Full time workers with horses on DIY... how do you fit in horsey appointments

sjdress

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Those that work full time, especially mon - fri 9-5, and have your horses on DIY, how do you fit in horse appointments, such as farrier, dentist, saddler etc without using all your annual leave? None of these services seem to work weekends anymore and I am finding it increasingly difficult being available for everything without using a considerable chunk of annual leave.
 

Sasana Skye

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TF for flexitime! I just leave early/start later and make up the hours another day if I don’t already have flexi saved up and book for either the start or end of the day. If I can book for the afternoon I do that as I choose to work 7am-3pm now so I can get to the yard by 3:30...it’s heavenly
 
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Joyous70

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My farrier comes on a Saturday, although some of the girls at the yard have their farrier visit when they're at work and pay by BACS, horse just has to be in obviously. As for dentist, physio, vet etc., i either book a half day or a couple of hours if possible (work through lunches to finish early/start late), with the exception of the dentist who visits 2x a year for my girl the rest do all work late or weekends.
 

Muddywellies

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I used to have to use annual leave unfortunately. Now I work from home so it’s a little easier. Can anyone at the yard help with the farrier perhaps for a few pennies ? Or some farriers, if they know the horse well enough, will shoe the horse without the owner being there (if you leave the horse in). Depends on your relationship with your farrier I suppose.
 

Twohorses

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I am now retired but "back in the day", vets and farrier's were a lot more willing to come on Saturdays or right after I got home from work.

Those rare times I had a vet emergency first thing in the morning, I would call in and take half day vacation whether my bosses liked it or not. They were men and b*****d about every little thing but I was also a union dues paying secretary, so they didn't have much choice. They b*****d if my son was sick and I had to take time off. I put up with them because I had fantastic medical benefits and I could never find another job in my area that paid enough to make me comfortably financially independent -- not even with a degree.
 

conniegirl

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I work 8.30 to 5 monday to thursday and 8.30 to 2pm on a friday
My farrier comes at 5.30pm, which is just enough time for me to get there if I leave work right on 5.
I pay my yard owner to hold for dentist or vet or I book them for friday afternoon.

My saddler will do saturdays if I take pony to him.
 

chaps89

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I work from home or make the time up. I'm very lucky to be able to make the time up and have an understanding boss whose happy to be flexible!
If I had to use annual leave I'd try to tie it in with something more worthwhile like having a lesson first or going shopping or something.
I can see how you'd quickly rattle though annual leave though.
Can you buddy up with anyone who uses the same practitioners - ie you both have chiro out at the same time so you do first visit, they do the next etc?
 

sjdress

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Wish I had flexi-time! My hours are quite rigid and the horses are 30 mins from work so even apts at 8am make me late for work! One of my horses is awful to be shod and so no one else can hold her... she costs me a lot of A/L! The other one is ok and my farrier will do him without me there. Everyone else on my yard works part time so easy for them to be there but hard for me to return the favour as they are always available for such things!
 

Annagain

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I've recently started on flexi-time which is a god send (I finished early last week to take them to physio which was great) but before that I was 9-5.30, but with a bit of flexibility if I could get colleagues to cover for me to arrive 30 mins late or leave an hour early and I'd make up the time at the other end of the day.
The farrier always comes to me at 8am. I get horses in (they're out in summer and share horse's owner will have turned them out at 6 in winter as they're old and need to loosen off) pay and leave him to it then he turns them out when he's done.
Vet is only 1/2 a mile away so I take horses down to him and he's happy to see them in the evenings.
Other appointments, I either make on a Saturday if possible or I take leave or I arrange things for the whole yard e.g the dentist. They'll often come in the evenings or late afternoon if they have a yardful. As I'm the one making arrangements, I slot mine in where it's most convenient for me!
 

LaurenBay

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Get the earliest appointments they do, work through lunch to make the time up.

My farrier used to come to me about 7.30 which was perfect.
 

ownedbyaconnie

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Flexi time! I work 8-4:30 but just work early/late/make it up in the week if I need to leave for an appointment. As others said, is there maybe a responsible teen that would fancy earning a fiver to stand for the farrier during a free period at college or something like that?
 

Bellaboo18

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I really struggled at the last place I worked, I used annual leave because it was very inflexible but I never had enough. It was the main reason I changed to working nights, I can be at the yard at anytime of the day, I just miss a bit of sleep...
 

Lammy

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I work 10-6 one week and 8-4 the next.

Farrier I book at 8am in my late week but he sometimes does a 7:30 for me.
Dentist does Saturday morning as well as saddler.
Osteo does 8am too.
Hay guy will do a 4:30/5 for when I finish at 4. I can see why 9-5 would be more difficult. Could you not come in half hour late and make up the half hour through lunch or later on?
 

Michen

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I manage my own diary and don’t worry from an office constantly so fit it in around my meetings
 

HashRouge

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This is one of the advantages of being a school teacher - I just book all appointments for school holidays! I work long hours as I work at a boarding school, so my usual day is 8.30-6 and I would struggle to get my appointments in otherwise. I did leave early the Monday before last as I had booked their farrier appointment during term time, but that was unusual as for once the dates didn't quite fit with my holidays. If we don't have a lesson/ activity etc no-one blinks if we leave slightly early on the odd occasion (they don't even notice tbh) as we all know everyone works crazy hours at my school! I have also once been allowed to leave early for a vet emergency and was once allowed to make a non-routine vet appointment during the school day and skip Friday afternoon chapel, as I explained to the head that there was no other time I could make it. So if I am desperate there is the flexibility there.
 

wattamus

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Think I’m quite lucky that my work are quite tolerant as long as it’s not too often and I make the hours up. We also finish at 1 on Friday so I try get all appointments on a Friday afternoon
 

VRIN

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My farrier will do my horse when I am not there. he texts me if there are any problems and I pay by BACS.
 

meleeka

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Farrier always came Saturdays.
I used to either take a half day leave or a friend would be there. Now I work from home I’ll always help someone else out if I can. Vets etc are hopefully only a few times a year so no big deal.
 

Bayracer

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I work 7.45 until 6 with no option of flexitime due to the nature of my job, my farrier and dentist have been known to be mine for 6am in the summer. I find a long as you show your appreciation and explain why it gets you a long way (also bribery of a fresh cake to take on the road and a bacon butty at the same time works wonders )
 

pippixox

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My podiatrist is happy to trim mine when I’m not there as they are well behaved and I leave them in a barn- was the same with farrier for years before too. Means they know I’m a flexible time that day as Im not waiting

Vets- I have done teeth same time as vaccinations to avoid extra visit
 

asmp

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As someone else said - get your mother to do it (I.e. me!). I work part time so end up being the yard's stand in for farrier, dentist etc.
 
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