all of our horses and ponies are missing all of your hugs and kisses.

All our 11 lovely horses and ponies still require a high standard of care, including feeding, hay/haylage, bedding, the farrier to see to their feet every 6-8 weeks (up to £100 per horse), the vet for anything that may need treating, the dentist for their 6 or 12 month check (£60 per horse), the physio to ensure they are all comfortable and healthy (up to £80 per horse), rugs, grooming kits, along with many other things that get forgotten about when you think about us as a 'Riding School' alone. Without each and every horse offering us their services, teaching those that come for their first ever ride, to those wanting to take Pony Club or BHS exams, train for competitions, or simply those who enjoy to come to us for a lesson or hack on their favourite horse on a weekly basis, we would not be able to run to the standard that we do or be able to have the privilege to own such wonderful horses.

In light of the pandemic we are concerned that we might not manage to recover, before the winter sets in again, which will mean having to sell all the horses and ponies, leaving no where suitable for the 60 disabled riders in Jersey to ride, and all my able bodied riders very disappointed, because the horse they love is no longer there. (They are all special ponies, with a great temperament, for the disabled, specially picked for their job).

Anyone wanting to make a donation to help us care for our wonderful group of horses and ponies in this hard time would be greatly appreciated. All of our horses are missing their wonderful array of clients, but our staff are currently giving them as much love and attention as they can at this difficult time.

Stay safe everyone, and see you on the other side.

Thank you .