Can I keep my horse if I go to uni?

[jjflash]

I have a dilemma. I'm beginning to think about uni in the next couple of years but of course the most important issue is: what about my horse?
If I go to a university close to home, could I put him out on loan? Would I be able to trust the loaner to look after him if I can't make it to see him frequently?
I'm so stressed thinking about the future! I can't bear to part with him I really have no idea what to do, and it's causing a lot of tense discussions with my parents at the minute!

 

[canteron]

Where are you going to University, if so, time to do some research.

Most universities have a riding club attached. The one at my local university uses 2 people, both who take horses on free working livery. You need to check them out and see whether they would suit. Maybe you would be able to still have contact with your horse and ride as well.

Or, do you have an equine college either near your university or near your home? If your horse is suitable they again may take your horse on a free working livery.

Both the above have drawbacks, but on the plus side hopefully would mean you would have a fit horse for the holidays with most of the costs covered!!!

A loan is the other alternative, but you would need to check out any prospective loaners very very carefully. Personally, I find the colleges more reliable that private owners, especially if you want your horse back for the hols. Essentially, now it the time to start putting a lot of work into finding your options!!!

Good luck.

 

[cm2581]

I did it twice. So long as you are willing to take a part time job and not partake of the social aspects of uni it is perfectly doable. Treat uni like a standard 9-5 job

 

[jjflash]

Thank you for the advice! I'm considering Newcastle, at least it's my first choice. I'm doing some research on the situation at the minute and apparently they do have a riding club at Newcastle, which is connected with Stepney Bank Stables - only problem there is that they don't have turnout! I'm open to other possibilities though, and Newcastle isn't my only option
Definitely going to look into it more!

 

[only_me]

What course are you thinking of doing?
Entirely depends on how "intensive" your course is imo but doable with the right help

 

[jjflash]

Spanish - so brings the huge issue of a year abroad! Obviously there'd be my parents/close friends who know my horse to keep an eye if someone was loaning him, but it's all so complicated! At least it seems so to me

 

[JenTaz]

I am in my first year of university at Aberystwyth, and I brought my horse, luckily the university run a livery yard along side their equine science department so taz is only a five minute drive away from halls, but we are 400 miles away from home, my student loan and bursary is more than enough to cover his livery and his costs of shoes and feed, as well as my accomadation and looking after me ( food, nights out etc) but there is a slight lack of going out compared to many other students who go out most nights instead i have replaced that with competiting every weekend. way more fun than drinking your money!

it is definately something you will have to give a lot of thought to, for me it wasnt an option to go to uni without taz, i simply wouldnt have lasted longer than a couple of weeks without him, downside is i couldnt afford to travel him home for xmas, however he's well looked after. It depends what your going to uni for, would you miss the big social side of things? or would you rather spend time de stressing and escaping from course work by doing your horse

 

[jjflash]

I think I'd go insane if I didn't have jak with me! I wouldn't miss the social side of things as long as i could afford (time and money) a night out every now and then, but having my horse is way more important to me. I'd go mad with stress! oh, how i'd love to have livery so close as a five minute drive

 

[Ali27]

My daughter will be doing uni in a year and a half. She is looking at places which are hopefully an hours train journey away so she can come home some weekends as she wants to live in rather than commute. I will look after and ride her mare which suits me as mine is off work with a tendon injury and I have decided to retire her. Can your parents look after your horse during the week?

 

[bubbilygum]

My horse went to an equine college when I was at uni. It worked out really well as it kept him fit,, happy and well looked after, and he was free for me to ride in the holidays (and the facilities were FAB!).

 

[katastrophykat]

There are many more yards apart from Stepney around Newcastle do you drive/will you have a car??

 

[violethillx]

I am at university and have my horse in DIY still! However my course only demands I'm in for about ten hours a week and I am still living at home as I go to a local uni so it's easier for me. I;m also lucky at my yard to have help if I need it but I see my pony twice a day with no problems usually! very much depends where you go to uni/what course etc but if you do loan him out, why not start the loan a good few months before you go so you get to know the loaner and really trust them. good luck x

 

[jjflash]

thank you for all the help! unfortunately my parents aren't horsey so i'm not sure how happy they'd be to be responsible for him through the week. I'm in County Durham at the minute but i'm not really sure of any yards other than Stepney around Newcastle - any help? Hopefully then i will have my own car, but i'll have to take into consideration the fact that I possibly won't. thanks everyone! x

 

[violethillx]

