Full Time Workers - Your Routine?

[nato]

I'm a bit crap when it comes to routines - I'd love to be one of those people who fits in a full time job, gym/exercise, family time, riding the horse 5-6 days a week including competing, AND still manage to have a clean home!

Unfortunately, I'm not. I do go to work, I never exercise (though I need to as my riding would improve), I ride the horse 4-5 days a week, the house is not clean, and I'm always tired.

I'd like to develop a routine, so would like to hear more of what you folks who work full time do on weekdays/weekends, and what your daily routine is?

 

[Flicker]

I am quite lucky on two counts: my horse is on part livery and I live two miles away from work. My routine is usually to walk to work, to get in for about 9. Walk home at 5 / 5.30, get changed and either head to the yard to ride or go for a 3 mile run with OH. If I am riding, by the time I've ridden and settled my horse in for the night, I get back home around 8.30. If OH is home, he will have made supper, if he is working I will knock something up.
Weekends, we usually go for a run on Saturday morning and do the house cleaning, shopping etc. I might get an afternoon ride in.
Sunday morning is hacking morning and I meet my mum in the afternoon either for a 2 hour walk or a swim.
To be honest, I could probably be a bit more house proud - kitchen and bathroom I try to keep clean as I go, but laundry, linen and vacuuming have to wait for the weekend.

 

[NZJenny]

Anyone who can fit all of that in clearly only needs about two hours sleep!

I manage to work full time and ride. And keep my place clean, but I live on my own. I used to gym in the mornings before work, work all day and horse after work and when I was endurance riding and competing full on, training and competition days were set in concrete and life happened around them.

These days I'm a bit more relaxed about it. I still try and ride five or six days a week, and have just been allowed to shift my hours to finish at 3:30 pm, which will be a bonus in the winter. I don't do the gym anymore due to a creaky back, but after work is still my horse time and as I love it (and it keeps me sane), I don't find it a chore at all.

 

[nato]

You guys are superheroes!

My job is a one hour commute and I work until 6pm - work and the yard are in opposite direction from my home. I typically get home about 7 or just after, change and go straight to the horse for 7.30pm. By the time I ride and finish up I'm usually not home til 9.30 and still have to eat.

It means I dont do much housework during the week so the place gets messy!

Thankfully my horse is on full livery - it wouldn't be possible otherwise.

 

[webble]

Up at 6am feed house pets make coffee set off to yard. Get to yard for 630-640 muck out ride for 45min leave yard to get to work for 830. I try to go to the gym after work

I'm lucky in that the yard owner puts him in at night but if she didn't I would pay someone to do it and I leave the stable so that yo just has to open the door and shut it behind him

 

[Merlod]

*6.15 Get up put porridge on, go back upstairs to get ready. Put lunch in handbag (prepared night before), joggers over trousers and shove porridge down my face before leaving for the yard!
*6.45ish get to yard wellies on and rug up all 3 horses, then turnout one at a time - ive just bought one of those rope showing/ cow halters is amazing because I don’t have to fiddle with different headcollars and buckles, its so quick to put on and fits everyone from the Shetland to the welsh cob and I adjust it as I walk back from the field!
*7.10 Muck out all three stables until 7.40 when I need to leave the yard for work
*8am Arrive at work and have a green tea (finish at 4pm)
5-6pm putting horses away
And then in the evening I will either do gym/pilates/swimming or trampolining before having a shower and then home for tea!

I am very lucky in that I don't have a long commute to the yard or my work. I don't have an arena so riding in the evenings sadly isn't an option for me but i'm not that bothered.. it does take the pressure off a little, though I am thinking about riding instead of mucking out some mornings!

 

[Wheels]

Horses are at home which is good but work is a commute of about 1hr 15 each way which is bad. Thankfully we have a flexi time scheme so I can arrive anywhere between 8am and 10am providing I still do my 37 hours a week.

So at the moment I am up at 6.30 to ride, back in the house for 8 and leave for work at 8.45 at the latest after breakfast and shower. The horses are still out, once they're in at night I'll be up at 5.45 to muck out before riding and prep haynets for night time.

