Horse(s)! and full time 9-5.30?

[MrMuleMe]

Just wondering how people manage it! They must do it somehow.

Do correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems the only way it can be done is if you've got sharers galore, full livery, space to keep a horse at home, or your yard is minutes away and or you can get very good assistance. Especially in the winter.

As for working them, most yards I've been involved with feed up well before 6 PM. And after that point working them doesn't generally seem to be done which is understandable. This basically rules out the week.

So at any rate you're only getting two clear days a week to have any quality time?

That is, unless you simply turn them out to grass all week?

From what I can tell, even being a sharer seems difficult. Mainly because the owner is likely in the same situation and will probably want week day help only.

Any thoughts on all this?

 

[Polar Bear9]

You just go down before and after work. Mine is turned out for me, if she wasn't I'd just wake up and turn her out. In the evening I never get to the yard much before 7. I muck out and ride, I probably get home around 8.30 most days

I feed mine when I'm done, the yard don't feed so that's no problem

 

[Redders]

I work full time 0730 til 1630. I manage to get there early mornings before work to feed etc and then about five half five in eve. Winter is definitely harder, summer much easier. It works though, I'm purely DIY so when my horse gets fed is up to me, there are no set routines that mean I have to go along with rest of the yard. Someone on my yard asked me about buddying up as they didn't want to do twice a day every day (I don't mind that, kind of why I have a horse!!) but I agreed, and that makes it easier, granted I tend to do more as I love spending my time at the yard, but it means not having to do mornings/evenings on some days.

Regards to sharing, I have just got one, and no way would I consider only having her do weekdays; it doesn't seem fair to me, so she will have one weekend day and what ever days suit her best in the week.

I think the trick is to find a yard flexible to you. Mine is a 20 min journey out of the way from my work.

 

[muddy_grey]

I think finding the right yard is key. Sometimes being DIY or assisted can better as you don't have to fit into a routine as much. I was at a diy yard that was open from 6.30am to 8pm so you could ride before or after work. I am now on full livery and they know when I am coming down in the evening (I let them know) and they will give L a small feed (couple of handfuls) and leave the rest for me to give her. I have keys and lock up when I am done.
You will need somewhere with floodlights for winter though.

 

[book_lover]

I work full time (although I am a researcher at a university so it is flexible). I have a horse and my daughter a pony at a DIY full grass livery yard. They are turned out 24/7 - it works fine for native types and there's even a Dutch Warmblood and some Irish sports horses that thrive on it. We don't give ours daily feeds, as they are native types and prone to getting fat. The yard puts hay out for them in winter, and we don't need to poo pick as the yard has a poo hoover thing. The family at the yard keep an eye on them in the field and would let us know if ever there was a problem. We give them a feed or a lick after riding purely as a reward. We get up to ride between 2 and 4 times a week. But in the summer we'll get up more evenings too with the lighter nights. There's no indoor school but the outdoor school is now floodlit, only on one side though so it throws "scary" shadows across the school which is not ideal.

So could you get a hardy native type and go with all grass DIY livery?

 

[TheBigPony]

Never been on a yard where people don't ride after the horses have been fed. Obviously need to wait an hour before doing so but I have always ridden in the evenings after work. In the winter we have floodlights in the school so the only thing that stops anyone riding, is the school freezing over. Some people ask for their horses not to be fed at the regular time if they want to ride etc.

I work full time and have an hour and 45 minute commute each way and still ride in the evenings. My horse used to be on part livery but now OH works locally so she is on DIY and he goes and turns out, brings in. He also works full time and both of us end up doing overtime every week.

You can work full time and ride during the week it just means you get home very late!

