There are currently 15 horses and ponies at the riding school.

Nine of these are Connemara Ponies as they are very versatile. Generally of a quiet nature and strongly built, Connemara Ponies are ideal for beginners as well as advanced riders, also they can carry children or adults. There is also one Irish Sport Horse, two Appaloosa crosses, two Irish Cobs and a small pony.

Meet our horses, past and present ones:

 In memoriam: Mashud

Mashud was the oldest and first of the horses. He was a beautiful bay Arabian Horse. Until a few years ago he was working a lot, especially with beginners and small children. As you can see, he even allowed the dogs to ride him!

Mashud retired a few years ago as he was getting old and Arthritis had set in, so he lived out his days in peace (when he wasn’t getting harassed by younger horses!)

Up to 1 or 2 years ago, he was still the boss of most of the herd, but with advanced age a lot of the horses and ponies had overtaken him in the hierarchy of the herd. He was still cheeky, up to the end, and demanded his special food every day. In April 2023, at the age of nearly 32, his legs refused to carry him any longer. He went to sleep peacefully.

In memoriam: Pepina

Pepina was a 17 year old chestnut Quarab, her father was an Arab like Mashud and her mother a Quarter Horse. She was Mashud’s best friend and simply adored him.

Pepina was a bit of a dragon, all the other horses were afraid of her. She only ever tolerated Mashud as a leader.

In memoriam: Jessie

Jessie was a chestnut Thoroughbred mare. She was a racehorse in her younger days. After her racing days she worked in the riding school for about 6 years. She was a very quiet horse to ride and liked by everyone. Sadly she got very sick when she was 21 years old and had to be put to sleep. She left us a son, Finn, who is a Thoroughbred Connemara cross.

Finn

Finn is a 10 year old grey Irish Sport Horse. He is the youngest of the ridden horses. He was trained as a 4 year old and ridden gently during the first winter and took part in pony camps the year after. Like his brother Bandit, he is quiet and easy going but a little bit more lively.

Bandit

Bandit is a big grey 12 year old Connemara pony. He is Finn’s half brother, their father is Newtown Rebel, a grey Connemara Stallion.

Bandit is equally enjoyable for beginners and advanced riders, he can be quiet and lazy and very safe for beginners or fast and fun for the more advanced rider. He is also very good with people who have special needs. Bandit is a very confident horse, he happily leads a trek and rarely gets spooked.

Bluebell

Bluebell is Bandit’s best friend. She is a 17 year old Cremello Connemara mare. Bluebell likes going fast but is easily controlled. She had a foal, Benji, and herself and Benji are still very close to each other.

Bluebell is very good with beginners, she doesn’t like going in front but she is a great follower and doesn’t need much prompting to keep going.

Benji

Benji is a 11 year old grey Connemara Pony. Like his mother, he likes going fast. He is a very friendly pony who loves coming for a cuddle.

Benji is very confident and is trying to work his way up within the herd.

These last four mentioned, Bluebell, Bandit, Benji and Finn, are really good friends and mostly stick together.

Dusty

Dusty is a 27 year old Connemara Pony. He came to the riding school in 2015. Dusty is a handsome grey pony who used to be great at jumping when he was younger. He was also very quiet and great for beginners. Sadly, he suffers from arthritis, and had to be retired in autumn 2022. He is enjoying his retirement and spends most of his time with Monty.

Monty

Monty is a 22 year old Appaloosa cross. He can be terribly lazy and stubborn, but he is also a pony who is up to anything. Be it swimming, jumping, carrying dogs or cats  around, nothing fazes Monty. He is also very good with small kids and beginners.

Monty is loved by a lot of kids at the riding school because he is so quiet and reliable and up for fun at the same time.

Magic

Magic is a 23 year old pony, she is the smallest pony at the riding school standing at 12.2″ hands. Being so small, she is mostly ridden by young children. She is very good with beginners, not too lazy, not too fast, just a little bit stubborn.

Magic is up for anything, you can ride her forward, backwards, bareback. She is good at jumping and very good on treks. The only thing she doesn’t like is having cats on her neck or back! Magic is a very firm favourite at the riding school, especially with the younger ones.

Missie

Missie is a 16 year old Cremello Connemara Pony. Bluebell and Missie are half sisters and have been living with each other for most of their lives. Missie is another favourite at the riding school. She is a quiet pony and very good on treks. In 2019, she suffered a serious injury, a fractured elbow. After surgery she recovered well and has been ridden again for the last three years.

Juno

Juno is a grey Connemara Pony. He is 15 years old and he is the smallest one of the Connemara Ponies at the riding school. Juno is a very good pony, he is quiet and is often ridden by beginners, but he can also be very lively with a more experienced rider. Juno is a great jumping pony.

Amy

Amy is a 17 year old Connemara Pony. She was the first Connemara Pony and Cremello to arrive at the riding school in 2007. Mashud was Carmen’s only horse when Amy arrived as a five month old foal.

Amy is a cuddly horse and likes being scratched all over. She is particular with her riders though. Beginners are not to her liking or timid riders. She can also be quite lazy. For a more experienced rider she is a great horse and will do anything.

Cassie

Cassie is a 4 year old grey Connemara Pony filly that came to the riding school in 2021. She is very quiet and confident at the same time. At her young age, she is already standing up to a lot of the other horses.

Maximus

Maximus, better known as Maxi, is a 3 year old pony that joined the herd in Autumn 2021. His mother is probably a Welsh pony and his father an Appaloosa. Maxi is very cute and cuddly and very well behaved. He is best friends with Lily and he loves playing with the other boys. Monty and Maxi are great friends, as are Maxi and Finn.

Aisling

Aisling is a 22 year old Irish Cob mare who came to the riding school in 2022. She is black and has birdcatcher spots scattered all over her body. Having been driven previously, Aisling prefers trotting over cantering and she can trot very fast. She is a very cuddly horse and loves her scratches.

Cuisle

Cuisle is a 14 year old Irish Cob mare. She is black, like Aisling. Cuisle joined the herd with Aisling in 2022. They arrived together and are still very close and generally stick together. Cuisle is a lovely quiet horse, she is very easy to ride and good with beginners.

Lily

Lily came to the riding school in October 2022 as a foal with her mother, Bree. Her mother left a few months later when Lily was used to her new home and herd. She is a 2 year old grey Connemara pony and a full sister to Bandit. Lily is good friends with Cassie and Maxi. Like her brother, she is very friendly and enjoys a good scratch. She is also a very confident young pony who hardly ever gets chased by the older ponies and horses.