Cumbrian Heavy Horses - their website

An account of my rides with them on 21-23 May 2008. I met up with my cousin Jenny who lives in Edinburgh - the only other person in the family who currently rides in the UK - I organized this 3 day event as something different and memorable to do. While Jenny & I were riding, our other halves amused themselves walking and taking in the scenery!

Before the event

I arrived in Cumbria a day earlier than Jenny and took the opportunity to visit the stables and meet the staff and horses.

Including meeting up with the two newest members of the herd - 

Skye - just 2 weeks old

and Orion - only 6 days old

Day one - the pub ride.

The day started off by meeting our horses - I was to ride Alfie 

and Jenny was on Hamish

our ride leader for the three days was Robin who was riding Tom.

The day started off by checking our hats complied with safety standards and getting us some Hi Viz - then mounting the horses using the tallest mounting block I have seen, our first task was to take them to the water trough for a drink. 

Our first stretch out of the yard was along the main road, so we had an "escort" in the shape of one of the staff driving a Volvo estate along behind us as we walked and trotted a mile or so in single file until we were able to turn off on to quieter back roads.

Once free of traffic we we able to ride abreast - conversation was only possible close to as the sound of 12 dinner plate sized horseshoes hitting the tarmac was quite deafening. The roads gave way to fields as we threaded our way across the fells, Robin hopping on and off to open and shut gates as we passed. 

Then came the first lesson in riding up & down hills - to keep our balance and help the horses we had to stand forward in the stirrups as we climbed and sit back and brace the stirrups forward as the horses worked their way down. This soon became a test of endurance! 

On one of the downhill stretches I had the first adventure of the day - Robin's horse found a boggy area and a couple of legs sank in but he recovered well but Alfie managed to get all four legs in the mire and as he sank, I stepped off! He took a little while to sort his legs out and regain firm ground but, apart from puffing an bit, he was fine - I was impressed, he didn't panic or stress. Finding a convenient rock, I hopped back on and we continued our way to the pub for lunch. Adventure number two was not long coming - we were on a narrow track on the side of a hill with a field of sheep below us. A blue water pipe lay across the track which Robin's horse simply walked over - Alfie had other ideas! he spun 180 degrees and ended up facing Jenny & Hamish behind - they passed us and crossed the pipe without drama, so I spun Alfie round and squeezed him on. Well, he went from "OMG what is that" to canter in a blink and charged past the other two horses waiting on the other side, bouncing off their sides!

Lunch was uneventful and a much welcomed respite for our seat bones and leg muscles - the ploughman's lunch was more than adequate and the horses got a rest, tied up in the pub car park

Back in the saddle, courtesy of another rock in the car park, 

we set off again along quiet roads and fields, up and down hills until adventure three arrived! As we went through a small gate onto a narrow track we had to climb up a bank to avoid a tree and then down again and then work our way round a second tree with a low branch - the other two in front made it fine, but Alfie saw no reason to go round the tree, so I ended up with his head and shoulders under the branch which was now across the saddle - firm aids and "Back up" saw him move a little and Robin placed his horse to block Alfie from going forward - another really firm "Back up" had him out from under the branch but he spun 180 degrees to face the way we had come (seems to be his tactic in these situations) so I turned him back and persuaded him to go the more rider friendly route round the tree.  

Our route continued along quiet roads until we had to turn right onto the main road just before some traffic lights controlling traffic round some narrow bends. I was impressed how Robin handled this potentially fraught situation - he waited until all the traffic had gone through the lights and the road was clear and the lights had just changed to red so he knew there was nothing coming the other way. Then we walked across the road and stopped line abreast at the lights - no way was anything getting past 3 Clydesdales! When the lights changed we trotted smartly in line astern round the bends with the traffic behind us until the road widened and they were able to go past.

Some of the fields - especially the freshly cut silage fields near the yard provided several opportunities to have a canter and these horses went from stand or walk straight into canter and a lovely smooth one it was. The grin factor was enormous.

At the end of the day we had been in the saddle for around 6 1/2 hours and my seat bones certainly knew all about it. The horses got a wash down and the biggest bucket of feed, Alfie has to have his bucket tied to the wall or he gets his foot in it and walks around wondering why the bucket moves every time he does... well he is only 5!

Day two - Black Combe

We were joined this day by Tiffany - an american girl who has only ridden for 8 months and only cantered in the last couple of weeks!

I got Ollie today, Jenny was on Sparky, Tiffany rode Gypsy and Robin rode Major (Annie says he is THE fastest Clydesdale she has EVER ridden both for acceleration and top end! he won the Marymass Open Clydesdale Race at Irvine - the significance of this will become clear later)

First we gave the horses the mandatory drink in the trough and Ollie blew bubbles and had a fine time! then we set off into one of the fields near the yard to warm us & the horses up - we had to ride down to a tree, turn and ride back at trot or canter. I went first and couldn't keep Ollie in a straight line and then he wouldn't canter for me - the others did fine. I had another go and Ollie cantered for me OK but the steering was still all over the place - Robin explained that Ollie was only 4 and tended to lean on the bit so using pressure & release was the way to go.

