By Isabel H, Year 10 Journalist Leader

For the last three weeks, a small group of Year 10 students have been lucky enough to experience Ealing Riding School where they have been volunteering as a part of their Tuesday Enrichment sessions.

Here’s how it went, from a horse’s perspective…

“BANG. I kicked the stable door with my hoof furiously. I could not believe that they were grooming Caspar, what had he done to deserve this? Of all the thirty-five horses here at the stables, they chose Caspar, that grey coated attention seeker! I am Quiz, a chestnut mare at Ealing Riding School and I am very angry. 

Three weeks ago, a small group of year 10 girls arrived here holding their noses and glaring at the pile of my manure. When they arrived, a member of staff guided them around the stables – all students looking slightly tentative at first. And that is when they got taken to Caspar. Each grabbed a brush and followed instructions on how to effectively clean a horse. Let me tell you I was fuming. Kicking at the stable door was of no use. I was right next to them but they all remained in their little obsessive huddle surrounding Caspar. The students’ teacher (who I overheard as Miss Finch), was very kind and at least paid me some notice which is all I ever wanted. I’m not want to see those girls again who do not appreciate my beauty. 

Well that didn’t work out as the same group of frustratingly enthusiastic girls returned promptly the next Tuesday and once again I was not shown any interest. What have I done to deserve this? Who knows…They walked right through the gates (no holding of the noses this time!), and straight past the stables. I assumed they had gone to the Little Farm to see the goats. Have I mentioned our goats before? Well, I can’t remember, but in case I haven’t, yes there are goats here too, hidden at the opposite end of the site to me. There are puppies here too, which the students adore (typical!) – so yes, there’s quite an unexpected abundance of farm life here! What I did catch sight of this week was the manure shovelling the girls partook in, now that’s funny “- I wonder how they enjoyed that, I have no shame in admitting to having contributed slightly to those piles! I didn’t see much of what happened after as my stable doesn’t look onto the yard but Caspar (yes, Caspar) told me they had a go at leading. I couldn’t say which horse it was though but I hear they did a rather good job. They must have grown in confidence as it takes someone very assertive to lead a horse without losing complete control. Us horses are well aware of our superior strength to humans so if we are not being controlled, well, we may as well do whatever we want! After this the girls disappeared once more, leaving me ignored for the second week in a row.

I was absolutely furious. I could not understand what a horse must do to get some love around here? Well don’t ask me! The same small number of students (who I have since learnt from my sources were here from NHEHS as volunteers for their enrichment session) came back this week once again! Eager and excited, they entered the stables ready to volunteer. BANG. I kicked with all my might at the stable door once more. You’d have thought they’d have noticed me by now. Well no, they had not and I was becoming as irritated as ever. If that wasn’t enough, I then had to watch two of the other horses of the volunteers I so desperately craved. 

I spoke too soon. At last, the miraculous moment I had dreamt of came as I was led out of my stable and to the girls waiting with their brushes ready to give me their undivided attention. I was over the moon! I spent a lovely half an hour as the centre of attention being brushed to perfection – an ideal afternoon if you ask me! So I suppose that after all I am grateful for the NHEHS students for volunteering here and helping out at the stable. I am particularly grateful for Miss Finch – she was by far my favourite teacher I have ever met. Right I’d better go, I’ve spotted a new person wandering around the site. BANG. 

The one and only,

Quiz.

Overall, our enrichment at Ealing Riding School was an amazing experience which was so different from anything we are used to. Thank you very much to Miss Finch for accompanying us to the stables every Tuesday and making the sessions so enjoyable. Thank you also to all of the organisers of this enrichment for providing to us this exciting opportunity.