Limerick children go on horse riding 'trip of a lifetime' to London

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MOYROSS Youth Academy’s Equine Programme took a trip of a lifetime this summer, visiting Ebony Horse Club in South London for a three-night horse riding visit.

The programme’s coordinators, Catherine Normoyle and Damien Gavin welcomed the challenge of bringing a group of six young people aged 12-14 to London, a feat many would have surely been intimidated by, as Catherine explained: “we have relationships built with the kids, it’s not six young people we didn’t know”.

They emphasised how welcoming and friendly Ebony Horse Club was to their group, taking them horse riding in Hyde Park and the Royal Mews. 

They were even lucky enough to receive a private tour of the latter, as the Queen is the president of Ebony Horse Club. 

The trip had been in the planning stages for around two years prior, with Ebony Horse Club visiting Clonshire and the Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) last year.

This experience was undoubtedly a trip of a lifetime for the children, but for Catherine and Damien, one of the most invaluable parts of the trip was seeing the “incredible” facilities of Ebony Horse Club. 

“It’s like a little oasis in the middle of Brixton,” Catherine explained. “It’s fabulous, what they have. You can imagine having something like that in Limerick for the kids.”

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The Equine Programme at Moyross Youth Academy was created 2007 and has developed greatly since its beginnings.

The end goal, Catherine and Damien explained, is to have their own facility similar to the one owned by Ebony Horse Club.

They feel passionately about continuing to expand their programme, which has already grown massively over the years, but having their own stables would “change everything”.

Currently, they keep their ponies on livery in Clare Equestrian Centre with John Burke, who Catherine said, “has been very, very good to the programme through the years, to the extent that I don’t know if the programme would exist if it wasn’t for him”.

The programme involves bringing children from six DEIS Limerick primary schools on a six-week horse riding programme, increasing to seven schools this year.

They are also working on building a “three strand approach”, which will include a branch for secondary school students, and young people hoping to make a career in the equine industry.

Having their own stables, like the ones they fell in love with at Ebony Horse Club, would allow them to explore a whole range of possibilities, including making their programme available to children with special needs, which is a definite goal of theirs.

In their weekly groups and classroom lessons, Catherine and Damien give their students a well-rounded equine education, focusing on more than just horse riding: “It’s up to the kids to look after the ponies, it’s not just horse riding. They learn teamwork, they’re looking after the ponies, they’re mucking out the stables, they’re learning responsibility”.

“It’s a way of looking after them holistically,” Damien added, explaining that their programme aims to help young people grow and develop in tandem with their school learning.

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