A horse and a full time job?

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Mythical

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Does anyone here manage a horse on DIY and a full time 9-5 job?
How do you do it?

The horse I part loan is up for full loan, and I've taken her on a trial basis for a few weeks to see how I do. I've looked after her full time on occasion for a week at a time when her owner was ill/had exams etc, and quite frankly, I was exhausted at the end of it. But I can't let her go without at least trying.

For the trial period she'll be staying at her current yard but if it goes well I plan to look for a place between work and home, which should make it easier, and I'll be looking into part livery, but I'm concerned about the cost.

How do you find time for ordinary "life" stuff as well as your horse? How do you even get to the end of a week without falling down from exhaustion?
 
used to always work 9-5 and always had my horse on DIY, you get up earlier and get in later! Try and work going to the yard en-route to work or back to work if you can - works even better if the place has showers otherwise I recommend lots of layers and a hat for your hair so you don't completely stink of horse when you get to work. As for the ordinary life stuff - whats that???
 
I keep my horse on DIY and my friend gets her horse and mine in from the field in the morning about 7am. I go after work (about 5.15pm) and muck out, ride, and chat with other liveries, turn out and get to my boyfriends anytime between 7 and 8pm in the week. Then I have tea there, watch tv or go for a walk along the canal with him and the dog, and then leave his at 9pm and get home about 9.20pm, have a quick shower, get ready for be and read for half an hour before lights out. At the moment I'm having to go back at 9.15pm to turn skip out my horses stable and then turn him out as his mate is driven wild by the flies if they go out any earlier in the evening and he can't go out on his own.
 
Oh yes :) and I loved it.

6.30am up
8am at yard - turn out
LUNCHTIME (at certain jobs - to yard to do water hay and skip)
5.30pm - ride or bring in (usually just bring in during winter) and or muck out etc in the jobs where I didn't have time on lunch.

I wouldn't ride every night and for some parts I had a great sharer who helped me have a "normal life" as well :) I now don't have to work and tbh I miss the order and structure of doing both!
 
Ummm most people who have a horse do this...

I have my horse on DIY about 7 miles from home and work 8.30 til 4.30 another 15miles away from the yard. I also have find time to see friends and family etc, 2/3 times a week, but I can't really afford to do expensive things! I also work a few waitressing events each month for some extra money!
Through the week I get up at 6.15am and get home for around 8pm, then go to bed around 10.30pm so it's not bad at all.


To make things a bit easier try and have your horse turned out as much as possible, don't consider a yard that doesn't have turnout atleast 8hrs a day all year round. Also share duties with other owners, especially turnout/bring in. My horse is out at night in summer and so I bring in another horse with him mon-fri and his owner brings in for me at the weekend so i can have the occasional lie-in/stay over at friends.
 
How about 6 on sole let farm DIY, just myself to rely on and working 30-50 miles from the yard with working hours 8.15am until 5pm or when all the bodies were done :)
 
I have a very much full time job (I work alot of extra hours) and have 2 horses. I keep them at home which I find alot easier than when they were on livery. I can get things done at home while they eat their breakfast in the morning for example.
 
Really? Not many people have a horse and can afford to be a person of leisure!

I have 2 horses at home and work around 60 hours a week outside of the home. I get up early, turn and muck out and ride in the evenings. Sometimes ride one, sometimes 2. Not only do I have the horses, but also 6 acres, stables, sand school to manage. I also have a great social life. 2 dogs, a husband and daughter - all of whom require time and attention.

The more you sleep, the more tired you get - well that's my opinion :p
 
Get up at 6am, do horses. Get to work at 8.30am. Get home from work about 6pm, go to horses, home around 7.30pm. You can have a normal life if you try hard to fit it in and you have the energy but you must be aware that owning a horse is a way of life in itself.

As for exhaustion, it comes with the territory and you get used to it.
 
Vickyb, oh yes.. Luckily it is well paid..

I used to use the bags under my eyes to carry haynets :D
 
I have four at home just now. Have to get up by 5 am, leave for work at 6 am to drive 30 miles, home about 6 pm, do horses till about half 7.

Sort out 4 dogs and husband and step kids part time! Manage to sort myself out, have a social life and compete. It's about good time management!

Sometimes work away so have very good friends to help. In the winter it is obviously harder but working a 50+ hour week and still manage it.

If you are worried about managing just one, maybe DIY is not for you.
 
I have a full time job, and have to do on 24hrs a day for 7 days every 4 weeks and have dog to walk, run a house and ride most nights. I have a 50 drive to work each way. horse lives out from April to nov so just pooh picking, get up at half six walk dog and have breakfast, check horse on way to work get to work for 8am, work through lunch half hr leave at 4pm get home have cup tea, go to yard,get horse in either hack for 45-50mins hard hack or 30 mins hard schooling then feed, turn out and muck out. get in and walk dog, have shower and cook dinner sort wahsing etc. but more time consuming in winter but 1 day a week i can work from home so no drive and i also fill haynets etc at weekends. i dont generally have lie in and also have lesson once a fortnight which is 45 min drive each way plus compete 1-2weekends a month
 
As everyone else has said you just need to be organised. Work out if you're a morning or evening person and from this whether you want to muck out or ride in the morning and do the other in the evening.