 

[Firefly9410]

It is not so hard. I have been on numerous DIY yards whilst working full time some of which also did part and full livery. I have never had a sharer. The thing that makes life more bearable is a yard which will do morning turnout for you. If you leave the horse in the turnout rug in winter and do not use rugs in summer it can be cheaper. If you leave a bucket feed with a cover on outside your stable door some yards will drop it over the door for you before turnout too. Then it is only one trip per day. I took public transport to work so used to keep spare jodhpurs, long rubber riding boots which double as wellies, riding hat, coat and tack plus grooming things at the yard so I could go up straight from work. If you semi deep litter so a skip out in the week and a full muck out one weekend day, that saves time. As does filling 7 haynets at the weekend. I hated rushing because the yard was my down time so half hour to do the jobs then half hour to groom and half hour to ride with the remaining time being tacking up and untacking. After that it was change clothes back, home on the bus, something quick to eat then bath and bed. I spent one whole weekend day at the yard including fetching supplies of hay feed and bedding for the week and going for a long hack as well as all the catch up jobs that make the rest of the week easier. Housework I did in the mornings half hour a quick tidy up and washing up and put washing machine on. Weekend I had to do the rest. It is not a life that leaves any time for socialising unless you miss a ride one eve or ask a friend to swap with you one day so you can go out and the next day you do their horse and yours. It all depends what you want from life but it is doable.

 

[pippixox]

I have to do my horses at 5.15 am, before I do 2 more horses down the road and then go to work at 8. I end early as at a school, but in the winter it is normally dark. So I cant ride in the week. But we have lights in the barn so I can groom and I just use a head torch. If I had a floodlight school I would just ride late. I hack at 8 pm sometimes in the summer. I rent land and a barn, so set my own times, which helps. But livery yards should be flexible.

 

[BBP]

I would think most of us work full time. I'm on a private yard so they get fed whenever we choose and they just basically just get fed forage so I ride straight after. I either ride at 5:30am to get to work for 8 or I ride at 7pm (I ride in dark in winter in a friends arena, no lights but as long as surface is okay I'm happy to do everything but jump). It's tiring sometimes but not a big deal. What else would I do with that time, sleep and watch TV probably!

 

[BlackRider]

Most people with horses work, its a case of finding the right yard, if when you are looking round you specify that you want to feed in the evenings when you've finished, I've not known a yard to not accept this.

If you an find a yard that (and a lot will) turnout and feed in a morning, then its do-able.

 

[BigGinger]

I work 9-5 and I have my one horse on diy livery which is currently on the way to work (10-15min drive to yard and then further 10 mins to work). In winter I get up at 6:30am get ready for work and arrive to yard for 7:30am with work clothes covered! I the have an hour to feed, muck out, change rugs if need (usualy leave turnout on to save time) and turnout. And then set off to work. In evening in arrive back to yard straight from work and bring in. If I'm riding I rode in flood light school. Our brush, feed and tuck into bed and carry on my way home.

My car does sometimes get like a wardrobe as I alway have spare clothes in there but it really doesn't feel like hard work and is easy with him being out everyday. It may be different if children were involved.

In summer I do the same thing although he lives out 24/7 so I get up a little early and check him in the field on my way to work have fly spray, hoof pick, feeds,made up night before in my car if needed and then carry on my way to work! And in evening bring in for a chill out/ride. Summer is definitely my reward and much easier but I don't think I mind the winter either.

 

[gryff]

I've got two horses on diy and work full time - at a school, so theoretically Can finish at 3.15 but start at 8, with a 25 miles journey each way. I do both ends of the day myself which means a 5.15 start. All jobs are done in the morning, so in the evening it's just a case of bringing in and riding or just brushing, sometime it's a case of catching them, popping them in the stable and then off I go, especially after parents' evening. We have A floodlit school, but I never use it; I put all my fluorescents on and go for a quick hack. I do feel sometimes that I don't spend enough quality time with them in the winter but they've got hay, a clean, dry stable, plenty of turnout and lots of equine company - they're happy!

 

[Moomin1]

I worked full time before I had my baby last year. My hours were standard 35 hrs, and then on call hours on top - so totalling up to around 50 hrs per week. Shifts varied between 9-5, 7-3,12-8, and 2-10. My horse has always been on DIY, and I just went up before and after work, but obviously you need a yard that allows you to do that, or one which will turn out/bring in for you.

 

[JennBags]

As others have said, most people do work full-time and have a horse on DIY; I used to have 2 and commute to London, it just meant getting up very early, getting home very late, being organised and being tired all the time!

The yard I keep mine at is a few minutes down the road, and we do have services offered, but I rarely use them nowadays as I team up with another livery who struggles to be there in the morning, whereas I struggle with afternoons more. Most of the other liveries work FT too, and live further away.

