Horse Drawn Occasions

06/09/2026

NESS’S STORY — PART TWO ✨🐴
The Heavy Horse bug… and the day she went to buy ONE Suffolk Punch!

After that New Year’s Day declaration “I want to have ploughing lessons with Heavy Horses” Ness was determined to make it happen. She had a few ‘hands-on’ days at the Weald & Downland Museum in Sussex, where she became friends with Rob Dash, who owned Shire Horses in Surrey.

Ness found a field near home and Rob would travel down on a Saturday with his horses, Josh & Trueman, so she could learn to plough.
Rob was incredibly patient and more than happy to share his knowledge of working horses.

And the Heavy Horse bug just kept getting bigger🐴

Eventually, Ness asked Rob the question that would change everything:
“Where can I buy a Suffolk Punch?”

Rob told her about the Southern Counties Ploughing Match and suggested she speak to Randy Hiscock, a Suffolk Punch breeder from Dorset. So off Ness went.

Walking around the field, she spotted several Suffolk Punches tied up to a lorry, being plaited.
She approached a man and asked:

“Are you Randy?”

“Yes,” came the reply, accompanied by his usual cheeky grin. 😂 And what followed was a very long conversation!

So long, in fact, that Randy’s wife Janie was trying to hurry him along because Ness was making him late. 😂
But Randy clearly wanted to know exactly who this woman was who was so interested in his horses.

That week, he phoned Rob and asked all about Ness. Was she capable of owning Heavy Horses? Did she understand how much they cost to feed and look after?

Thankfully, Rob reassured him that Ness would be absolutely fine. Randy then invited Ness to come and see his horses and the youngstock he had available.

And this is where the story takes a very Ness-shaped turn…

She went to buy ONE Suffolk Punch.

And, in true Randy fashion…

She came home with TWO! 🐴🐴

And so began another huge chapter in Ness’s Heavy Horse journey.

But little did she know that there were more Suffolk Punches, more adventures and some very special characters still to come.

Including a pair of three-year-olds from Cornwall who would bring a whole new chapter to the story.

PART THREE COMING SOON…

05/09/2026

Jay & Ernie have had a fantastic day out at the Alresford Show, meeting and greeting so many lovely members of the public. ❤️

They’ve certainly been the centre of attention, with plenty of fuss, cuddles and questions about our beautiful heavy horses!

We were also there showcasing and promoting our White & Co Pantechnicon, giving visitors the opportunity to see this wonderful historic vehicle up close and hear a little more about its history.

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello — it was lovely meeting you all! 🥰

Jay & Ernie are now ready for a well-earned rest after another busy day representing Horse Drawn Occasions. 🐴❤️

02/09/2026

📅 Saturday 5th September
📍 Alresford Show

Make sure you come and say hello — we’d love to see you! 🥰🐴

01/09/2026

Just look at this boy enjoying his first outing AND his first sleepover!

Albert has taken it all in his stride and has been an absolute superstar from start to finish. What a special first adventure for our handsome boy!

These horses truly are amazing , so much trust, patience and character packed into one big beautiful package🐴❤️

We couldn’t be prouder of him!

30/08/2026

Today was a very special day as Albert had his very first outing with HDO at the Uffington White Horse Show! 🥰

He and Hans spent the day meeting and greeting the public, receiving plenty of attention and showing everyone what a pair of stars they are ✨

A huge thank you to everyone who came to say hello and made the boys feel so welcome. 🐴

29/08/2026

NESS’S STORY — PART ONE ✨🐴
From a little girl sitting on working horses… to the woman behind HDO.

Well, it certainly wasn’t planned and Ness’s story starts long before HDO ever existed. ❤️

It starts with her Grandad.

He worked horses on Sutton Manor Farm in Bishop’s Sutton and absolutely adored them. He made sure Ness became a horse lover too, whenever they went for a walk and spotted a horse in a field, they were straight in!

Before long, little Ness would be sitting on the horse🐴 Those moments stayed with her throughout her life.

She still has her Grandad’s two original working horse bridles today, complete with their historic brass details — a precious reminder of where her love of working horses began.

Then came driving…

A friend introduced Ness to a private driving yard with Welsh Section A ponies and, after her very first drive, she was hooked. Her first driving horse was a piebald cob who patiently taught his novice driver the ropes.

Then came Harry and Archie — two magnificent Gelderlanders.

A friend asked Ness to provide them for her wedding. The day went brilliantly… and before long, Harry and Archie became part of Ness’s own story.

Then the weddings started coming…..

Ness had never planned to work with horses professionally, but somehow, Horse Drawn Occasions began to grow.

Then came one very important trip to Suffolk, where Ness saw her first Suffolk Punch.
And she was completely in awe. Their size. Their strength. Their beautiful chestnut coats.

She couldn’t stop thinking about them. So when someone asked Ness one New Year’s Day:

“What’s your New Year’s resolution?”

Her answer was ……

“I want to have ploughing lessons with Heavy Horses.” 🐴

And that one sentence would lead to a whole new chapter…

But that’s where we’ll leave Part One.

Because next comes the story of how Ness went looking for a Suffolk Punch…

…and somehow ended up coming home with TWO! 🐴🐴

PART TWO COMING SOON…

28/08/2026

28/08/2026

There’s someone very special behind the reins of Horse Drawn Occasions….

The lady who started it all. ❤️

Over the coming days, we’ll be sharing Ness’s story. From her childhood love of horses to the journey that became Horse Drawn Occasions.

There’s horses, memories, laughter, heartbreak and plenty of stories along the way…

So keep your eyes peeled 👀

Meet the lady behind the reins of HDO… coming soon! 🐴

26/08/2026

25/08/2026

🐴 BEHIND THE SCENES AT HDO… AKA THE FUNNY FARM! 😂

If you think Horse Drawn Occasions is all beautifully turned-out horses, polished harness and elegant events… think again! 😂

Behind the scenes, we affectionately call it “The Funny Farm” — and over the years, we’ve certainly had some stories to earn that name!

🐔 Chickens sleeping in the sink when you go to the bathroom… because apparently that’s the most comfortable place to have a nap!

🐑 Orphaned lambs being bottle-fed on the sofa… and one particular little lamb is STILL part of the Funny Farm today! She was brought up alongside the dogs, so she’s never quite worked out that she’s actually a sheep. 😂

🐷 Pigs that have had us chasing them around for hours trying to move them… only to wake up the next morning and discover they’ve somehow made their way straight back to exactly where we started!

🐑 And then there was the time we decided to move a whole herd of sheep… which somehow resulted in loose sheep EVERYWHERE! 🤦‍♀️😂

It may not always be glamorous behind the scenes, but there is never, ever a dull moment!

And honestly… we wouldn’t have it any other way. ❤️

Those years gave HDO so many stories, characters and memories — and although some are harder to look back on than others, they will always be part of the HDO story. ❤️

Some of the HDO team will remember these days very well… and I’m sure they could add a few more stories to the Funny Farm Files! 😂❤️