Newtonmore Riding Centre Blog - 2008 - (by Ruaridh Ormiston)

OPENING DAY FINALLY - ALL WENT WELL - SATURDAY MARCH 22ND

Well we finally opened today as planned and it all went well apart from the weather, we had snow and very cold North Easterly winds this morning so the 5 children we had booked in asked if they could maybe come tomorrow if the weather was better, but the forecast does not look good. It probably did not get much more the 1 or 2 degC today in Newtonmore. But at least I got a few more jobs done inside so that the place is looking respectable for when we do get some people when the weather improves next week.

Some of the ponies in the small paddock in front of the Centre with the Cairngorms or Grampians in the background.

The school this morning.

We had our first lesson today and our very first customer was a young gentleman called Ruaridh whose grandparents are from Newtonmore. Ruaridh is 4 1/2 years old and is very keen and a good wee rider for his age, when asked to trot he shouts "Yeehaw" before squeezing Murphy to go forward. Next time he comes he is threatening to wear his cowboy suit so I will need to look out the small shetland Cowboy saddle we used to use when we were that age. However I am not sure that Cowboys used Winnie the Pooh saddle clothes and Murphy looks more like an Indian Paint Horse than a cowboy mount.

We will be starting our Children's Pony Club next weekend and we hope that it will be very popular. Local Children will be able to get instruction and to sit exams and follow a recognised syllabus in horse care management and riding. We hope to run the Children's Pony Club on Saturday mornings and if numbers and demand is sufficient we will run it at other times too. 

ONE DAY TO GO TILL OPENING - FRIDAY MARCH 21ST

It is hard to believe that we have actually made it and we are ready to open our doors to the public tomorrow. Special thanks to all those who have helped me get everything ready, Rachael, Anna, Gilly, Susie, Mandy and my Dad and of course not forgetting Tommy the farrier and Jane the vet who did our inspection yesterday.

CONGRATULATIIONS are in order for Rachael who passed her Trekking and Riding Society of Scotland's Ride Leader / Instructor's examination at Crieff Hydro yesterday. This is not an easy course and covers so many more things than just basic horsemanship and even BHSAI's have been known to fail it in the past !!

We had a surprise visit today from Dorothy Wilson who is an old friend and used to come riding with RDA holiday groups with not just me but with my dad too. We certainly hope to carry on this long association and plan to have RDA holiday groups again in the future. Dorothy it really was great of you to drop by today.

We also had a visit from the Macpherson family today who own Biallid Estate where we are based and we hope some of them are able to come riding tomorrow if the weather improves. Today it was extremely wintry and to say the phone was not ringing of the hook would be an exaggeration. Never mind it means we can get on with all the wee jobs we still need to do to make the place just right for us who have to work there.

TWO DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - THURSDAY MARCH 20TH

We had Jane the vet come today at 10am to inspect the horses and premises for the Local Authority Riding Establishments License, we had 10 horses and ponies in for her to look at and we passed with flying colours I hope and can now open and operate for Easter weekend and have our first lessons on Saturday morning and a Highland Pony ride out already booked for Monday.

I am indebted to Anna Burke who arrived last night from London and we got up at dawn and Anna went through the stables like a whirlwind today putting the final touches on everything to pass the inspection. Anna has done many of them in the past and is helping me run NRC for the next few months to get us established and running professionally. Anna has her BHSAI and Stage 4 Stable Management and will be a great asset and will mean that we can start lessons again especially for local children from this weekend. Anna busy tidying up this morning.

THREE DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - WEDNESDAY MARCH 19TH

Went up to the yard this morning and my dad was already there with two Highland mares and a CB partbred, so that is another three to join the team. We them took in the two two year olds, Aimie and Alice for the farrier. Tommy Duffy who used to be my farrier before arrived and we did seven in total and 4 did not need done. Tommy is a third generation farmer originally from Wigton-shire but has been in Aberlour the last ten years.

Tommy doing Murphy's feet so he is ready for the first children who are booked in for Saturday morning. Murphy's new Safari Cub saddle came in the post today.

