We hope you are all well and making the most of the sunshine.  We enjoy the change of seasons to autumn at West Fenton, the colours, the harvest, and of course the stubble fields!  Read on to find out about life at MRT, our participants, ponies, fundraisers and a story about our name.

 

It is great to see us very slowly returning to a new sense of normal at MRT, and we’ve welcomed many more participants back riding with us.  There are still those waiting to come back – we are trying hard to get as many participants as we can back onto or visiting their ponies.

To help with this, we added a whole new Summer Term, we have also launched a new session using our mechanical horse, Oreo, and we have a new equine therapy session called Quiet Corner.

 

New Ponies

Thanks to a very generous donation from Baillie Gifford & Co, we have been able to purchase two new ponies. Cinders is doing really well with her initial training.  She’s very affectionate and loves being around people.  She will gradually be introduced to sessions and am sure she will become a firm favourite of our riders.

 
Baillie, a 15.2hh Irish Cob has arrived and has just completed his period of quarantine. He’s been described as ‘a bit of a dude’.  At just 6 years old, he is young and will take a bit of work to get him ready for sessions.  He has an experienced team who will work with him over the next 6-9 months or so.
And finally, we have Skye joining us soon. A 16 y.o. Connemara mare, she is being loaned to us by her owner, who will help us with settling her into work at MRT.  We hope she will be able to join sessions relatively quickly.

 

Events

 

Indoor Market

Our indoor market will take place on 10th October. Plenty room to browse our 50 stalls in our spacious, ventilated Arena. A great mix of local, independent talent. It looks set to be our best market yet so bring your family and friends along!

New Autumn Rally Trail
Looking for something to do during October? Our popular Rally Trail is back, jump in your car anytime between 1st – 31st October, and take part at your leisure!   Find out more and enter here. 
With a new route, starting and ending in the historic village of Ormiston, this is a fun drive through beautiful East Lothian’s autumnal countryside, with lots of clues to spot on the way and picnic viewpoints. Allow around 2.5 hours to complete the 26 mile route, depending on your picnic stop and clue spotting skills!

Our Winter Series Showjumping Championships is back, with for a 14th year, with 4 events over the next few months. This fundraiser invites equestrians, of all ages, especially novice riders or horses/ponies. The first one is on 3rd October.  Come along to watch our local riders take on the jumps (and for some lovely home baking or bacon rolls! ). Enter here.

 

Order your Christmas Cards

We are delighted to present our new Christmas Cards. Two beautiful bespoke designs, created exclusively for us by award-winning Edinburgh illustrator Amy Nash with all proceeds to MRT. Email Debs with your pre-order – let us know by 30th September.

Packs of 8 cards (4 of each design), size A6, for £5.95. Message inside reads, ‘Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year’.

   

 

Christmas Coffee Morning & Craft Sale

Save the date – Saturday 27th November, 09.30 – 11.30am. We’re back in Gullane Village Hall! Our wonderful volunteers are hard at work in the coming months creating now legendary, beautifully decorated Christmas Cakes to order, and for sale at our Christmas Coffee Morning. Beautiful Christmas crafts & gifts, Christmas Hamper Raffle, Live music – guitar and mandolin.

 

Coming up…

 

Charity Golf Day – Renaissance 2022
We are delighted to announce the new date for our Charity Golf Day, at the prestigious Renaissance Golf Club, host of the Scottish Open, as 19th May 2022.

We invite you to join us on the fabulous 18-hole links course at The Renaissance Club, Cowden Hill Drive, North Berwick, EH39 5HS: Invitation and Booking Form

 

And finally, what’s in a name? 

 

When volunteer Rosemary started at MRT we were still called Muirfield Riding For the Disabled Group.
Click here to find out about Rosemary’s volunteer story and our name change.