Fit it taks tae train a horse

Scroll down for a translation from Doric to English

Sae, fit's the horse's role at the Lonach March?

Weel, naebody really kens hoo it cam aboot. Bit the auld story is that it wis brocht in fan they stertit mairchin ower tae Braemar in the early days, fan they campit at the castle an the horse an cairt wis used tae cairry aa the campin gear an the kit ower the hill. It juist seems tae hae bided on fae there.

Presenting the colours to the Queen

An is't true the horse an cairt's used tae pick up fowk that were ower fou on the wye roon?

Nae, that's a myth – weel, I've never seen it happen, an I've never heard o onybody else seein it happen either. Bit it maks a guid story for the tourists, an they fair like it, so some folk juist keep the story gaun.

Foo lang hiv ye been deein the Lonach Horse?

Ma first year wis fan a fella cam wi a Clydesdale he'd booried fae Walker's i Aberlour. Unfortunitly he didna hae a clue fit he wis deein. Faither wis meant tae be retired, bit he got roped back in, an I got roped in tae help him.

Sae it's been i the Gray faimily a lang time?

Naebody really kens fan Faither first stertit, bit I mind him deein it i the mid-seventies, or thereaboots. He did it wi Donald, a white horse fae Allargue Estate, an Faither drave him for years. If ma memory's richt, Faither stertit deein it wi his ain horse, Diamond, i 1989.

I stertit wi ma ain yin, Socks, i 2015. That wis a braw year, we stertit aff wi the Poldhuillie Brig 300-year celebration in Strathdon an the Lonach Highlanders marched tae it, that wis Socks' first ootin. It wis a bonnie run fae Bellabeg up tae Poldhuillie Brig. Then we hid Lonach, an efter that the march tae Braemar, sae he hid a fair initiation that year.

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A've heard that Socks is nae langer wi's. Fit happened, if ye dinna mind me askin?

Socks got laminitis last year, an he wis gey ill. The vet did aa they could for him, but for aa their efforts he jist didna get ony better, an in the end the vet said there wis naething mair that could be deen.

It brak oor herts tae hae him pit tae sleep. He wis a character an a richt pairt o oor faimily. The folk fair loved him, an he gaed on the Lonach March for ten year. He'll never be forgotten.

Sae this is Monty. Fan did ye get him?

I got Monty last year, an he's been maistly i trainin since early spring. We juist try tae cover onything he micht come across. Ye canna prepare them for everythin, bit we've pit in a lot o wark, juist trainin him up an gettin him uised tae bein oot an aboot.

We aye like tae gang tae Corgarff Games. It's a nice wee games wi a guid crowd an a pipe band, an it gies them a chance tae get used tae folk, the noise an aa the hustle an bustle.

Foo dae ye get him uised tae a pipe band?

We’re reelly lucky because the pipe band practises juist ootside oor door every Sunday nicht, sae we tak Monty doon. The band comes ootside an practises on the green, an we can let Monty gang near them at his ain pace, raither than the band comin straight at him. If he wants tae gang closer, that's fine - if he disna, we back aff. He's taen tae it like a dock tae watter, it hasna bothered him sae we've been really lucky.

The thing we really struggle wi is nae the pipe band but the tannoys. They're fine till we get near the ring, then the tannoys can spook a horse, because they dinna ken far the soun's comin fae. Horses are fine if they can see fit's makin the noise, bit fan they're surrandit by it, it can get a wee bittie owermuch for them an we hev ta be on oor taes inacse they tak aff.

Fit dae ye hae in mind for the future?

I've got the next generation trainin up noo, an tae be fair, they're deein as weel as the horses.

They wanted me tae keep gaun so they could maybe tak it on efter me. If I stopped deein the horse, somebody else wid hae taen ower, an it'd wud leave the faimily.  It wid be a shame tae let that happen, specially efter fifty year.

D'ye think Monty will be ready for Lonach this year?

We like a challenge and he’ll be ready for Lonach – whether we're ready or no is anither maitter! There's still a bittie tae dee, an we'll juist keep workin awa till he's ready. Bit aye, we should be fine.

ENGLISH VERSION

So, what’s the horse’s role at the Lonach March?

Well, nobody really knows how it came about. But the old story is that it was introduced when they started marching over to Braemar in the early days, when they camped at the castle and the horse and cart were used to carry all the camping gear and equipment over the hill. It just seems to have carried on from there.

And is it true that the horse and cart is used to pick up people who have had too much to drink along the way?

No, that’s a myth – well, I’ve never seen it happen, and I’ve never heard of anybody else seeing it happen either. But it makes a good story for the tourists, and they certainly like it, so some people just keep the story going.

How long have you been doing the Lonach Horse?

My first year was when a fellow came with a Clydesdale that he’d borrowed from Walker’s in Aberlour. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Father was supposed to have retired, but he got roped back in, and I got roped in to help him.

So it’s been in the Gray family for a long time?

Nobody really knows when Father first started, but I remember him doing it in the mid-seventies, or thereabouts. He did it with Donald, a white horse from Allargue Estate, and Father drove him for years. If my memory is right, Father started doing it with his own horse, Diamond, in 1989.

I started with my own one, Socks, in 2015. That was a great year. We started off with the Poldhuillie Bridge 300-year celebration in Strathdon, and the Lonach Highlanders marched to it. That was Socks’ first outing. It was a lovely run from Bellabeg up to Poldhuillie Bridge. Then we had Lonach, and after that the march to Braemar, so he had quite an initiation that year.

I’ve heard that Socks is no longer with us. What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?

Socks got laminitis last year, and he was very ill. The vet did everything they could for him, but despite all their efforts he just didn’t get any better, and in the end the vet said there was nothing more that could be done.

It broke our hearts to have him put to sleep. He was a character and a real part of our family. People really loved him, and he went on the Lonach March for ten years. He’ll never be forgotten.

So this is Monty. When did you get him?

I got Monty last year, and he’s been mostly in training since early spring. We just try to cover anything he might come across. You can’t prepare them for everything, but we’ve put in a lot of work, just training him up and getting him used to being out and about.

We always like to go to Corgarff Games. It’s a nice little games with a good crowd and a pipe band, and it gives them a chance to get used to people, the noise and all the hustle and bustle.

How do you get him used to a pipe band?

We’re really lucky because the pipe band practises just outside our door every Sunday night, so we take Monty down. The band comes outside and practises on the green, and we can let Monty go near them at his own pace, rather than the band coming straight towards him. If he wants to go closer, that’s fine — if he doesn’t, we back off. He’s taken to it like a duck to water. It hasn’t bothered him, so we’ve been really lucky.

The thing we really struggle with isn’t the pipe band but the tannoys. They’re fine until we get near the ring, then the tannoys can spook a horse because they don’t know where the sound is coming from. Horses are fine if they can see what’s making the noise, but when they’re surrounded by it, it can get a wee bit too much for them, and we have to be on our toes in case they take off.

What do you have in mind for the future?

I’ve got the next generation training up now, and to be fair, they’re doing as well as the horses.

They wanted me to keep going so they could maybe take it on after me. If I stopped doing the horse, somebody else would have taken over, and it would leave the family. It would be a shame to let that happen, especially after fifty years.

Do you think Monty will be ready for Lonach this year?

We like a challenge, and he’ll be ready for Lonach – whether we’re ready or not is another matter! There’s still a wee bit to do, and we’ll just keep working away until he’s ready. But aye, we should be fine.