My father and Tommy enjoying a cup of tea and a yarn and the bottom door into the stables.

Tonight we rode out on three of the Highlands and the Partbred Jodie, I had never ridden her before and it was my brother Fergie that used to ride her, however half an hour in the school and she was ready to go out on a one hour ride up the hill, she was no bother and was as well behaved as the others, riders today were Gill, Caz and Gail from Newtonmore. Jodie below a very nice partbred mare.

There is a bit of a panic on because we found out the vet is coming a day early for our Local Authority Inspection tomorrow at 10 am. Luckily my friend Anna Lewis, who has offered to help me for a few months, arrived tonight and we will get an early start in the morning and will be ready for Jane the vet when she comes to inspect us. Anna had Aviemore Stables for 22 years and has worked with horses all her life.

I managed to get my insurance finalised last night and have gone for a combined policy with the NFU that includes the farming, horse breeding, riding centre and carriage driving all together in one place. I have to thank Ewan Macinnes, the famous carriage driver from Maryculter for all his help. Ewan is my NFU agent and is based in the NFU Thainstone Mart Office at Inverurie. It makes all the difference to deal with somebody that understands the horse business because finding an insurance company that could offer everything I was wanting was not easy.

At least we have the Small Red Wheelbarrow to help us with mucking out in the morning. This tractor is called VAV because of the first three letters on her number plate and is just over 50 years old !!

FOUR DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - TUESDAY MARCH 18TH

Spent most of the morning on paperwork and mail but it did mean I got a few things finalised like the insurance for the riding centre. Afternoon was mostly sorting out office at NRC and putting stuff away as much of the stuff I have moved up to the centre has been sitting in a big pile in the middle of the area the public arrive into when they enter the centre.

Tomorrow I have the farrier coming and will get all the feet done in preparation for the inspection in Friday, I also need to bring in a partbred and a Highland that my father is giving me to use. It is all coming together but there is still a lot to do between now and our first children's lessons on Saturday. 

FIVE DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - MONDAY MARCH 17TH

We had a great day down at the Crieff Hydro Hotel today at the Trekking and Riding Society of Scotland AGM (www.ridinginscotland.com). My father came with us to catch up with his old pals. While we were away Gillian continued to ride ponies in our absence at home. Milestones today were: 1. Ordering New Hats and 2. Booking Farrier for Wednesday.

Tomorrow I will finalise my decision on insurance and had several discussions today with the various companies to clarify various issues. Not too many other parts of the jigsaw to put together now and feeling quietly confident now that we will be ready on time.

Rachael stayed down at the Crieff Hydro and will do her TRSS Ride Leader / Instructor's Course over 4 days at the stables their under the supervision of Liz Simpson who has worked there for 25 years. I would like to wish Rachael and all the other candidates the best of luck with their course. Rachael's friend Ross form Glen Lyon is also on the course so at least she knows somebody on it.

What is really funny is that my current lead horse "Kelpie" is not unlike my father's horse "Timmy" that he used for trek leading in 1955 and was a great jumper. See below on the left of the photo. We were not 100% Highlands then and are still not today and I intend using quite a few homebred Cleveland Bay cross Highlands. Why do you not see lovely big old fashioned Highlands like this today ? That is my grandfather in the suit pointing to the hills.

SIX DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - SUNDAY MARCH 16TH

Today Rachael and I went to the Scottish National Equestrian Centre at Oatridge to do our Sportscotland Coaches Child Protection Workshop. It was an interesting day and we only just made it because a certain Jack Russell ran off this morning at 6am bunny hunting and did not return till 8am only just leaving us enough time to drive down the road and get there a few minutes before it started. Susan Howard from the TRSS was our lecturer.

It was the Riding Clubs Extravaganza weekend at the SNEC so there was a lot going on, we even saw Pagan a famous Highland Pony demonstarting Le Trec and tried to talk to him and his mum but they were too busy demonstrating horsemanship to talk to us at the time, maybe next time.

