Cumbrian Heavy Horses

02/01/2025

Day One of our winter HAF - a few pics for you (with permission, naturally), on what has been a gloriously cold yet sunny, bright winters day.
It was very icy first thing, so some drama to start us off with Henry falling on arrival, his mum getting stuck on ice, a lot of folk unable to get up the drive, a tanker sliding and bloking the A595...oh it was fun!
Once everyone was finally here tho', the day was fantastic! We're gritting the drive first thing, btw!!🤣
Great to see so many children returning❤️ we love to see them again.
Thank you to everyone involved, children for wanting to join us, parents for trusting us with their offspring, Steve for being a superchef, Brenda in the kitchen, Frith for organising it, the superb horse team, the fab farm team, the nucleous of general helpers - we had such a good day!
See you all tomorrow for Round Two! We cannot wait!!!👍😍💯😊❤️

02/01/2025

Our Winter HAF Course starts today, ( HAF stsnds for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme) which we run in conjunction with Cumberland Council. It's primarily for children with a HAF 1 or 2 code, although we do take a % of children on HAF 3 and 4. Yes, it is complicated and ye gods there is SO MUCH PAPERWORK! The majority of the children are SEND children, with high supervision required in this environment, and our Safeguarding, H&S etc must be exceptional. Straight after New Year, too, we are just recovering!!🤣😊
These children do not often have the opportunity to spend time on a farm location interacting with animals and exploring the farming world and where food - real food not UP food - comes from! We aim to educate, and they are served wonderful home cooked meals as part of the programme.
Some of the children are returnees, which is great, others we are yet to meet.
We divided our courses into older children 11-16 and younger 5-10.
Wish us luck, we hope they love their time here, we have activities galore lined up, horses to meet, walks, learning about farm lifeinteracting with others - much fun to be had...🙌💯🎉😊
See you all soon!!
Woooohoooooo!!!!💯❤️
#2025

31/12/2024

Hey everyone, just wanted to wish everyone who follows us, from all over the world, a Happy New Year for 2025 🎉🎊🎉🐴🙌❤️
We've had an interesting year at CHH.
Highs and lows.
With myself having time out for shoulder reconstruction and the RA diagnosis the team here have stepped up....AND HOW!!
I cannot thank them enough for not only covering my sorry butt and keeping things going but also for excelling at it, they have all been amazing.
❤️ Thank you ❤️
So whats planned for 2025??
We are expanding our courses - if you fancy a specific subject matter let us know!
The horses, awesome, as ever, with youngsters CT, Arthur, Evie, Guiness and Frank as well as 'Gorgeous George' to join the team next year.
The Breeding Programme exceeded itself with a first here, four births, three Suffolk Punches and one Clydesdale. Two Suffolks are back in foal and we might have another....more info to come!!
Our CIC is almost registered, we're doing the finishing touches post New Year/ HAF, and we'll be offering a range of courses through that based on the farm, again, more to come on the...
Website!...which is almost there. Illness held it up. What can I say, the drugs are starting to work, I'll be back!
The Winter HAF Course for our wonderful SEND children is over subscribed, which is a first, and starts on the 2nd January. Thank you all for coming!
Wild Weekends are booking, and our Cumbrian Classic in a five day format will be in September, and will be bookable after finishing logistical touches end of January!
The bad stuff? With Annie off, with additional staff required to cover, with spiralling overheads, we're down ££££'s, a lot.
We need to evolve, to develop, to give you guys what YOU want. We are working hard with many ideas, all of which revolve around an Indoor School - given the weather here, wettest year in 150 years or more...😞
Anyone know someone rich who wants to help?!🤣🤣🤣🤣 (you've got to admit it, I'm a trier!! 😜)
Given the probable lack of the 'rich person' we can, and we will, work through this. So, courses? Any ideas? Please tell us! We want your help! 👍
Meantime, that clock is ticking towards a new year, hopefully a happy, healthy and wealthy year, however you perceive wealth, rich in friendships old and new. Find your peace, your quiet time. Reflection time. In these increasingly difficult times, that is becoming vital for our well being!
Dearest FB followers and supporters, riders, friends, we couldn't do this without you.
Thank you for being here for us in 2024....
Here's to 2025!!🎊🤞🎉❤️☺️

