Hi! I'm new (from Boise, Idaho)

Hi everyone!

My name is Ellie and I am an American student that is applying to go to university in the UK.  I have been over to GB several times (England, Scotland, and Wales) and loved it! I am greatly looking forward to excaping the endless brown desert of Idaho for the very GREEN UK.  

 I have a horse (a Paint mare, "Flame") and two dogs (a Brittany, "Dante"  and a Siberian Husky, "Chinook").  I ride English/dressage/jumpers with my horse (but don't compete) and show my dogs at sanctioned conformation (beauty contest ;-) ) and agility (obstacle course) events.  By the way... do any of you have experience with leaving horses behind?  Would the best thing for her be to sell her, or should I lease her out to someone?  I am torn as to what to do here, and any advice would be great.  And no, shipping her there is not an option  

Other things I like to do are mountain biking, pencil and charcoal drawing, surfing the web (like that even needs to be said) and reading.  I may be the only person in the world that actually enjoyed "Wuthering Heights!"  I also love the Harry Potter series, but for some reason I cannot force myself to read any books by Tolkein... hrmm...

Anyways... just wanted to say "hi!" to everyone on the forum!

Later,
Ellie

  Hiya Ellie

 Welcome to UKY :)I have a cousin that lives in Boise Idaho,and my Aunt after a visit there would bring back some of those chocolate covered candied potaotes(I cant think of the name right now lol )

 Aww bless you,Iam sorry that you are not able to take your horse across.I cant begin to tell you what you should do about her,except how much you do still want her apart of your life even if it is 5000 thousands miles away?

 Thats so funny that you mention "Wuthering Heights"!As I just watched the updated version of it last night on the telly   The one with Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff)
 I also like writers like Emily Bronte,Charles Dickens.....
 LOL,well I thought I was the only person who couldnt get into the Potter books,but love the movies :)and I love Tolkien.

 I guess in the end we all are strange birds(girls)in our own little ways but still manage to agree to be happy doing it

 I may be the only person in the world that actually enjoyed "Wuthering Heights!"  

no you're not!  I *heart* Wuthering Heights!  It's one of my all time fav books!  Glad to know there's someone else who likes it too!  Welcome aboard Ellie!

Hi Ellie, Welcome to UKY...

I too loved Wuthering Heights...  definitely not alone... Heith Cliff, Heith Cliff, come back to me.  hehehe

It is a shame you are having to leave your horse behind...but understandably would be a tough one to ship here...  Are you planning to stay in the UK forever?  If not, I would suggest having someone care for him while you are gone, so that he will be there when you return...  If you were staying here for good...then probably selling him would be the right thing.  School for 4 years is not all that long in a horses life...is it?

Anyway, welcome to the forum and I wish you well with your upcoming adventure over here.

Shel

Hi Ellie!  Welcome!  

I can't offer much advice on the horsey front.  Sister in law has one, but she's in the UK.  

The dogs however are another matter and it depends on how long you are coming to the UK for and where you will live and all that.  You can bring them over but it takes at least 6 to 7 months to get everything in order.  Maybe longer.

I wish you the best of luck!

Hi Ellie, welcome to the site.  I have to say I'd love to see the faces at the airport when you show up with a horse though!  lol  Cracks me up to think about it.

Hi everyone,

Well I am glad that I am not alone in being a Wuthering Heights fan!!!!!  

I am planning on staying in the UK for all of undergrad and grad school, and a couple years afterwords... so probably 10-15 years :-\...  I think the best thing would be to *probably* sell the horse.  It kills me to do that, but with my plans it would be impractical, as well as unfair, to keep her.

About the dogs...  my parents can keep them for a year or so (until I get settled in).  My plan... tentatively... is to then possibly ship my brittany over to the UK to live with me.  The husky can go to her co-owner (who keeps her most of the time anyways.) Luckily, I have a little while to work out all the details!  

Ellie

Hi Ellie!

I'm new too, and I hope you find this forum and friendly and helpful as I have already!

I just wanted to offer you a bit of support and encouragement...I went to college in London, and graduated in 2001. I ended up living there for 4 years total. It was the most wonderful experience of my life. (Plus, I managed to snag myself a man, and am returning to get married in Feb!) Living there day to day is such a different experience from visiting as a tourist...you will experience the wonderful culture in a very deep and personal way, and it really will broaden your horizons. I wish every young person had the same opportunity!

