Looking for Livery? Ten reasons to join #teamdunbyrnestud

Are you looking for livery? Here are ten reasons to join #teamdunbyrnestud on livery today :

1. We offer huge courtyard stables with deep warm shavings beds providing the ultimate comfort for your horse

2. We supply top quality haylage and feed twice a day as part of our full stabled livery package

3. Horses are turned out daily in individual paddocks with secure fencing. Horses are still relaxed as they can see other horses beside them and this turnout is much safer than group turnout especially when horses and ponies are wearing a full set of shoes.

4. Our yard owners live onsite so our opening hours are flexible. We never restrict our liveries with set hours so if you need to head off early morning somewhere or are running late from work there is no need to worry.

5. We have a huge livery arena (this is dedicated to liveries and is entirely separate from the onsite riding school). The size of our arena allows liveries to ride when our coaches are running lessons so there is no need to plan your riding around someone else’s lessons or arena bookings.

6. BHS and HSI qualified coaches onsite providing training at competitive rates

7. We are less than thirty minutes from JAG / Redhills / Greenogue / Emerald and just ten minutes from Coilog so Leinster competition venues are close by.

8. We have a heated rug room with storage for liveries. This is ideal on cold or damp days as you can hang up your rug while you ride so its nice and warm when it goes back on your horse.

9. We have a 4.5 furlong all weather sand gallops which is exclusively for our liveries to use. This leads on to our onsite wooded hacking trails and is ideal for hacking, fittening work, eventing preparation or even just a break from the arena.

10. We are lucky to have a lovely bunch of existing clients who are positive and enthusiastic. We enjoy taking part as a group in competing on and offsite and in social activities. Our liveries take part in a wealth of disciplines from eventing to dressage.

To arrange a yard visit and enquire about joining our team - please email dunbyrnestud@gmail.com

Dunbyrne Dressage Divas!

It was a very sparkling white affair on Sunday as several of our riders competed at Dressage Ireland at Redhills. The competition season is in full swing at the moment and we were delighted to see our riders heading off looking well. 

Sisters Aoife and Caitlin Harrington had a very early start with Aoife entering at A at 8.18am! Aoife took on the challenge of riding four tests - two each on Cosmic and Killelton Starlight. It was a very very tight turnaround of horses in the novice class with just six minutes between times but Aoife kept her cool under pressure. Aoife won both her preliminary and novice Trailblazer classes on board Killelton Starlight, a fantastic result for their first outing as a partnership. She also took sixth in the prelim and second in the novice trailblazers with Cosmic. Aoife is delighted to have achieved qualification for the preliminary trailblazers at the National Championships in September nice and early in the season.

Caitlin Harrington competed with her chestnut pony Nightlight taking first place in the unregistered preliminary. Big sister Orla Harrington was due a very big thank you having taken on the role of groom for both her sisters as well as for Lorna on the day. 

Keen eventer Ellen Merrins traded studs for sparkles on Sunday to compete her gelding Sillan Ludene in the preliminary classes. The pair had a fantastic Dressage Ireland Debut taking second and third place in their classes with impressive scores. 

Lorna competed with DBS Second Chance at what was their first Dressage Ireland competition of the season. They took third place in their novice class and second place at Elementary level in their second class. Most importantly the pair earned their first two qualifiying scores towards the National Championships. 

Michelle Davitt meanwhile competed in the penultimate leg of the Linda Moore Riding Club Showjumping league at Coilog on board Zono. They placed third in the primary class giving them the lead in the league to date, which they are keen to hold on to heading into the final this weekend. 

We are delighted to see all the training paying off for these riders. Our riders are on livery and train at Dunbyrne Stud with our BHS / HSI coaches Ross, Lorna and Rory O'Hare. If you are working towards competing at pony club, riding club or Dressage Ireland please get in touch to find out how we can help you to achieve your goals. 

BHS Ireland 2018 Assessment Dates at a Glance

The British Horse Society have released the dates below for assessments in the Republic of Ireland for 2018. Assessments are available from Level 1-4 for riding, coaching and care as well for equine tourism and ride safe. These assessments will allow students to earn qualifications towards their chosen BHS Equine Excellence pathways. 

Assessment booking checklist:

• In order to book an assessment with the British Horse Society you must be a member. You will require Gold membership which is very valuable for all riders and students to have due to the excellent level of insurance it provides. https://www.bhs.org.uk/membership/join/personal-details
• Next, you will need to review the assessment dates below to determine which dates and venues best suit you
• Once you have done this you can give the Equine Excellence team a call at 0044-2476 840508 to book your assessment. 
• Your assessment pack will arrive in the post and will include a skills sheet which must be signed off by a BHSAI or above to allow you to attend your assessment.

Need some professional help?

• At Dunbyrne Equestrian we provide the following services through our BHSI Ross O'Hare which will help you to prepare for your assessments.
• Individual or group assessments to determine where you are versus the level required for BHS assessments
• Individual or group training towards BHS Assessments (Ride Safe and Care / Lunge / Ride / Coach Level 1-4). This is available during the day or in the evenings or at weekends to fit around working hours or busy lifestyles
• Mock assessments for all levels to gain confidence ahead of assessments and to identify areas needing work.
• Sign off of skills to allow students to take BHS assessments. 
• Advice on BHS Equine Excellence Pathways and careers
• To enquire or book any of these services please call 0862222440 / 0879244385