I used to have all my clothes laid out in the spare room for work and the farm and make lunches the night before to minimise what I had to do in the morning.

Other than that just work out what routine is most efficient for you. In winter I was able to work 8:30 - 4:30 so that extra half hour meant I didn't hit as much traffic.

Again, as everyone else has said, functioning on minimal sleep will just become a way of life.


Finally enjoy it - nothing nicer than being the only person at the yard with your horse for company! :)
 
Okay, I know that most people who have horses have full time jobs, it just seemed like a better way to phrase the question. To be honest I'm concerned because, other than odd weeks I've never really done it before. I've never even had a small pet at home; my Mum's "it's a big responsibility" speech was rather effiective!

I've been looking at livery yards for the past week and I can't, for the life of me, find one with all year round turnout, with the exception of on riding school. Which I suspect the horse would hate! (energetic, spooky TBx vs a busy environment ... It's never going to end well!)

At the moment it's an hour and a half from home to work. I'd be looking at 2 hours from the yard to work and possibly an hour and a half back, plus time to change so it could be 7.15 by the time I get there in the evening. Is it fair to her that everyone else has had their tea and is tucked up in bed by 4.30 and she could be waiting until 8 for it??
 
If she's out in her field until you get there and has company, she should be fine. You may find if everyone else is brought in, she will be too. I would leave a hay net and have her bed skipped out at least before you leave after morning turn out:) That way if she's in from 4 and you get there at 8, she won't have been standing hungry.

Also, why should her day end at 4.30? Do you ride in the evenings at all? I know I do, lots of the liveries here prefer to!

I keep Hippo at a riding centre. She's Arab, and has actually enjoyed moving to a busy yard. It gives her something to watch, and I don't think she's ever been more settled.
 
I agree that routine is the key. I leave home at 8:30 for a 9am start at work. I am up at about 6ish and always make sure I am back in the house, having got mucked out and ready to bring them in later by half 7. Gives me an hour to get myself sorted before work. I find things like filling haynets for the week ahead really saves time too. I also skip out before I go to bed at night - saves bedding and mucking out time the following morning. Household things fit in around work times and horses doing things. Putting out washing while breakfasts are being eaten is good one!

My OH is a policeman and works all sorts of stupid shifts so we have a good system in the winter and if he is home he will bring them in or if its been rough and he is home mid morning he will put them out or bring in etc.
 
I thrive on it! Up at 6am and cycle to yard, back by around 7, off to work at 7.50am.

Get back around 5.45pm and cycle back down; in the winter home by around 7.30pm and the summer, well when i feel like it! :)

Still go out at the very least 3 times a week, and i like a drink! see my 3 nieces much as i can and try to keep Blue fit as poss as that's when he is happiest.

Bucket loads of enthusiasm and eating lots of healthy food i find helps for energy purposes! :)
 
I have a ft job, single mum to a 7yr old & a pony each on diy, & I don't think its particularly exhausting at all. It's the easiest time in my life tbh, from being 15 I did 3 others Mon to Fri to fund my 2 & from 16-18 5 nights in a bar. Then from 18 worked with horses, so 40 hours in an office is a doddle. If you aren't very energetic maybe a horse on diy isn't a good idea.
 
I have 4 kids and full time job, summer is fine and haven't done a winter yet. My plan is to pay for morning turnout then up after work at 4 to muck out/bring in. Hopefully were moving closer to the yard as well :-) On nights I work late either my friend will help out or ill pay to have him sorted.
 
I can do anything between 40-70 hours a week and have to fit my horse in and around that (plus now a baby). Horse out during the day most days unless weather foul, and in at night all year round. Yard very close to home (couldn't do it further away unless it was on the way to work).
Before the baby this is kind of how it worked:
(a) get up early, and go home late - 5.30am - 7am at yard, muck out (deep litter), feed and turn out horse. Large ad lib haynet made up and feeds prepared for the evening. Leave yard and get to work for 8.45am. Leave work at 5pm get to yard for 6pm, bring in and ride etc. Home by 8pm, eaten meal by 9pm. Work if needs be. Bed.
(b) Invest in a slow cooker, make double the amount of food for a couple of days on the trot, and freeze any surplus. Don't beat yourself up about the odd ready meal or take out.
(c) Deep litter beds so muck out is a quick skip out and set fair, with a big dig out at the weekend.
(d) buy multiple haynets and make up in advance so you can throw them in the stable, or invest in a haybar or equivalent.
(e) rug horse unless weather too warm - saves on the brushing off time.
(f) You get faster the longer you do DIY. I know what order to do things in now so that I don't keep running back and forth across the yard and keep chit chat down to a minimum.
(g) always keeps change of clothes, deodrant, baby wipes and hairbrush in the car.
(h) during winter I always wear waterproof coat/trousers over work clothes so I can just get in my car and drive to work
(i) invest in good wellies (they're a DIY-ers best friend).
(k) offer to do favours for others on the yard in return for them doing your horse.

After baby - I only ride twice during the week - once on my day off and once on the day I work from home. And at the weekends.
 
