OUR SCHOOL HORSES AT OVERDALE 

GOLDIE (GOLDEN DAGGER) 16.2, 9 year old TB mare. We have recently bought Goldie, who is working hard on everyone she meets to dispell the stereotypes of the chestnut mare and ex racehorse! I think she should be called 'Goldie, Heart of Gold'. As a racehorse, she won at Newmarket, and she has since had a foal and been retrained as a riding horse. She has remarkably rider- ' friendly' defaults - everyone loves her, and a number of her riders have got off exclaiming 'I want this horse!' She took a very short time to realise that she wanted to live with us, not to just be here on trial - and she is very happy with her 'Back on Track' rug, LED lights, and general TLC. We love you Goldie!

TIFFIN (TIPPIN AROUND) 16.2, 12 year old Irish gelding. Tiffin has only just arrived with us (August 2013), so it is early days to say much about him. But you have to say from our photo that he's extremely handsome! He has done riding club activities, but I think that both on the flat, and over fences, he has much more scope than that. He's a nice person, and I can't wait to see how he develops!

GOLLY, 20 year old Hanoverian gelding. Golly has been with us for nearly four years, firstly on loan, and now as one of our treasured home-owned horses. He has competed in both dressage and show jumping to a reasonable level, and is an unusually good horse - forward going and fun. He is low mileage for his age, and does not act his age! He has good lateral work, and also flying changes. However, he is adapt at 'taking the rider' who cannot control the speed of his legs, and he used to do this with his nose virtually on his chest! He is a very good challenge for some of our more advanced riders, and is becoming much easier to get 'through' and more tollerant of people who are struggling more.

DANDY 12 year old Welsh Cob/TB gelding. Dandy is a working livery at Overdale, and is a horse who has been there, seen it and done it at riding club level and in the big wide world in general. He is a delightful horse to ride and is very well balanced in both trot and canter. He jumps well, and is really responsive - an all round 'Mr Nice Guy', and one of those horses you wish you could clone!

Domino, 8 year old cob. Domino is the new kid on the block, having arrived with us the Autumn 2011. I know nothing of his breeding, but know that he passed through Southall market as a 2 year old (not a fate you would wish on any horse - he was lucky to come out of there alive!). I have now purchased him from a frazzled owner who was struggling with his outgoing nature and lack of brakes. We think he is a fabulous horse, though he needs time to settle down a bit. He currently needs an organised rider who can 'take him', but I'm sure he'll settle into more general release and be one of the stars of the show! He has started doing lateral work,and jumped his first cross pole and he shows great promise at both!

JED 10 year old Welsh Cob gelding. Jed was given to Karin Major who manages Overdale. He is apparently extremely well bred, and has done well with Karin in local riding club dressage and show jumping. He has taken a long time to get from fat to fit (and in the process his jumping has gone from 'plop' to 'ping'!). He has a very outgoing personallity and works hard to charm everyone who walks down the barn isle.

He can surprise people with the odd spook or whizz, so is not for novice riders, but he is getting more and more established in his work.

MR JIMMY CHIPPS (JIM) gelding. Jim is a rescue pony who arrived with us in 2011, though I think he is more a victim of the recession than anything else. He is best described as horse on short legs, and I know nothing of his breeding or past, other than a photo of him jmping in a small show and looking like he is having a blast. At first he was not ammused to have been rescued into a riding school, but now that he has settled in and had some body work he is finding it all a lot more fun. He is geting cuter and more interactive by the day.

He is a 'steady eddy' type, but once he believes that you mean business he can change tactics and 'take you' . Thus you get to learn to ride two evasive patterns for the price of one! He has the easiest canter of all our school horses.

CHICO 11 year old New Forest gelding. Chico was rescued as one of a lorry load of weanings destined for the knackers. He found his way to Karin Major's home village, where he and his friend made a habit of escaping. After Karin had helped to catch them umpteen times she offered to buy them, and after starting Chico and putting him on loan several times she has bought him back for the riding school. He is a fabulous pony, who moves well and jumps extremely well. We call him our 'New Forest Warmblood', and just wish he was bigger! He is safe for kids and relatively novice riders, but is forward going and is a good teacher and interesting ride for people with more skills.

QUITE (pronounced 'KEET'), 14 year old Lusitano gelding. Quite is one of my personal horses, but has started to do some lessons with the coaches and more organised riders. He has evolved from being the most self-richeous, opinionated, impatient horse I have ever met to a much more generous and willing ride. He has shoulder in and half pass, piaffe, passage and tempo changes. We are beginning canter pirouettes. He also has a whole variety of trots, which are an education in themselves! I found him in Portugal, where he had been handled and ridden in a very 'macho' way, and it has taken all my skills to undo the effects of his early experiences. I love him to bits, and have learnt so much on him and that I owe him a life time of grass and the best riding I can muster!

SADLY NO LONGER WITH US AND MUCH MISSED:

ELLIE, 14.2 hand Palomino pony.

Ellie was put to sleep in late April 2013 - Writing this a few days later I am filled with sadness, but also filled with appreciation of what a wonderful 'up for it' pony she was, a delight to have around (except for her ability to end up whereever she wanted on my property, and at times off my property, with electric fences, stone walls and five bar gates seeming to be no obstacle....). She was such a good teacher to so many people, and a great example of a life well lived.

I love you Bell of the ball, best of them all, you were a shining example of what makes a great pony.

ASTRO 16.2, 19 year old gelding. Astro was put to sleep in May, after suffering a bowel displacement, and being deemed too old for surgery. It took a while, but he became such a great guy, and the ultimate cuddle-bug. He has left a big hole in our yard.

We were given Astro in 2001 by someone who really wanted to sell him, but could not find a buyer. He was at that time not a wonderfully sellable prospect, but he has changed a lot since. In 2003 he had nearly a year off after (we believe) fracturing his pelvis, and the time off changed his outlook on life. We do not jump him any more following that injury, but otherwise he is pretty robust, and much easier to motivate than he was before. Getting him forward and bringing him into carriage is not easy or guaranteed (and he is being extremely well ridden in the photograph), but especially once you have reached a certain stage, he is a good horse for building skills on. He has a big trot, and a very nice canter. He is also a delightful soul, who would really like to be a 'laphorse' - he would much rather cuddle you than do all this trotting round and round, but he does his job with increasingly good grace. In fact, he gets better with age!