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Cumbrian Heavy Horses is a new and exciting equine facility for the English Lake District and Cumbria - formerly operating on the Isle of Skye we moved to the Lakes a year ago and are pleased to to be able to cater for the many visitors to the Lake District who share our love and passion for horses and the beautiful area we live in.
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Annie Rose
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Annie with her best
friend: “Benny”
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Annie runs Cumbrian Heavy Horses. She started West Highland Heavy Horses many years ago with the firm belief that heavy horses required a future without the traditional perception of them being a bygone relic!! That passion has led to the business' growth over the past 10 years from a two horse dray outfit to a vibrant and friendly yard with BHS Approved Riding School status using only Clydesdales and Shires for riding. The business' development coincided with her family,
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which at times she has found difficult, and wants to say a huge thankyou to the many friends, including her children's dad, who have helped over the years! She loves developing the business but her first love, that of directly working with these beautiful horses, is still her driving passion (pardon the pun!!). She also knows that the Clydesdales and Shires are the real stars, so beautiful, and very much hopes that with the new facilities on offer here, with the vision she shares with the team, that many more folk can be encouraged to come and ride a fit, well schooled Clydesdale....
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A year and a half later (I originally came for 6 weeks!)I'm still with the big friendly giants. My skills base has gone from knowing very little about horses to now being a fully qualified Ride Leader. With BHS Stages One and Two, my Riding and Road Safety Exam and the HSE First Aid at Work now attained I lead clients of all abilities over farm fields, beach and fell and guide on several days of our six day rides - Annie and Tim just keep giving me reasons to stay on! I love to learn and part of the joy of working here is spending time with interesting riders, both experienced and novices, so much so that I never want some rides to end.. I'm supposed to be here to take some time out to decide what to do at university but am finding it very hard to even
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consider dragging myself away from these perpetually surprising Clydesdales and Shires (not forgetting the Dingledozer our Ardennes of course!). I look forward to what life here will throw at me next!!
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Andy, Di, Graham, Laura and Ciorstaidh, our support group!!
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This year my lead horse has often been Brutus and I want to pay tribute to this wonderful, talented horse. Tim drew my attention to horses having "Buttons" and Bru has all the buttons you need. I remember the first time I rode him, it was on the first day Cumbrian Heavy Horses opened for business and I felt it was such an honour. I will always regard it as an honour to ride him.
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Di
I met Annie and Tim 3 years ago when holidaying on Skye. Once I had ridden with them, I fell in love with Clydesdales. I was also privileged enough to ride some of the Migration. When I found out Annie and Tim were moving to Cumbria, I was delighted as it meant that I would be able to spend a lot more time with them and the horses. I now spend most weekends helping out and riding Hamish. I was lucky enough to be able to buy Hamish at the start of this year and have done my Assistant Ride Leader qualification this year so that I can help out with the rides if necessary. All the horses are amazing and as Andy says, they are all friends. I get a huge amount of pleasure being able to help there and to be able to spend so much time with all my equine and human friends.
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Graham
Before 2007 I had never even sat upon a horse of any description, but after being talked in to accompanying a friend on a ride I was hooked and it would be true to say that these heavies have really changed my life. I now spend all my weekends and as much free time as possible helping around the yard. In less than a year I have learnt so much about horses and equine management, which only increases my appreciation and admiration for the work that these amazing gentle giants do. My riding has steadily improved to a point where I can now accompany the team on any of the many varied rides available; this allows me to see the Cumbrian countryside, with which I grew up, from a completely new perspective…from the back of a Clydie! Annie and Tim’s passion and enthusiasm for these fantastic horses is infectious and I have certainly caught the bug, just come and visit us and you’ll see what I mean.
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