jumpthemoon
Well-Known Member
I'm going for an interview tomorrow and the job would be a big step up. Just wondering how people cope when potentially you have to do more hours, etc? Do you still manage to ride?
anyone have a high powered job AND horses on DIY?
- Thread starter jumpthemoon
- Start date
PoppyAnderson
Well-Known Member
Makes life a bit of a merry go round, trying to combine a busy job and DIY. I work across the uk and am often away overnight, so DIY not an option. Full livery is fab - means I don't have to rush around and I can concentrate on my job and enjoy my horse as well. In an ideal world, I'd do my horse myself but I've got to earn money, I like my job and my horse gets very well looked after. Good luck with the interview.
jumpthemoon
Well-Known Member
Thankyou 
I do have the option of someone bringing them in for me and maybe doing the stables as well. Maybe i'll have to consider that if I'm successful
I do have the option of someone bringing them in for me and maybe doing the stables as well. Maybe i'll have to consider that if I'm successfulanuvb
Well-Known Member
Depends on what you call high powered but mine can involve 60-70 hours a week including travel across the UK.
It's hard work tbh & the compromise is more money in my pocket (as opposed to paying out for full livery which I have done for years), and being able to control exactly what happens to my horse versus keeping my horse on a 'no frills' yard that is very close to home.
A yard with a good quality flood lit school, friends/understanding partner willing to muck out etc when needed, a good relationship with your YO, ideally the option of assisted DIY, and learning how to prep everything at the weekend is essential.
I couldn't do it if I had to drive any distance to the yard, mucked out properly every day (deep litter becomes your best friend) and made up feeds and haynets in advance. I also have the option of working at home once or twice a week which does help. The real struggle is the emergency situations and how I juggle those. We've managed it somehow but it's not ideal.
However, would I return to full livery???? No. I really struggled to find a yard which looked after my horses well and didn't take shortcuts. At least this way I know which shortcuts are taken (nothing which damages my horse) and should the worst happen then I only have myself to answer to.
But I do need to decide long term whether or not the job is right for me as I am always exhausted and I'd rather be poor and happy.
It's hard work tbh & the compromise is more money in my pocket (as opposed to paying out for full livery which I have done for years), and being able to control exactly what happens to my horse versus keeping my horse on a 'no frills' yard that is very close to home.
A yard with a good quality flood lit school, friends/understanding partner willing to muck out etc when needed, a good relationship with your YO, ideally the option of assisted DIY, and learning how to prep everything at the weekend is essential.
I couldn't do it if I had to drive any distance to the yard, mucked out properly every day (deep litter becomes your best friend) and made up feeds and haynets in advance. I also have the option of working at home once or twice a week which does help. The real struggle is the emergency situations and how I juggle those. We've managed it somehow but it's not ideal.
However, would I return to full livery???? No. I really struggled to find a yard which looked after my horses well and didn't take shortcuts. At least this way I know which shortcuts are taken (nothing which damages my horse) and should the worst happen then I only have myself to answer to.
But I do need to decide long term whether or not the job is right for me as I am always exhausted and I'd rather be poor and happy.
JennBags
HHOSS Wonder Woman
Yes
I run my own business, and have to commute to London about 3-4 days a week (it's a 5 hour round journey) and I have 2 horses on DIY. When I'm not commuting to London, I am working from home. It's very hard work, but rewarding.
We have services, so they are usually brought in for me; and I have just taken the decision to have them mucked out once a week so I can get more work done.
I could afford to have them on full livery if I wanted to, but I enjoy doing them myself, it's good exercise, and I love being at the yard early in the morning when there are few other people about.
It does entail very early mornings (I'm at the yard by 5) and late evenings (I'm rarely home before 8) and I am permanently shattered in the winter.
I run my own business, and have to commute to London about 3-4 days a week (it's a 5 hour round journey) and I have 2 horses on DIY. When I'm not commuting to London, I am working from home. It's very hard work, but rewarding.
We have services, so they are usually brought in for me; and I have just taken the decision to have them mucked out once a week so I can get more work done.
I could afford to have them on full livery if I wanted to, but I enjoy doing them myself, it's good exercise, and I love being at the yard early in the morning when there are few other people about.
It does entail very early mornings (I'm at the yard by 5) and late evenings (I'm rarely home before 8) and I am permanently shattered in the winter.
noblesteed
Well-Known Member
I was acting headteacher for a term last summer and found the extra hours hard. It helped keeping the horse near to work, though there are no livery yards around there so he is on DIY. However he was out for the summer so wasn't so bad, I got a sharer to ride a couple of times a week too. Tbh even being a middle manager in a school is time-consuming enough, I find I really need a sharer to do the horse a couple of times a week and take the pressure off, then I am free to work late a few days a week and get everything done. I also ended up moving the horse to a yard closer to work so I didn't have a commute to him after a long day at work, and I can call in on a morning too to turn out in winter. I had to give up any hopes I had of getting serious about competing though...
You can do it - and your horse will be a HUGE stress reliever.
You can do it - and your horse will be a HUGE stress reliever.
goldenmint
Well-Known Member
Could you employ someone to do mornings for you? Say 1 or 2 hours a morning 5 days a week just to turnout, muck out have stable ready to just bring in and poo pick. It would mean you could just do whatever you have time to do in the evening and you employ the person so you could still be on a DIY yard.
Hope your interview goes well.
Hope your interview goes well.
FayeFriesian
Well-Known Member
Im a project manager and have a few projects on the go at the moment. One has a buget over 1.5mil so its high enough powered for me!
I have 3 to do in the mornings. I have haynets already made up, water buckets filled ready to pour in and buckets of straw ready. It takes me 45mins to do them...