If you're not prepared to get up early and/or get home late, then you will struggle with riding in the week and looking after your horse.

 

[kassieg]

I work full time 8 -4pm in the nhs quite often end up working over when in meetings (this week 3 days i didn't get to the yard till 5.30)

I have 3 on my own rented yard, no help at all its hard work but so worth it ! 1 is in eventing fitness work, 2 are 3 year old 1 just broken & ridden away

 

[Pippity]

I was working 8.30-5 when I had my previous share horse, and it wasn't an issue. The yard fed them all at 7am, and I'd stop in on my way to work to turn her out. In the evening, I'd go to the yard straight from work, muck out, bring her in and ride her, then feed her and be on my way. The riding probably would have been very restricted in winter if the yard hadn't had floodlit schools, though.

 

[my bfg]

I get to the yard at 6am, feed, muck out and turnout, but will be starting earlier soon so I can ride to, after work I bring in, groom, ride, feed and poo-pick. Luckily the yard has a fab floodlit school so can ride whenever.
Only issue I found was poo-picking after work in winter but got a magnetic lamp for my wheelbarrow so we're good to go! 😀
Have found preparation is key, get stocked up on a weekend, make up feeds/haynets the night before etc x

 

[laura_nash]

Most of the yards I've been on the busiest time is 6-8pm, amazed at any yard where this isn't the case really since most people do work. At one point I started riding before work instead just to get some space in the school as it was so busy in the evenings. Obviously a floodlit school is a must if you want to keep them in full work over the winter.

My problems only started when horse, full time 9-5.30 and baby! That's a bit more tough.

 

[MissJessica]

I do this, yes it's hard. I don't think their is an answer, I am DIY - I am constantly busy, I do not stop, I suppose I am similar to a lot of you guys too and I know the other people at my yard feel exactly the same!

 

[chestnut cob]

I work an hour away from home with yard almost 20 min from home in the opposite direction. I have full livery Mon to Thurs with a sharer riding him two afternoons during that time. I have flexitime so if I bank enough hours in the week I can finish early on a Fri which means I can ride then and muck out. Now we have lighter nights I'm managing to go up on a Thurs eve too. If I'm visiting customers or get a day working from home, I can get there that day too.

To be honest although it's a bit frustrating sometimes if I can manage 4 days a week I'm quite happy. It's only one less day than I did when I worked from home in my previous job as YO rode him once a week. I cycle too so settling for 4 horsey days means I can do bike stuff too as well as actually spend time with my OH and manage to get to bed at normal times!

I have no qualms about being in full livery. I trust the yard implicitly. I am not a martyr to my horse. I get up before 6am every day anyway. For me to go and muck out before work would mean a 4.30am start at the absolute latest. I'd be permanently exhausted so I'd rather pay someone a fiver or whatever it is to do it for me! I wouldn't get to ride and shovelling ***** at 5am does nothing to improve my relationship with my horse so I'd rather have a bit more sleep and be on the ball for work. I travel in Europe a lot with work too and you just get used to some one else looking after them.

 

[Eggshells]

I work 8:30-5:30 and a 1 in 3 on call rota. He is now out for the summer, but I was DIY over winter. Did everything I could before work so there was the bare minimum to do in the evenings. I rode about 3-4 times a week and had the yard groom hack him once during the week once it got too dark to ride out before or after work (we were rehab-ing so hacking was important). Had to call in the occasional favour and ask someone to pull him in if I was on call and had to stay late, but otherwise it was just me. Took its toll by the end, but it is easily doable: you just end up with very long days!

 

[Henry02]

Nothing wrong with full/part livery, whatever you want to call it. I work long hours, can be working anywhere in the country at short notice, and don't want to be a slave to my horse, so they have always been on livery where I do not have to look after them.

As poster above, shovelling up poop at five in the morning doesn't help create a "bond" with your horse, ridden work and ground work are more important for that!

 

[Leo Walker]

I wouldnt keep a horse if it meant I'd have to do twice a day! Mines currently on grass livery, checked twice a day and I only go up to ride etc. I'm probably going to move him soon but it will be somewhere that has services. I LOVE having a horse, but I refuse to turn it into a slog! However, I have never been on, or heard of a DIY or assisted DIY yard where all the horses are fed together?? It really isnt the norm!

