Hayfield

There is more to Hayfield than meets the Eye.

Children Show Skills to Duchess of Rothsay

We are friendly, socially inclusive, make a point of providing equal opportunity and we have a history of being innovative leader in the horse world.
What connects our members who come from every walk of life is their loves horses and their appreciation for things natural and country life.  Quite a few of our members don’t even ride but they recognise the sentiment echoed by Sir Winston Churchill when he said “There is something about the outside of a horse which is good for the inside of a person” and that is why they love coming up to see the horses and watching the riders having fun.
So here in the following pages you will get a feel for what kind of community Hayfield is

From Princess Anne to John Whittaker. Camilla Parker Bowles to the renounced race horse Desert Orchid they have all been to Hayfield and loved it.  Here are just a few and what they said about it!

Nowhere do you get a better idea of the amazing diversity of what goes on at Hayfield.  They say “A picture tells a thousand stories”  Enjoy! Click Here

Hayfield has always been about “Quality”.  A show schedule from 1958 shows a total of around just 36 competitors representing the entire region.  A more careful study of the riders of that time finds at least one world class competitor in Lorna Clark (neigh Sutherland), several military chaps and the rest of the competitors listed would be no slouches.

The Black and white photo is of Hayfield’s owner and the senior instructor in 1969 when the first indoor school opened (The first north of Edinburgh) and it rightly reflects the quality of performance and turnout even then.  Since then Hayfield has been busily serving the equestrian community and has in no small part been the reason why it is now said that there are more horses per head of population in Aberdeen and the shire that in anywhere in the UK with the exception of Newmarket. (well the discovery of north sea oil helped a bit as well I guess!).

The new drive is all about providing social inclusion and equal opportunity but the truth is that Hayfield always has.  The problem is that keeping horses always has been and always will be expensive and that’s the rub.  But we are working hard to counter this point and if you can assist in any way then we would love to hear from you.

The following is some of what we have done up until the beginning of 2010 and if you read on you will see what we are up to next:

• 1995 Hayfield hosted the Texas Youth Exchange.
  

• Equiworld – The very first LEADER + International exchange in Scotland.
• Addressing the problems of rural isolation in Finland and in Scotland we were host to a group of Finnish young riders and a group of our young riders who resided in the Cairngorm national park went over to Finland.

• 2007 Equiworld sponsored Eilidh Middleton who went on to be included in the reserve  UK young event riders national team.

• Hayfield was involved in delivering Aberdeen City Councils “active Schools” equestrian programme.

• Hayfield & Aberdeen City Council ran a New Opportunities riding programme for kids with special needs which was a huge success and was recognised by the Big Lottery as best use of funding support and visited by the Duchess of Rothesay.

• 2010 Equiworld / Hayfield is assisting the VSA Voluntary Services Aberdeen with the consideration to form of a VSA Pony riding Centre at Easter Anguston Farm in Peterculter.

Hayfield is run by Equiworld Club Limited whose objectives are to provide opportunities to individuals as well as businesses, organisations, their employees, families, young people, college and University students.  In short, everyone in the local community including the disadvantaged .

Here are just a few examples of how we are providing opportunities, what we hope to do next and would be delighted if you can help to fund or facilitate these or other projects.

Hayfield is the only club in the UK where a riding member can follow a pathway of rider training which will take them from grass roots as a raw beginner through to winning medals at National level competition regardless of their background or financial status.

The creation of this new initiative is the brainchild of Hayfield director John Crawford and for the first time ever it will level the pitch by providing true equal opportunity and social inclusion in a sport where to get to the top you usually need to have the support of a rich family or a commercial sponsor.  Developing competition excellence is hard enough for any rider even with good support but with Hayfield Riding Club horses to compete on and the support and back up of the clubs professional trainer’s it is possible for kids from less privileged backgrounds to prove their worth and go out to win medals.  This pathway is only just opening up in 2010 and it will take time before the first results to show through.  Even with the limited funding available there will now be a number of people gaining a foothold on the pathway which will enable them to reach for their stars.  What Hayfield is happy about is that now there is at least a pathway.
Pics Quote from Hayfield

Rider Mark Maher of the Midstrath Equiworld Centre and who made it to the top 200 show jumpers in the UK without support. “By having Hayfield create the opportunity young people can at least see that striving to be the best is at least now possible”.

As an alternatively to the competitive route Hayfield’s promotion of “Active Schools” also provides the first step to a career pathway for those who aspire to spend their life working with horses in permanent or part employment.

The Hayfield training pathway starts with work experience, can include special needs, and can extend at the Hayfield centre to BHS career training UKCC coaching all the way to national and International level professional qualifications. Unfortunately there is currently no central government funding for those who want to train at Hayfield in the equestrian field but we are looking.

At the moment only those who are privately funded can be taken which is hardly socially inclusive!  We feel that this needs changing – Can you help?  If so contact John@Equiworld.net

Not so far from where the disastrous earth quake hit Haiti in the town of Puerto Plata there are Dominican people who need help and some ponies which need new tack.

That’s where we come in!  Equiworld Club provides an opportunity to any horse lover over 18 years old to work and live in the Caribbean at Suncamp in the Dominican Republic.  Those who go can enjoy a month, a summer or as long as they want helping the local inhabitants improve their lives.  More so now after the earthquake in Haiti the people of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic need help from us to improve their lives.

Equiworld is providing new saddles and bridles for Horse’s ponies and John who has been there says that Suncamp and the lady Diane who runs are just amazing!.   Those who choose to go will need to be self funded or sponsored but apart from the airfare the cost of accommodation is not expensive and the cost of living (and the rum) is small.

If you fancy a working holiday on a Caribbean island helping those who live there then follow the link – it will definitely change their lives for the better and you will come back to the UK with a new idea about yours.

Horse and pony riding has always been understood to be a great sport which develops good character, especially in young people.  The horse of course keeps us ever anchored to the lasting realities in life.  No wonder that our royal family still sends their children to be taught the art of riding (with all of the discipline which comes with it).

They know only too well that their children will have every bit as tough a time learning to ride well as we do.  Horses and ponies have no more respect for princes and princesses than they do for us.  On a level playing social field and with equal opportunity we are all tested.  We are tested for our enthusiasm, our determination and courage, the measure of our patience and above all our love for the horse.

The Royal families know that looking after a horse or pony requires hard work as well as constant attention to their needs which helps to develop a responsible and caring person.  The bit I like is that it all gets done willingly, “for the love of the horse” and the bonus at the end of the day is simply the development of the riders character.

I have no doubt that in this age of computers and abstract realities we are lucky that our young people’s love of the horse (or Ponies) still ties them well to a more solid and older order of life’s skills and values.  The following are the words and the teachings which the equestrian grand masters have passed down to us from an earlier age which to a fair degree we at Hayfield still follow:
As you read them it is worth reflecting on the values of these qualities in modern life, our relationships, and in modern business management.
John Crawford -  Chairman.

• Respect for, and the love of (the horse)

• Trust – Loyalty – and Friendship

• An incorruptible commitment to the caring (for the horse)

• A desire to understand better (the horse)

• A commitment to systematic progressive training (to improve the horse)

• The development of a harmonious partnership

• The development of self awareness and focus on personal self improvement.