Our Horses

Our horses have competed on the international circuit and are superstars, having travelled Ireland, UK and Europe. They were all top athletes in their day and between them, competed for Ireland on over 60 occasions. Bred to perform, they are highly tuned and sensitive with strong personalities.
Although their size can be intimidating, they demonstrate the calm, measured, gentle and enigmatic power that the best leaders have and if you are prepared to engage in the process with them, they will show you exactly where your skills lie and where you fall short.

Recently, we have been selected to re-train a group of ex-racehorses to work alongside the eventers. As a result, participants will have the chance to work alongside famous racehorses who have given their all and are now enjoying helping people in a whole new career direction.

Stable Name: Vinnie
Show Name: OBOS Apollo

Bay gelding 7/8 thoroughbred
Brown donkey
Age: 17
Born: Ireland
Height: 16-2 hands
Profile: A total superstar! Vinnie has a great sense of humour and used to love nothing better than to dump me on a weekly basis and gallop back to the yard on his own. He gets on with all the other horses and hates to be on his own. He’s always full of fun and loves life. Always jumped double clear at events and tries his heart out.

Career:
2006 Arrived Ballygraffan. Competed in 4 year old jumping at Dublin

2007- 2017 – Competed internationally for Ireland many times and won many high profile competition in UK and Ireland in both Eventing and Showjumping. Qualified for the British Championships in 2017. Top horse!

2018 Became a Horses for People team member and is involved in all the exercises

Interests: Loves attention and kicks his stable door if he’s being ignored. Always the first to meet you in the field and up for adventure. Loves being so lovable.

Stable Name: Maurice
Stable Name: Griffindore

Chestnut Gelding, 7/8 Thoroughbred
Age: 16
Born: Ireland
Height: 16-3 hands
Profile: He is the gentleman of the yard, very well mannered and easy to work with, despite his lofty size. He is also very flashy and he knows it.

Career:
2003-2015 Competed in National & International competitions in Ireland and the UK. Placed in Riding Horse Class at Dublin Horse Show, Novice Championship in UK and won various other UK competitions.

Interests: Staying clean and keeping his stable tidy, and being friendly to all horses, animals & people!

Stable Name: Jackson
Show Name: 8777

Black gelding part thoroughbred
Age: 10
Born: Ireland
Height: 18-2 hands
Profile: A gentle giant, he is a retired Household Cavalry horse, brought to the yard to work with Veterans but has become a favourite with all groups. We think he looks like Black Beauty.

Stable Name: Twizel

Grey donkey
Age: 22
Born: Ireland
Profile: Twizel has been here longer than all the others is the gentlest soul on the yard. She is always kind and she can be turned out with all the horses and they all love her. She can still kick her heels up when the notion takes her – you can push, pull, cajole but Twizel knows her own mind and ain’t moving!

Stable Name: Harry
Show Name: Harry De Lux

Bay Gelding, ¾ Irish Thoroughbred
Age: 10
Born: Ireland
Height: 17-0 hands
Profile: A very talented show-jumper and the joker of the yard, teasing the other horses. Harry loves work and never tires or gets bored. He constantly works out new ways of doing things.

Stable Name: Swagger
Show Name: Elusive Time

Age: 14
Born: Ireland
Height: 15-2 hands
Profile: Swagger was a very successful racehorse winning over £280,000 in his racing career, racing in Sweden, Norway, UAE, Ireland and GB. He won 2017 Irish Cambridgeshire and 15 other races. Swagger has plenty of attitude and he does, indeed, swagger! He knows he’s a winner but he will happily share his star quality with workshop participants.

Workshops

Stable Name: Drummer
Show Name: Drumboy

Age: 21
Born: Ireland
Height: 17-0 hands
Profile: Started racing in point to points as a 4 year old for a local trainer before branching into a new career as a competitive event horse. He has recently retired from ridden work and takes his new role very seriously. Due to his height and calm demeanour, he is popular on workshops. Drummer is very soft and enjoys the quiet life and is extremely handsome.

Stable Name: Seamus
Show Name: Our Seamus

Age: 9
Born: Ireland
Height: 16-2 hands
Profile: Started his racing career in point to points as a 4 year old but he was beset by injuries. His owner tried to sort his problems, giving him all the proper care, treatment and time but it all got the better of him and he started to become very anxious before races. His owner felt that he would be a perfect ‘people-horse’, having noticed that children with anxiety and other disabilities had got great comfort from being around Seamus. Seamus is always calm, gentle and easy-going. And gets on with all horses and people.

Stable Name: Troy
Show Name: Troy

Age: 22
Born: Ireland
Profile: I know very little about Troy’s early days but he had a very good home before he came here where he was a very successful show and jumping pony. From the moment he arrived here, he fitted straight in and gets on well with horses, donkeys and people. He is a bit of a loner but doesn’t like
Career: 1998 Showing, 2020 Arrived at Ballygraffan
Interests: Loves his new job and he takes it very seriously. Enjoys the company of the bigger horses but also settled on his own.

Stable Name: Mariam

Brown donkey
Age: 4
Born: Ireland
Height: 18-2 hands
Profile: Quiet and gentle but with a bit of zip!

Stable Name: Oli
Show Name: Olive Oyle II

Bay Mare, 7/8 Thoroughbred
Age: 18
Born: UK
Height: 15-3 hands
Profile: A real performer, Oli disliked training at home but always brought her best game at competition. Not an active attention seeker, and can be a bit of a worrier, but will love you forever if you give her a scratch.

Stable Name: Cleo
Show Name: Mexicana

Brown Mare, 7/8 Irish Thoroughbred
Age: 15
Born: Ireland
Height: 16-2 hands
Profile: The sharpest member of the Team and always a step ahead, she is queenly and independent, but if you connect with her, you experience a very quiet, deep side of her. The best show-jumper in the yard, she
is the lead mare of the herd.