Do you go on holiday?

tootsietoo

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Just wondering, because I often feel like a bit of a freak! Everyone starts talking in the spring about "where they're going on holiday this year" and it's not something that even registers in my head. I don't really like going away, because I just miss my ponies and it's a hassle getting them looked after! DH would like to go to West Wales for a few days this summer and I'm just going through the diary and, what with PC camp, shows, swimming stuff for the children, there are barely any blocks of days spare when I would be happy to go! Fortunately he likes time at home to go out on his bikes, so it's not a big issue. But I just wondered what other horsey people do for holidays, or if you are all the same as me! Of course, the fact that most of the disposable income goes on horses doesn't help....!
 

PaddyMonty

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Oh and I have been away on holiday twice in 22 years. Both times the horses came with us. We have another booked for august this year. A beach riding holiday with the horses.
Says it all really! :)
 

risky business

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I still went away every year despite having a horse. I never felt guilty for it, I didn't miss the horse either it was nice to have a break from her for a week.

As long as someone you trust looks after them then there's no issue with getting time away for yourself.
 

ihatework

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Yes, I love going on holiday.
That said I rarely go on summer holidays, always off season.

I've just booked to go scuba diving in Bali over new year - I love breaking up the winter with some sun :D
 

ElleSkywalker

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Have been on holiday once in 12 years with the OH! The problem for us is finding a good house/pet sitter, we have 5 horses, 4 dogs, 6 cats & chickens so actually would end up paying more for the pet sitter than the holiday!
 

Arniebear

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My dad lives abroad in the UAE so we tend to class that as our holiday; me, my mum and my sister take it in turns, so when my mums out there we look after house and horses and when i go my mum and sister do and when my sister goes me and mum do! Its a bit of shame because it means we are never all out there as a family... family time is when dad comes home and has to fix the fencing again!!!
 

Finlib

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We go abroad 3 times a year 2/3 weeks January 1 week early April and 1 week late October .Always somewhere with guaranteed good weather.Its nice to top up the batteries when the weather in the Uk is not so good.Leave dogs cats and horses
We also go caravaning in the UK in summer with our dogs usually do Badminton Burghley New forest show staying a week at each just leaving horses and cats.
We have an excellent pet/house sitting service who look after everything brilliantly.
Being retired its nice to enjoy the free time we have .When home we do lots of riding and dog walking so the best of both worlds!.
 

Janovich

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My OH's a farmer so we rarely get to go away as there's always something to be done within the changing seasons! It's an arable and beef farm so it's busy all year round!

We managed a week away when we first got together (when his parents were still resident on the farm), but they're gone off the farm now so find it very difficult to get away.

The best we do is get afternoons and sometimes days out after all the morning jobs have been done. I'm happy enough to go out and about to horse events/shows on my own and we're actually getting up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to do the jobs and then we're off to the Newark/Nottts showground to attend the BlueForce 1000 Ford/Fordson/HH Tractor Extravaganza!!!

This show to him is like 'HOYS' to us...! Big Boys and their toys eh??? :) LOL.

I do keep saying to him 'We'll have to nick your dad's campervan for a couple days and try to get away,...(Over the border into Wales will be fine with me,..or Somerset/Devon!), and i get the usual.."Yeah,..we'll sort something"... but nothing ever does get sorted and the year goes by once again!

That's farming for ya!

Must admit i don't particularly miss a holiday abroad nowadays as i've been fortunate enough to have my fill in the past. I've got a Spa Weekend coming up shortly (friend's hen doo) and i'm really looking forward to this! It will be like a mini holiday/get away for me :)
 
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Meems

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Not really, I haven't been properly away (that involves getting on an aeroplane) for about 10 years. I occasionally have a week away in the UK with the rest of my family but my brother organises it, otherwise it wouldn't happen.

People at my office are always asking me if I'm going on holiday - my staple answer is "no, I've got a horse instead". If I calculated how much it costs to keep my horse over a year I could probably have a luxury fortnight somewhere in the world but I'd much, much, much rather have my horse instead.

After all, every minute I spend with her is like a holiday in itself .............. isn't it??
 