29/12/2024

I found this just now from Christmas Day Morning and thought it sweet.
I am a recently diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis girlie, it's not much fun and I have been unwell, unable to help in the yard.
Christmas Day was a day of family help alongside the ever wonderful Therry (who was the loving owner of Sparky whom many will remember).
I pretty much floated about 'trying to be useful but getting in the way!' and must thank Therry, Jack and Jamie who were fabulous.
In a former post it was mentioned that sprouts (brassica family) are basically a huge no no for horses.
We discuss this in this video as we do feed a small intro amount with no ill effects. I suggest that 'a little of what you fancy does you good' ie don't suddenly introduce the humble sprout or any other 'new' feed product to to your horse in large quantities, but a handful of chopped sprouts in feeds over the period of such veggies being available should be safe. You know your own horse, feed with care.
Enjoy our happiness, and more to come as we took Di**le to the beach later on!! ❤️ fun

25/12/2024

24/12/2024

🎅🎉 It's Christmas Eve, and yes, we did it, the Beach Riding Experience!!!🎅🙌☺️
Intrepid and long time friend Steph joined us, riding our gorgeous RSPCA Rescue Duke! Charlie had a fun time too!
We're working, open, over the next few weeks, do call us if you're interested in joining us! 07769588565! We still have calendars for sale, and vouchers if you are looking for an immediate emailed present! Call!! I have the phone on me!
I must say a huge 🥰 THANK YOU!!😍to everyone who has joined us this year, also those who helped buy our horses a hay/ coffee, it will truly help. I will try and thank everyone personally🥰❤️
I'll do a live tomorrow morning at some point, we're skeletal staff wise, as naturally most folk are home with family and they 💯deserve it. Superstars. Guess you guys will be too!
I bet a fair proportion of you will be mucking out first - we must all be bonkers!! 🤣🤣
Happy Christmas Eve everyone, wishing you all a happy day tomorrow surrounded by family and friends.
For some of you, though, Christmas is tainted, by illness, or loss, or heartbreak. Its not an easy time with high expectations of being the perfect son/ daughter/ mother/ father...having the perfect gift, being in the right mood, ie happy. Just know that it's one day in the year, and life goes on. It does. Smile and wave! 🥰😍
Me? Despite an altogether awful year personally, I have a lot to celebrate.
Also, I had a dog, adopted another, then thought it was a good idea to get another. I love them. I'm never truly alone.
I hope all you wonderful kind folk who follow CHH know how you are appreciated. Your support is invaluable, thank you! More tomorrow!!
Hugest hugs, Annie and the crew!! 😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎅🎄🍻⛄️🐴

22/12/2024

Well folks, it's just before Christmas, so here's a full update on our Breeding Programme news!!!
We have two out of three of our Suffolk mares in foal...(yes, you have my full permission to start singing Meatloaf's 'Two out of three ain't bad..'☺️❤️)
Our two beautiful mamas Holbeache Molly and Thornfield Daisy are back in foal! Molly was very difficult to get in foal last year for the first time, so we are overjoyed she took so well this time 🥰😍❤️
Both mares have a foal at foot, too - there's my happy little face cuddling Harris!! He is about to become a big brother!!☺️
Let's celebrate this opportunity to help these lovely horses, Critically Endangered Rare Breeds, with two more Suffolk Punch foals due at Cumbrian Heavy Horses. Thank you Bruce Irish Draft and Rare Breed Stud in Leicestershire for supporting us, helping with SPARKS sheets for the mares (these check for genetically suitable matings) and enabling this to happen.
Also thank you to you guys for watching and supporting us with all your love!!
An Appeal:
I don't ask for help often, but this winter is tough going. If you want to help, we have serious overheads.
We have almost 85,000 followers on FB, so here's the thing...
A small bale of hay costs £5. Each horse eats one a DAY and we have 19 horses here atm including youngstock....
Would you consider helping us?
Buy a Christmas Present for the horses? Buy one of my big babies the hay equivalent of one cup of posh coffee??!!
If even 5% of you guys could help it would enable me to relax, take the stress off. If more, well that would be amazing. My hay bill alone this year will hit £30,000 plus, and that's without straw, hard feed, vets, dentistry, staff....that's just for starters.
I have many fab ideas where you'll get a return, bang for your buck, an Adoption Scheme, a Syndicated Suffolk scheme, all coming in the New Year, but if anyone can help....
Donate, buy a Voucher, a Calendar, if you can help enable us to keep doing what we do, supporting these heavy horses ❤️
Details of our to be 2025 foalies below! ☺️

