Janice Lucas visited Cumbrian Hoofbeats for a three day holiday in May, along with her husband Keith, her piebald cob mare Elizabeth and friends. This is Janice's holiday diary...........
DREAMS SOMETIMES COME TRUE
'Have you entered a competition ?', said my husband, listening to the messages on the ansaphone. I had. 'Well you have won!'. ' You must be joking !, I said. But he was not - and I had !
The competition was sponsored by Cumbrian Hoofbeats and Net-Tex products. The prize was a riding holiday for two riders and their own horses, in Cumbria, plus £400 worth of Net-Tex products.
I was so thrilled and excited. A 'phone call to Cumbrian Hoofbeats was made, dates were arranged and on 1st June we set off. This is the diary of our great adventure.
Day One
12.30 AM - We loaded two very puzzled horses in the dark, by torchlight. They were angelic and walked straight up the ramp. Our friends Paul and daughter Gemma were driving their horse box with my 6year old mare 'Elizabeth' and Gemma's mare 'Tansy'. Husband Keith and I followed by car. It is a long way to Carlisle from Worcestershire! We arrived at breakfast time and were made very welcome. The stables were beautiful, the grazing was just outside. The mares had a field each - such luxury. The ' Hayloft suite ' was beautifully prepared and the beds were very comfortable. Paul and Gemma stayed at a neighbouring Farm and were also delighted with their accommodation. After lunch we went to Cumwhinton (BE Horse trial venue) . we were not up to the standard of this course but we had great fun. Tansy, reputedly, did not like water, so we played at their water jump. The horses enjoyed themselves so much that they were soon cantering through and neither of us fell in! We cantered around the course and discussed the jumps. I can now say that I have been around the course at Cumwhinton.
The day was not yet over. In the evening we had a lesson with Terri Graham BHSII in the manege. I watched as Gemma had her lesson and she improved immediately. Terri obviously understood exactly what to say. Gemma came out of the ring with a big smile on her face. She knows that she can do well now!
My turn, oh dear. Terri asked me to tell her about Elizabeth and what we do. Well - Elizabeth is a six year old coloured cob, 15.2 hands, feet like dinner plates and full feathers. Sylph-like she is not. I am a ' happy hacker'. I ride several times a week, mostly around the local lanes. We enjoy meeting our neighbours and looking at the ever changing and beautiful scenery in the Teme Valley. In the ten months she has been with us Elizabeth has grown in confidence on the roads and enjoys her trips out. We need to improve our canter. Terri asked us to trot and canter. Tips to help at the canter were wonderful - If only Carlisle were nearer to Worcester. We finished our lesson feeling very happy with ourselves. Thankyou Terri.
Day Two
At 12 noon we set off from the yard of David and Rachel Wadge to ride to the beach. Rachel accompanied us on a lovely grey gelding. The Solway Firth has very high tides. The sea comes in quickly and the channels change all the time. Local knowledge is essential. Gemma wondered how Tansy would cope with the water and I wondered if I could cope with an over excited Elizabeth. Rachel was very re-assuring.'I haven't lost a customer yet,' she said.
The beach at low tide is vast - with shallow pools and channels with streams and rivers running down to the sea. The sun was shining . It was beautiful. Three horses flew across the beach. We trotted, we cantered, we galloped. Tansy galloped through the pools and the shallows and the spray was all around her. She looked magnificent. Elizabeth loved it all. If only she had the body of a race horse she could have caught up with Gemma and Rachel. She tried her best!It was one of the best days of my life. My lovely Elizabeth was enjoying herself, the sun was shining, the adrenaline was running, our friends were having fun too! What more can one ask? The wind in your face,the thunder of the hooves and the sheer exhilaration of being alive, fit, happy and free.
Back to the yard for tea and cakes with David, Rachel and young son. We were made so welcome by everyone. Pam and Peter have very special friends.
The Net-Tex products had arrived at Howard House, the home of Cumbrian Hoofbeats.
When we returned from the sea it felt just like Christmas. Peter helped us to arrange the products for a photo shoot. Tansy helped to re arrange them! More pictures. The sun still shone.
What a wonderful day.
Day Three
A ride over the fells. Our escort was Sue on her Fell pony. Sue is an endurance rider - doing fifty mile rides, and knows this area of fells very well. We started from Castle Carrock and rode over Geltsdale fells.
The sun still shone. The only people we saw were bird watchers. The scenery was beautiful, the tracks were a mixture of stone tracks and grassy drovers roads. We had long canters along these tracks. The horses behaved impeccably. Elizabeth had never done anything like this before and she seemed to enjoy herself. We returned to the lorry determined to come again.
Time to go home.
Thank you Pam and Peter from Cumbrian Hoofbeats for your generosity and for arranging such a wonderful holiday.
Thank you Net-Tex for all the products - we shall enjoy trying them out.
Thank you BHS for a useful, informative magazine with such amazing competitions!
Janice Lucas
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