Meet Our Staff

I run the yard on a Monday. I love watching the team and our clients grow. I have my ABRS Equitation and Riding Level 7, First Aid and BHS Stage 1, and I am currently at Uni training to become an Occupational Therapist. I am a part-time yard groom and riding instructor and have been at ESR since November 2020. ESR has supported me emotionally and professionally. It is really like having an extended family.

I started at ESR after meeting Danielle through a practitioner's network. I've joined to provide therapy and trauma counselling , and feel proud to offer a direct route when statutory services are at a crisis point. I have been working therapeutically with people for over 25 years, and became a counsellor after working in holistic nutritional therapy, realising that beneath the physical issues, the cause lay rooted in the emotional/mental/spiritual levels. It's great to be part of a wellness movement with such great social value and holistic approaches for horses and people.

Dad to my amazing little boy Lucas, I started work at ESR in October 2020. I am a yard worker and currently studying part-time to be a groom at Lingfield Uni. Working at ESR has helped me learn new skills and grow as a person. My confidence and patience have improved greatly in the months I've been here and it's a fun job a lot of the time with great people. ESR has helped me realise my potential and challenged me to meet new people and push myself to be a better human.

I started at ESR as a volunteer and have taken on part-time hours and really enjoy the opportunities available to me. I love spending time with the horses on the ground and connecting with them, it’s so special to see what they do. ESR has really boosted my confidence and belief in myself and I enjoy learning so many new things and the supportive environment. Outdoor work is hard work but so rewarding.

One of the older members of staff, and the boss's best friend and partner. I do all things that involve a hammer, wood, electric fencing, driving anything handy or heavy really. I'm a qualified heating engineer and can pretty much build or fix most things. Currently, I'm helping the yard staff, learning about horses and running the workshops on the new site gardening, planting and creating amazing sensory spaces. ESR is a fantastic place to be; it's such a lifeline for many.

My main trade is mechanics, I look after the quad bike, leaf blower, hedge cutter, and general maintenance of anything without a heartbeat. ESR has really supported me to build my freelance handyman business, connect with the community and gain new skills and accreditation. I really enjoy working with Andy delivering the workshops to local children and young people; it's a new chapter with an exciting future.

I was lucky enough to discover ESR on a first aid training course through the BHS and am now a part-time instructor at the weekends and when I'm needed. For me, there is something beautiful about facilitating children and young people just being and this is one of the reasons ESR stands out more. Currently working to complete my BHS Stage 3, Dani has taught me so much about horse behaviour, psychology and just looking at things through a different lens. It's so much more than riding stables; it’s a place of dreams.

ESR found me and my family whilst Dani was running her freelance business, my mum was crucial to the set up of ESR and we would make the journey from Linlithgow every week for the first year to exercise the ponies and make signs and equipment out of recycled materials. Dani and the yard have continued to be there for me unconditionally since losing my mum through covid and have supported me through exams such as my ride-out safely and horse health. The yard is my special place and a reminder of what my mum helped build and create.

I am the Treasurer at Eat, Sleep, Ride which means I am involved in keeping track of finances, applying for funding, managing salary payments and attending Board meetings. I also help out on things like arranging training or anything else I can lend a hand with! (I love clipboards and a good spreadsheet...)

‍I joined ESR when it was a year old and it's been a pleasure to see it grow due to the hard work and dedication of Dani and other staff members and volunteers. As ESR grows, it brings us all with it on its amazing journey.

I am a Child Protection Officer, Coach and Facilitator. I aim to support, guide and act to help everyone get the best from their time at ESR. I have my UKCC Level 1 in Coaching, Equine Touch Foundation, Intelligent Horsemanship Certificates, EAGALA Certified Equine Specialist, BHS Ride Safe and a range of First Aid, Mental Health and Child Protection certificates. ESR to me means providing the opportunity for individuals - both human and equine - to thrive and reach their full potential in a safe, supportive environment

I am 29 and have my UKCC Level 1 Equestrian Coaching. I'm a volunteer and part-time worker who does what needs doing. Take out rides. Teach lessons in riding and stable management. Help on the yard and with outings. Or more recently, run coding workshops as part of the Take The Reins programme. ESR represents an opportunity for the people involved to feel more enriched in their lives through the people and horses they meet, the valued volunteering work they do and the things they learn.

Longest standing volunteer and member of the local community council, I was involved with ESR when there was only one pony. I look after the Clydesdale's huge feet and feathers, make tea and coffee and am key when running events. I provide a safe space, heating and transport in the form of Scooby; my vintage camper van. ESR is a community of which I'm very proud to be part, its evolution is key to providing much-needed support for many including myself. ESR is part of all of us here and my role as mother hen provides much-needed counsel and advice.