Wow what a coincidence i'm from durham and at uni in newcastle too ha. pm me if you want any advice, its very doable if you're motivated i think but depends on your course and if you'll have transport/be in halls etc. my mam isn;t horsey either

 

[Adina]

Just remember your circumstances and options may change. I told my daughter she could keep the horse if she lived at home - this was the financial bit. She then spent her 3rd year in the USA as a placement ( this gave her important career contacts and experience) so I lookede after the horse and managed to find someone to help exercise him. When she returned for her final year she had little time, so the arrangement continued and we were able to ride out together sometimes. Then she went back to USA to do her pHD - contacts are important. We put the horse out on loan (BHS loan agreement) which was very successful, until longstanding age related problems led to PTS. I wouldn't change a thing. My daughter kept all her options open and now has a well paid career. Meanwhile the horse had a wonderful life which I was able to control. Just keep all options open.

 

[pootleperkin]

Why not live at home? Im from county durham too and went to newcastle. I drove in every day, or occasionally stayed with friends and continued to compete and exercise my mare. It was all quite doable and I still enjoyed the social side of Uni.

 

[jjflash]

i'm definitely considering staying at home though i don't know what my mam and stepdads' views on that would be! as you say i'm keeping an open mind thanks violethillx, i will!

 

[DreamingIsBelieving]

This was the first question my parents came up with when I started asking (read "begging") them for a horse... so I went off to do my research and these are the options I have if I found myself struggling to look after my horse while at Uni:

Part loaning - this works if you find that some nights you just need to be at home studying

Full loaning to a riding school or equestrian collage - I've heard a few horror stories of privately full loaning, so to me full loaning to a business seemed less risky and you can be sure of the care they're getting by looking at the horses already in their care. This is good if you really find you can't give your horse any of the time he deserves.

My parents were happy with the responses, but still no horse

​

 

[magichorse]

I found it perfectly doable and couldn't consider selling or loaning. I lived at home and travelled in every day. It actually worked out cheaper that living in and I was able to look after my horse as usual and still do the Uni social thing. Good luck!

 

[fornema]

I am at uni currently and have 2 horses, one is a 3yr old so will be backed and broken in my final summer and then turned away my other is a fab little pony who does a bit of everything and i come home 3 out of every 4 weekends for them to ride my pomp so she is ridden at least twice a week and in holidays every day and this works perfectly well with mum who's not too horsey to look after them. My university and horses are both funded by myself not my parents and it is so worth it ! Don'tknow what I'd do without them as they are my escape

 

[LollyDolly]

Now then I don't mean to put a downer on anything but there is something else which you might want to consider.
I am a second year student at Huddersfield and I technically commute however I live with my boyfriend in his uni house there and come home some weekends. I have had horses since I was 13, and whilst I'm at uni my Grandad oversees Sandy and ensures that he is well looked after and I ride as and when I feel like it.

But what you might want to consider is that, whilst you may love your horse, you need to be careful of the commitment. Firstly I am studying Psychology and trust me when I say that second year is hard, very hard. My course is very demanding, for example I have three 2000 (one 2500!) word assignments due within two weeks, bearing in mind that I also had two (one 2000 and one 3000) due in before the Christmas holidays. So it can be hard enough just looking after yourself and juggling uni work sometimes. Also, university is the time to have fun and let your hair down- after all its the only time in your life when you will be with so many people who are the same age as you!
I personally would hate to turn around in 10 or 15 years and think that I hadn't lived my life, while everyone else was out partying and just being free I was tied down and couldn't join in. Even things like not being able to stay up late with your friends/housemates because you have to be up for the yard tomorrow or whatever.

I'm not saying don't do it, all I am saying is that you need to think carefully about whether you want that level of commitment when everyone else will be young and free. I love Sandy, I really do, but there is no way that I could have him on DIY livery and be solely responsible for him as I just don't have the time. Also I'm never in one place long enough, I live in Huddersfield during the term time and then during holidays I switch between being at home and being 3 hours away in Leicester where my boyfriend lives! I have the ability to be able to come and go anywhere as I please without commitment and frankly I think that's quite an important thing for a young person, being young is all about being free. So go out and make those foolish mistakes while you still have being young as an excuse

Would I ever sell Sandy? No, never. If I was you I would go down the loaning route, that way you still own and have access to your horse but you can also be free of commitment and worry.

 

[Ellen Durow]

I did it twice. So long as you are willing to take a part time job and not partake of the social aspects of uni it is perfectly doable. Treat uni like a standard 9-5 job

The only thing I'd say about this is that networking at uni is part of the important prep for your future career and if you only go to lectures and don't partake of any social activities, clubs etc., you will miss out on making connections that will help you in future.

