For those who keep horses at home

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BBH

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Sometimes I just want time out and was just wondering what everyone does for weekend / holiday cover, do you call in favours or employ someone on a freelance basis ?
 
I keep mine next door at my neighbours home (so as good as). We share the chores, usually she'll do mornings and I'll do evenings and then sometimes we swop or do both so one of us can have a day off. Its the perfect compromise but works really well.

Previously I have had mine at home and have had a sharer who in exchange for rides on one of mine would do a couple of days/mornings/evenings a week and just contribute £10/week towards shoes. Worked out great for both of us as both horses got exercised, the work load was shared and my sharer who wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford a horse was able to enjoy mine. Sadly she had a baby and moved away and I moved house so it came to an end but its something I'd definately consider in the future.
 
Have yet to want time out from my horse.
It is hard work and a big commitment doing everything but it's how I've always had him and being a bit of a control freak over his care, I'm happiest doing it myself.

A friend looked after him the one time we were away on holiday but I spent the whole time away worrying about him (and the dogs and cats) that I don't think I fully relaxed- I'm too much of a home body!
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We only go away on holiday very rarely and only ever in the summer. So they all get chucked out in the field and neighbour goes and counts for the right amount!!!! This is what I do for her when she goes away too, so done mutually!!!
 
One of my friends runs a livery yard and we take him there for his hols why we go away. She gets one of yard staff to excercise him too. ALL FOR FREE WON'T ACCEPT ANY MONEY. OR a friend who rides him since she lost hers locally looks after him and so he has no change in routine. AGAIN ALL FOR FREE. When I was on a yard though we all used to do this for each other.
 
Not a cat's in hell chance of having anyone to give me any days off but I do have muscle help with shifting sh*te every other day (7 in, so a lot of sh*te!) which does help. It would be lovely to have someone to do the lot sometimes though but they charge a fortune around here.
 
When I go on holiday with mum and bro, OH takes care of Ellie horse (+ numerous other beasties!) When I go away with OH, mum does her!
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I have to go away regularly to keep the peace with the non horsey members of the family, we have a place in Alps so go away 5 or 6 times a year.

I ahve a very trusted freelance who comes to stay, she housesits the dogs and cats an looks after the horses. She can also do her normal job as it's all local. I pay her £45 a day, 4 horses, dogs cat chickens etc. Riding is extra. Expensive but worth it. I totally trust her.
 
It seems like everyone has ingenious ways of caring for their horses when they are away. I have used someone in the past but she wasn't turning up until late morning and thats too late for my liking. Also how much would you pay for a day's cover ?
 
The short answer is don't go away very often because it is such a nightmare planning it, and I am a bit neurotic about leaving the animals. Not so much the horses but the dogs, and would hate to put them in kennels. I am going to look into housesitters but we have GSDs and they are not everyones cup of tea! My daughter looks after things for the odd weekend if I want to go away, but most times we want to go away together. I have told her she should try and find some work doing horse/house sitting through the holidays, I think there is definitely a need for someone to give horse owners a break, and think people would trust her. She has grown up surrounded by animals and is a 2nd year vet student so is pretty competent.
 
We have a house sitter for weekends and stuuf. In the summer we are away aalmost every weekend compteting, so we have a small bank of 3 people who come and stay. The neds just get turfed out, as the house sitters never look impressed when you say don't worry just 9 of them to muck out.
 
We have done various things over the years. When I was younger, we went on family holidays every summer and used to send our 2 to a top competition yard in my area. We chose there coz I used to hire their indoor every sat mornin and so got to know everyone and thought they would offer the best care and they have fantastic facilities and promised to exercise them. But the final year they went there I was not at all happy with the way they were looked after. I think the grooms are used to dealin with top show jumpers and the like, who are all immaculately turned out and the yard is run like clockwork but I think they just left my 2 dobbins in the field and forgot about them and charged me £200 for the priveledge. My cob came back with the most horrendous sun burn I have ever seen (huge great big weepy scabs) despite her being sent with a huge bottle of sun cream and a mask that covers her nose, and a request for her to be turned out over night if they weren't happy putting the cream & mask on.

So the year after that we asked a friend, now I no longer live at home and don't go on holiday at the same time as my sister or parents so there isn't a problem. For the rare occassion like a family wedding, I have another friend with 2 horses kept at home and they will do ours if we return the favour and do theirs when required (am actually looking after theirs this weekend) so that arrangement suits us fine, I do think they would definitely have my girls at their place if we needed them looking after for any longer than a night or 2.
 
I pay someone to look after mine whilst I'm away - I have several people locally who are happy to do this. Mine live out though, so all they have to do is feed, check for injury and ensure water is topped up.
 
There are a few horse owners round me so we all do each other favours and look after each others horses when we go away. My friend does mine up the road and pops in to check the cats too and I buy her something nice and return the favour when I can.
 
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Holiday?! Whats that?
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I'm in that bracket aswell!!

Rarely go away, Badminton & Burghley are my annual get aways when the in-laws house/dog/horse sit and do a leg count. Plenty of people at the end of the phone if all is not well tho'

Haven't been abroad since my honeymoon, 9 years ago!
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Freelance. Found my most recent helper in local feedshop. Don't like favours as feel guilty asking then.


Luckily I live in very horsey area so plenty of people able and willing.
 
Holiday?? Hmm... not sure I know what that is. However, we do occasionally have to spend one or possibly two days away working sometimes and the people who live next to our field look after them, and won't take a penny!!
 
I am lucky as there is a freelance groom close by. She doesn't charge much and seems to do the chores twice as quick as me.
She is very reliable and very experienced and I trust her completely. She always leaves a note to say that everything is OK.

If I go away for more than a few days I send my horse to a livery yard, so he is kept in work, and the pony has to stay in the paddock, neighing every 30 minutes (according to my daughter!) or if it is for a longer time, he can go back to his owners.
 
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well it would be nice for her to earn some cash that way but...... from what i remember of vet school she will be kept well busy seeing practice!!
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Yes, she has already done ems placements through all the holidays in her first year, and is doing some more work experience at Easter. But she does have this summer free, then back to seeing practice etc from third year on. I expect she will go out with our vets a bit this summer anyway but I have suggested it would be good if she could find some way of earning some money At the moment its poor old Mum who is constantly broke paying horse bills
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