Equisteps at Deerefield

28/05/2026

Did a thing yesterday!
Thank you so much to all my sponsors. Approx €3k raised for

This was such a fantastic experience, and I recommend anyone who can have a go, do it!

21/05/2026

Please come and join us for what will be a wonderful gig supporting a very important campaign in a great location!

16/05/2026

Disappointingly, the weather in Offally was reminiscent of January today. We will jump soon, but for now, my ankles are safe!
If you've been meaning to donate or sponsor take this as your sign to do it!

11/05/2026

A beautifully written piece which gives an insight into why Georgina Izatt and I are doing a skydive on Saturday!
Still time to donate folks! Together we can help. X

https://jilliangodsil.com/making-a-difference-a-life-between-heartbeats-eimear-byrne-arklow-and-the-price-of-time/?fbclid=IwdGRjcARvC7FjbGNrBG8LrGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHoE_D7UKwabZMo_A4kBzhCxDvrJ8nYoeTTKWpdR0i3HjaG22R-zypfziZqvZ_aem_AcJ200U6dglQiGv0_nPCkA

Making a Difference – A Life Between Heartbeats: Eimear Byrne, Arklow, and the Price of Time Posted on May 11, 2026April 30, 2026 by Jillian Godsil Eimear Byrne does not present as someone defined by illness. She is a primary school teacher, rooted in her work, her language, and her town. Yet her ...

29/04/2026

Huge news! We've nearly hit €2.5k in sponsorship for me to be pushed out of a plane! This is such an important campaign, please help support it in any way you can.

21/04/2026

Can you spare a couple of hours of a week day morning? We need volunteers to help with our therapeutic riding sessions for primary school aged children. A wonderful way to hangout with horses, get your steps in and meet some really wonderful people. All training and coffee provided! Please contact Essie for more information!

21/04/2026

Sos! (Save our sessions!) We are in need of volunteers to help with a few therapeutic riding sessions over the next few weeks!
Leaders are needed weekday mornings, a few time spot available. This is helping lead our wonderful horses for primary school age children. Volunteers will be given training as needed and coffee as requested! Please contact Essie for more details.

21/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18er5iFyLt/

This is Níamh with her sister, Eímear, who requires life-saving surgery in the USA after battling back from the unthinkable 😢

Eímear, a primary school teacher from Arklow, Co. Wicklow, was diagnosed with a rare connective tissue disorder when she was a young girl.

She had to undergo open-heart surgery at just 10 years old but faced more complications three years ago when an aneurysm ruptured without warning.

Eímear had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery but at a significant cost as she suffered a severe stroke during the operation.

The brave woman had to relearn how to walk, talk and do everyday tasks during an unimaginably difficult road to recovery, but, with the unwavering support and love of those around her, she achieved what once seemed impossible and returned to the teaching job she loved.

Recently, however, Eímear received heartbreaking news - doctors have discovered three more aneurysms. She now requires a third open-heart surgery - one that is even more complex and urgently needed. Time is of the essence.

Given the severity of her condition and the risks involved, this surgery must be carried out in a specialised hospital in the USA with the expertise and facilities to treat patients like Eímear. Having the procedure there will significantly reduce the risk of mortality and help minimise the chance of life-altering complications, such as another stroke.

"All of this comes at a monetary cost far beyond what we can manage alone," said Níamh, who has launched a GoFundMe, which has already raised more than €70,000 of a €600,000 target.

"Asking for help does not come easily to Eímear as she has always tried to handle life’s challenges quietly and independently. As a family this leaves us in the difficult position of asking for community support."

18/04/2026

Many of our customers will remember Níamh Byrne from stable management sessions, therapeutic riding sessions and her being my right hand woman around the yard for many years.

She and her family are a special bunch. They need our help. Let's do this.
If you can, please sponsor me or Georgina Izatt to jump/be pushed out of a plane. You can use this QR code, or contact me directly. Below is a link to an article with a little about the current situation. Every share and cent is greatly needed and appriciated.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18UFbg1KFC/

13/04/2026

Hi All,
I am reaching out in the hope that you can help me raise funds for a dear friend of mine and Equisteps.
I have attached a little information about Eimear. She needs life-saving surgery, and for this, she will need to travel to the U.S. As I'm sure you can guess, this comes with a huge financial burden.
As part of the fundraising campaign, I apparently signed up to do a sky dive 🤦🏼‍♂️ 😅 along with Georgina and 11 others!
We plan to jump (or be pushed!) on Saturday 16th May in Offally.
If this is something you feel able to help with, please let me know, and I will pop your name down. All money raised via sponsorship, I will pay into the main go fund me page. Every share and every cent is massively appreciated. Thank you. 😊

09/11/2025

“Confessions of a Riding School Saint”

Hello, human.
Yes, you — the one still trying to find the correct diagonal.

I’m the riding-school horse you meet once a week. You call me “steady,” “safe,” or, when I don’t immediately burst into extended trot, “lazy.” I’ve carried hundreds like you — some with bouncing enthusiasm, others with a death-grip on the reins and a look that says, “Please, not canter.”

Every rider brings their own style. Some kick like they’re starting a lawnmower. Some perch like a baby giraffe learning ballet. One even tried “natural horsemanship” by whispering at me for twenty minutes. (I admired the effort, but grass would have been more persuasive.)

I do my best to translate. But it’s tricky when one person wants me to go forward, the next to collect, and the next to “just feel the rhythm” while clamping both legs and pulling on my face. You’d be confused too.

Sometimes, when the messages get too loud or too mixed, I tune out. You call it “lazy.” I call it “self-preservation.” You see, my job isn’t easy — I must keep everyone safe while pretending your seat bones aren’t trying to send Morse code in three languages at once.

I’ve met every training philosophy going: “forward fixes everything,” “never use the leg,” “ride from the seat,” and my favorite — “just sit deeper!” (Usually shouted as the rider performs a mid-arena levitation.)

But I’ve also met kindness. The quiet rider who remembers to breathe, softens their hand, and says “good” when I try. That’s when I lift my back, stretch my neck, and remember what partnership feels like.

I don’t care about levels or ribbons. I care that you try to understand me. That you see me not as a piece of gym equipment but as a partner — one who has to process your nerves, your posture, and your Spotify playlist of contradictory aids.

So before you call a horse lazy, ask yourself: am I clear? Calm? Consistent?
Because the truth is, I’m not stubborn — I’m exhausted from reading mixed signals.

If you listen, I’ll listen. If you work on you, I’ll meet you halfway — maybe even with a flying change if I’m feeling fancy.

After all, I’m not just your ride. I’m your mirror, your teacher, and occasionally, your unpaid therapist.
Now, pat me. I’ve earned it.

Author: Gary A Diplock