Again there were opportunities for us to canter in the stubble fields before we set off up the mountain and another water stop, more bubble blowing! -  here we are giving the horses a rest on the way up, turning them so they could stand level. Tiffany on Gypsy closest to the camera, then Jenny on Sparky and Robin on Major.

Shortly after this stop, Major threw his near hind shoe and Robin had to walk back for it - at £90 a set they are not abandoned lightly! The next water stop was in a stream and Ollie decided to stamp and splash about this time. Spectacular views as we climbed included some pretty scary ones too - the path passed quite close to sheer drops, good job the horse didn't suffer from vertigo! 

Lunch was taken at the summit, we huddled down behind the cairn but the horses had to stand while we held them. Fortunately Ollie wasn't interested in cheese & pickle sandwiches.

The first call after lunch was to a shallow lake to let the horses drink - Ollie just had to charge about and stir up the mud!

Shortly after this Ollie started twitching and swishing his tail, ears flat back. Robin could see nothing wrong but the last thing I wanted was for him to bolt off downhill! After a short while he settled down and Robin thought it might have been a trapped nerve in his back which cleared itself.

Ollie and I were on a mission, Ollie strode out and we were soon some distance ahead of the others so I circled him a few times to allow them to catch up - Robin said I made Ollie look good -that boosted my ego no end!

Eventually we reached White Combe and a short canter took us up to the precipice!

The path down led us across a shallow ravine - Ollie found his own way over - totally ignoring the path! Then along a narrow path with a sheer rock face on our right and a sheer drop on the left - I was REALLY glad I had sorted out Ollie's steering by this stage - they will walk on the very edge if you let them!

Eventually back on the level and into a stubble field for one last canter of the day, Robin set off some 15 yards or so ahead of Ollie & I, I nudged Ollie and we took off at a fast canter and then he accelerated strongly into full gallop - it must have been over 30 mph. Robin said he couldn't understand why Major was accelerating, and then he saw Ollie coming up on the inside! Well Major was starting to squeeze Ollie towards the fence and I was just thinking about a couple of half halts to slow him down when Ollie spotted the gate and swerved left. Unfortunately I didn't and rolled neatly into the long grass by the fence, still holding the reins. No damage done, I climbed back on, courtesy of the fence, and rode Ollie back to the yard via a stream to wash their feet off - you can guess what Ollie did in the water!

Once off the horse the stiffness in my knees and muscles kicked in - not from the fall but from the 7 or so hours riding up and down steep slopes.

Day three - the beach.

An early start - the first two horses had already been boxed to the beach when we arrived at 08.30 and we traveled down with the next two.

I was riding Hamish today, Jenny was on Max, Tiffany had Lugs, we were joined by another American, Debbie on Branson and Robin rode Dingle, the Ardennes.

Jenny & Max take instruction from Robin on Dingle.

Here is a short video of the horses warming up in the car park while I waited for Hamish to arrive.

Robin was concerned that we kept the horses calm - Hamish wanted to tank off but a few circles calmed him down, then we tucked in behind Robin to go for a paddle in the sea.

Walking gently along the beach we spotted our other halves who had come down to see us - so we went over to say hello.

Photo shoot over, we walked on up the beach and the others took turns at short canters - I decided to keep things slow today after yesterday's excitement. It was Tiffany's turn to have a lairy moment on Lugs as he swerved at the end of a run - two major wobbles but she managed to stay on.

Robin took us into the sand dunes where some had open faces the height of a house but we contented ourselves with a slide down a 10 foot one!  Debbie was intrigued by the wind turbines and wanted to know what they did - her part of the US is obviously not very "green"!

We returned along the beach as the tide came in and the sand disappeared. Hamish decided that he fancied being ride leader on the journey back along the valley and was forever trying to overtake Dingle - a good thing it turned out as Dingle needed a leader for the scary stuff like the railway crossing. Robin had one or two "interesting" moments as Dingle coped (or failed to cope) with the new experiences ( it was his first time on the beach), Hamish & I just waited patiently for the excitement to die down without getting involved.

All too soon we were back at the yard - only 4 hours in the saddle today!

As a finale, we entered by the back gate and rode 5 in line abreast across the paddock towards the audience gathered by the gate.

Apples for the horses, thanks to Annie & Robin for making it such a memorable time and goodbyes to our riding partners - will we be back? I don't know, I didn't actually want to leave!

It is Jenny's turn next year to organise our ride out together - but I may come back to ride Clydesdales on the 6 day trail ride or even the coast to coast if they do it!