Deer Park View is a home providing residential, nursing and dementia care in Teddington. Lead Wellbeing Coordinator Monica is keen to provide activities to bring extra stimulation into the lives of the residents, and what better way to do this than by inviting a pony or two?

Last month Prodney blogged about Nat running the Hibernal Hills Ultra Marathon to raise money for the Stables. And thanks to your support she made it and raised over £2,500 in the process. Read what it was like, from the comfort of your living room!

This fabulous initiative is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, supported by the Co-op. Naomi Ghafoor explains why this day is special, for her and for us, and invites you to join us!

And it won’t cost you a penny. If you’re shopping online with brands like John Lewis, eBay, Waitrose, M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, Expedia, and Argos, they will donate to us on your behalf.

This is a delighted Reggie saying thank you to everyone who has already supported us this winter.

As the year draws to a close we could tell you how busy we’ve been, how many sessions we’ve run, and how many participants we’ve welcomed but…what comes to mind is individual stories. So we’d like to introduce you to a few of them.

Walk down Park Lane in Teddington and it’s like any other leafy residential street – except that you’re being watched by a pony looking over the cuddle door at the Stables.

If you’d like to support us but also directly make a difference to an individual, why not gift an RDA session? Your donation will fund one (or more) sessions for a participant who would really benefit.

There was a real buzz at the stables when we welcomed a very special visitor – Paralympian equestrian Natasha Baker OBE…

Each year the RDA recognises someone who’s made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the lives of disabled individuals through equestrian activities. And in 2024, that person is Natalie.

We’re not always about riding, but we are always about horses. We wanted the social space in our new old home to be somewhere where anyone who needed it could come for tea, chat and a pony cuddle.

“It took a couple of weeks before I realised that our new old home just felt great – like home! – that things were going really well and that both horses and riders/drivers had settled into their new routines.”

Back in 2021 during our fundraising campaign, donations poured in online, and locals drove past the Stables pausing to hand over money and pledge their support.

Sam, our gentle giant of a carriage horse, is on a roll. After winning RDA Equine of the Year last month, he’s now been nominated for BBC Radio London’s Make a Difference award.

July is RDA National Championships month, when teams of RDA riders and ponies from around the country meet up in Hartpury to take part in a series of competitions and challenges. We love this highlights video from the RDA.

Three years ago a fairy godmother in the unlikely shape of Pete McCormack threw us a lifeline as we were on the point of eviction from Teddington, by offering the use of his wonderful stables at Manor Farm. And now…

Sam, our fabulous carriage driving horse! Read more about the awards and why Sam’s win is such a huge achievement.

Pamela Binns loved horses all her life, buying her first pony at the age of 10. As a teenager she started an acting career that was to last over 60 years, and included working with two James Bond heroes – Roger Moore and Sean Connery.

Our open day in Teddington on Saturday 8 June was such a huge milestone! For the first time some of our neighbours and supporters got to see inside the new stables for the first time.

This morning the pavement hoarding has finally come down, so we’re able to share with you exclusive first photographs of our re-developed Park Lane Stables building in Teddington.