Weekends, I try and get housework done first thing Saturday and then I can enjoy the rest of the weekend riding and grooming and sometimes even go out lol

 

[Hannahgb]

5am get up and head straight for the yard.
6.20am leave the yard and go home to get ready for work.
8-4 work- head straight to the yard for 4.30
Ride/ do stables again x2 horses
Home 6-6.30pm
2/3 nights a week I go to the gym
Other evenings are to see bf/ friend/ family.
Weekends compete/ gym and even non-horse time! haha

 

[Hawks27]

Up at 6.15, feed house animals, wash dress grab everything for work prepared the night before (bag of office clothes and toiletries, any paperwork I need and lunch from fridge). Drive to private yard arrive no later than 7, I have everything set up for speed, check and alter rugs powder his legs grease his feet while he eats breakie, hang field net and turn him out. Muck out hay water stable tidy up any mess etc and prepare next days feed, leave no later than 8, drive to office get washed and changed in disabled bathroom sling all gear in car (waterproof boot liner and a pair of trianers in the back so never get in car in soggy waterproofs or mucky willies!) eat breakfast at office and start work at 9am, finish at 5,30pm swing by yard in pitch black and pop horse to bed using a head torch riding during the week in winter isn't an option as no lights and no school I only hack at weekends sadly. get home about 6.30 feed house animals do 1-2hr exercise half 45min of physical therapy type exercises and I either walk or swim if am well enough, prepare evening meal prepare bags and kit for next week and sit and do any homework till bed around 11pm. I tidy house as I go during week but sunday is house day everything gets a through hovering bathroom and kitchen scrubbed and washed laundry done grocery shopping done bajke my snacks for the next week and prep any food that can be done in advance takes 3-4hr rest of weekend is spent walking riding ned doing all the extra yard chores don't have time for in week like field maintenance stuffing a weeks worth of nets filling water bins making up bags of straw to chuck in quickly. its pretty manageable but I don't have a man to have to give attention too or a family that need me just myself so suppose that makes it easier. I don't think id like him on full livery I enjoy taking care of him wouldn't want someone else doing it everyday though now and then when am not well enough it would be nice to have a helper

 

[Moomin1]

I'm not full time anymore, but I work 70%, have a 13mth old daughter and a horse on DIY livery. I am usually up with my daughter by 7am, give her brekkie, then head to the yard to turn my horse and her field mate out by about 8:30am on my day off. I then go back home and usually spend most of the morning tidying the 'floor of death' (the living room floor which is covered in copious amounts of toddler's toys, before giving my daughter lunch, and heading out to do the shopping/take my daughter for a walk etc. I then head back to the yard if I haven't managed to muck out earlier after my daughter has gone to bed at around 7pm, to muck out (my horse is brought in by her field mate's owner at 4:30 and has hay, water and dinner to last her until I arrive to muck out). If the weather if fine enough I will muck out during the day with my daughter in her pushchair outside the stable. On day's I work I am at the yard by around 8am before work, then after work I make dinner, get my daughter to bed by 7pm, then off to the yard to muck out if not managed to do it before work. Back home by around 8:30-9pm.

I was full time up until I had my daughter, and in all honesty I found I had a lot more time on my hands than I do now. I definitely wouldn't have the time to do anything else such as going to the gym nowadays, and I barely get time to ride more than twice per week. Weekend days are exactly the same as week days, I don't get any more time to myself other than Saturday mornings if my OH takes my daughter to see his mum. I don't get the time to potter around at the yard anymore, it's a case of going there to get the job done and leave straight away.

 

[tls]

up at 6am coffee enroute to yard, turn out, muck out, fill nets for my 3, back home by 7.45ish get changed, brekkie, make up on leave for work by 8.30. Leave work 5pm get home quick bite to eat, change back up yard ride 1 or 2, gym 2/3 nights a week, get to gym for 7.30 - 8ish. either and hour or 2 at gym back home shower, bit of tv then bed. Try to go out for dinner at least once a week on non gym nights. Usually compete once/twice a week

 

[Annagain]

I'm lucky in that my friend (share horse's owner) and I do the three horses (mine, share horse and his owner's son's pony) between us. Mornings are much easier for her so I don't do anything before work.

I'm up at either 7 or 8, depending on whether I go to the gym before work. I aim for 3 times a week, normally make it twice! If OH is also in work (he works shifts) I drop the dog off at my mum's (she doesn't like being left alone, plus dad will walk her for us). If going to the gym, I put my gym clothes on, drive to gym (3 miles away) do an hour then shower and go to work (another 3 miles). If going straight to work I get up at 8 (yes I know I'm lucky!) get ready and leave the house at 8.40 (direct routes is 4 miles) to arrive by 9. I always eat breakfast in work.

I finish at 5.30, get home by 6, change and go straight to the yard, muck out one or two (depending on whether it's my turn to do my share horse) and get three in. I try to ride my share horse on two evenings and my horse once (I also have a sharer who rides mine in the week). At this time of year, this is in the school. If I ride, I'm home by about 8, otherwise I'm home by about 7. If OH is home, he's either cooked, or we have an argument about why he hasn't and end up getting a takeaway. If he's in work, I pick the dog up from mum's then go home to a bowl of pasta and pesto or something equally quick.

