Fitting in horses with Work/Family commitments

[Kw_Bas]

Hi

I’m interested to know how often/many times you ride when working full time hours?
I know it is personal choice, no right or wrong and the horse not bothered either way lol, but I’m probably going to be increasing my working hours next year so already wondering when I’ll get out to see my horse.
First horse also so probably worrying over nothing. I’m sure it is the norm for most people out there and I just need to figure out what works best for me. Just interested to know what others do.
Many thanks

 

[Sprogladite01]

I'm very lucky in that I work from home full time (regardless of Covid) and keep my two ponies at home. One is a companion so no riding, the other is ridden 4-6 times a week. During winter, he gets up to 2 days a week off usually and I ride at lunch time as it's too dark after work now. I also have my instructor ride him out once a week for me so I'm only having to ride during the week 2 - 3 times. In the summer I ride after work which is much easier! However, if the weather is rotten, work is mental or I just can't make a lunch time ride work, he just gets the day off and we don't worry about it too much. He's very fit so the odd day off here and there isn't going to hurt him, just means he is more lively the next time he's ridden out and the chances are good I might end up flying a pony kite (he's a live wire lol). I have found it much better for both of us not to try too hard to stick to a schedule of planned riding, because there is always something that disrupts the plan - unexpected meetings, random snow showers, sick kids etc etc. I just go with the flow now and keep an eye on the weather forecast haha!

 

[Kw_Bas]

Thank you for the reply. ?

 

[Kw_Bas]

I’m potentially starting a new job in same company so there is a bit of the unknown as to how flexible my new manager will be. Currently working from home but not sure if this will be the new norm. Was going to ask a friend and coach to lunge/or ride my boy a couple of times a week anyway just to help keep him going. Just have a funny feeling the winter will be More of a write off than any other time. You’re right though. I need to relax and just go with the flow because life disruptions often get in the way whether we want them to or not! lol!

 

[JGC]

I'm on four ridden days and a hand walk (because quicker to fit in) in winter usually. I used to ride six days a week with previous ponies, but I think that's a bit much now and in winter I start letting fitness down in autumn so she's fine with mostly walk work. Then if there's particularly bad weather, we don't have to do much at all and as she's not too fit, she doesn't go nuts. The main thing is that they still get plenty of turnout, which makes this possible.

 

[Sealine]

I'm also work from home full time (regardless of Covid) and my hours are flexible. My horse is on DIY livery. I ride 5/6 days a week. I do all my stables jobs and ride before work getting home for 9.30am. Someone else brings in and feeds for me in the afternoons on weekdays. In the past I worked from home two days a week. I used to ride in the morning on the days I worked from home, I had a mid week evening lesson and rode at the weekend.

Don't put yourself under too much pressure to ride in the winter unless you need to keep your horse fit for a specific reason or there is restricted or no turnout.

 

[Trinket12]

I ride two to three times a week, and work full time. Work from home and am lucky in that have a lot of flexibility so can sometimes ride in the morning and then start work. I'm constrained more by travel time than anything else, it can take up to an hour to get to the barn mid week.

 

[Petmurf]

I’m starting a new contract in January wfh and I plan to take a longer lunch break one day a week so I can ride in the daylight and then again both weekend days, that’s the best I can do with no arena this winter. My boy is on full livery but not exercised but I can request this as an extra which I might well do so he’s getting 4 rides a week until the nights get lighter, which won’t be long coming. I’ll still go up a couple of evenings a week and do some stable stuff with him.

 

[AmyMay]

In the winter most of my riding was done at the weekend - I simply wrote the darker months off as far as doing any more than that.

 

[Hackback]

I also work from home and horse is currently on livery at a yard just across the road. For a variety of reasons, partly medical, he only gets a leg stretch in the indoor school in winter so I have to ride/lunge every lunchtime. It is a bind, sometimes I would like to spend my lunch break catching up on the housework, or even just eating lunch. If he was turned out I wouldn't bother to do it every day.

 

[mariew]

How long is a piece of string? Depends on how long your days are including any commute and if you have kids. Also how flexible your work is and what you do. If riding at lunchtime I would be worried about stinking when back (depending on your work and what you can get away with). If you don't have kids it is far easier, just get up super early and do it before, or go down and ride late a few nights per week. I used to ride at 6.30am or 9pm . With kids I wish you good luck, you can't have it all sadly.

 

[Widgeon]

I'm also work from home full time (regardless of Covid) and my hours are flexible. My horse is on DIY livery. ....on't put yourself under too much pressure to ride in the winter unless you need to keep your horse fit for a specific reason or there is restricted or no turnout.

Same here. I get up very early every other day and do a short hilly hack with a friend at about 7.30am. Then I can be at my desk for 9.30am. It's working well, keeping him nice and fit. But winter is hard, if you don't manage to find a regular routine that really suits you then best to set yourself achievable targets like two or three rides a week, rather than beat yourself up for not riding every day. Mine is turned out 24/7 so it doesn't matter much really, if I don't ride in any given week.

 

[Kw_Bas]

Thanks for all the replies. Really helpful and putting my mind at ease that it varies really depending on time and not to beat myself up if can’t get out as regularly as I’d like. My horse is out 24/7 at the moment so that will help keep him moving.

 

[Snow Falcon]

I work at a school and have 2 children. No arena so riding in winter months is limited. When the darker evenings are here, I maybe able to squeeze a quick dash around nearby woodland for 20mins if I can get out of school on time and the 3 ponies poo picked quickly. Fortunately they are kept about 2 miles from work.

 

[Ali27]

I’ve just cut down my working hours to 4 days so I get Mondays off I hack/ compete/ do clinics on Sat/ Sun and have a lesson on Monday. I then hire arena next door to me on a Thurs eve as I’ve bought a field (so no facilities) As soon as evenings get lighter, I tend to ride 6 times a week.
When I worked full time (8-6) was on yard with facilities, I rode 5 times a week in Winter and 6 times in Summer!

 

[Orangehorse]

The hard part is getting a horse fit. Once fit enough for the work you want to do - going to shows, lessons, eventing, hunting, etc., it isn't nearly so hard to keep them ticking over by simply doing whatever you want at the weekend.

When I had ponies I never thought about how fit they were. We went to a show nearly every weekend and in winter went hunting on many Saturdays or went for a long hack where we could do a reasonable amount of cantering. I never had any trouble with lameness or getting distressed.

I realise that ponies are a lot different to horses! I certainly spent more time getting my horse fit, making sure he was doing enough long canters and read up a bit more. But basically the horse was kept in the same manner and was always fit and well for whatever I wanted to do.

If a horse has turn-out and is an active sort I don't think they need riding every day. You might want to ride every day, but I don't think the horse needs it. In winter they spend less time out in the field and probably do less galloping around, and some horses will gallop about a lot and others will just stand by the gate and not do anything active, so the latter obviously need more input.

I think there was an experiment somewhere where it was found that horses do not loose fitness until 6 weeks without work, whereas for a human it is 2 weeks, I believe.