I work full time and have 5 horses on my own land 8 miles from the house. OH and I are up at 4.45am, out of the house by 5.30 am, at horses 5.45, jobs done by 6.10 absolute latest and then drive to the City, arriving at work approx 7.30am.

Leave work at 4pm-4.15pm and arrive home anywhere between 5.30 and 6.30 depending on traffic. Get changed, collect the dogs and back out to the horses. Home anywhere between 8.30 and 9.30.

Knackering but worth it. Not sure what a social life is though? Is it when I meet the horse owners next to our field at the weekend?
 
I work 9-5.30 and manage fine with mine. She is living out at the moment. A friend checks her in the morning (my cars packed up so hard for me to get there) then I go up after work and check/ride/poo pick. When she is in, I go to the yard for 8 and turnout, do my jobs and leave at 8.40. Go back up and bring in and ride. Put to bed.
 
Having done this for over 20 years I am a little gobsmacked that you are tired after a month. My daily routine is get up 5:30,have a cup of tea. Go to yard, sort out horse, walk the dogs, go home, shower and if time breakfast. Leave for work at 7:30. Work between 8:15 and 17:00 - sometimes get caught late at work so finish about 18:30 go straight to yard, sort out horse and go home. If I ride in the evening I get home about 20:30 otherwise I have a short day and get home about 19:00. I am now looking forward to retirement!!!
 
Yes, have done for as long as I remember, I actually worked two jobs, one of which was full time while keeping my horse on DIY years ago.
I dream of the day i can afford to work part time and have more time to play with the pony :D
 
Yes - full time job, my young/green ridden horse and I try to have some semblance of a life.

I am predominately DIY - but I do use assisted livery (but just brining in or turning out mainly).

I am usually up at the yard by 6.10 every morning - feed, turn out and muck out before work. Then go to the yard after work to ride/put to bed - I am usually home in the evenings about 7.30-8pm, but I do live and keep my horse locally.

It is hard work, but totally worth it - although I do question my sanity first thing in the morning in the winter when I'm battling wind, rain, dark and a fresh horse knowing full well that other people are still in bed...!

Having said that - I do think it is important to give myself some 'me' time and to have a horse/life balance. Which is where my assisted or friends come in - some evenings (usually once a week or so), I will have him brought in and put to bed (well worth the £2 IMHO :D), so that I can do something else with my evenings - catch up with friends, go the cinema/pub anything. At the weekends - I often have him turned out for a lie-in or chance to do something else with one half of my day.

I can't imagine my life without my horse - but it is important to me to have time away to be 'normal' twenty something. It also makes me more disciplined with riding/exercising as I make the most of the time I am there :D

To be fair, having a horse blooming exhausted me for the first six weeks - but you soon get used to a routine - you should stick with it, as it will soon become routine.
 
I did have to laugh a bit most of you are on the yard after I have started work. I work mostly 7 days a week, week days 7-4 weekends depends on what we have in. So I share with another lady who works full time for a horse transport company, she starts work at around 8am sometimes a bit later and finishes anytime up to 7pm. So she does the mornings during the week and I do the evenings. At the weekend we share so that atleast one of us gets a lay in!
 
My horse is between work and home and I honestly couldn't do it if she wasn't! I get to the yard for 6.30, feed the whole yard, muck out and turn out & get to work for 8am. I usually put another liveries pony out in the morning and she fetches in for me in the evening. Usually I get to the yard for 5.15 and she's usually in by then. Then it's ride, clean tack, groom, fill haynets, make feeds and go. Generally get home between 7.30 and 8pm so looooong day out of the house! If I go home after work I lose all momentum and never get round to riding. Although, I still manage a fairly healthy social life. Luckily I can get the yard to bring in and put to bed for me on the horse's day off and I think at 18 I'm still able to survive on three hours sleep after a night out! ;) Not sure how it'll work having another one arriving next month, but thank goodness I don't have to muck this one out!!!
Best of luck, it's hard work but so rewarding. Just remember, this time of year is the easy bit! Once you get to Feb and haven't seen sunlight for 5 of 7 days for 4 months and spend your time wading through mud and being defrosting the car at silly o'clock, it does get seriously trying.
 
Yep and I Love it!! Up at 6:15 go to yard bring in, feed leave by 7:30 go home shower get to work for 9 - 5 (I'm a teacher so teach mad kids all day) head to yard, groom, ride, muck out, turn out fir night etc arrive home anytime between 8-9pm and chill with OH before starting again! Tuesday's I have a lesson in evening! I never stop but would never change it : )
 
Gosh, you lot make me feel exhausted.

I've got 4 horses / ponies & I keep them on a 'supervised but out @ grass 24 x 7' livery. The ones that need feeding get fed as per my istructions (I provide the feed). Those that don't get daily checks. I pay extra for schooling / periods of 'full livery' when needed (one of my ponies always goes onto 'full livery' and lives half in during the spring when the grass is growing fast).

I only ride @ weekends, but that's all I have time for atm. I have 4 children, work long hours and have an hour to an hour and a half commute so find this 'low tech' approach much less stressful than when I had my horses at home & tried (and failed) to do everything myself.
 
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