Skaigh Stables, Okehampton: are they still going?

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

As title really.

The website is not accessable.

So, anyone know?

The place was run by a Ms Rosemary Hooley, don't know if she still does so though.

Oh gosh it will be awful if that place has closed down, it was just legendary really.

Any info welcome. PM me if prefer.

 

[jhoward]

nope horses sold, land sold/being sold house remains rosemary has been very poorly.

 

[Bosworth]

yes it closed this year, but really rosemary was very ill last year, had a very bad accident and at her age it was one hell of a job for her to keep going.

 

[vhf]

Oh no! I've been meaning to get in touch again - my mare was bred there and wanted to find out about her dam's damline, just in case I ever decide to breed from her. Would have loved a pic of "mum" too, as have ones of sire and maternal grandsire. Poor Rosemary. I hope she is able to enjoy her retirement.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

OMG! Poor Rosemary, I'm devastated. I bought my boy from her a few years ago; basically I had him on winter loan from her trekking centre and to cut a long story short ended up in keeping the blighter!!!

Bless her, she's a love, and a real character. You could chatter away to her for hours and she was incredibly knowledgeable. And had/has a fantastic eye for a good horse too.

This is such a shame, aw bless her, she must be missing all her horses.

 

[Potato!]

VHF maybe i can help. I worked for Rosemary for a few years and know her quite well. Who is your Mare? I might know the dam. I bought a youngster from Rosemary aswell.

 

[Potato!]

OMG! Poor Rosemary, I'm devastated. I bought my boy from her a few years ago; basically I had him on winter loan from her trekking centre and to cut a long story short ended up in keeping the blighter!!!

Bless her, she's a love, and a real character. You could chatter away to her for hours and she was incredibly knowledgeable. And had/has a fantastic eye for a good horse too.

This is such a shame, aw bless her, she must be missing all her horses.

Just out of interest who is your Boy?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Piebald traddie cob: name Bonzo (tho' "jhoward" calls him 'Bonkers'!!!). He's doing well, does a bit of TREC these days and came 2nd in the Horse Agility at Bicton in Feb. So if you do see Rosemary do let her know how her boy's doing.

 

[Potato!]

Oh my i know Bonzo very well. Small world he did some bizar things when he was at Rosemary's. like climbing um and over the bank and jumping down off the wall onto the concrete yard as he wasnt allowed in to the yard through the gate like the others that day so he thought he would try and find his own way into the yard. lol

For some reason i knew you were going to say Bonzo, I dont know why but just had a feeling

 

[vhf]

That would be terrific, thank you. Josephine, foaled 2002 out of Lauren, who I believe was a chestnut TBxID. Josie had at least one younger brother. I always imagine the baby Josie being a gentle thing who never caused anyone any grief, it would be funny if you know otherwise. She's a cracking little mare, but I wish she was an inch bigger! If you have contact details for Rosemary, I was planning on sending her some photos of J in action - she sold her to a producer as a 4yo so never saw her under saddle. Many thanks!!

 

[Potato!]

That would be terrific, thank you. Josephine, foaled 2002 out of Lauren, who I believe was a chestnut TBxID. Josie had at least one younger brother. I always imagine the baby Josie being a gentle thing who never caused anyone any grief, it would be funny if you know otherwise. She's a cracking little mare, but I wish she was an inch bigger! If you have contact details for Rosemary, I was planning on sending her some photos of J in action - she sold her to a producer as a 4yo so never saw her under saddle. Many thanks!!

Yes i know Lauren, and i know Josephine. I bought Archie (2004) who was her younger half brother, Between them was Manu. I know Lauren and somewhere i have a few photos of her i think i will have to dig them out. I wondered who bought Josephine as she was a very nice youngster. Lauren was a bay idxtb who i believe was bred at East Cornwall Hunt Kennels. I will have a look and see if i still had the details. Unfortunatley i had to sell Archie as he just grew too big for me at a whopping 17.2hh.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Oh my i know Bonzo very well. Small world he did some bizar things when he was at Rosemary's. like climbing um and over the bank and jumping down off the wall onto the concrete yard as he wasnt allowed in to the yard through the gate like the others that day so he thought he would try and find his own way into the yard. lol

For some reason i knew you were going to say Bonzo, I dont know why but just had a feeling

OMG!!! Wot a naughty boy! LOL. Yes, he always has a quirkly streak and is good at finding imaginative ways to do things. He's a reformed character now though; has a little mare out with him in the field and she makes blimmin sure he doesn't behave like a t!t.

I'll PM you. Dunno where you are, but I'm East of Exeter if you ever wanted to come up and touch base with him again??? I'd love to hear some more stories of when he was in the trekking centre, it'd be funny, I suspect I don't know the half of what he's capable of the monkey!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Sorry meant to add I've PM'd you "burness".

Another funny story about Bonzo is that apparently he went out on winter loan to someone that had a field shelter up which they'd built themselves.

I gather he ambled up to it and rubbed his bum on it - thought it was put there just for that purpose - and the whole thing just collapsed. LOL, hilarious.