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=32PHH7XJPDFPJ

Alternate ideas...our Amazon wishlist:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/5B1UMNSBVITD?ref_=wl_share

Thank you in advance. If its not possible for you 'cos yes times are tough for many of us, please dont worry 🤞🥰

19/12/2024

🎅❤️ Christmas and New Year Riding Experiences!! ❤️🎅 Prize of a £50 Voucher for the Best Costume (assuming its not peeing it down!🎅😁🤣❤️) Heres our Riding Experiences/which days we are working/open over the next two weeks...(Beach Riding Experiences are novice to experienced riders over this period of time btw!) CALL TO BOOK!! 07769588565
All Riding is dependent on numbers!
Tomorrow - 20th December
Farm Riding Experience at 11am
21st December - Saturday
Xmas Beach Riding at 09.30 the weather looks windy, but ok, surprise! Booking only
11.30 Two Hour Farm Riding Experience
22nd December - Sunday
10am Xmas Beach Riding Experience booking only folks! Again windy, wrap up!!
11.30 Duddon Valley Riding Experience
23rd December - Monday - already Full sorry!
CHRISTMAS EVE BEACH RIDING yeehaa!!
10AM Costumes preferred! 🎄🎉
Let's see Christmas 2024 in with a grin....
Port or Sherry can be served if wished for a little Christmas cheer!! 😄☃️❄️☃️
Bookings only.
🎅🎄🥂Christmas Day 🥂🎄🎅
We are closed, unless any mad peeps out there want to come muck out?!!! 🤣😄🎅
BOXING DAY!
A lovely relaxed 10.30am Beach Riding Experience
What a super way to celebrate! Call us to book!
27th December - Friday
11.30 Farm Riding Experience
28th December - Saturday
11am Beach Riding Experience or Farm Riding Experience
What do you guys want to do?!!!☺️❤️
29th December - Sunday
11am Farm Riding Experience
Or if anyone would like a Private Beach Riding Experience, book for 12 midday!
30th December Monday we are full sorry
NEW YEARS EVE
SEE THE SUN GO DOWN ON 2024!
( bearing in mind you might be riding in rain 'cos who knows, it's Cumbria....)
Join us for an epic goodbye to this ...interesting...year..on the West Coast Beach!
12.30 at the farm. All riders are welcome☺️
A relaxed start and if we're lucky one of those amazing sunsets, fingers crossed, but we'll enjoy it anyways!
Photography by our amazing instructors is offered, we're not professionals it's only our/ your phones but we'll do our best!
Call us to arrange any Riding Experiences, not just now, but at any time!!
New Years Day
Farm Riding Experience Only- sorry the tides won't work.
We can offer you a gentle Farm Riding Experience at 11.30 on New Years Day!
Thursday - Saturday 2nd/3rd/4th January we are hosting the Children on our HAF Course so experienced Riders only. Call us!
January 5th we are Full, apologies but moving forwards, we are OPEN and looking forward to riding with you!!
For all our usual info this link will take you to our pinned post!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12C2hsEeduw/
See you all soon!❤️
2024 g

