Herd Dynamics wins £30,000 in Firstport’s Social Innovation Challenge

Our community-led research for Scotland’s suicide prevention strategy found that connection, nature and belonging help people find hope again

In September 2026, a team from Bank of Scotland spent a day at Quarry Farm, working with our herd to explore how they communicate, make decisions and lead together.

Our founder, Danielle McKinnon, has been selected for The Breakthrough, an eight-week business accelerator run by Foundervine in partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. It's a chance to grow the business side of Eat Sleep Ride so it can keep funding free places for the people we support.

On 13 September, a team of six walkers from Eat Sleep Ride took on the 21-mile Mighty Stride at the Edinburgh Kiltwalk to raise money for our rescued herd and the young people we work with.

Eat Sleep Ride has been named one of Small Business Saturday UK's Nation's Favourite Businesses, recognising small businesses making a real difference in their communities.

Join Leaves of Auchencraw at Eat Sleep Ride for a free hands-on botanical printing workshop, exploring nature, creativity and traditional craft techniques. Create unique leaf-inspired prints in a relaxed outdoor setting, with lunch provided and families welcome.

Our founder Danielle McKinnon has been published in Brainz Magazine with a powerful new article, "The Box Every Leader Climbs Into." Drawing on lived experience, a £50 rescue pony and 24 acres of regenerated landfill, she explores what horses teach us about real leadership — presence, calm, trust, and the courage to lead as your whole self.

Behavioural Science Researcher — Herd Dynamics Ishanee Podder joined ESR while completing her MSc in Behavioural Science at the University of Glasgow. An economist and dedicated social volunteer originally from India, she's helping build the evidence base behind our Herd Dynamics leadership model — translating what happens between horses and people into insights others can learn from. When she's not researching, you'll find her dancing, painting, or out on a trek.

Featured in the ALLIANCE Scotland’s Connected Communities case study series, highlighting our intergenerational volunteering model, youth pathways, and community impact through meaningful work with people, horses, and nature. The feature also explores Herd Dynamics and our vision for Quarry Farm as a connected rural community resource.

Join us for a soulful evening of Borders folklore, told fireside under one of Scotland's darkest skies. Part of the inaugural South of Scotland Dark Sky Festival — Saturday 17 October 2026, from 7pm at Quarry Farm.