Ride Out, Saturday 01 October
Led by our vice chair Sally Smith, six intrepid members and their steads took to the hills of White Cow Woods, Strichen, for a lovely autumn ride. The 2½ hour ride took people through Drinnie Wood, round the observatory and back. The members who took part in the ride enjoyed it so much that we are hoping to organise a picnic ride at the same venue in the spring … watch this space!!
Side Saddle and Saddle Fitting Day
We were extremely lucky to welcome two very experienced individuals to the club to share their knowledge and experience with us towards the end of the summer. Saturday 24 September saw members delve into the world of side saddle and brushed up on their knowledge of saddle fitting – and the sun even made an appearance.
The information day saw Claire Newlands, Chairperson of Side Saddle Association North Scotland, give those present a fascinating insight into riding side saddle and the work the association is doing to make the discipline as accessible as possible for all. Claire used her extensive knowledge of the history of the discipline, her experiences taking up side saddle as a novice and training her own horse to finally successfully competing in the show ring.
During Claire’s interesting discussion Claire and Pharoh showed everyone their paces and Claire discussed the ins and outs of the immense levels of etiquette tied to the history of side saddle. During her fascinating insight a lucky member was given the chance to have a walk about in the saddle and explain to others on the ground how it felt – what a fantastic opportunity it was if not a little daunting!
Spectators where then given the chance to study Claire’s saddle up close and ask a wide range of questions from riding, training through to competing and jumping.
Following a quick break for a coffee or two Clare Molyneux of Native Pony Saddles began her talk on saddles and the basic checks everyone can make to check whether their saddle may be causing their pony – or indeed the rider – any problems. During Clare’s talk, three ‘guinea pigs’ where used to demonstrate the many different conformational issues a saddle fitter should consider along with the huge variety of saddle solutions available.
I am sure everyone present would agree that Clare’s small hints and tips certainly left food for thought along with the ongoing care and tlc you should regularly give your tack. The lovely saddles she had on show certainly caught the eye and we hope to be able to invite Clare back to the club in the spring. Thankfully the weather was on NESHPES’ side – for once – which allowed everyone the chance to enjoy a light lunch in the sun while chatting to both experts giving a chance for any more questions to be answered in a very relaxed setting.
Chairman Robin Stewart was delighted with the day. He said:”We are always looking for different events and subjects to bring to the membership. It is important that we provide opportunities which allow us all to broaden our knowledge of aspects of ponies and disciplines that we may have always wanted to find out more about but haven’t previously had the opportunity. “Both ladies provided a fascinating insight into their areas of knowledge and we cannot thank them enough for giving their time to NESHPES.”
Please contact info@neshpes.co.uk for further details on any activities and to register your interest. Please note that activities may be cancelled/rescheduled if the uptake is low. We are always interested to hear from members, so if you have an activity to suggest, please get in touch!
