New in the North East - happy to get your support :)

[equiCK]

A very friendly HELLO to all of you!

I'm Claudia. My way of life will lead me to the North East towards the end of the year 2016. Yes, it's the love of my life that leads my way to England in future.

For that reason I am happy to get every support I could, because everything will be new.

My name is Claudia Kusmanow.

I'm
- an published author in Germany
- with some performances on exhibitions
- I work as a coach and instructor for better communication for people with and without horses
- I give special extremely good healing treatments for horses, other animals & human beings concerning emotional and physical issues
- I also work for an animal/horse assisted therapy institution
- I have an degree in sport science, education and German studies, an official education in coaching and a graduation as riding instructur by the german official "FN" and much more in over 40 years experiance with horses and human beings
- I run my own business self employed since more than 20 years

... and I thought all this will go on for the next 20 to 30 years. But last year a wonderful man of the North East came along and we know, that we belong together. He has to move back to (around) Hexham, so I will follow.

I'm rational enough to get prepared as good as I can. I know on one hand it seems like utter madness to give up everything I build up here but I have to do it, that's for sure.

Next week I'm over to discover my new prospective "home" and of course other visits will follow this year.

These are my wishes and questions to you:

* Could you reccomend some interesting stables, horse shops around Hexham/Newcastle?!
* Do you have an idea where I can offer my services (besides "Horse & Hound")?
* Are there any therapie institutions which could need my help?
* Is there anyone who likes to introduce me into the horseworld of the North East (online as well as locally)?!
* Do you have other advices for work life and social life in the North East which I'd gladly receive

I thank you so much for your support and I'm looking foreward getting to know you!

See you soon
Claudia

 

[Vodkagirly]

Welcome to the North!
Interesting horsey shops close by are Houghton equestrian and Horseworld.
I would probably look to advertise on local facebook pages, South Tyneside Riders, Only fools and horses (North East), County Durham Riders
No ideas sorry
Burgham Horse Trials is on this weekend, that is probably worth a look at.
Maybe join one of the local riding clubs? Corbridge riding club is close by you and very popular.

 

[orionstar]

Hi Claudia! Horsey shops in the area used to be many and are now reduced to Mole Valley Farmers and possibly Equine and Country. Further a field as mentioned there's Houghton, Horseworld, Claires, New Century, Thinford, Mill house. There are a huge number of local publications you could use, but Facebook is the way for advertising and there are a plethora of North East ones, some good, some bad, I personally left South Tyneside Riders a year ago after the advert for a broken 2 year old followed by the advert for a Bullkita puppy finished me off. Therapy Institutions we do not have, we have a host of practitioners, some qualified, some not, some good, some bad and some who need to be shot! We do have a number of good riding centres that host regular competitons, but as for social life and introductions that's a difficult one, but I agree with joining a Riding Club or Hunt in the area!

 

[equiCK]

Hey vodkagirly, thank you for your welcome. Good idea to join facebook groups. I'll do that. Corbridge riding club I saw in the internet, I think I'll have a first visit this week.

 

[equiCK]

Hi orionstar, thank you for your compehensive reply!
So as you say there are no animal/horse assisted therapy institutions already in this area I might think about opening one myself .

 

[orionstar]

That might be a good idea! Another thought, try contacting the vets in the area such as Intake or Bearl. Find out what therapies they will refer to or what is in short supply in the area.

 

[Lgd]

There are several Riding for the Disabled Association therapy centres in the area - Unicorn centre in Teeside, Strang in washington, Escomb near Durham, Pegasus near Morpeth. Easiest way find contact details is through the RDA website.
There is quite an active paralympic dressage scene throughout the UK ranging from RDA competitions to full affiliated British dressage para classes. Holmside Hall EC near Chester-Le-Street and the Unicorn Centre both host para dressage competitions.
Loads of able bodied competition, well worth joining the local riding club - Corbridge is a good club and the area has loads of national riding club qualifier competitions in all the main equestrian disciplines.

There are not many specific rehabilitation centres in the area. Leamside Equestrian between Durham and Sunderland offers rehabilitation services. After that the closest is Alison Addyman near Harrogate in n Yorks. Most therapists in the area travel to clients. My own sports therapist is Gateshead based but I know she covers a huge area and is one of the few in the region who is multidiscipline (Mctimoney-Corley chiropractic, sports injury therapist and sports massage) and qualified for humans and equine practice her fields of practice.

