Over Dalkeith Stables and Pony Club Centre

04/08/2022

Thank you and good bye...
We left this until the end because it is the hardest post to write...after running successfully for eighteen years Over Dalkeith Stables has closed. The last lesson dismounted, the last riders gave their ponies the final cuddles and ran off full of the memories of their last lesson.. of the naughty ponies who just wouldn't listen and the ones who were angels and didn't put a foot wrong...of canters newly done or rising trot managed.
Maybe they just felt that wonderful feeling that all riders feel when it is just you and your horse and the whole world falls away around you and you realise this is what it's all about.
Our ponies and ODS have been part of the journey of so many lives. We watched as children grew to teenagers and into young adults. The lessons and the ponies changed the gifts they gave their riders stayed the same.
Our lives revolved around the riding school and the seasons. October activities. Christmas parties. Easter camps and the glorious long days of summer camps..
Like one big extended family we knew the same language. Summer Guinness and Winter Guinness. Laps and Waterloo.
We were so privileged and proud to see the same wonder and magic repeat itself with each new rider,to see it all unfold before them. From tentative steps off the lead rein to confident canters.
Our life at ODS has been wonderful and happy and full and it is very hard to leave, however we are packing up all the ponies and heading off quite literally to new pastures. Our children have all moved south of us and both we and the ponies crave warmer climes and shorter winters.
We are moving to a smallholding in North Devon. Ponies ,cats ,dogs,goats and chickens too. We will be settling up riding and equine therapy and a small glamping site. All with sustainability at the core.
We hope that for everyone who was ever part of the ODS story,for however long or short a time, that we leave you with memories of experiences you can hold dear.
That everything they meant to you was special. That with us and the safe space of the ponies you were able to be your most open and your most authentic self.
It was never only about learning the correct diagonal or correct canter lead. The real learning was all about you and the self you were able to be with the ponies. The friends you made. The discovery you could do hard things. The confidences you shared with your pony...Everyone has their own valuable memories.
If you hold these experiences close in a small place inside you then wherever you go and whatever you do there will forever be a part of ODS with you. Just as there is for us.
With more love and gratitude than words can ever express.
Katie and Shaun Gillanders

25/03/2022

The yard has been a bit sadder this week as we had to say goodbye to Charm. When she was out in the field her flexor tendon in her leg broke. This is a syndrome that older horses can get and wasnt caused by anything she was doing in the field - it just happened. She was in a huge amount of pain and was struggling to walk. We got the vet out to her and they scanned the tendon with their ultrasound and gave her lots of pain relief. The results were not good as the tendon had totally snapped in half and the outlook for a full recovery was not hopeful. After alot of discussion with the vet we decided that the kindest thing we could do was to not let her suffer and to let her go.

Charm was a fantastic little pony who was much loved and will be hugely missed. She competed at Pony Club Championships in mounted games and polocrosse and she represented her country in polocrosse at the Pony Club Home Nations. She gave alot of children alot of happy memories and we miss her.

23/03/2022

Eastlands McLennan and Rolling Thunder getting in some practice ahead of our Easter Activity Days.

There is a now a space on the beginners activity day on the 7th April due to a cancellation.

19/03/2022

Due to recent cancellations we currently have some VERY RARE Sunday lesson spaces.

There is a space from 1pm to 1.30pm and spaces from 3pm to 4.30pm.

Book in in the usual way via the app or booking portal.

12/03/2022

A little expert from our Thursday night stable management sessions. We were working on handling and leading ponies. And even before the clocks go forward we were OUTSIDE! in the daylight.

We finished with some pony games races leading the ponies rather than riding.

We are planning a handy pony lead rein competition. Fetch us those balloons!

We still have plenty of spaces if you fancy coming along and joining in the fun. It's every Thursday from 5.30 to 6.30. Book in via the portal or app and see you soon.

11/03/2022

Hi all, you may have seen that we have added a banner on the login pages with a link to the British Equestrians For Ukraine appeal.

