Promoting Traditional Western Horsemanship Generate a sense of identity for Western riders within the wider equestrian community.
Our primary objectives are as follows:
Maintain and manage a Centre of Excellence for Western Riding at Blackford Glen, Edinburgh. Maintain and promote high standards in Western riding, horsemanship and equine welfare and, through example,
encourage others to aspire to those standards. Facilitate continuous development of riding skills directed at safe and enjoyable (trail) riding as well as
performance classes in WES and AQHA Shows.
10/08/2025
🌟 Day 4 🌟
The final day of what has been another tremendous clinic with Bernd Hackl!
Thank you Bernd for coming to Scotland and teaching us and our horses. We have all gained so much from this experience and had a fun time to top it off!
Thank you to everyone who came and took part with their horses, and to all those who came to spectate and help out. Everyone played an important part to this event and we are so grateful you were part of it.
Safe travels back to Germany, Bernd!
✨We can’t wait for next year already 2026!✨7p .7p
Why not come and join us?
In the meantime, we will be working on what we’ve been learning; on the ground, in the saddle, and quiet moments of reflection with our horses 💜
03/08/2025
Day 3 💛
7p Scottish Clinic
Another wonderfully sunny day and best times!
We are all gaining incredible knowledge. Bernd comes from the cow world and we worked on our ability to soften and move our horses, really feeling through turns and whoa on a loose rein. Our relationship with our horses is improving every day and we have had some light bulb moments too.
Trailer loading, getting the horse to pick us up from the mounting block and general horse handling have also been practiced today.
Bernd teaches us all what we need to know depending on our and our horses individual needs.
We have a lot of fun training too, hence our pictures reflecting this sometimes! BBQ last night, good catch up with friends old and new and then a good night sleep before our final day.
Wishing everyone a great day with your horses, whatever you’re doing this weekend.
02/08/2025
Day 2!
Fantastic day with Bernd Hackl, so much learning and personal achievements .7p
01/08/2025
First day of our Bernd Hackl 2025 Clinic! .7p
We’ve had a fabulous day with lovely horses and people, and even sunshine!
Spectator places available over the weekend if you’d like to join us, everyone’s welcome.
Roll on tomorrow!
🐎☀️
26/07/2025
⭐️Due to a cancellation, one space has become available on our long sold-out clinic with Bernd Hackl. If you'd like to take part, please get in touch asap for more details⭐️
You do not need to be a western rider to take part! All welcome!
We also welcome spectators on all four days. Auditor fee is £20/day (£70 for all four days) and under 14s are free. Come along and learn from a great horseman! You'll be made most welcome!🍀
Jiayi of SoulSoil has created a wonderful space here at Blackford Glen, and is inviting everyone to join her for some mindful gardening. Jiayi says:
"Q***r mindful Garden🌱:
I'm now ready for hosting people for mindful gardening. I open this q***r session atm for the need of q***r people to connect in a safe place in the nature.
I now set up a q***r garden session on Tues 6-8pm during the growing season. Hope to see some of you there and chill ☺️.
Pls feel free to forward to your q***r friends 🙏🏻☺️🌱"
Event link in comments
30/12/2024
🤠Here are our confirmed dates for 2025 🤠
We're delighted to welcome both Bernd Hackl and Clive Johnson back to the Glen and are looking forward to building on what we've learnt from them in the past year. Rouven Krauer Innovative Horsemanship is making his long-awaited return to the Glen, too.
We'll be hosting some WES events as well. Stay tuned for confirmation of those dates.
12th January (Sun): WES AGM
15th March (Sat): Clive Johnson Clinic
12th April (Sat): Clive Johnson Clinic
17th May (Sat): WES Clinic (Youth/Intro To Western)
31st May (Sat): Clive Johnson Clinic
28th - 29th June (Sat + Sun): Clive Johnson Spookbuster Clinic
31st July - 3rd August (Thu - Sun): Bernd Hackl Clinic
20th - 21st September (Sat + Sun): Clive Johnson Spookbuster Clinic
10th - 12th October (Fri pm - Sun): Rouven Krauer Clinic
18th October (Sat): Clive Johnson Clinic
More dates to be added once confirmed.