Vets in the local area would be Intake, Bearl and Alnorthumbria. Further afield is Castle vets at Barnard Castle and Oaklands at Yarm (both owned by the same practice). Hambleton Equine at Hutton Rudby (near Yarm), Clevedale vets near Redcar, Blythmans in Newcastle. Couple of mobile vet groups are Durham Equine and Simply Horses.
I use Hambleton Equine for my specialist equine work.

Plenty of people competing in the affiliated disciplines but lots of eventing, showing, showjumping and dressage in particular going on round the region. I do dressage so more aware of places for that - Holmside, Kirkley Hall College, Todburn, Lane Farm, Alnwick Ford, Etal, Blackdyke, Richmond, Northallerton all run BD competitions

 

[Northern Hare]

Hi Claudia!

Great to read your post - I hope your first visit to Hexham and Northumberland went well. I am sure you will love the North East!

We relocated with my husbands job from Kent (in the South East) nine years ago now - we thought we would only be up here for six months, but nine years later we really love it so we have stayed. We live in a village near to Hexham and it is great because it is the best of both worlds - Newcastle is only a short drive away and there's always so much going on in Newcastle - theatre, concerts, great restaurants and bars....and shopping! Then in Hexham you are only a stones throw away from the beautiful Northumberland countryside - and the Lake District is nice and close as well.

Will you be bringing your horse over with you - if you have one? If so there are quite a few really good livery yards in the area catering for DIY through to full livery. Ref Riding Clubs, I would really recommend Corbridge Riding Club - they are really friendly and have lots of events planned on their calendar.

Corbridge Riding club also organise two residential 2 or 3 day Camps a year which are held at the wonderful venue "Parkend Equestrian", which is in Simonburn about 8 miles to the north of Hexham. Parkend is owned and run by Charlotte Ridley (who is an event rider) and they also have lots of other training camps and events held during the year where you can take your horse to stay for the weekend and have lessons with great instructors, in dressage, show jumping and cross-country.

As far as vets are concerned, there are lots of recommendations already, but another would be Scott Mitchell who have a fantastic veterinary hospital in the centre of Hexham, near to the Livestock Auction Mart. They're an excellent practice so it would certainly be worth contacting them.

For shops, Equine & Country are on the outskirts of Hexham and are a really big stockist of Pikeur but also the other German brands, so you will feel at home when shopping there! They visit the big Eventing and Show events around the country with their stand so are well known. They have one of the main Pikeur websites in the UK so hold lots of stock.

Another, is Houghton Equestrian based in Heddon which is between Hexham and Newcastle - you'll find their website if you search for Houghton Country. They're just having a huge new shop being built at the moment - they stock a huge range as well, so you won't have any problem finding what you want - and if you are like me, you will end up buying a lot of things you didn't know you needed!

Finally, ref transport links, when we had a holiday in Germany a couple of years ago, we just took the car over on the over-night ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, and drove down from there - it was a really easy journey and great fun on the ferry!

Good luck with your relocation!

 

[equiCK]

Many thanks again for your replies! After my week in the North East I had to digest all of my impressions, so that I find finally now the time to write here.
I must say, I love the contry. But I also must say, after the first impression I now even less, how it could go on with my work around horses in future. There are so many questions.
It appears to me that the most in the North East seem to do jumping or hacking (I still haven't found out what hacking means). I give lessons in dressage, in body awareness, good communication, creative riding tools and compettion coaching how to "win also with your mind". But what I didn't find in my week there, although I got in contact with people in horse shops, are stables which we are used to here in the part of Germany where I live, ... bigger stables with indoor arenas and most of the time more than 20 - 40 horses. I really didn't find any near Hexham or Corbridge. That made me a bit desillusioned.
Also I found out that you have to have a very expensive insurance for your customers which I don't have to have at the moment. I really hope, I don't have to cancel all my plans to be with my love in the North East in future. If you have further (job) ideas (around animals or supporting people, in which kind of way ever...) or encouraging word, I would be very thankful. Many greetings to all of you, Claudia

 

[lindsay1993]

Hi Claudia.
I live slightly further north than Hexham!
Hacking is basically riding around the countryside for pleasure. There are a lot of hacking only riders in this area, as well as a handful of eventers and those who show. There are an awful lot of hunters too!
You sound just like what I need for my horse, She is an ex-dressage type and I have struggled to find anyone who can really help me communicate with her better.