Thankfully, someone else brings them in. IF, i had to bring them in aswell id either bring them in when I finish, or leave them in if I knew id be away all day.
I work from home alot of the time, so i do take a few hours out when im quiet to ride, fit farrier in etc etc.
Years ago, I just used to throw out in the mornings and do everything in the evenings... guess it depends how it all works out!
I have 3 to do in the mornings. I have haynets already made up, water buckets filled ready to pour in and buckets of straw ready. It takes me 45mins to do them...
Thankfully, someone else brings them in. IF, i had to bring them in aswell id either bring them in when I finish, or leave them in if I knew id be away all day.
I work from home alot of the time, so i do take a few hours out when im quiet to ride, fit farrier in etc etc.
Years ago, I just used to throw out in the mornings and do everything in the evenings... guess it depends how it all works out!
Oberon
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure what you consider a 'high powered job'?
SO1
Well-Known Member
I think a lot will depend on if you will need to work late or different hours at very short notice which could be a problem if your horse needs to be bought in at a particular time and you are on a totally DIY yard.
I have a 3.5 million pound budget and quite a lot of stress combined with a long commute. My pony is on DIY but he lives out and we have assistance too. If he did not live out he would need to be on part livery.
The hours are not too bad and I normally leave at 5 but because of the commute often don't get to the yard till 6.30 and am very tired and then don't get back home much before 8pm due not living that near the yard either and that is without riding, admittedly I do like to give pony a cuddle and often have a chat with other liveries too and his fields are huge so it can take a while to find him. I do some extra work from home in the evenings and at weekends and I am thinking about work alot too so find I don't really switch off either.
For me it is not actually the hours that are so much the problem it is the tiredness related to stress and the responsibility and rarely being able to switch off and sometimes not sleeping that well. I could not do my job well if I had to get up at 5.am and was physically as well as emotionally tired.
I do think it would be very difficult on DIY if you suddenly have to work late unless you have very flexible family or friends to help out at short notice.
I have a 3.5 million pound budget and quite a lot of stress combined with a long commute. My pony is on DIY but he lives out and we have assistance too. If he did not live out he would need to be on part livery.
The hours are not too bad and I normally leave at 5 but because of the commute often don't get to the yard till 6.30 and am very tired and then don't get back home much before 8pm due not living that near the yard either and that is without riding, admittedly I do like to give pony a cuddle and often have a chat with other liveries too and his fields are huge so it can take a while to find him. I do some extra work from home in the evenings and at weekends and I am thinking about work alot too so find I don't really switch off either.
For me it is not actually the hours that are so much the problem it is the tiredness related to stress and the responsibility and rarely being able to switch off and sometimes not sleeping that well. I could not do my job well if I had to get up at 5.am and was physically as well as emotionally tired.
I do think it would be very difficult on DIY if you suddenly have to work late unless you have very flexible family or friends to help out at short notice.
jumpthemoon
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your replies everyone. By 'high powered' I mean a job where you are either expected to or need to work extra hours on a regular basis really I guess.
I think if I'm successful I'll have to enlist some help, as although I could probably manage it all myself, it would be worrying if I had to work late and horses were still out etc. Probably not so bad in the summer but winter would be difficult. It's given me food for thought, anyway
I think if I'm successful I'll have to enlist some help, as although I could probably manage it all myself, it would be worrying if I had to work late and horses were still out etc. Probably not so bad in the summer but winter would be difficult. It's given me food for thought, anyway
kaiko
Well-Known Member
I'm contracted to work a min 40 hours per week as an IT consultant, but regularly do 50-60. I have two horses on DIY, one retired and a very helpful mum
I do mornings and sort one stable at 6am and she does the other and gets them in about 5pm. This means that i can just go and ride/lunge in the evening about 7pm. I also have a partner in London so spend 1 weekend a month there and he comes to me for all others.
It's do-able, but quite tiring in the winter. On the plus side, I love starting my day with the boys and they really do relieve all the stress. I would suggest you need someone to help out though, so assisted or trade jobs with another livery.
I do mornings and sort one stable at 6am and she does the other and gets them in about 5pm. This means that i can just go and ride/lunge in the evening about 7pm. I also have a partner in London so spend 1 weekend a month there and he comes to me for all others.
It's do-able, but quite tiring in the winter. On the plus side, I love starting my day with the boys and they really do relieve all the stress. I would suggest you need someone to help out though, so assisted or trade jobs with another livery.
LisaS
Well-Known Member
I have a rather demanding job which can be long hours and sometimes away from home including weekends.
My boys are in full livery, my husband rides one of the boys and he is very good and helps out with exercising my boy if I can't get up to ride.
It's not ideal, but really couldn't have them if theye weren't on livery.
Luckily I try & work from home a few days during the week (makes up for the other horrendously long days), so can get to ride on those days.
My boys are in full livery, my husband rides one of the boys and he is very good and helps out with exercising my boy if I can't get up to ride.
It's not ideal, but really couldn't have them if theye weren't on livery.
Luckily I try & work from home a few days during the week (makes up for the other horrendously long days), so can get to ride on those days.
Victoria25
Well-Known Member
My job isnt what youd call high powered but its one that requires me to do a lot of travelling/hours and yes, we cope fine on a DIY yard in fact I wouldnt want to be anything but!
I did actually buy another horse last year which although costs me more money, it means I can leave them both out/in together and not have to worry about one being on their own if other liveries are doing the opposite! Great relief and means I dont have to rush/worry as much knowing they have each other for company!
I did actually buy another horse last year which although costs me more money, it means I can leave them both out/in together and not have to worry about one being on their own if other liveries are doing the opposite! Great relief and means I dont have to rush/worry as much knowing they have each other for company!