When you click on the link below you will be taken to the World Horse Welfare website where donations can be made.

All donations will help buy desperately-needed feed, bedding and veterinary supplies
Click here to donate ➡️ https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/support-us/appeals/british-equestrians-for-ukraine-fund

03/03/2022

Now the nights are getting lighter we have started the Thursday evening stable management lessons again. Tonight was our first one and we started off with a bit of a refresher; rugging, grooming and feeding. Most of the time spent with horses is not spent riding on their backs but instead is the all important horse care. These stable management lessons are designed to teach the skills needed to look after a horse or pony.

These are every Thursday in March and April from 5.30 to 6.30. Book in via the app or booking portal in the usual way.

Next week we are covering handling a pony with a fun on foot handy pony contest the following week!

02/03/2022

Saddle Club stable management lessons start again on Thursday (tomorrow) from 5.30 to 6.30. This week we are going to be learning all about grooming. Open to all registered riders. To book log onto the app or booking portal, select thursday and look under group lessons.

24/02/2022

SNOW DAY!!!!!We woke up to find 12cm had settled overnight....so we are cancelling our lessons today. We cannot remember the last time we had so much snow...so stay safe everyone and don't make any non essential journeys!
Our forecast for tomorrow is sunny all day so the snow will not stay past today. Tomorrow will be business as usual...but for today we are enjoying how beautiful it makes everything look and ensuring our ponies are warm and well fed!

15/12/2021

We have had a really difficult past few weeks. We are feeling a little bit broken at the moment because we have recently lost two of our beautiful ponies and it is breaking our hearts.

Both Louise and Turbo were much loved members of our family and to lose them both in quick succession is almost unbearable.

Turbo came from the Twinberrows in the Malverns and was initially bought for Freya to play polocrosse on, which she did and also took her team showjumping with success. Turbo then became a much loved member of the riding school. She helped teach countless children to ride and was always popular. We retired her from the riding school a few months back expecting her to have a long and happy retirement but unfortunately that wasn't to be the case. She developed a neurological problem which led to her being unable to use her front legs. Sadly for us all the Vet could do nothing except euthanase her.

It was a huge blow and we had only just recovered when Louise suddenly and unexpectedly went down with severe colic symptoms. The vet immediately diagnosed a very severe surgical colic for which there was no cure.

We bought Louise for Hamish when he was 7 as a games pony for him to start on and we have lots of memories of travelling around the country to games competitions. Louise even once took the ferry to Orkney to compete there.

When Hamish had outgrown her she became a hugely popular pony in the riding school and represented Scotland at the Pony Club Home Nations. We had her for 16 years and we still miss her happy face over the stable door and her little wickers when she thought her dinner was coming.

Turbo and Louise were not only special to us but we know they were also very special to a large number of people who came to Over Dalkeith over many years.

Our only consolation is to know that for both ponies the end was very quick. We can also take solace in our lovely memories of both ponies and somewhere in that enchanted place, deep inside our hearts, Turbo and Louise are running free forever.

05/12/2021

MOUNTED CHRISTMAS PARTIES - SUNDAY 19th Dec

We have now created more mounted Christmas parties for all ages and stages on Sunday 19th Dec. There are also 4 spaces available in our final Christmas party for under 8's on Wednesday 22nd at 5.30pm featuring Mollie Gillanders.

There are even some spaces for children who have not yet had an assessment lesson.

Playing Christmas Party games on your pony with silly amounts of chocolate is a brilliant way to start your Christmas.

04/12/2021

Sunset this evening at 4.45pm.

04/11/2021

Man is not the only animal that seeks freedom and space!

The essential joy of being with a horse is that it brings us in contact with rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom.

04/11/2021

Ponies enjoying a little dance in the sunshine this morning. Welcome to the gang Mr Bluesky!

03/11/2021

So we came across this on our security feed from Sunday night! It's good to see the arena getting used 24/7 but it also explains the hoof prints in the morning!

02/11/2021

Getting ready for winter. That's the pens mucked out, fresh straw and a new bale of haylage!