Janovich

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Not really, I haven't been properly away (that involves getting on an aeroplane) for about 10 years. I occasionally have a week away in the UK with the rest of my family but my brother organises it, otherwise it wouldn't happen.

People at my office are always asking me if I'm going on holiday - my staple answer is "no, I've got a horse instead". If I calculated how much it costs to keep my horse over a year I could probably have a luxury fortnight somewhere in the world but I'd much, much, much rather have my horse instead.

After all, every minute I spend with her is like a holiday in itself .............. isn't it??

Agree with you Meems on the aspect of 'spending time with your horse is like a holiday itself'! I often taken long weekends off for my horse and treat them like mini breaks. ....and i don't need my passport or any foreign currency either!!! LOL
 

niagaraduval

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I have 2 and look after others (on full livery) so can't go on holiday. I go away for maybe a few days at a time when I have someone there to look after them luckily they are all out 24/7 so don't need that much looking after.
 

chestnut cob

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I still went away every year despite having a horse. I never felt guilty for it, I didn't miss the horse either it was nice to have a break from her for a week.

As long as someone you trust looks after them then there's no issue with getting time away for yourself.

This, absolutely. I spend enough time and money on my horse throughout the year so certainly don't feel guilty for spending some on myself. This year I went to Mexico in April, have a long weekend in the Lake District coming up plus a weekend away at the races. Horse couldn't care less if he doesn't see me, he just loves everyone so he'll transfer his affections to whoever feeds him, and I don't miss him or riding. I went to Mexico with my sister and didn't even miss the BF until it was nearly time to come home, never mind the horse!

It's good to have a break from it all.
 

JulesRules

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Yes I go on holiday. Travelling is my other main passion in life.

Livery yard offer full livery service, dog usually goes to my parents and the cat to the cattery in the village. Cost of animal care is part of the holiday cost.

I have already been to Bali, Perth, Kuala Lumpur and Cornwall this year . Currently planning a trip to Iceland :)

We also have a caravan and the dog comes with us in that. Cat stays home alone with cat flap and autofeeder for short weekends.
 
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Lolo

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It's the dogs, not the horses, that cause problems for us! Our horses are easily sorted: Reg goes on holiday too in the Old Boys field which he loves and is checked by his owner, and Smokes goes to a local pro as a week off basically means he loses all sense and reason for the next month! The dogs however cannot be left and we're too soppy to want them anywhere but with us.

As a result we have short breaks away from home, but never as a whole family. My sister is currently in Greece for a week and the horses are in the holiday arrangement to give my mum a break from them. My mum, sister and I tend to go to Burghley as a group and then my dad and brother do their own things too.
 

tootsietoo

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Ah, I feel more normal now! Understand the "we'll get something sorted" but never do feeling! Also agree that the dog is far more difficult than the horses!
 

Merrymoles

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Not really. Am self-employed and planning to take next week off but not sure how much time I will get. So am planning to catch up with housework, go to doctors for routine appointment, get new tyre for car, sort office out, do some major gardening, possibly pull out my rubber mats and sort box for the winter - oh, and ride if I can find time... The holiday bit will be getting up at 8am to do the horses instead of 6.30am!

OH will be shocked to the core if we actually have a day out...
 
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lelly

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I didn't go on holiday for about thirty years but do now. I've got to say I'm not bothered about holidays, I could happily stay at home. I go because my husband, who I have been with for seven years, always has and I said I would never let the horses stop me going. I have found it difficult to find the right person to look after the horses but I think I have the right one now, a local freelance groom. I text her while I'm away but only a couple of times just to put my mind at rest.
 

PorkChop

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We do, but tbh I would rather not!

I agree that the dogs cause more issues than the horses, however the last two years we have had house sitters in.

By the time I have organised everything for going away I am exhausted - I have said to my husband that I don't want to go anywhere for a few years, which I feel bad about because he is the one that needs the holiday.
 

Cahill

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have not been on hols since the Olympics before the last ones.we had a log cabin and that was what was on the tv so this is how I remember lol
we usually go Exmoor way and love it.
 

