Queenbee
Well-Known Member
And not just for the beast but for us all!!
So hello guys, would you believe it - it has now been over a year since The Beast and I moved up to Cumbria, for me it was coming home, but for Ben... what a journey when the furthest he had ever been was under 50 miles away to Royal Cornwall show!
It was an incredibly emotional experience for me, moving up to cumbria, the place I was born and the place my father loved so very much. I never had any regrets but emotionally it was huge... moving from once corner of the country to another, leaving behind everything I knew... packing up everything and making Ben travel hundreds of miles over two days... but it was 1000 times worth it and more.
I have found all the peace in the world here, a closeness to my father and although I have never felt unsettled anywhere I have lived I found a feeling of 'home coming' and deep down I know I will never leave cumbria.
It hasn't totally been plane sailing, but then 2020 hasn't really been that for anyone has it... some of it has been 2020 related and some just sods law.
We moved Ben to a lovely yard... or what would have been except for one witch, the farmer and his wife are lovely as are the liveries but, the 'yard manager' not so much, full of BS and wind she waxed lyrical about all horses getting winter turnout, only to insist on them all being stabled when it started to rain... So in January, we moved to a yard about a mile and a half away, a much smaller and quieter affair with really great owners who have become firm friends, there were only 3 acres for 6 horses but only 2 that didn't require restricting for health reasons, Ben and Ben became such friends and most days they got out into the fields over the winter, even if only for a couple of hrs. We spent a blissfull summer there, but then 4 more mares came to the yard, Big Ben had a random accident and had to be sectioned off from others to reduce movement after box rest, the mares were a bit skittish and spent most of the time galloping around... Beastie boy got very unsettled with it all and became tense and stressed and hated not being in with his friend. Sadly I could see the onset of winter coming, and with less than 3 acres and 10 horses I decided to make the move to a new yard.
Honestly, after 7 years at the same yard in Cornwall I began to feel like a yard hopper... but this last move was 100% worth it, he relaxed back down within 48 hrs of his move, he is out in a huge field with sheep and 4 other 'normal, sane geldings.' Since he moved in about 4 weeks ago he has 1 night in the stable in god awful rain... the rest of the time he is out in the field with his buddies, not too clingy with any of them but gets on with all of them... we have a HUGE sandschool with jumps, we have started jumping again!!! For the first time since we moved up here!!! So, it would seem that on the horse related front that final piece of the puzzle has slotted into place. The yard owners are awesome people, farmers but also horsey people through and through, they used to breed arabs and have always kept their horses out as much as possible, only bringing them in at night at the latest possible moment in winter. This is a huge weight off my mind going into winter.
Work wise, it has been a bit up and down, I did some temp work when I first moved up and was searching for a permanent role, I then got offered a 6 month contract with the promise of it extending into 4 years if funding was granted, very quickly though it became aparent that this 'new role' had not been thought out, there was nothing for me to do, the wage was great but I was literally sat there doing nothing, begging for work and not being given it. At my 3 month review both parties agreed that the work wasn't there and I got given a months pay and was back looking for work again. So I walked straight into a temp job for a month, and after 2 weeks we went into lockdown! I was very lucky in that I managed to get some website work during all these shenanigans and despite doing that I continued to apply for whatever suitable jobs I could, I finally got a good one!! Started about 5 weeks ago and am loving it, am also loving the wage again! The people I am working with are so much fun, I am never twiddling my thumbs in this job and really feel like I am making a difference.
Finally I have a new man in my life, Mr Blu!!! A beautiful rescue lurcher, Boarder Collie x Greyhound, he is 7 and has lived in kennels all his life until I got him about 8 weeks ago. He was never a working dog, just belonged to the son of a chap who had working dogs, so poor Mr Blu spent almost all of his time inside... he is just incredible, a proper charmer, so responsive... walks to heel, comes to call, never chases any animal. He has been such a tonic for me and my mum and is the perfect addition to the family.
Anyways, here are a few pictures I thought I would share with you all... with love from Cumbria!