 

[traceyw]

Hi we had a spectacular time last year and my daughter truly fell in love with "Blue", does anyone know where he was sold to, i would have love to have bought him. We are going back to the area in August can anyone recommend another trekking centre, thank you.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Just bumping this up for you previous OP! Its a great shame the trekking centre has closed down coz a lot of people will have lovely memories of riding from there when they were on holiday, plus will have fallen in love with "their" favourite" horse.

I'm aware that a lot of people (apparently!!!) liked my boy: (can't think why???!!! ) - "forever broke"; I keep meaning to PM you, would love to hear some more stories about my boy when he was there.

 

[hayqueen12]

So sorry to hear the stables has closed and Rosemary has been ill, I too wondered why their web site has been closed, I wish Rosemary all the best. I went to Rosemary for a horse on loan as I wanted one that was safe but enjoyable for an experienced,older rider who had lost confidence. Rosemary found me a lovely 15.1hh mare, who had sweet itch, and apparently had come originally from Romania. Had her a few months and fell in love with her, ended up buying her, even though she had really bad sweet itch. It was the best thing I ever did, I really enjoy her as she is everything Rosemary said she was. She has turned out to be my best equine friend, and has more clothes in her wardrobe than I do (rug for every occasion, boetts etc. as she cant go out at all without one on) it doesn't matter though I love her so much. If anyone reads this, and knows Rosemary, please give her my regards, and let her know that the Romanian cob with sweet itch is great, and that she is really enjoyed and loved. What a shame that there aren't more Skaigh Stables and Rosemarys about, a sign of the times I suppose.

 

[lilwelshyrs]

Hi there,

I realise this is a little late! I was doing a google search to see if Skaigh Stables were still going and have stumbled across this.

I hope that Rosemary gets better and what a shock that the place closed down! I adored going there and the horses were fab.

I was wondering if anyone knew Dax? He was my first pony and I used to visit him when I could. Rosemary told me he had been sold a couple of years back to a family in Bristol. Anyway, as I'm sure you all understand, I often think about my first pony and miss him a lot. Any news would be fab.

He is a Welsh X, 13.3hh, dark bay with a blaze and a lovely pink nose. He adored being in Devon. I used to keep him in London and seeing the change in him and how happy he was at Skaigh Stables made me so glad and I knew we had done right by him

 

[hayqueen12]

Hi there, I dont personally know about Dax, but I will try to find out for you, as two ladies that ride around here, often stop and speak to me, and of course we always talk about our horses, and what they do, where they come from etc. and I know we were talking about Skaigh stables a while ago, and they happened to mention /ask me if I knew Dax, apparently they did, but as I didn't, the conversation didn't go any further. However, when I see them next, which may not be for a couple of weeks, I will try to remember to ask them for you, it maybe that at some point they had him on winter loan a couple of years ago. I will try to find out anything I can for you, but no promises. Also I know another lady who had a horse from Rosemary, she may possibly know something, I will ask her when I see her but that may not be for quite a long time.

 

[lilwelshyrs]

Hi Blossy,
That's very kind of you. I'm glad there are people who knew/know him! I'm very keen to see how he's been doing

 

[mcnaughty]

OH no, poor Rosemary! I only rode the once with them but it was an amazing one on one hack. She seemed a real character - one of the old school!

I do hope she feels better soon.

 

[Potato!]

I used to ride Dax for rosemary when I worked for her and loved him. I would have bought him if I'd had the money.

 

[blue12]

Hi Blossy,
Just curious to know if the horse with sweet itch you bought was a stawberry roan mare by the name of Mara? If so i know her from when i used to work for Rosemary! I to fell in love with many of her horses and am about to buy one of her last youngsters from her mare Lauren!

 

[Potato!]

Hi Blossy,
Just curious to know if the horse with sweet itch you bought was a stawberry roan mare by the name of Mara? If so i know her from when i used to work for Rosemary! I to fell in love with many of her horses and am about to buy one of her last youngsters from her mare Lauren!

When did you work for Rosemary?

 

[pippin1]

So sorry to hear the stables has closed and Rosemary has been ill, I too wondered why their web site has been closed, I wish Rosemary all the best. I went to Rosemary for a horse on loan as I wanted one that was safe but enjoyable for an experienced,older rider who had lost confidence. Rosemary found me a lovely 15.1hh mare, who had sweet itch, and apparently had come originally from Romania. Had her a few months and fell in love with her, ended up buying her, even though she had really bad sweet itch. It was the best thing I ever did, I really enjoy her as she is everything Rosemary said she was. She has turned out to be my best equine friend, and has more clothes in her wardrobe than I do (rug for every occasion, boetts etc. as she cant go out at all without one on) it doesn't matter though I love her so much. If anyone reads this, and knows Rosemary, please give her my regards, and let her know that the Romanian cob with sweet itch is great, and that she is really enjoyed and loved. What a shame that there aren't more Skaigh Stables and Rosemarys about, a sign of the times I suppose.

Does anyone remember a 14hh traditional heavy skewbald cob called Archie? I loaned him in 2007 and would love to know happened to him

 

[vhf]

Hi there Blue. Do tell me more about your Lauren baby! I am Josie's owner, Lauren's 2002 foal.