Home at last! What’s it been like to be back in Teddington?

“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.”

This was how Natalie described that moment when she realised that the Park Lane team had finally made it home after almost 4 years of upheaval and stress.

Natalie continued:

“We owe thanks to so many people who helped us with the packing up of Petersham, moving it all to Teddington and organising it into a much smaller space. And we owe a huge debt of gratitude for Pete McCormack’s generosity in offering us space at his fabulous Manor Park Stables back in 2021 for as long as we needed it.”

The return to Teddington was dependent on getting all the licences in place following completion of the building works – from the local authority (who gave us a top 5 star rating) and the Royal Parks – for both riding and carriage driving. New risk assessments for both the venue and the activities were needed. And we had to get the right signage in place: public safety notices, emergency information, other safety signing... plus moving the defibrillator and finding space for all our bedding, straw, tools, wheelbarrows and what felt a zillion other things. In fact there were over 120 separate ‘things to do’ that needed to be ticked off.

But it was so fantastic to have reached this stage that we even enjoyed the daunting task of getting through the list!

Planning for the move put the welfare of the horses first. We moved a few at a time, then walked them in hand on the local roads and in the park, before staff and coaches started riding them. This helped us to see who needed more time to settle in before we booked a handful of RDA riders to be the first participants to return to riding in the park.

After their long summer break we had the two challenges of getting the horses’ fitness back, whilst acclimatising them to being here in Teddington. A lot of them had never been here before, so having to walk on the streets with busy traffic before getting to the park (where they encountered deer for the first time too) needed careful management. 

Trigger at the coveted ‘cuddle door’ © Rob Addis Photography

We also needed to introduce them to the task of being a cuddle horse – those who anyone can cuddle – but definitely not feed. Interestingly, I swear that they ALL want to be chosen as cuddle horse, it’s a highly coveted position!

“We’re now fully operational and so many people in the local community stop us to say welcome back, which is just so lovely. Our Park Lane neighbours say they love hearing hooves on the road once again.

Of course some of our horses just took all of this change in their stride. Sam already knew where to go to find his carriage down Queens Road. He just automatically turned off the road as if the last 3 years had never happened. But then horses do have awesome memories.”

Rizz and Fanta - who’d not been to Teddington before – were anxious when they were unloaded from the lorry. Rizz decided to sniff the pavement all the way from the lorry to the gate. Both were at first a bit reluctant to go into the yard space. But with a bit of gentle coaxing (and seeing other horses from their herd already in their stables) they soon took up residence at their new deluxe living quarters.

Here’s what some of our neighbours have been saying:

“I’m overjoyed at having the horses back in Teddington. It’s like a family member has come home! The smells, the sounds and horsey cuddles on tap – what could be better?”

“I love having the horses so close that I can see them every day and knowing there is always a friendly face for a chat has made me feel part of the community again.”

“It's so good to have them back, I've missed the smell walking to the station. Teddington has felt soulless without them.”

As a charity, all of our activities depend on the generosity of our supporters to fund them. If you’d like to help support RDA sessions, or towards the upkeep of our fabulous herd of special ponies, just head over to our Donate page.