31/07/2026
We make dreams come true at Laigh Hapton Horse Riding
Horse riding is more than just a hobby, an activity or a pastime. There’s more to it than fresh air, exercise and a chance to connect with nature
It is all these things but there is much much more. It connects with something primordial within us.
Humans share a profound bond with horses rooted in thousands of years of survival, shared movement, and co-evolution.
We don’t need to consider this every time we ride, but sometimes, just sometimes, riding or being near horses unleashes deep emotions within us.
I am proud to say we have made three ladies cry this week……
Fiona is a friend and local florist. She rode extensively and worked with horses in her younger years. But things happened and life got in the way and she never thought she would ever sit on a horse again.
With encouragement and confidence building, and just a little bit of nagging Fiona has got her confidence and fitness level up to the stage where she could fulfill a lifetime ambition and gallop a Clydesdale horse along the beach.
(That wasn’t with us I have to say - we just put in the hours to get her there😉)
Then there was D, a riding school
client who again had returned to horses later in life. She had taken a horse on loan but it turned out to be quite unsuitable for her and her confidence had taken quite a knock. So she tried some lessons at another establishment but gave up when her teenage coach was scrolling her phone during lessons.
She found us at Laigh Hapton and within three short lessons she was confident enough to canter Bella round the arena.
This brought D to tears 😭 but I am assured they were tears of joy, happiness and relief
And then there was Julie. Julie is 61 and lives in the USA. She had two main items on her bucket list
1 - to visit Scotland and
2 - to ride a horse when here
Because of family pressures and caring responsibilities, Julie had never left North America and in fact got her first ever passport for her Scotland trip. Having had no luck with riding centres in Edinburgh, a hotelier in Glasgow pointed her in our direction and she came with her daughter for a hack.
So many small things came together for Julie to allow her to fulfil her dreams and as she mounted up on Tegan to begin her ride she burst into tears.
Yeah….seems like we make a habit of making people cry….
I am absolutely delighted that I am helping make dreams come true
Here is a picture of the lovely flowers Fiona gave me as a thank you. Her business is Paragon Petals and it’s based in Darvel
