Anyone ride/compete with more than 2 young children?

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Wouldibemad

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I am a regular but have name changed for this.

I have 2 children, 5 and 18 months, and my heart tells me I'd like another. However, on a practical level, it is a juggling act to get to work, have a home life and ride (let alone compete). I wondered if anyone on here has managed to continue to ride and compete with more than 2 kids and if so have you done it - is it much worse than trying to juggle 2?

I don't have a lot of family help (certainly none that would trail off to competitions with me and 3 kids every weekend). I wondered about a horsey au pair (I know they can't be left with a baby alone but might not mind coming to the yard or competitions so much and could also help to keep horse fit) but not sure I want someone living in my house.

So, really looking for inspirational stories and advice but equally happy to accept a reality check!

Thanks (also in competing and training)
 
I don't compete, but I have managed to keep riding with 6. When all the kids were little, obviously they couldn't ride, so I used to take them out in a governess cart.
I tried to keep up with pony club for a few years, but once I had 4 to prepare for rallies / shows / camp, I threw in the towel.

My advice, FWIW, is that to enjoy your horses and your children, it's easier to focus on the social and fun side. We have minimised our workload by keeping natives, unshod, out 24/7. They require very little from us that way and are happy and relaxed. We don't try to impress anyone and just ride them covered in mud in the winter!

WARNING - as the children grow, they need new ponies, and it's much harder to sell than buy. We now have 11 of various sizes.
Now that they're bigger we have acquired a kind of private riding club, where every weekend we ride out in a huge posse with my kids and their friends of various ages. Basically if you can keep up, you can come! I have never had so much fun.
 
You have 6 kids Penny Turner... ? Wow, I am seriously impressed you can get them and you all dressed in the morning, let alone ride too!

Yours is an encouraging post. I'd like to keep up the riding/competing but it's a silly reason not to have another child - I may well regret not having a 3rd child, but unlikely to regret shows I missed when I am old (even older) and grey!
 
My beat friend has had twin boys who are now a year old. She is 45! and has just gone back to full time work which is over an hour away. I really admire her as she has just starting competing and taking the twins with her. She does have a horsey child minder though who come with her and is sticking to events that you don't have to hang around for like dressage and clear round atm. However long term aim is to BE 90 next spring! gulp! anything is possible if you want to do it enough! good luck x
 
Hiya,
I have 3 kids, 7,5 and 3. Tbh competing took a major backseat for years, my hubby isn't horsey and has a stressful job with mega long hours so tagging along to shows is out of the question. I do midweek stuff mostly now and when ("if" more like 😜) I qualify for regionals etc on weekends he's happy to come along with the kids to cheer me on. My yard is very kid friendly and I can take mine there with no probs although I like to go alone for mummy's quiet time!
In my experience 3 makes a difference, much harder for one person to watch them, they all shout to be heard and compete for attention. That said, they are brilliant fun, they are a gang and I love the feeling of a big family.
But yes, it will prob impact on your riding..... Horsey au pair is a brilliant idea and if I had horses at home I would def consider it.
Good luck!
 
I have 3 , a 4 yr old and 2 yr old twins. I have to admit I gave up when the twins were one, it was too much for anyone to look after them once mobile it was like herding cats and the weekends when I could have ridden was the only family time we could really enjoy them all as there was 2 of us to oversee them, even now doing it on your own is survival rather than fun. I decided to put my time into my family and do horses again later. 6 months later a pony moved in too but he is a field ornament and I am happy with my mini pony fix. I couldn't do horses properly , 3 children and work but that was a choice I made that worked for us. I have friends with 3 children and horses who manage fine but have a lot of family support and childcare.
 
I think that anything is possible, but with a job, horses and children, something has to take priority and something has to give. You can go off competing but you will probably end up very short of sleep with OH taking the responsibility of children at the weekend. It may work for some, but probably not many! You will need to have a VERY supportive OH. I have friends who do a lot of horsey stuff and have 2 or 3 children but, even if they pretend they don't, dig a bit and you will find that they have a lot of help, paid or family.

I don't have any help at all (other than cleaner for 3 hours a week), have 2 children aged 6 and 7, work from home, 2 horses and 2 ponies. I manage to get us all hunting over the winter, as that is fairly flexible, and the children do lots of pony stuff in the summer, but somehow my riding always ends up getting pushed down the priority list in favour of getting some work jobs off the to do list or the children riding, or just clearing up the bombsite that is the house. I think the answer is to get up earlier! If I could get up at 5.30 I'd have a good hour and a half to do my horses before the rest of them started shouting at me.

You could do it. But would it be worth the tiredness and stress? For me it's not.
 
Op I only have two myself and struggle... I wouldn't be competing at a high level but do manage to get out in general couple times a mth thanks to a very nice set of horsey friends who will child watch ! I also work ft but work from home office so can be flexible on hrs so can get lessons and training sessions in. Tbh I'm now going down the horsey au pair hunt as my daughter is a complete budding rider with a competition pony on trial at moment and going to have to have to now factor in help her with pony at same shows I will be competing at.
 
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