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

Work 9 or 10 hour shifts with a 1 hour drive to and from work, goes from 7am- 5pm, 10pm-7am, 12pm-10pm and sometimes in between. The ones I struggle with are 12-10, have to get friends to help me out with that. The others I am at the yard morning and evening. It's doable, tiring but then I only work how I do to afford the horses so I shut up and put up!

 

[pinkypug1]

Add a baby or 2 in my case to the mix & then you will realise how difficult it can be if you want something bad enough you make it work be that going the yard earlier or later or putting your horse on full livery etc.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

2 jobs, too many beasts to look after, I don't ride in winter but do in summer. I feed/hay/water before work at 7am. Come home at lunch to feed again, turnout and ride 1. Finish work at 4-ish to muck out and ride another 1 or 2 depending on when I am starting my evening job. Luckily my beasts are at home and I work 5 minutes away. I do everything myself. On days when I am really late due to racing someone else will throw hay and water over doors and I will feed when I get back - be it 10pm or 1am!

 

[dollymix]

At one point, I has three and worked 5 days a week 8.40-5pm and occasional weekends taking photos. They were DIY livery.

All three were in work, I was having regular lessons with my youngster. My OH at time was good at helping with jobs etc and liked coming to the yard which helped. Plus my older mare had a sharer.

It's definitely doable - just get used to thinking that 7am is a luxurious lie in! All mine were worked five days a week so mostly I only has two to exercise during the week.

Must say though, I'm more than happy to be down to one now!! I get up at 6.15 and an at yard for 7am and either turn out and do all jobs, or ride before work. Quickly nip to my parents to change for work and an at my desk for 8.45 usually. I leave work at 5.15 and am at yard for 6-6.15. If I rode in morning she comes in from field, sorted out for night and I'm home for 7. If I ride, I'm not usually home until 8pm

 

[AshTay]

I catch train to work so am out of house from 7.30 till 6pm. I have two horses and yard is 12 minutes away. I used to do mornings when I had one horse on diy en route to where I used to work but now I have one on part livery (turned out and mucked out) and one out 24/7 and I get up at 6 and walk dogs, have breakfast with husband and do house stuff in the mornings. We don't have a floodlit school so currently only ride weekends in the winter but now evenings are light I'm riding two nights a week as well as the weekend. Because we had strangles, we were unable to ride for most of autumn and winter so when restrictions were lifted I paid the YM to lunge my mare for me twice a week to start getting her fit again. She's still doing it so mare gets worked 6 days a week (I hack or school). We do pleasure rides and , soon, dressage. And she's grey so there's extra grooming involved. Gelding lives out but I pull him in every evening for a check/feed/groom, etc. I used to have three with two in work but they were all out 24/7 then.

 

[kateandluelue]

Just wondering how people manage it! They must do it somehow.

Do correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems the only way it can be done is if you've got sharers galore, full livery, space to keep a horse at home, or your yard is minutes away and or you can get very good assistance. Especially in the winter.

As for working them, most yards I've been involved with feed up well before 6 PM. And after that point working them doesn't generally seem to be done which is understandable. This basically rules out the week.

So at any rate you're only getting two clear days a week to have any quality time?

That is, unless you simply turn them out to grass all week?

From what I can tell, even being a sharer seems difficult. Mainly because the owner is likely in the same situation and will probably want week day help only.

Any thoughts on all this?

I work 9-5. Im up about 7am, walk dogs get ready etc then my DIY yard is on the way to work; my horses live out so in the winter i just hang some haynets on the way and way back from work and feed. Takes 15 min morn and eve. I ride and poo pick on weekends.
In the summer same routine however on strip grazing; i poo pick in morning so takes an extra 10 min and sometimes ride a couple of evenings during the week at around 6ish after work Can be done.

 

[conniegirl]

I work 8 to 5 and have a horse on assisted DIY livery, so he is fed and turned out in the morning for me or if they are staying in then he is fed, given a haynet and water topped up. I normally get to the yard at around 6pm, muck out, hang haynet (all filled at the weekend) clean water and then ride in the school. I'm often home by 7.30 or at latest 8pm.
Having a very mannerly horse does help as well as being on the right yard. I can be called away with work at short notice and the YO is happy to do full livery for however long!