I, too, left behind a horse, and sadly had to sell him before I went. It was a very difficult decision, but in the end, I was glad for it. He found a wonderful loving home, and I was able to come back to the States after school without feeling tied down to anything...it was a great feeling, like I could go anywhere! I made the decision not to visit him, as it would have been too traumatic for both of us, but his new family still write emails to me and send photos every once in awhile, and I know in my heart he's happy. These are all things to think about when making your difficult decision.

I'm in the process now of applying to bring my cockatiel over ot the UK with me. With the new PETS travel scheme, it's easier than ever to bring your furry friends into the UK, and they don't have to go through that horrible quarantine like they used to! I encourage you to start looking into this! You have to start planning well in advance (over 6 months for dogs, I think), but your doggy will surely enjoy sharing your new life with you!

Welcome again, and keep us updated on your plans!

-kate

first of all, I would like to thank everyone for giving me such a warm welcome here!  It will be very helpful for me to be able to "glean" information off of all of you <g>

... about the animal situation, darksquid, it is nice to know that someone else went through the same thing!  It will be hard for me to sell my horse, but it will be the best thing for both of us in the long run.   :-/  ... I need to look more into the PETS program so I can work out shipping my dog over there, though.  I know that many people have dogs  in the UK... do many rented places allow dogs?  Agh... there is so much important information that I don't know... I have barely scratched the surface!  Everytime I find out something new, I find 1,000 more things to add to my (ever-growing) list of "things to do!" I am very, very, excited, however, and am GREATLY looking forward to my move!

Ellie, frazzled  

Welcome Ellie! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

I might have missed it in one of your posts, but what schools are you considering applying to?

cheers,

Samantha***

Right now, I am considering Liverpool (love the city, love the university... I visited last March), Brighton, St. Andrews (it is beautiful... but don't know if I can get in- I hear it's very selective), and possibly Newcastle or Bristol... but not sure if I would like the last two.  My top two are Liverpool and St. Andrews, however :-).  

The application process is quite different, as I have found out!  In some ways, it is easier (one application through the UCAS... instead of individual applications).  Getting everything in order is proving to be more difficult than I had hoped as well!  But it is well worth it ::-)  I do feel though like there is not enough time in the worldto get fully prepared, even though I am not leaving for awhile!  So so much to do!

On a side note, I may have found someone to take my horse- a good friend of mine, so at least I don't have to stress about that!  I have talked with her about it in the past, and she is definately interested now.  Whew!  

Ellie

I forgot to put that I am also considering Surrey (UniS)

:-D  Ellie

I'm so happy to head about your horse! What a relief that must be (tinged with sadness, I imagine  )

And as someone who applied through UCAS, I can tell you...

It's SOOO much easier than the US process! And even better, you only have to write ONE essay!

Good luck!

-kate

Hi, Ellie -- I'm new, too, and late as well, to this thread. How nice that you've connected well ahead of landing on these shores. You couldn't have found a better group of kind and helpful people, as you have probably already figured out.   I feel for you, having to leave your horse behind, but I think you made the best decision. If you had made temporary arrangements for her, whoever had care of her would never be able to commit to her the way you do when the horse is your own. The horse would sense this, I'm sure.  :-/ And you'd always be wondering if all was well with her. I'm so happy for you that you've found a good home for her. I grew up with horses (nothing fancy -- just "cold-blooded" cow pony-type horses) and love them. My daughter, back in California, has a thoroughbred (ex-racehorse) she is devoted to. I brought my dog over but it was before the quarantine was lifted, so I lived in France with her for several months, going through the rigmarole. I got her as an adult from a shelter, she's really sensitive, and I felt sure the quarantine thing wouldn't work for her.  It's much easier for people and animals now.

I'd been very worried about putting Bridget  into a cargo hold for 13 hours, but it turned out ok, and I'm very glad to have her here. My dog traveled very well -- got off the plane in "fine fettle," as they say.  
It's good that you'll have time to get settled before you bring your dog over.  Will you show your dog once she's here? You'll have some very good connections to the surrounding culture --school and dog stuff, too -- if you do.  In my experience, British people love dogs.

One last word -- it might be good to check with folks on this site about renting in whatever area you end up in. In London, you can really be taken advantage of for deposit money. Take your time to find an honest and responsible property owner to rent from. Good luck to you --and welcome! Katelyn  

Hi,

Thanks again to everyone for giving me such a warm welcome to the board!  I'm sure that it will be an invaluable resource to me in the months to come! :-)  

Katelyn- thanks for the advice and info on shipping animals- it's nice to hear from someone who actually has shipped over their pet!  Helps my nerves a little to know that it isn't a nightmare every time!   Thanks also for the advice on renting... I plan on doing a great deal of research before I commit to anything.  

Cheers, Ellie