Individual lesson spaces on Thursday and Friday this week and Saturday has spaces for experienced riders at 9.30.

10/10/2021

Good bye Splodge...Today many of you will have had your lessons cancelled as we closed the yard at 10.30 and will not open again until tomorrow.
This morning when splodge came in for breakfast she looked a bit flat...nothing very obvious but we just felt she wasn't her normal self. We called the vet who came out quickly and it turned out poor splodge had a massive infection. She had been totally fine and healthy yesterday evening so it had obviously come on very quickly. She was twenty six years old so these things unfortunately aren't uncommon at that that age...
The vet felt that the kindest thing to do was to let her go as her heart and her circulation were failing so she could not survive. The main priority was to prevent any suffering.
Splodge was one of the best. A colleague and a friend as well as a horse.
We have closed the yard to enable us to grieve her loss and mark her passing.
We all have our own lovely memories of this wonderful horse. She was loved before she came to us and the Smith family have many happy memories of her and her life with them.
Horses like Splodge don't come round very often. All you can do is enjoy them while they are here. Appreciate them and every minute you have with them and care for them to the best of your ability.
Then let them go when it is time. The final act of care you can perform.
And somewhere in that in enchanted place one more horse joins the herd.
The photos show mollie on splodge in the last photo we have of her...taken only a few short weeks ago.
And splodge with Hamish when she and fly first arrived.
And mollie on splodge playing polocrosse.

09/10/2021

27/09/2021

Finn is counting down the days to having a lesson in his basket saddle

09/09/2021

Yesterday we had 30°C and the ponies relaxing in the field. Today the rain has just started and it's going to get alot worse.

On the plus side, the arena will be damped down !

21/07/2021

The ponies hanging out together at the start of their 2 week summer holidays.

15/07/2021

The final day of senior camp was in a scorching 28°C. We spent the day playing mounted games, waterloo and polocrosse. Hopefully everyone has gone home exhausted and happy and a little bit more knowledgeable.

Sadly this year we were only able to take 6 participants (and there was no camping over) so many of our riders will have missed out on the fun of camp. We do have some spaces left in some of the day activities where we can promise the fun even if we can't promise the weather!

If you are interested check out the activity courses section when you click on Book a Lesson in the app or on line.

14/07/2021

Day 3 of camp and we have been working on assessing our horses fitness. Once we had our horses resting heart rate we went for a 1.4km canter. Then we leapt of and remeasures their heart rates every 2 minutes until it dropped back down to the resting rate. Who do you think was the quickest to recover?

13/07/2021

So day 2 of our 4 day camp for the over 12s and we learnt how to take a horses heart rate, temperature and respiration rate and what the signs were for a healthy horse or one under the weather.

Of course we also perfected our plaiting and even had one of the riding lessons in the river field so we could see how differently horses might behave when ridden in fields compared to arenas.

10/07/2021

Last year we couldn't hold our senior camp and this year it's a bit different. No tents and sleeping over and no home made rolls for.breakfast. But we are having a four day non residential camp for over 12s.

And.it starts next week but the good news is that there is still a space on it. Go to Activity courses on the booking site.

08/07/2021

If you are looking for a fun day at the Stables tomorrow then we have a space in our activity day for 11 and unders due to a cancellation. The day starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm and you will need to bring a packed lunch and all the usual Scottish summer clothes (sun cream, waterproofs etc)

This is only for riders who are already riding with us and it isn't a day for beginners. Remember that if you can see it on the system to book it then it's appropriate.

01/07/2021

Another scorchio day where we went on a hack in the afternoon and when we got back we just had to cool our ponies down with a shower. However, some of the little munchkin had other ideas and no sooner had they returned to their field than they got themselves all nice a dusty.

30/06/2021

So today the ponies had a shower after the lesson this afternoon. Then after using the sweat scrapers on them we let them dry off in the sunshine.

29/06/2021

Summer is here and today we played Waterloo for the first time in the full arena for probably nearly 2 years. What fun.