18/12/2024

🎅❤️ One Week To Go! 😁😍🎅
🎅 Call us! 🎅 07769588565 🎅
Vouchers available immediately, emailed, so it's quick!
Gorgeous Calendars, posting tomorrow.
**We'll be on the phones all weekend! **
The Calendars are a mix of photos....not giving it away but here's the front and back (previous post for all info on Cumbrian Heavy Horses FB page!
Payment via PayPal
🎉 OUR 2025 CALENDAR🎅❤️
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=32PHH7XJPDFPJ
Sick of Christmas songs yet? (glad I don't work in retail! ) What are your favourites??
Mine? Silent Night, The Pogues and Slade...oh, a bit of Paul McCartney if pushed. I do love a traditional Carol Service for a good sing song! 😄🎅

16/12/2024

Oh pretty baby!! 😍🧡
Our 7 ½ month old Suffolk Punch baby Bella aka 'Brigantes Bright Fire' was born on the 1st of May 2024. She's a cracking stamp of a Suffolk Punch, a gorgeous rich red chesnut in colour (yes, that is the correct spelling!!) and all the attributes of a strong youngster with such an easy, relaxed attitude around her humans! All our babies are like this! 💯
In the background is Suffolk c**t Harris. Mora was next to them but not in this pic! Scrummy babies!!🧡🧡🧡
**t

14/12/2024

Oooh who is Di**les new loverboy????🤩
Who does he work with?
Any idea?
Tell you tomorrow......
He's a Friesian gelding.....
Not telling you any more, but I do love this clip!!! Our elderly stateman Ardennes Di**le with his new buddy☺️🥰😜🤪😜
Ps and no we're not keeping him! 😄😍
😍

11/12/2024

As I was looking thru' the (thousands!!!) of photos I have for our Calendars I found this adorable clip of Tilly and a young Captain Tom when he was but a few months old, mutual grooming! He's stretching as high as he can to scratch her neck!! 🥰💯☺️ Mutually beneficial behaviour, from a very early age!!
😍 FOR OUR GLOSSY CALENDAR 😍 please check out our post on Cumbrian Heavy Horses FB page from 10th December it has all the info, order one - or more! - and help us to continue to breed these glorious horses, these two are Clydesdales, we also have three Rare Breed Suffolk Punch Mares. Two are due to foal in Spring 2025, which is incredibly exciting, Molly and Daisy!!!
Enjoy this sweet moment, mother and son....❤️

10/12/2024

🎉 OUR 2025 CALENDAR.....at last!! 😍
These will be posted out to you from this Saturday 14th December in good time for Christmas and the New Year!
This is a fabulous, glossy A3 calendar. Purchasing this will support our Breeding Programme, there are lots of lovely photos of our Suffolk Punches, foals, the horses.. some utterly amazing photography!
Some of these photos are in conjunction with photographer Jaz Davies, who worked here over the summer months!
They are not ring bound btw, they have holes in the top to hang or pin on a wall and are size A4.
PRICE - £10 each
Postage:
UK £3 up to two, £4 three or more
International: £5 up to two, £10 three or more ( if you can pop into the farm you won't need to pay the P&P, obvs!!)
So, to purchase Calendars:
Decide how many and how much
1) Call or text us 07769588565 and leave a clear message (phones are not 24/7 soz!)
OR MUCH EASIER
2) Pay via Paypal, link below....
It's our Cumbrian Heavy Horses Account👍
One Calendar is £13 (£10 plus £3 P&P)
Two - £23 (2 x £10 plus £3 P&P)
Three - £34 (3 x £10 plus £4 P&P)
Four - £44 (4 x £10 plus £4 P&P)
Etc!!
Where it says 'ADD NOTE' in paypal write your name and address and any additional info. It seems that Paypal is not making this easy, if it's being difficult call us, or you can pay then message us with an address we can put the two together.
(one day we'll get a bit more online selling savvy....we're working on it!).
With thanks from us all
We will send them out to you asap👍❤️🎅

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=32PHH7XJPDFPJ

NB we will post them, the post can be slow delivering them... we'll do our best!!
❤️❤️ Hope you love them ❤️❤️