Rosie who has gone from being a Croft Dog to now being an Equestrian Stable Dog enjoyed her day and thought it was a great facility even if it was a little cold for her and her other little doggie friends she met. The facilities for our course were good but would have been even better if they had conference and catering facilities at the SNEC itself instead of down in the main college buildings.

Gilly looked after things at home while we were away and with the help of her dog Jim she spent the day cleaning tack - what a star and thanks very much. As a primary school teacher Gilly is highly aware of child protection issues and will be helping us to ensure we get that side of things ride when we run our weekly Children's Pony Club.

The ponies had a day off today because it was so wet and horrible and did not seem to be any the worse off from yesterday's experience. Tomorrow we are off to Crieff to the TRSS AGM and for Rachael to start her 4 day TRSS Ride Leaders Course and Assessment at the Equestrian Centre at Crieff Hydro Hotel. Good Luck !!

SEVEN DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - SATURDAY MARCH 15TH

Well today was a major milestone as we completed a 2 1/2hr ride over the shoulder of Creag Dhubh without any of the ponies misbehaving. It was a brilliant day for it. I rode Kelpie my horse for the first time and he was as good as gold for a youngster and let me open and close gates and take pictures too and even led the others over the River Calder. Gill road Isabella, Rachel rode Blue and Susie was on Suie. The building behind us is a new farm building and the riding school is behind the trees to the right of this picture.

This is the view of Creag Dhubh from 3 miles away from the back door of my house in Kingussie and these are my new cows I bought in February at Oban and are very contented and happy today because it was so sunny and warm. Three came from the island of Uist, one from Skye, another from Argyll and 3 are homebred and where born in Arisaig. The two older ones are due to calf in late March easly April.

A classic through the ears shot to prove Kelpie stands still for photos, despite the snow on the hills it was a warm day. Otto and Murphy were left at home today but Ryan is coming tomorrow and he will get out on Murphy with his Auntie Gill. Otto has been working at NRC for sometime so we already know he does not need so much training as the others.

The view looking back down and over Newtonmore towards Aviemore and The Cairngorm.

Still heading out Creag Dhubh towards the snow

On the shoulder where we normally stop for a break looking over towards Inverness direction and Loch Gynack which is a day trek.

Down a steep bit towards the River Calder in Glen Banchor, normally we go up this way which is easier on the riders.

Crossing the River Calder up Glen Banchor near Shepherd's Bridge, the water was cold as Rachael will testify as she got her feet wet.

Looking up Glen Banchor towards the West, it real is lovely up here and feels so remote. The ponies really enjoyed themselves too. Super Kelpie really loves being a Lead Horse and is a natural if you ask me and will definitely not be for sale unless someone offers me silly silly money for him. But we have really bonded so it is unlikely that would be enough.

Cleaning up round the yard is so much easier when you have a Big Yellow Wheelbarrow to help move all the muck and put it straight in a big trailer out of site.

EIGHT DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - FRIDAY MARCH 14TH

We had a courtesy visit from the SSPCA this morning as part of the Local Authority Licensing process and the SSPCA officer was very professional and at one time had been a police officer in Newtonmore, the year I was born in fact, 1965. We had a cup of coffee and a good natter anyway.

Today we were just doing more tidying up and I dug a soakaway with the digger in the corner of the car park to improve the drainage which seems to have stopped for some reason. I will need to do more work on this next week. We also put up some notice boards and got confirmation from BT that our broadband is now working but I have yet to try it.

At the end of the afternoon we took Kelpie for a drive. First ten minutes in the school and then out the Laggan Road. We had to pass the Travellering People's site and they came out to admire him. I reckon with a  bit more work I should be able to swap him for a Transit van !! (Only Kidding) When we got back we played around with him simulating Horse Driving Trials obstacles using some gate ways and wheelie bins and I really think he has a lot of potential. The first Novice event this season with the Highland Carriage Drivers is at the end of April at Milton of Buntait near Loch Ness and I think we should aim to have him there.

The cart I am using is my homemade "Highland Hurly Gig" that some of you may have seen at some of the shows in the Working Highland Pony classes. It has flotation tyres like a quad bike and twos small trailers so is very versatile.

