I could wax poetic about Checkendon Equestrian Centre forever. Luckily for you, this blog post is short (relatively!).

Checkendon is where our Magical Days Out happen for children and their teachers. Upon my very first visit, I immediately fell in love with the land. Every walk round is different and exciting. I see and experience new things. Checkendon combines an intimate stable yard, dense woodlands, winding paths, open fields, serene ponds, giant redwood trees, blankets of bluebells, that come to life in glorious ways during the different seasons. I feel so connected to nature whilst there. It’s a sensory sensation all year long.

For me, that it’s dotted with beautiful larger than life sculpture carved out of big logs and made out of nails, stone and pennies makes it particularly enchanting. You can touch them, sit in them, make stories out of them, let your imagination run wild with what they may be. There are wonderful surprises around every corner. It’s a treasure trove.

The riding and stable management experiences offered are extraordinary — truly ones I know, first-hand, children will never forget. I have seen so many children conquer fears with the horses/ponies and dig deep (literally and figuratively!) in the woods in ways they may not have thought possible before arriving at Checkendon. Children can explore, discover and make things — they get their hands dirty, jump in deep puddles … and love it! It’s all about simple pleasures.

The Checkendon team is amazing. You feel very well taken care of. Everyone is warm, kind, supportive and helpful. At the helm there’s Linda — Wonder Woman. They offer work experiences to people that give them a better quality of life. They’ve established a range of programmes for children and adults of all levels and abilities with different needs and challenges. They have 65 horses … Wow! They have great names like Twinkle, Mousie and Pedro and characters all their own.

Add it all together and Checkendon makes you feel happy inside. It inspires you. Its impact is significant. My life has definitely been transformed because of it.