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.

Full of Life is a fabulous initiative of the London Borough of Richmond which provides access to a wide variety of resources and activities for Richmond’s older residents and their carers. The aim is to help everyone who wants to, to live more physically active, healthy, socially connected and independent lives, even if they may feel limited by mobility or personal wellbeing.

So when Richmond’s recent newsletter asked if anyone could host an event, we extended an open invitation to join us for tea and cakes one afternoon, leafleting in our local Tesco, the train station and GP surgery to get the word out.

About 20 people joined us for tea, cake and sandwiches, watched over by a succession of curious ponies eyeing up the carrot cake from the cuddle door. And of course, plenty of pony snuggles were to be had. One lady of 92 hadn’t seen a pony in real life for many years and her face just lit up when she saw Dougie.

“There was a real mix of people – couples, singles, carers, and it was just a really happy event all round. Everyone seemed to go away full of smiles, guests and volunteers alike”, said Natalie.

It’s days like this that this lovely space was made for.

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.