Here is a picture of some of my dads Highlands and Partbreds at Kingussie enjoying a bit of hay later in the morning after the 2 inchs of snow that had fallen over night. The ruin in the background is Ruthven Barracks at Kingussie. A well known landmark on the A9 north road. You can just still see some snow still lying on the roadside verges.

A 47 yr old Belgium hill walker was lost last night and I hope he has been found, he went out to climb A'Chailleach, which is a local hill and 930m and did nit return. The mountain rescue helicopter from Kinloss was shuttling back and fore to the field beside my house all morning. The Cairngorm and RAF Mountain Rescue were in attendance. Our market stance in Kingussie is in the background, sorry I did not get the Helicopter it was flying when I took the photo but you can see all the mountain rescue vehicles in the car park. Breaking news: He turned up safe and well later in the day but must have spent a cold lonely night out on the hills.

Breaking news: He turned up safe and well later in the day but must have spent a cold lonely night out on the hills.

NINE DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - THURSDAY MARCH 13TH

Rosie, my wee Jack Russell, and I went to Inverness this morning to get a load of barley straw for the stable in mini-quad bales (2ft x 4ft x 8ft) and managed 12 on the trailer. They are stored inside so are nice and dry and peel off in slices like wee bales, but need to be lifted by the tractor. This is the first time I have used them for about 10 years.

When we got home the ponies thought it was feed so hung about the gate the whole time I was unloading it thinking it was something to eat, even though I had given them a new bale of haylage in their feeder 1/2 an hour before. When I was in Inverness I also got lots of signs and things for our various inspections over the coming weeks.

These bales stack quite well in the passageway 4 high and still leave enough room to get in and out of stables and even enough room I think to get up and down what remains of the passageway with the wee tractor for mucking out. Will take the wee tractor up to the stables tomorrow to see.

While I was away today Rachael was tidying up the school and picking up litter and plastic from around it. Her young two year old Sunny assisted by carrying filled plastic feed bags pannier style which is a testament to his very laid back attitude. Kelpie is inside because he grazed his back legs on a fence the other day but is already on the road to recovery. Tomorrow we have a courtesy visit from the SSPCA as part of the process of getting our Local Authority Riding School Licence.

Today I also called in to see Lorraine Carter at Carrbridge who gave me some useful old tack from when she was a Ballintean and once things settles down we will sort it all out and make use of the good stuff after carefully inspected and restoring it with Ko-Cho-Line.

I went to a social evening and tack sale at the Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore tonight with the Badenoch Riding Club. Viv Graham from Garmouth Riding Centre near Elgin gave a very entertaining talk on her specialist subject - Dressage. Viv has offered to come and do lessons at NRC over the summer if we can get enough interest. Viv already teaches at Ingrid's Alivie Stables and for the Badenoch Riding Club and is very popular because of her good sense of humour and obvious expertise. Viv often attends large competitions, like Hickstead, as a judge and judge's writer at the highest levels of British and International Dressage. Hopefully we will be able to get her up to NRC for a few days over the summer.

It was great to see everybody again in the club after a 2 year break and also to have good yarn with Ingrid who is my closest rival. However Ingrid is not really a rival at all as we are old school friends and would not tread on each others toes anyway. Everybody was excited to hear that Anna Lewis, who ran Aviemore Stables for 22 years, will be back in the area soon to give me a hand with opening. Maybe she will make it for the BRC Rideout at Nethybridge on the 30th March, fingers crossed.

TEN DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - WEDNESDAY MARCH 12TH

Did not get so much done today because I was away overnight at Arisaig collecting stuff and did not get back till 2pm. Susie and Gilly came up and road some ponies out before it got dark and everybody was brought in for a feed.

We mucked out completely a couple of boxes that will be used for tacking ponies up and also cleared out the main passageway so that there is room for a load of straw that i will collect from Inverness. I also hope to get timber and other supplies so that i can build some walls and barriers to comply with some of the HSE legislation etc.

Today was pretty cold and wet and horrible with some really sleaty showers, however it was nice in the dry spells in between and I had a lovely drive from Fort William to Newtonmore today.

