2 horses and a busy life - how do you do it?

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kombikids

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having a crazy thought that when my child starts school in september I could get another gee gee to teach me to jump bigger/compete etc- already have happy hacker - those of you with 2 horses how do you do it? I would have to put both on DIY for cost reasons - is it a nightmare and will i just be destitute poor?!
 
Its very hard work and yes you will be poor but its worth it! I think you just adapt your life around the necessary, its amazing how efficient you can become if you have to be! If they can live out as much as poss that helps obviously and you need to be organised but I wouldnt be without either of mine now! You could always consider a sharer for your happy hacker to help with costs or time if you need to keep both in work....although that can get complicated... good luck!
 
You will be poor, you will be tired - but its more than worth it!! Honeslty.

Its all about time management - making up loads of haynets when you have a spare 5 mins (same with feeds if you want I just leave the supplements out til feed time). Mucking out the field as a when you have a moment etc. ITs all very do able
 
Just take a lot of planning and I have to stick to my routine. Through the winter I had 2 on DIY 1 in work. Had an hours comute each way to work. Work 9-5.

Used to put feed horses, chuck them out then get all my jobs done before work. Bring them both in and ride after work. Used to get up at 6 take the dogs out after doing horses and when got in from work.

If I had any spare time make up a load of feeds in carrier bags, you can do the same for hay nets.

Get in from the yard about 8-9pm. But my OH is away with work through the week, so no problem with being late back.
 
I have 3 horses, 2 kids and a full time job...OH helps out but not consistently ( ie when its cold/raining...he's out of the equation!!)

yes- you can do it, it is worth it ( although there are times you will wonder)

Ditto about the making up haynets and feeds in advance, look at what you bed them on - I use shavings and mats for 2 and deep bed the other one - timesaving is my middle name!


My horses are close to work and home ( I have no other life!!) so for instance, this dinner time I am nipping to feed shop and dropping off feed at the yard so I dont have to do it tonight.

Its a matter of being organised, not sleeping much...oh, and forget eating ever again!!
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I have two but they live out. It doesn't take me longer to do an extra ponio but if they were living in i think it would be a different story. It also depends what you want to do. I have a sharer for Monty since he is only doing light hacking and I don't have the time to ride two so just focus on doing stuff with Zoom. Maybe you could put the hacker on loan or get a sharer for him if you are thinking of getting another one?
 
I've got 5 horses, a full time 9 - 6 job, plus part time work as an Equine Bowen Therapist, also do more part -time freelance typing services from home, am always totally skint, but don't regret it for one second.

I am lucky in that I save a lot of costs by being fortunate enough to rent my own yard/land (certainly couldn't afford to pay livery for all of them - even on a DIY basis). They also live out 24/7/365 all year, as no way could I find enough time for mucking out as well (although I do have 2 stables if I need them).

Three of my 5 are in work, and one of them is endurance fit. However I certainly don't get to ride them every day. Living out has further advantages though in that they keep themselves exercised and also don't go crazy if they haven't been worked for a few days. Also, due to my irregular working hours, my lots don't get stressed out if I'm a couple of hours late seeing to them in the evening (which happens 2/3 times a week) and there are no "yard restrictions" on the times I turn up either.

You can save time in simple ways - for example I don't use haynets at all. They are fed hay from the floor (which is far better for them anyway).

My theory is the KISS one. "Keep It Simple Stupid". Not only is it the only way I can manage - but my gang seem to thrive on it!

Kombikids - I say go for it. To answer your questions 1. It's NOT a nightmare and 2. Yes, you will be destitute poor!
 
I've got 4 horses 1 grandson (who is now at school) and a full time job. I try and kkep them out all summer but I have a wonderful OH who gets up & helps every morning and on showing days he mucks out while we are out.
Go for it kombikids life is too short.
 
Go for it! I have just got myself another, on top of my mare and my miniature (not that he takes up much time). They are kept on DIY livery, I work freelance with weird hours, night times and weekends, on top of a full time 9-5 job. I never have any spare time, don't have a social lie, but it's what I love and want to do and I wouldn't change a thing
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I think you shouldn't underestimate the time and costs involved tbh. I think it can be done if you are very dedicated but for the benefit of your family I would build into the costs some help with the horses even if only weekend cover or something.

I have three now but had two on full livery when I was working in London and could not have managed my job and two horses without them being cared for.
 
My good lord! This post has opened my eyes to a whole new world of horsey madness!!! I thought I was bonkers and had no time for a normal life or OH but some of you guys must never get off the rollarcoaster! I take my hat off to you all..especially Faro...flip how do you have time to sleep?!
I have a manic life with one horse who lives out 24/7 and needs riding every day due to being a good doer, work full time with an hours commute and have 4 part time evening jobs doing clerking for school governing bodies. I get up at 5am every day to cram a ride in before leaving for work at 7.30am. When I get home, I cook the tea then do my horse and by the time I get back in at 7.30-8pm it is not long before I need to go to bed again!! My OH sometimes forgets what I look like and most of our talking is done in the car on the way to work (we car share)!!!!
 
Oh my... better make sure OH doesn't see this thread. He already thinks after having been to several yards with me that horsey people get addicted to this whole thing, and is afraid that I get any more than one (doesn't help that I casually look at stallion websites for my mare!).
 
QR

Single mum here with two horses and a pony coming on Sunday.

I am up at 4.30, sort the cats out and then leave the house at 5.30, get to the yard for 6, kick horses out, come home, get in the shower, get ready, sort lunches, out the door for 7.45am, drop daughter at childminders, at work for 8.30.

Leave work at 5, grab small child from childminders and head back to the yard, exercise the beasties, muck out, feed, come home.

Get small child sorted, deal with cats protection stuff, have a bath, convince myself I am having an early night, get stuck on HHO and eventully go to bed.

Its hard, its horrible in winter, its expensive, but I wouldnt change it for the world

xx
 
I have 2 horses, 3 dogs, 2 hens and a five month old baby. Still on maternity leave at the moment but mine live out and I have to have paid help to get them both ridden and last winter I turned the 5 year old away. TBH I'm thinking of selling one of mine as she is such a lovely horse she is completely wasted just hacking when I get a minute. But then when I think about letting her go I can't seem to get round to it...
 
i have two horses on DIY and i teach full time. obviously holidays are brilliant but it gets a bit hard during term time in the winter
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i get up at 5am, go to farm and muck out and come home and get ready for work. then i get home at 5pm from work, walk dog and then go to farm and do horses- i get in about 8pm, and then start my marking
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its hard work (and i'm penniless) but i manage through:
- having a sharer for my older horse so he's ridden more often and she helps me with jobs and the odd lie in and contributes to shoes.
- i deep litter my beds so literally just skipping out morning and evening
- am moving to a new yard next week which has all year turnout so hoping that will make things easier/cheaper

its totally do-able (i had 3 for a couple of months! that was too many IMO!) but you have to WANT to do it!
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five horses, 3 in nights over winter, 2 out all year (anglos and tbs)...
rubber matting, fill lots of haynets at once, school kitchen sized sugarbeet soak buckets, ive learnt to be efficient!
one retired,
one semi retired,
3 in full work,
all experienced in ride-and-lead

got new land now and all will live out all year, yay!
 
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