 

[unbalanced]

I can't quote as I'm on my phone but I have to say I really disagree LollyDolly. How do you think people with full time jobs do it? I often worked 80 hours a week last year and kept my horse fit on DIY.
During my degrees (BA and MA) pony stayed at home on DIY and I worked about 25 hours a week to pay for her on top of my course. I made plenty of friends and got a first. You just have to manage your time efficiently and not procrastinate like students are famous for. In my first year I thought a 2000 word essay was a big deal and would take a fortnight. Once I cut out the face book and other time wasting strategies it took about two days including research. At the end of the day I wanted the horse more so I learnt to be efficient for her - uni eases you in gently as first year in most places is pretty chilled but especially if you're working you will find it tough to start with.
The best time management advice I was ever given was if you are working then work, get on with it, don't check FB HHO whatever. And if you are relaxing/horseing schedule in your work then get on with relaxing and don't feel guilty about not working. Sounds simple but it really helped once I started doing it (and you'd be surprised how many students don't). On a Spanish course you will have time for a horse as long as you look after your time.

 

[wyrdsister]

Take him with you! I did a BA, MA and PhD, all with several horses on DIY, competing and working part time, plus networking, conferences, etc. It's hectic, but I'd've gone crazy without them - probably would have wound up rocking back and forth covered with cobwebs in the library ;-) Re: year abroad - have you thought about turning your beastie away for a year? It wouldn't do him any harm and there are usually some nice retirement yards around that will accommodate a horse having a year off. That way you know he's safe, looked after, and won't be coming back off loan when you least need that to happen.

 

[LollyDolly]

Unbalanced, it's great to hear your point of view

I myself have a horse and attend uni, however like I mentioned he is looked after on full livery with my Grandad so I can come and go as I please with him. However, I wouldn't fancy having him full time as I just don't want that level of commitment at the minute, I want to actually be young and free without having to worry Maybe it's just because I've owned and looked after my own horses from being 13 to being 18 when I left for uni and therefore feel like I am entitled to a well deserved break and a bit of freedom I still see Sandy all the time, and ride almost every week (during term time, I ride a lot more when back at home) but it just makes my life easier knowing that he is well taken care of whilst I get on at uni

 

[LoisPlummer]

I'm at Uni studying Law, I drive into Uni everyday and still manage to keep my 2 horses. To be honest I do find it quite hard time wise espically with the winter and dark nights, and luckily my Mum is really supportive and helps out with them when it's term time. It can be done but as I saw somewhere above the social life seems to take abit of a back seat.

 

[Caol Ila]

I did a BA, MA, and PhD, all with my horse stabled on campus or within half an hour of campus. I rode at least four times per week, often more. I also managed to have a social life. And my BA was hard. I'd spent an entire semester writing about 2000 words per week and at the end of the semester, I'd have to step it up and turn in a paper that could be 15,000-20,000 words in addition to several final exams and a paper or two in the 5000-6000 word range. I know this reads like Monty Python's Four Yorkshiremen sketch, but in any case, horsey still got ridden. Two hours of sanity in an insane world. You'll not be in class or doing homework 24/7.

 

[jjflash]

Thanks everyone for the advice, has been loads of help! Inspiring how you all cope(d). Nice to know I won't have to part with my baby!

 

[Love]

I'm in this situation - I am currently on a gap year to compete with my boy, with a place waiting for me at the University of Worcester (doing PE and sports science) in September and have been point blank refusing (much to the dispair of my parents) to face up to what might happen to Kenny. I was convinced he would have to be sold - I thought loaning would have too many loop holes/be too stressful if it fell through whilst I was away - but reading this has really really put me at ease! To know that so many people have managed it, even if its hard work (and I for one am DEFINITELY not work shy) is amazing! I am working as well at the minute so can save what i can to put towards him. I shall be researching livery yards in Worcester first thing in the morning!

 

[Grinchmass]

I got my loan horse going into my final year of studying law at uni.

I live close to home but not at home, I live with my boyfriend, not in student accommodation do all costs of living together bar council tax.

I'm in uni for roughly 16hours per week give or take, work 30 hours a week, I'm still on track for my good 2:1 (let's be fair I was always too bone idle to try get a first) yes I still go out, I see horse everyday and usually ride 3-4x per week.

I also do extra stuff for uni, law related competitions and volunteer. I still go out but not as much.

It's exhausting at times but I'm happy and it's doable and horse is my destress