Rosie is pretty happy as he run is now up at the stables and she also has a proper dog house up there so it is already feeling like a home from home for her. 

ELEVEN DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - TUESDAY MARCH 11TH

Today we had BT round and got the telephone line for the stables, 01540 670000 connected back up again and an extension run direct to the office by the BT Openreach engineer to ensure that the internet and broadband work well. This is a great step forward and means I now have no excuse for not using the office up there for anything relating to NRC as the computer, printer, filing cabinets etc. are all in place.

Rachael helped me today with general tidying and even found time to work some of the equines in between jobs. We rearragned or feed room area to the way we want it when we are operational and hopefully to satisfy the various inspections that we will get over the coming months from the Local Authority, the TRSS, the BHS, The Pony Club and possibly ABRS too.

I booked our Child Protection Courses today and 3 of us hope to attend on Sunday 16th at the Scottish National Equestrian Centre (Oatridge College). This is also a Riding Extravaganza Weekend at Oatridge so hopefully we will get to see some of that too. Then on Monday there is the AGM of the TRSS at Crieff Hydro and Rachael starts her 4 days course and examination for her Ride Leader Certificate.

I was way layed today for a few hours in the afternoon when I went to help lay concrete in a new shed on the estate and had to help out with the JCB to move stone and concrete again. Hopefully once this new shed is finished we will get the use of the old shed for winter forage or bedding storage and it is right next door to our stable builidng.

On the horse front one of our liveries left today, it was an Andalusian cross Arad foal who had been in for weaning. Nabu is very nice and has a great temperament and will be really missed. Valerie walked him 3 miles to Kingussie so he can go back in with his mum again who has hopefully dryed up now.

I am off to Arisaig tonight to collect some more stuff and to return Joyce's Ifor Williams horse trailer and to collect my own big flat trailer so i can collect a load of straw on Thursday from near Inverness. I will be back at NRC tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday to keep getting things organised.

TWELVE DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - MONDAY MARCH 10TH

I spent most of the day hanging racks mostly for driving harness in the tack room, the permanent saddle racks for the tack room have not yet arrived. At the moment we are using clip in ones which can be moved about the yard and are quite handy for leaving saddles over lunch breaks etc and saves returning them to the tack room.

I got called away by Graham Christie who looks after the Sporting and Shooting side of Biallid Estate for the Macpherson family to move some hardcore (20 tonnes) that had been delivered and left in front of a doorway where concrete will be delivered tomorrow. This is a new agricultural shed and nothing to do with the riding centre. To move the stone I took up my JCB digger and was then able to do one or two other wee tidying up jobs around NRC. There are still a few more to do so will leave the digger at NRC for now.

Rachael lunged some of the horses today to get them fit and we also had a visit from Emily Robson of Kessock Equine Vets who just dropped in to check on a livery horse's progress. Emily is the granddaughter of Gordon and Nancy Mackintosh from Glen Esk famous for their Dalbrack Highland Ponies. It is indeed a small world. 

THIRTEEN DAYS TO GO TILL OPENING - SUNDAY MARCH 9TH

Did not get much of the stuff done today that I had hoped to do. I was going to hang all the racks in the tack room. On a positive note I won a job lot of 28 saddle racks on E-bay so the tack room will look pretty good with them all in it. I spent some time today organising the office a little bit at the centre but it needs a lot more work yet. The Broadband Business Hub arrived so once the phone line is reconnected (01540 670000) on March 11th we will be wired to the world.

My dad came up today to help me repair some fencing that got damaged by Kelpie when they were having a mad careering about session in the field and he could not stop before the fence. He has a few cuts on his back legs to show for his mad stunt but at least they should heal up OK. Fiona Macpherson was up for the weekend so came round and rode her horse the TB Otto. Rachael and I filled out her forms for her TRSS training and assessment course on the 17th March which runs for 4 days. The Cairngorm National Park will help us with some of the funding and I need to submit a proposal to them tomorrow too. We also hope to do a Child Protection Workshop at Oatridge College near Edinburgh on the 16th of March.

