Lochside Clydesdales near Banchory: A four-year-old’s horsey dream come true

Beth Noble remembers the moment she first saw a Clydesdale horse.

Already a big fan of horses, the Aberdeenshire young farmer had Shetlands at four and got her first ridden pony when she turned eight.

But travelling to agricultural shows with her mum Grace gave her a new passion.

Beth, 23, said: “I remember seeing the Clydesdales at shows. They were getting driven and just the size of them and the power and the way the ground moved when they went past…

“There was powder coming from their feet and the harnesses were jingling.

“I just knew one day I would love to have my own Clydesdale horse.”

Beth, now 23, made good on her promise — and she’s now the proud owner of four Clydesdales with two more on the way.

And she is determined to spread the big horse joy with her business Lochside Clydesdales.

From carriage rides to grooming sessions for children — “like My Little Pony, but big” — it’s all go.

Beth’s early years and how it led to Lochside Clydesdales

Beth spent the first few years of her life on Skye and still has island connections (her mum is from Raasay).

But they moved to Aberdeenshire when she was four or five, and have lived the farming life there ever since.

A farming life which, for Beth, meant a fast-growing love of horses.

She explained: “When I was younger, I had horse riding lessons and I’d done that ever since I was probably four.

“I got my first pony when I was about eight called Gemma, a Connemara. I’ve still got her, she’s 24 now.

“I did pony club and cross country and lessons with her all the time and absolutely loved it.”

Over the years, and with one move in the mix, the family have gone from five cattle up to about 360 at Aberdeenshire Highland Beef.

When Beth was about 10, she got into showing cattle and for practical reasons (only one trailer), that meant the horses stayed at home for a while.

But she didn’t forget about them — and as soon as there was an opportunity to own a Clydesdale, she grabbed it.

Building the Lochside Clydesdales family

In January 2020, a foal came up for sale — and so Beth met Molly, her first Clydesdale.

Beth said: “She was just so special to me.

“There were originally Clydesdales here, there’s an old Clydesdale stable still standing and it just felt right to have a native Scottish horse here along with our Highland cattle.”

Next came Mae, who had a ball at the World Clydesdale Show in 2022. And Beth soon owned her mum Gracie too.

The most recent addition to the Lochside family is Samson, Beth’s first gelding.

She said: “He’s completely different to the other ones. He’s really special too.”

Beth reveals there are more new arrivals to look forward to.

She said: “We put Grace and Molly to the stallion this year, so they’re due to foal in spring next year. So I’m really excited about that.

“It’s like a full circle moment for Molly to have her own foal.”

Beth has had a lot of help from the Clydesdale and farming communities, both locally and further afield.

She says farmer Ronald Brewster from Perth has been a great mentor, helping with everything from tack and training to helping her find Samson.

Her farrier Wayne Balfour plays “a huge part” and is going to start doing demonstrations at Beth’s events.

Leys Estate met the cost of her carriage by sponsoring it.

She also name-checks the Clydesdale Horse Society, Young Farmers and her partner Morgan Johnstone — and of course her mum.

She added: “I’ve made like a lot of good friends and mentors over that past five years.”

Christmas, weddings and shows

The Lochside Clydesdales are busy horses — and local celebrities.

This year, they got a couple of decent placings at the Royal Highland Show.

Beth has also just finished her third season offering carriage experiences at Crathes Castle. She also does them at home.

She added: “I knew as soon as I bought Molly five years ago that that’s the route I wanted to go down I wanted to share the breed with people.

“We do grooming experiences, people get the chance to actually get up close to them, just totally immerse themselves in the experience.

“I’ve done kids’ parties with glitter stencils and tinsel — like a My Little Pony but My Big Pony instead.”

The first wedding is booked in for next year and the business has a good number of birthdays and special occasions under its belt.

Cruise ship visitors are also becoming more regular.

Beth held a Halloween event this year and has plans in the works for Christmas as well.

She still works full time with her mum, but things are getting busier.

She said: “We had 600 people for three days so it was fantastic.

“The weather was absolutely horrible, but the kids still came out.

“They were totally getting involved, and it’s exactly what I had wanted, you know, like to get families outdoors to get connections with the horses.

“They were all amazed by how big the horses were, kids were putting their feet next to the horses. It was really nice and special to see that.”

More formally, Beth had the carriage out for Banchory’s Remembrance Day parade just a few weeks ago.

She said: “They’re really becoming quite a familiar sight. It’s really nice. People know their names and some are coming out to see the horses every day.”

‘It has been quite an expense’

So just what does the scale of keeping this heavyweight show on the road? Here are some eye-popping numbers.

Depending on bloodlines, the horses themselves can cost anything from £8,000 to £20,000.

Samson weighs a tonne in weight.

Beth said: “Between Samson, Mae, Molly and Grace, they’ll have two tonnes of horse nuts eaten within about two and a half months.

“A bale of haylage will last three days between the four of them.

“So they eat a lot.”

Tack is expensive and sometimes tricky to source. Beth’s harnesses come from Canada because they just don’t make them here.

Beth admitted: “It has been quite an expense to get started and to keep up.”

Beth has a business head and ambition (“I’d love it to be a full-time business. I’d really like to compete more. I’d love to have my own stud for breeding.”)

But she also has a real affection for Clydesdales — the sort of love that comes from years of companionship.

She said: “I compare them to like a working dog, like a Labrador or spaniel because they just want to be with you all the time.

“As soon as I took them back out to the field, they’re running back in to work again.

“Samson is always showing himself off because he just loves the attention.

“Mae puts her head right down for kids to hug her face and she puts her head into people’s wheelchairs for them to hug her.”

“It’s just special being able to share them with everybody and show our love for them.

“I hope that the kids that are coming to see them will have memories like I do.

“It’s just nice to be able to share that experience with other people.”

[Source: Press and Journal]