BHS Dates 2018 - Republic of Ireland

March 2018

Wednesday 21st March – Slieve Aughty – Ride Safe

Monday 26th March – Clonshire – Ride Safe morning assessment only

Monday 26th march – Clonshire - Stage 1 Care and Ride afternoon assessment only

Tuesday 27th March – Clonshire - Stage 2 Care, Lunge and Ride

Tuesday 27th March – Kildalton – Stage 3

Wednesday 28th March – Kildalton – Stage 2 Teach

April 2018

Friday 6th April – Claremorris – Ride Safe

Tuesday 10th April – Brennanstown - Stage 1 Care and Ride

Tuesday 10th April – Calliaghstown – Ride Safe

Wednesday 11th April – Brennanstown - Stage 2 Care, Lunge and Ride

Thursday 12th April – Brennanstown - Stage 3 Care, Lunge and Ride

Friday 13th April – Brennanstown – Stage 2 Teach

Friday 13th April – Calliaghstown - Equine Tourism, Ride Leader Level 2 & Level 3 only

May 2018:

Tuesday 1st May – Calliaghstown – Stage 1 Care and Ride

Wednesday 2nd May – Calliaghstown – Stage 2 Care, Lunge, ride

Thursday 3rd May – Calliaghstown – Stage 2 Teach

Friday 4th May – Stage 3 Care, Lunge, Ride

Thursday 10th May – Danville Farm - Equine Tourism, Ride Leader Level 2 & Level 3 only

Wednesday 16th May – Slieve Aughty – Ride Safe

Tuesday 29th May – Clonshire - Stage 2 Care, Lunge and Ride

Wednesday 30th May – Clonshire – Stage 2 Teach

Thursday 31st May – Clonshire – Stage 3 Care, lunge, teach

June 2018:

Friday 8th June – Grennan College – Stage 2 Teach

Wednesday 13th June – Clonshire – Stage 3 Care, lunge, ride

Tuesday 19th June – Brennanstown – Stage 1 Care, lunge, ride

Wednesday 20th June – Brennanstown – Stage 2 Care, lunge, ride

Thursday 21st June – Brennanstown – Stage 3 Care, lunge, ride

Friday 22nd June – Brennanstown – Stage 2 Teach

September 2018

Tuesday 4th September – Stage 2 Care, lunge, ride

Wednesday 5th September – Stage 3 Care, :Lunge and Ride

Thursday 6th September – Stage 2 Teach

Friday 7th September – Stage 3 Teach

Tuesday 25th September – Calliaghstown - Stage 1 Care and Ride

Wednesday 26th September – Calliaghstown - Stage 2 Care, Lunge and Ride

Thursday 27th September – Calliaghstown - Stage 2 Teach

Friday 28th September – Calliaghstown - Stage 3 Care, Lunge, Ride

 October 2018

Wednesday 3rd October – Slieve Aughty - Equine Tourism, Ride Leader Level 2 & Level 3 only

Tuesday 16th October - Stage 4 Care and Management, Lunge and Ride

Wednesday 17th October – Stage 4 Teach

Blazing a trail at Dressage Ireland

We have a number of talented young riders at Dunbyrne Equestrian and recently two of our coaches Ross O'Hare BHSI and Lorna Keogh (BHS/HSI) formed what we now call the Dunbyrne Tailblazers. The tailblazers team allows these riders access to quality competition coaching to encourage them to improve their riding and to compete with a positive mindset.

The first tailblazers sessions focused on dressage with riders learning the dressage arena and letters and how to ride the movements within a test. After three weeks of training the team travelled to JAG in November with the Dunbyrne lorry to compete at Dressage Ireland in the trailblazers competitions for young riders. This day out, the first ever dressage competition for the team was a great success with everyone scoring above 60% and lots of positive and developmental feedback from the judges to work on. Zara Logan, Sive Murphy and Hannah Groves competed in the mini trailblazers while Niamh Davitt, Laura Kavanagh, Blaithnaid Sharpe and Molly Dunne all competed in the junior trailblazers. 

Aoife Harrington, a young rider who has been competing for over a year at Dressage Ireland Trailblazers acted as a guide for the tailblazers team members, riding test demonstrations to help them to learn their tests while her sister Orla a successful competitor at Dressage Ireland and riding club was at JAG on the day to help the riders on their first day out. Aoife travelled to Marlton last weekend to compete at Trailblazers. She scored an impressive 73% in her prelim test to take second place. Aoife also rode her first ever novice test on the day earning third place and a good score with plenty to work on for 2018 to progress at this level. 

As the tailblazers team has evolved at Dunbyrne Equestrian we have started to include showjumping coaching into the schedule. Our team have been learning how to ride lines, jump combinations and count strides. We have a showjumping session planned for Saturday as well as a talk for the team on competing with a healthy, positive and balanced approach to competition.  Our riders will compete on Sunday at dressage and showjumping at our Christmas Show - we cant wait to see them in action 

BHS Assessments, Mock Exams and Training

As part of the new British Horse Society structure, candidates who wish to take exams can choose to do so across several pathways (coach, rider, groom) or to focus on the pathway mist relevant to them. Candidates looking to take exams with the BHS next year in Ireland must first be signed off as being at the standard to do so by a qualified BHS Instructor. 

Find out more about the BHS pathways here: https://pathways.bhs.org.uk/career-pathways/

To study for and take BHS exams, you do not have to work with horses full time, or even at all. You can choose between studying as a full time student in a college, at an approved equestrian centre, as part of a part time group or even by yourself in your own time. 

Dunbyrne Equestrian is home of Ross O'Hare, BHSI and BHS assessor. Ross provides the following services at Dunbyrne Equestrian, Kilmeague, Co. Kildare. These services can cover Ride Safe and the BHS Equine Excellence Career Pathways Level 1-5 in grooming, riding and coaching. Pupils can train with Ross using either their own horse or one provided by the equestrian centre. 

• Part time BHS courses for groups
• Tailored one to one BHS training for individuals 
• Mock exams for groups or individuals
• Assessments for groups or individuals and sign off for application for exams
• Full time student positions 

To enquire about any of these services please contact Ross at 086-2222440 / 087-9244385