About once a fortnight I'm on call, which means being in the office until 7pm and then I have to be able to drop everything if I'm needed. On those evenings my horse's sharer (yes it's complicated!) does my horse and gets all three in.

At weekends, I do the mornings so am up at about 7.30. I put the horses in the school, muck out and then hack one of them out. Either share horse's owner or my horse's sharer will ride the other, often with share horse's son coming on his pony. I'm usually home by about 11 and have the rest of the day to do normal weekend things - the weekly shop, watching rugby, walking the dog, going to the pub. If I'm competing all this changes to suit the time at which I need to ride. I also turn another friend's horse out at weekends so she gets all 4 in later on.

 

[mastermax]

I get up at 3 am seven days a week, including Christmas Day. Milk on av. 270 cows with husband, feed and bed up calves, get to the yard (I keep them on livery, not at home) about 6.30 am, feed the three whilst doing hay nets and water, rug up and turn them out and then muck out. Leave the yard around 8.30 and continue with farm work and paperwork. Milk in the afternoon at 2.30 and once calves are done I tend to get back to the yard around 5 ish to bring in. Once home, shower, cook dinner and bed by 7.30pm. I do ride during the week in the mornings and always fit in some riding over the weekend.

 

[Kezzabell2]

6am get up! - shower, dry hair, get dressed! make porridge and salad,
7.15 leave house, get to yard 1 about 7.20 - make feeds, chuck in field, change old girls rug if required.
7.40 get to yard 2, change boys rug, if required, chuck him out! field is close by at the moment but will move back to winter field soon, which is 15 mins walk there and back. Quickly muckout. Make feed for later. Fill water and haynets.
8.10 leave yard, get to work by 8.25
8.25 heat up porridge, trot to desk at 8.30 eat it! ready to start work for 8.45

12/1 lunch time! go to shops, get food supplies/feed or if nothing is required, go for a walk to get up my fitbit steps!

5.15 leave work, back to yard too, muck out what he's left after being brought in at 3pm. Lunge in school.
6pm arrive at yard 2, check the oldies have 4 legs and tail and change the girls rug, if required.
6.15 get home, make dinner, get changed in to gym clothes, eat dinner
7.15 get to the gym! workout for about 40 mins (get bored if im there too long) - jump out of my skin when my fitbit hits 10k steps.
8.15ish get home, have a bath, get into bed, catch up with Hollyoaks and sleep by 10pm

 

[Dogsandcats]

I'm on assisted so up at 6 straight to work which is an hours drive finish at 3 get to the yard by 3:20 he's thrown out and mucked out in the am for me so I just make a Haynet up soak it and leave to drain make up feeds for the evening and morning, drag horse in quick groom tack up and ride I'm lucky in that we have the farm to hack round with no road work at all so we often hack with a head torch normally leaving the yard by 5 to get home for about 6ish. Never thought I'd like someone else doing the jobs for me but I wouldn't fit any riding in at all through winter. When working I hack for about 30 mins 3 days a week and ride both days off for around an hour and go a bit further afield. Lots of sponsored rides through summer months as well which is fitted in by taking holidays days.

 

[[59668]]

On full livery.

Mon, Weds, Fri I train in powerlifting at the gym. Up at 5.30, leave house at 6 and at gym at 6.30. Train for an hour then drive to station, get the train to London, just over an hours commute. Leave London at 5.20 and get the train back. Drive to yard from station (20 mins) and ride, get home about 8.30 ish, have dinner and in bed by 10pm.

Tuesdays I ride before work, so get up at 5.30, shower etc and leave the house at 6. 20 min drive to the yard, ride, leave there at 7.30 and then straight to the station and get the train into work. In the evening that means I can go straight home so I get home about 7pm.

Thursdays I take as an easy day, so no yard or gym. So get up about 7.20 to get ready, leave house about 7.50 and drive to station to get train to work and get home about 7pm

Weekends I ride/compete/clinics both days, and also like to fit in some mountain biking.

I do confess to getting really annoyed with people who say they don't have the time to go to the gym and ride etc. Just get on with it.

 

[dibbin]

On DIY livery, and I work 9-5.30 Monday to Friday and have a 1hr+ commute both ways ... it can be pretty trying sometimes.