We will upload the individual events pages shortly.
Please get in touch if you're interested in any of our clinics and would like to book in or if you'd like more information on anything.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A WESTERN RIDER TO ATTEND ANY OF OUR EVENTS - EVERYONE IS MOST WELCOME!! 🍀
24/12/2024
Merry Christmas from everyone at Blackford Glen 🎄
We hope you have a peaceful break and a lovely time with family, friends and animals.
Thank you for making the Glen such an amazing place to be!
We're looking forward to more fun times and clinics in 2025!
🎄🌟☃️
14/09/2024
🌟 September Spookbusters! 🌟
We had a fantastic weekend with Clive Johnson for our Spookbusters Clinic! Lots of new people and horses again which was wonderful 🥰
Clive brought his smoke machine this time for an added element of fun and the horses all did really well.
Thank you Clive for another great weekend!
We have one more horsemanship clinic planned this year on the first weekend in October so drop us a message if you’d like to book in. You can work on groundwork/riding/loading, the choice is yours!
Thank you from all of us at the glen for coming along and making it such a brilliant weekend!
Roll on 2025!
🤡🎠🐎🦄🌟
07/09/2024
And we're off... 🤠
25/08/2024
🎈SPOOKBUSTERS CLINIC with Clive Johnson🎈
7th & 8th September
We've got a couple of spaces left and we'd love to welcome you to the Glen.
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Contact The Business
Send a message to Blackford Glen Western Horsemanship:
Maintain and manage a Centre of Excellence for Western Riding at Blackford Glen, Edinburgh.
Maintain and promote high standards in Western riding, horsemanship and equine welfare and, through example, encourage others to aspire to those standards.
Generate a sense of identity for Western riders within the wider equestrian community.
Facilitate continuous development of riding skills directed at performance classes in WES and AQHA Shows.
Facilitate continuous development of riding skills directed at safe and enjoyable trail riding.
John has now retired as a western instructor, but we still strive to uphold these values at Blackford Glen, and will continue to put on clinics and PlayDays. We will continue to promote Western riding in Scotland.
Message from John: –
Dear All,
My five-star pupil, Olivia Lochhead, became FEQHA European Senior Ranch Riding Champion in 2019.
I can’t take all the credit for that of course. She has picked the brains of several other Western teachers and put in a power of work on her way to becoming a horse trainer, clinician and Champion competitor.
She came to my yard for lessons when she was twelve and I mentored her for about 10 years. Over that time, she became an accomplished Western rider and determined to make a life and career for herself in the world of western horsemanship. She has done that in style. Onwards and upwards, Olivia.
I have of course helped many others with their riding skills but Olivia’s outstanding achievement this year made me think that this might be a good time to retire from being a Western Instructor. That will make it the third career I will have retired from.
Architecture, Leisure Consultancy and Western riding consultancy have all given me satisfaction, a modicum of success and a lot of personal pleasure. Whether they know it or not, personal pleasure is what people live for and want to keep living for.
Don’t think I will be looking for another career. I will just sit in an arm chair all day watching daytime tv. Is that not what an old person is supposed to do? Don’t think that’s altogether me. Beekeeping, poultry breeding, arrow making and a bit of horse riding will probably be enough to keep me from pining away.
I thank everyone who allowed me and encouraged me to pass on my knowledge. I may not be teaching Western Horsemanship anymore, but my door is always open for a chat on the subject.
I will also host like-minded instructors, trainers and experts to run clinics, seminars and demonstrations at Blackford Glen so keep an eye on the Events Page on this website.
My thanks to all for making my life, so far, seriously interesting.