So hello guys, would you believe it - it has now been over a year since The Beast and I moved up to Cumbria, for me it was coming home, but for Ben... what a journey when the furthest he had ever been was under 50 miles away to Royal Cornwall show!
It was an incredibly emotional experience for me, moving up to cumbria, the place I was born and the place my father loved so very much. I never had any regrets but emotionally it was huge... moving from once corner of the country to another, leaving behind everything I knew... packing up everything and making Ben travel hundreds of miles over two days... but it was 1000 times worth it and more.
I have found all the peace in the world here, a closeness to my father and although I have never felt unsettled anywhere I have lived I found a feeling of 'home coming' and deep down I know I will never leave cumbria.
It hasn't totally been plane sailing, but then 2020 hasn't really been that for anyone has it... some of it has been 2020 related and some just sods law.
We moved Ben to a lovely yard... or what would have been except for one witch, the farmer and his wife are lovely as are the liveries but, the 'yard manager' not so much, full of BS and wind she waxed lyrical about all horses getting winter turnout, only to insist on them all being stabled when it started to rain... So in January, we moved to a yard about a mile and a half away, a much smaller and quieter affair with really great owners who have become firm friends, there were only 3 acres for 6 horses but only 2 that didn't require restricting for health reasons, Ben and Ben became such friends and most days they got out into the fields over the winter, even if only for a couple of hrs. We spent a blissfull summer there, but then 4 more mares came to the yard, Big Ben had a random accident and had to be sectioned off from others to reduce movement after box rest, the mares were a bit skittish and spent most of the time galloping around... Beastie boy got very unsettled with it all and became tense and stressed and hated not being in with his friend. Sadly I could see the onset of winter coming, and with less than 3 acres and 10 horses I decided to make the move to a new yard.
Honestly, after 7 years at the same yard in Cornwall I began to feel like a yard hopper... but this last move was 100% worth it, he relaxed back down within 48 hrs of his move, he is out in a huge field with sheep and 4 other 'normal, sane geldings.' Since he moved in about 4 weeks ago he has 1 night in the stable in god awful rain... the rest of the time he is out in the field with his buddies, not too clingy with any of them but gets on with all of them... we have a HUGE sandschool with jumps, we have started jumping again!!! For the first time since we moved up here!!! So, it would seem that on the horse related front that final piece of the puzzle has slotted into place. The yard owners are awesome people, farmers but also horsey people through and through, they used to breed arabs and have always kept their horses out as much as possible, only bringing them in at night at the latest possible moment in winter. This is a huge weight off my mind going into winter.
Work wise, it has been a bit up and down, I did some temp work when I first moved up and was searching for a permanent role, I then got offered a 6 month contract with the promise of it extending into 4 years if funding was granted, very quickly though it became aparent that this 'new role' had not been thought out, there was nothing for me to do, the wage was great but I was literally sat there doing nothing, begging for work and not being given it. At my 3 month review both parties agreed that the work wasn't there and I got given a months pay and was back looking for work again. So I walked straight into a temp job for a month, and after 2 weeks we went into lockdown! I was very lucky in that I managed to get some website work during all these shenanigans and despite doing that I continued to apply for whatever suitable jobs I could, I finally got a good one!! Started about 5 weeks ago and am loving it, am also loving the wage again! The people I am working with are so much fun, I am never twiddling my thumbs in this job and really feel like I am making a difference.
Finally I have a new man in my life, Mr Blu!!! A beautiful rescue lurcher, Boarder Collie x Greyhound, he is 7 and has lived in kennels all his life until I got him about 8 weeks ago. He was never a working dog, just belonged to the son of a chap who had working dogs, so poor Mr Blu spent almost all of his time inside... he is just incredible, a proper charmer, so responsive... walks to heel, comes to call, never chases any animal. He has been such a tonic for me and my mum and is the perfect addition to the family.
Anyways, here are a few pictures I thought I would share with you all... with love from Cumbria!