My daily routine on weekdays is:

5.30 am - get up and dress, get to yard about 5.50
5.50-6.30 am - feed and turn out both horses (I put my sister's horse out in the morning as well as I live closer than she does), muck out Jazz, clean his buckets and fill a haynet for that night. Go home.
6.40-7.40 am - get ready for work (shower, breakfast, make lunch etc)
7.50 am - get train to Glasgow.
9 am - 6 pm - work
6.50 - train home, arrive about 7.30. There is a train at 5.50 but I would need to leave the office absolutely bang on 5.30 to make it, and I never do!
Evening - make and eat dinner, do some housework (laundry, empty dishwasher, tidy kitchen ...)

I'm usually in bed for 10.30 on weeknights. If I'm riding after work I'm at the yard about 8 pm and home about 9/9.30 pm so don't get dinner until 10 or so. I'm lucky in that my mum and sister bring both horses in and feed them at night so unless I'm riding I don't have to go back up after work. It does sometimes feel like OH and I don't see each other much during the week!

 

[zandp]

I'm on DIY and work full time.

Get up between 6 and 6.30am and walk the dog for at least an hour, get home, shower, change for work, grab food for the day and go to the yard. Give my 2 breakfasts, turn them out and start mucking out. I have to leave the yard by 8.05 to get to work on time.

Start work at 08.30 and finish around 5.15. Drive to yard, finish any jobs I didn't do in the morning and work one or both horses. Get home around 8.30pm and then eat / collapse in front of the telly and sleep.

 

[Birker2020]

I get up at 5.50am, shower, wash hair, iron work clothes and drive 30 mins to work getting in about 7.15am. Then I work through to 4pm or up to about 4.45pm if i need extra money (I am a temp so get paid an hourly rate) and then zoom to the yard. On a normal day I will arrive about 4.45pm and then quickly brush, bandage and tack up and go for a ride for 30 mins in the school. Then skip out, do nets and feeds, rug up and go to partners house for about 7pm when I will watch telly; he normally cooks me a meal, bless him. Then I leave his about 9.30pm and drive 25 mins home where after a quick chat with Mum and Dad I will get ready for bed and be asleep for 10.45pm.

Weekends I have a lie in Saturday for an hour or compete. Sundays I have to do the horses on the yard although we have got a new livery who is kindly sharing with me so I won't be doing every Sunday now, which is nice as I do work hard during the week and like to have weekends off as I have so many things that need catching up on and that I don't get time to do otherwise like wash clothes, iron, tidy house, wash and vac car, etc, etc. I normally hack out Sunday morning or preferably in the afternoon will have a jump in the menage or hire the local riding club school or go on their boundary ride for an hour for a bit of a change.

 

[elsielouise]

Work .8 but long hours so FTE in 4 days despite being paid for only 4 plus min 60 min commute often 90.

Up at 5.15 work days and go for a run with dogs, check living out horses and boundary of field.
Home and dogs dry off in stable while I muck out the living in one and do hay etc
Shower pick up made for my by husband coffee
drive over an hour to be at my desk by 7.30 latest
Work til usually around half five-six. Later if evening meetings
90 min drive home
Bring in pony, check living out ones (2)
Story time and bed time for my son
Husband usually cooks on my work days or I would subsist on cheese sandwiches and cups of tea

Day off v similiar only don't get up til 7 and bring in to ride older horses after school run. NO chance of doing that during week.

 

[dianchi]

At yard for 7.20
Muck out turnout, after noon feed and hay left
7.45 Leave yard
8.30 get to work

3pm have girl on the yard bring in so princess pony gets high tea
5.30 Leave work
6.30 get to yard, ride, finish off, prep for next day feeds/hay

8.30 home

 

[alainax]

If I ride on a work day it looks like this -

0400-0600 feed baby
0600-0800 sleep
0900 -head to work
1830- arrive home from work, change, head to yard.
1900- arrive at yard and ride.
2130 - home ( baby is asleep) make & eat dinner, take dog out, tidy up, put some washing on, wash baby bottles, bath then bed.
0000- sleeping.
(dog and baby are not neglected, dad is the "house manager" )

I miss too much time with the baby doing that though, So I rarely do it. Instead I ride 3 days a week, on my days off and half day. He is on full livery (except riding) and a friend hacks him twice per week.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I work Mon - Thurs 8.45 - 5.15 p.m and from home on a Friday.

I get up at 6.30 a.m, go out to yard and give a big chaff feed, muck out, haynets etc, ride for an hour or so, go to work. Walk dog at lunchtime at work (she comes to the office luckily!!). Pick up daughter from nursery, home, do horse. In by 6.15 p.m.

