When I came to Painshill Farm Stables in May 1990, 2 ex racehorses (Poachers Peril & Mister Golden) in tow, I had no intention of starting a riding school. I had always been a racing fan, but couldn’t understand why race horses were so unpopular when they left the track, and the “adventure” started from there. Thoroughbreds aren’t cheap to keep, and to offset the cost we started taking riders out, calling ourselves “Hacking with a Difference”. By 1994 we had 14 ex-racehorses, and a double page spread in the Daily Mail, which began a chain reaction, with more publications and the TV all fascinated by these pioneers, hidden away in deepest Surrey. You can watch some of those TV interviews on our You Tube page via the adjacent link.
On the whole, it has been a rewarding experience - we have provided a great shop window for all to see how versatile the breed can be, not only through our hacking and tuition, but also through our success at competitive horse trials, show jumping and dressage. We tend to lose regular clients only as they choose to buy their own horses (in most cases an ex-racehorse), or take them on loan from the various thoroughbred charities which have sprung up since we started.
I sometimes am asked why I have so many older horses. Well, most of my horses were given to me as 5 or 6 year olds and I keep them for as long as they can lead an active, useful and happy life. I firmly believe that a thoroughbred in its mid teens will not only give you a better ride than a young cob, but will also be a safer means of transport. They have also proved to be hardier than I imagined, with little lameness. A great example of this was Durham Hornet (known to our customers as Sedgewick or Sedge), who was with us until recently. Durham Hornet retired at 8, having won 5 races and multiple places. Pictured below left he is ridden by my daughter Alex competing in his second horse trials at Hambledon (placed second).
Why the name `Hopeful Earl' you may ask? Well, Hopeful Earl (stable name `Earl') is simply the best horse I have ever sat on. As you can see from the photograph below he is huge for a racehorse standing 17.3 hands and weighing 600k; he has fabulous paces, is comfortable to ride all day, doesn’t pull, will tolerate Llamas, pigs, donkeys and most other scary things, and has given me endless pleasure over the last 10 years.
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| Earl, aged 21, with Ian at the beach September 2013 |
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| Earl and Ian in the sandschool |
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| Earl being lunged Spring 2012 |
Another question I often hear is, "what IS `the difference'?”. The horses do speak for themselves, but we go further than that - we only have very small rides; we don’t mix abilities (unless you are all friends who want to ride together); we hardly touch roads, having miles of heathland and bridlepaths on which to explore; and we function in a very relaxed and friendly manner whilst never forgetting your safety.