09/12/2024

Ah Di**le, Charlie, you superstars!
These two older horses benefit the most from a paddle in the sea. The exercise gets their lymph system pumping, as they walk over the stones it really cleans the feet too, then the salt water cleanses their feathers, and skin, with a healthy mineral wash.
We are fortunate to have access to such a natural cleaner!
Both these horses have foot issues, Di**le has that operation site which gas never fully healed, we manage it in conjunction with both our fabulous vets, McKinney Vets in Broughton, and the awesome team at Oakhill Veterinary Centre, where Guy operated on him originally.
Charlie has that which many heavies struggle with, ongoing lymphangitis and sores in the feathers. We monitor him carefully too.
Older horses cost more.
They do.
We try our best to monitor and manage all our gorgeous big horses, not just these two....having a fantastic observant and knowledgeable team makes it possible.
Our vet bill however....Third mortgage anyone? This is why elderly horse insurance is expensive, because like humans they are prone to more issues as they age. A clean diet and regular exercise with a stress free existence is key it seems, anyhow, we do our best!! Enjoy these pics of these golden oldies!!!❤️😍💯❤️

09/12/2024

❤️. Christmas Brussel Sprouts!! ❤️🎅
Therry absolutely adores RSPCA rescue Duke and bought him some sprouts...awwww......❤️...he enjoys nibbling them!
In case you're wondering why he does the sudden head sn**ch to his chest, that's cslled 'wind sucking'...he does still wind suck as a result of being starved before we had him, it's now a habit, we just watch his diet and manage it best we can with soaked food and limestone flour - alkaline products.
I left Therrys 'chat' and Suffolk Punch Evie's neighing and general yard noise on, we were prepping Friday before Saturdays storm. It's just...us!!😊💯❤️

08/12/2024

Our Christmas Craven Ride went ahead last weekend, gorgeous Charlie, our RSPCA boy, Duke and JZ, our Clydesdales, and the lush Suffolk Punch Hector all bouncing with excitement, loving the experience with riders Val, Therry, Vics and Simone all Christmassy!! 🎅☺️
The day started at 6am with a feed, groom, and decorate! Trailers, hay, feeds water and contingency rations ready, off they rumbled in good time to travel safely, let the horses relax, get the humans ready, and head onto the course just after 10am!
It's been very wet everywhere this summer so we'd made the decision to take care of the horses, jumping is optional (and we've had limited opportunities to even get fit for it, trotting poles etc) so the day was principly to celebrate friendship and the horses in a superb location!
It was such great fun! The food afterwards was fabulous, we'd like to thank David and the crew for having us again! Recommend!!
❤️💯Go the Heavies!!💯❤️

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057598601857

05/12/2024

A few years ago we had a wonderful Brabant mare in the team here, called Boudicca. Many of you will have ridden her, she's a striking mare, clever, quite sassy and great fun, agile and fast for a big horse! She was here on loan from the lovely Sharon.
Covid was ugly, hard, for us, so Boo went on a loan basis to GMP for a while before Sharon had her back.
Boo's shared with a lady called Sarah now, and obviously very much loved. I am delighted to be able to share these simply awesome photos of Sharon and Sarah with her, and 😍 WHAT A FANTASTIC CLIP! 😍 OMGG!!!
Sarah has a promotional merchandise company called Smile (by all means look her up!) and rather than pay loads for a big promo campaign she called on the skills of Mel the Horse Barber. You can look her up, too!!
Mel, you truly are the Clipper Queen!
Meet Boudicca the Eco Warrior Princess!!
I have never seen a clip like this, and had to share....doesn't Boo look utterly amazing!!!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THESE with thanks to Sharon, Sarah and Boudicca for simply being amazing!!🥰😍💯❤️
The Video in this link,it's lovely!!
https://smile-promotions.co.uk/smile-promotions-rebrand-campaign/

