Fitting in professional visits while working full-time?

Try to arrange for first or last thing so that I can start work late or finish early, if it's an hour I am usually allowed to make up the time, any longer I'll use annual leave. Will attempt to book things on the same day, eg farrier in the morning and dentist in the afternoon.
Physio and instructor do weekends so that helps as no need to take time off. I order feed/bedding/haylege over the phone for delivery or visit the tack shop at a weekend.
Not going to lie, it is hard and do feel all my leave goes on the horses but my work are flexible and understand that whilst I don't have children I do need to be there if one of my horses needs me.
 
sbloom said:
And I do feel that if your child has a pony then you may have to pull your child from school occasionally, I have one or two customers that give me a real headache trying to book them in because it HAS to be around school hours, (actually only ONE evening after school) or a Saturday, and no floodlights for winter evenings.
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You cannot seriously be advocating keeping children off school for a saddle fitting?? :oops: Its breaking the law and you can be prosecuted and/or fined.
 
Leo Walker said:
You cannot seriously be advocating keeping children off school for a saddle fitting?? :oops: Its breaking the law and you can be prosecuted and/or fined.
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I would have thought parents could book saddle fittings into half terms or school holidays. Schools seem for ever on holiday ! :-)
 
In my previous job of 8 years I worked a 4.5 day week and finally a 4 day week so I could book everything for Fridays. We also had flexi and could take leave in 2hr blocks so that saved wasting whole/half days of leave. Prior and post that job it was annual leave, there isn't any getting around it that I know of.

I'm very lucky that since last July my parents bought their own place with stables and land so my horse lives there. I'm happy to leave my mum to deal with routine vet visits, trimmer and dentist as I know vet/EDT/Trimmer really well and trust them. For emergency/out of the ordinary vet visits or physio/massage appointments I like to be there, out of concern for the former and because I always have questions for the latter.

I've had some years when I was on livery where over 50% of my leave was used on odd days for visits (had a very vet prone horse).

There are smokers in my current office and they go out 2-3x a day for approx. 15mins. I wish I could get that time to use as flexi/leave!!
 
flying_high said:
I would have thought parents could book saddle fittings into half terms or school holidays. Schools seem for ever on holiday ! :)
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It wouldn't go down well with a pony with no saddle or one that's causing issues. Children are even less likely than adults to settle for ground work. Even then it can be challenging, I can't get around every single area I cover in half term for example.
 
If I need the vet I either start a hour early (8am) and have a 2 hour lunch break or I go in later (10am instead of usual 9) and owe them a hour, i'll eithe work late or start early when I can. My work are extremely understanding and I work 5 minutes from home and the horses.

My farrier comes on Saturdays and I book long in advance for that, my vet comes either early or later and physio the same and saddler (he does Saturdays though and I book long in advance)

This morning my horse had x-rays and scans, vet arrived at 8am and we were finished by 9.10 so I was at work for 9.30 and owe them a hour. Mind if its a emergency or something I can't work around i'll take a afternoon/morning off as holiday.

Always worked full time and had 2 horses, never even thought of it until reading this post! :)
 
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