Jango

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Yep I go on loads of holidays and I love it! I've been skiing in France, camping at Badminton so far and I've got Surfing in Cornwall and diving in asia somewhere (hopefully!) later this year. I've only got 1 horse though and I just swap cover with friends. I'm 25 and I think I would resent my horse if having him meant I was missing out on travelling with my friends.
 

rowan666

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Nope never. Ive got too many horses to get cover for longer than the odd day here and there plus i wouldnt want to, everyday is like a holiday when im with my horses :D (sorry for the cheese! Lol)

infact ive never in my life been abroad, never had a passport and never had more than a weekend family break to visit grandparents as kid because weve always had horses and i wouldnt change it for the world!
 
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misskk88

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I try to get away, even if it is for a long weekend, but I usually try to find a good late deal, to save a few extra pennies.

I spend a lot of money on my horse and sometimes I just need a bit of 'me' time to recharge and unwind, so do not feel guilty going away. It gives her a weeks rest too. I do a lot of travelling around the UK with my job, so I thoroughly enjoy a pool and some warm weather, with no one to answer to! I also try to get away for a couple of days now and again around the UK. This year the girls and I have been to York for a hen do, and the BF and I will probably look at getting a cheap last minute deal somewhere like London near my birthday.

My parents are not horsey people, but they never go on holiday abroad. It just does not appeal to them, they are happy at home!
 

thewonderhorse

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Just wondering, because I often feel like a bit of a freak! Everyone starts talking in the spring about "where they're going on holiday this year" and it's not something that even registers in my head. I don't really like going away, because I just miss my ponies and it's a hassle getting them looked after! DH would like to go to West Wales for a few days this summer and I'm just going through the diary and, what with PC camp, shows, swimming stuff for the children, there are barely any blocks of days spare when I would be happy to go! Fortunately he likes time at home to go out on his bikes, so it's not a big issue. But I just wondered what other horsey people do for holidays, or if you are all the same as me! Of course, the fact that most of the disposable income goes on horses doesn't help....!

Nope, I've not been on holiday for 5 years (and even then that was my first holiday as an adult and first time abroad) since I moved house and got my crew of animals.

I don't see a holiday coming up anytime soon either as I am due my first baby in 10 weeks!
 

ThreeTB's

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Yes, we go on holiday several times a year, but never abroad - we go to the Lake District and the dogs always come with us, the horses get looked after by the YO's. We have taken the horses on holiday too, but now we're hooked on fell walking it's not possible to take them, the terrain's a bit tough ;) To be honest, when we've taken the horses and dogs, it's hard work - I quite enjoy a break from mucking out! Although we live in the countryside and have an outdoor lifestyle, I can't wait to get to the mountains and lakes, I live for my holidays (we're going to move there in a few years).
 

Spring Feather

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Yes we go away on holiday, once or twice a year usually. We have to fit holidays in around all the foaling, breeding and haying seasons. We have around 50 horses on the farm, 3 cats, 6 dogs so I have people stay in the farmhouse for the duration of our vacations and they do everything that needs to be done. I love going away, I need to go away, as the farm would swallow me up if I didn't get a break on a regular basis.
 

dogatemysalad

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Yes, we go away two or three times a year. I love travelling. The horses gain from my absence because I come back so refreshed and enthusiastic.
Livery services at my yard are excellent and it probably does them good to have a rest from me too. Sorting out the dogs is more problematic as it means a long drive to family who look after them. I don't think I'd ever put them in kennels because I'd feel rotten about leaving them there.
 

Farcical1

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Yes, but only in the summer months, when the horses are living out. I have three to look after plus three cats.
A lovely lady at my yard looks after all of them. She poo picks, keeps an eye on them and gives hay or feed if needed. She feeds the cats also; they have a catflap so can go in and out as they please.
I wouldnt ask her to muck my 3 out, plus her own 2, over the winter. I find it hard work enough, so we don't go away for Xmas or anything. I'm always working Xmas anyway, so its no big deal.
We've been to NZ, Australia, Maldives, Scotland, over the past few years. I trust her implicitly and love getting away.
Admittedly, we do spend a fair bit of the holiday talking about the animals, but I don't miss them.
 
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