03/12/2024

We're all guilty of it! Browsing FB, Insta, TikTok, it's interesting, with many 'equine educators' from all disciplines, all walks of life, some qualified, some not, with such diverse 'facts' 'methods' ' how to' and 'must do's' that it's incredibly confusing for those learning about horses - whats right and whats wrong?
The internet gives us access to information about horse management, feeding, training, methodologies (eg Monty Roberts, TRT, Mark Rashid, there are many, all good btw) with new 'research' and 'scientific proof' which we 'must follow' (btw, check who paid for the research!)
If you're British you've probably learnt all you know through the Pony Club/ British Horse Society/ABRS, we Brits have our ways, but should we keep questioning our horse knowledge?
Yes, absolutely we should!
One of my (pretty weird, ancient) sayings is 'there's more than one way to skin a cat' which translates as, there will be various ' educators' all of whom will tell you 'how to' but reading around the subject you’ll find other information to tell you that you're doing is right, or wrong.
The thing is, there are different ideas about what works for horses, and as long as your method is in the interests of the horse/ human relationship then you're doing OK!
My opinion, for what its worth, is that when you're getting to know a new-to-you horse, or even your own, there are questions you should be asking yourself.
Are you planning to use a certain method to grow, teach, learn? If so, has the horse got the first clue what you are on about? Do YOU understand the method, the process, or are you blindly following the guru?
How well do you know the horse you are working with? What's the horse familiar with? Who has been working with him/her? Have you spoken to that person to know where you start from, where's that horses level playing field?
Does he/ she have quirks? (Do you?)
How does the horse react to you? To tack? To a mounting block? Have his/her teeth been checked? Saddle fitted? Ridden before? Where? Done what? With whom? How? (Sounds like a game of Cleudo atm!!🤣) ('on the muckheap, buried, the EDT, with the farriers stolen hammer')👍
Joking aside!
Now, you...what's your knowledge base? Is that perceived (you watched lots of training clips and read the book) or genuine, (from time spent around a variety of horses, in various yards, you've watched, learned, asked questions, listened, tried...) Does the horse make you nervous? Happy? Excited? Are you calm? Or do you find this stressful, you're anxious?
Therefore, what is your horse having to translate from YOUR body language? What are YOU saying to that horse?
That horse, being way more sensitive than we are, will respond according to YOU!!
I see such acceptance and stoicism within many horses, they are kind and forgiving, but be aware, they like you have history, some don't trust humans, their experiences so far have taught them not to. So where to start?

When working around horses as I have for decades now (yes I am that old!🤣) I still regard myself as a beginner. I know what I know, but every horse I meet has his own story, and teaches me something new. I have learned to stop, watch, listen to him.
Learn body language, nuances, a twitch of an ear, a raised head, a glance behind, a raised resting foot, a swish of a tail....oh, horses, never in this lifetime will I know a tenth of what I could, they fascinate me, still.
When deciding you wish to work with horses, realise that each horse is different!
The key is not one specific methodology.
There are many opinions touted online. Before blindly following any of them, remember, what is right for one horse might not work for another!!
Other cultlike examples of blindly following a specific methodology include examples such as bitting. The bitless vs the bitted followers. Opinion can get heated in these subjects. Ba****ck pad/treeless/ traditional treed saddles. To rug or not to rug. The age we start our horses, what we should feed, the list is endless really. Opinions.
What I am saying is, be open to lifelong learning. Don't get older and say "we've always done it that way" because "that way" might be wrong for this horse....
Life really can be too short, so be open to listening, watching, reading....be teachable, because none of us are always right!
I am so fortunate here, to have such a diverse, knowledgeable team, and as we live, breath, laugh, love and work alongside these giants we brainstorm any issues, utilising that vast amount of knowledge.
We listen, we learn.
❤️❤️ It's a life long process!! ❤️❤️
A short clip of Clydesdale Tilly at rear, with Bree, and Suffolk Punch Molly with Mora heading to another field in summer! Gorgeous!!🥰😍
Mum Tilly, and filly foals Bree and Mora are 👀 for new 🏡's btw......