There are very, very few stables on the scale you have in Germany in this area. Most are privately owned small family yards/farms and there is only a handful of bigger scale training places like Park End. There are a number of local racing yards too. Not many places will have more than 20 horses, unless it is a racing yard or stud.

Park end is the only place within about 20 miles of me that has a good sized indoor arena. The place I have my lessons at is Redesdale Equestrian, closer to the Scottish Border. She is an eventer and runs the place as a riding school and offers private lessons too, only with an outdoor arena.

As far as advertising your services goes, I would try the local facebook pages, they seem popular. Also try local equine shops, Robson & Cowan near Scots Gap, Mole Valley Farmers in Hexham, Horseworld in Gateshead. It could also be beneficial to contact places like Park End or Redesdale Equestrian to see if you could do some sort of demonstration of what you could potentially offer clients. They are very popular places with a varied range of clients.

There aren't that many people that are easily accessible in the rural areas for things like healing treatments for horses & other animals. Most people will just not travel to the hills of Northumberland.
I think you sound like a very interesting person with a very good and varied set of skills that us Northumberland folk could use!

I would also second contacting a vet, Scott Mitchell in Hexham is who we use and they are fantastic! I'm sure you could get plenty of referrals from them for healing treatments etc. I wouldn't bother with Intake Vets.... they are totally useless!!

 

[Lgd]

Most dressage trainers round here travel to their clients and a few of the big names come up to do regular clinics.
As Lindsay said, there are very few big yards and most of us are well used to riding outside due to having no indoor school.
My arena has been rideable all winter bar one or two days when it snowed and froze.

Worth contacting some of the riding clubs or bigger training centres to organise a demonstration - good way of getting clients

 

[Northern Hare]

Hi Claudia!

Thanks for the update! Please don't be too despondent! I am sure you will find a market to tap into over here. Do you see your work as in addition to an existing dressage trainer / instructor - or would you become the rider's sole trainer / instructor? I'm just trying to understand whether you could potentially supplement instruction by a riders regular instructor.

The yard my horse is at is between Hexham and Newcastle (approx. 10 miles from Hexham) and has 50-60 horses - and an indoor school - so they do exist. It's a fantastic yard with miles and miles of wonderful off-road riding - and an outdoor school is also being built. There are various trainers / instructors who already visit the yard regularly - and one who specialises in dressage and holds a full day of lessons once a month.

 

[lindsay1993]

Hi Claudia!

Thanks for the update! Please don't be too despondent! I am sure you will find a market to tap into over here. Do you see your work as in addition to an existing dressage trainer / instructor - or would you become the rider's sole trainer / instructor? I'm just trying to understand whether you could potentially supplement instruction by a riders regular instructor.

The yard my horse is at is between Hexham and Newcastle (approx. 10 miles from Hexham) and has 50-60 horses - and an indoor school - so they do exist. It's a fantastic yard with miles and miles of wonderful off-road riding - and an outdoor school is also being built. There are various trainers / instructors who already visit the yard regularly - and one who specialises in dressage and holds a full day of lessons once a month.

Which yard is this roughly Northern Hare? You don't need to name it, just a rough idea! I'm looking at different options for my horse re lessons etc.

 

[Nudibranch]

Not a lot to add other than Intake have always done a very good job for me and came recommended by various locals...bit much calling people on an open forum, perhaps a pm would be more appropriate. I could equally name a practice who I would no longer touch with a bargepole due to a senior partner making the worst mess up of a pts I have ever seen. But not on a public forum.
Anyway welcome OP, you'll find this a great part of the world to live in.

 

[LC2013]

Hi
I might be a bit late as I've only just read this thread. I live In hexham so know pretty much all the horse going ons. I kept my horse at home but sadly had to sell due to the **** thst life throws at you.
If you need any more Hexham info, just shout. Agree with Corbridge riding club although it can be a bit "ladies who lunch"
Please don't take offence to that.
Scott Mitchell are amazing and I am good friends with a few of the vets there. They treat the horses as their own and are just fab xx