On the horse front Gilly, Susie and Ryan came up today again and rode out on Kelpie, Isabella and Murphy. Then after that they took out Suie and Blue. I am indebted to my friends for coming up and helping out with various chores and for riding horses. In fact any friends who have a reasonable amount of experience are welcome to come and ride for FREE between now and Easter weekend to get all the horses and ponies fit.

Tomorrow I hope to get on with the tack room and some other pressing jobs and we also need to concentrate this week on the NRC website and getting leaflets and posters professionally produced.

FIRST RIDE AT NRC FOR 2008 ON SATURDAY MARCH 8TH - TWO WEEKS TO OPENING !!

Rounded up some friends today to help us ride out some of the horses and ponies and to fit them all with tack. Today was the first day I could dedicate to concentrating on the stables and horses now that I have settled in to my cottage in Kingussie and got the internet and other essentials up and running.

It was an absolutely horrible day with heavy showers and gales all day, but that did not stop us hardy Highlanders from just getting on with the job in hand. All the horses and handlers behaved well and it was a great start to getting the horses and ponies fit and ready for opening in two weeks on Saturday March 22nd Easter Weekend.

Special thanks to Gillian for helping me empty all the riding tack etc. out of my lorry in Kingussie first thing in the morning and helping me take it up to the stables in Newtonmore in the stock trailer. Gillian was my last Pony Trekking Instructor / Leader and ran Croila Trekking Centre for me in 1997.

Catching the ponies along at Biallid Cemetry, Susie on the right and Gillian on the left. Susie used to help at Aviemore Stables and had her own horses but now lives in Newtonmore.

Rachael who will be working for me and lives next door to the stables and has just finished her HND at Thurso. Ross is a college friend from Glen Lyon and will be working at Kenmore this summer for Danni and Holly. Zena is Rachael's collie dog.

Rosie my Jack Russell supervising operations while standing on the haylage. We will tidy up before we open to the public !!

Sorry about the poor picture but camera was wet and it was a terrible day. Left to right, Ryan and Murphy, Rachael and Otto, Ross and Blue, Ruaridh and Isabella, Susie and Suie, Gilly and Kelpie.

Another very wet picture, Murphy really looks the part and Ryan thinks he is great. Murphy is on loan from Feona McArdle from Cullen.

Just another wet one, horses not happy standing because of the rain and wind. Sorry for the quality.

A picture of me just to prove I own a riding hat and my own horse Kelpie who is so happy to be inside in a box again. Sorry but my riding attire is not very trendy but is practical on such a wet day.

Isabella in her box, shared with Blue.

Blue looking up the passageway and wondering where the food is.

Suie also happy to be inside.

Gillian's sister Jenny with Murphy and her son Ryan who is quite keen on ponies and is a great shinty player too.

Otto who is a working livery and belongs to Fiona Macpherson. Fiona's family own Biallid Estate where the riding centre is located.

Sunny who is just two and belongs to Rachael, he is very pretty and blue.

Tomorrow I will be up at NRC again and my plan is to start putting up racks and things in the tack room and organise the office. If it is dry I may ride a couple of the ponies too. Also hope to have a few volunteers for tomorrow too to ride out and keep every body going. 

 BEFORE PICTURES OF NEWTONMORE RIDING CENTRE EARLY FEBRUARY 2008

Passageway from entrance end looking down row of boxes, the cockerel on the bales came with the centre.

The car park with untidy muck heap - all needs a good tidy up and I do not intend having a muck heap here.

The feed store area with tack room behind and disabled toilet that needs finishing.

The main entrance door

The passageway and boxes, lots of room to store hay and straw.

Rachel and her mum Joanne. Rachel has her HND from Thurso college.

The reception area with office behind.

Rosie and the mess at the moment, the BBQ will be very important

The school looking south

The School and the stable building

The School with two of the current liveries and the Cairgorms in the background

Tack Room - a start - need to get new saddle racks etc as it was completely bare when I took over.

The other toilet and small kitchen that will need all upgraded and finished off.

As you can see we have a few improvements we can be working on.