Works quite different in the summer as OH works all hours so tend to get up at 5 a.m to ride to be back in the house for 7 a.m when he leaves. In the winter, he does the morning nursery run as I refused to spend another winter riding in the dark!!!

 

[LHIS]

Up at 7am, make lunch for hubby, feed dog, get dressed, have a bit of a potter (with a bit of tidying or clothes folding), walk dog and pack bag with riding clothes. Leave at 8.30am and get to work for 9am. Leave at 5.30pm changed into my riding clothes and head to the yard. Muck out, groom, ride/work horse. Put between 1-4 horses to bed depending on what has or hasn't been done. Head home about 7.30pm and make dinner. Depending on energy levels I will either collapse on the sofa, or do 30mins HIIT type workout in the garage (haha!), tidy house, do laundry, load/unload dishwasher, iron. Bed by 10pm!

 

[Wimbles]

Mine goes something like this;

5am get up, throw on a onsie and head to the yard
5:30am arrive at yard feed six, turn out four and muck out four
7am head home via my field in my village to feed and check sheep and chickens
7:30am get home, sort out rabbit and chickens at home
8:30am arrive at work
5pm finish work and head back to the yard to bring in. I would normally ride but haven't been able since mid September when I went down with pneumonia and have been poorly ever since. CT scan tomorrow will hopefully show something and I can work on getting back to full health
8pm approx head home via sheep
9pm usually have dinner, wash up and maybe throw some washing in and have a small tidy up

My house isn't too awful, mainly as I'm never there but sometimes I reach the weekend and it looks like I've been burgled!

 

[Moomin1]

I do confess to getting really annoyed with people who say they don't have the time to go to the gym and ride etc. Just get on with it.

That's all very well, unless you have a baby to look after lol. I can hardly take my toddler riding with me or to the gym haha!

 

[Always-Riding]

I feel lazy in comparison to some of you!

Leave home by 7:30
Get to the yard around 7:40
Turn out and quick look over the youngster. Quick skip out & haynet. Leave anytime between 8-8.15.
9am to 5pm at work.
Get back to the yard at 6pm
Horse would have been brought in - finish mucking out. Ride. Any odd jobs.
Home normally by 8pm.
Cook dinner, tidy up etc.

Major house clean happens every Saturday. And I Have a sharer, who does an awful lot (- thank you so much if you're reading this!)

 

[Hanson]

Alarm goes off at silly o'clock and I'm at yard by 5.15am. Both horses are exercised, mucked out and turned out.
Home by 7.30, put Hoover round (OH is asthmatic) and get washed and ready for work. Hours drive to work. I work 9-5 Monday to Friday.
Arrive at yard about 6pm, bring in, groom, feed etc. Try to be home by 7pm.
Dogs come to yard in the morning and get a good run. OH comes with me and we split the jobs and hack out some days together. One horse is older so hacks only a few days a week.
I like my home neat and tidy so I probably do spend unnecessary time doing housework but it's just the way I am!
We also try to go swimming on those days when we can't ride or lunging days and always at weekend.
I enjoy the routine in the summer but this taste of winter this weekend handmade it harder...
I don't have kids but do have an elderly mum and try to pop in to see her or a least call each evening to check all is well.
You can only do what you are able to do and at the end of the day it should be mostly enjoyable.

 

[Merrymoles]

Self employed and work from home, both of which have many advantages. However, generally do long hours.

If I am not at a meeting early in the morning, my standard routine is up at 6am, feed dogs, drive five miles to the yard, turnout, muck out, hay and water two, get home, shower, at my desk for 7.45-8.15 depending on how busy I am. Eat breakfast at desk.

Work

5.30-6pm, head back to the yard to do whatever I want to. Friend whose horse I do in the morning does evening chores (bring in, field water and poo pick) so I am free to groom, ride, fanny about. If the weather is not fit to ride, we go straight to the gym from the yard. Usually home about 8.30pm to cook and tidy up etc.

However, I batch cook to say time and occasionally chuck a load of washing in on a "work" day. I don't do any other housework during working hours so house is often a tip. When I get back tonight, I'll be hoovering and tomorrow I have an early meeting so will be up at the yard earlier in the morning to get back, shower and go.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Horse is on full livery...without the help that affords I would never be able to justify owning a horse.

I'm usually up at 6am and at the yard and onboard by 7am. Leave the yard at 8am and do a 50 minute commute to the office where I stay until about 7pm. Commute home is often longer due to traffic so it's usually 9pm by the time I've made dinner. Then a quick shower and bed. On Wednesday nights I do a Pilates class but the rest of the time it tends to be eat, shower, sleep, repeat.

Laundry and other housekeeping is left til the weekends.