horses,teenagers and gcses

debsflo

debsflo

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 August 2005
Messages
3,772
Location
lincolnshire
Visit site
how to fit everything in.any tips.daughter is in year 11 doing gcses many of which are being taken in january and may so lots of homework,after school work etc to prepare.also having to look round 6th forms to transfer as current school doesnt have.we also have 3 horses ,one of which is daughters 15hh mare who weve owned for 6 months.all 3 are in at night due to not much grazing so certain amount of work involved.mainly riding at weekends as no school but can box to one.i am trying to help her and do a good whack of the mucking out,pooh picking etc but we are short on time to fit everything in.how has every other mum got through this time to make sure school work and horse dont get neglected.
 
From personal experience of looking after my own horses without help, and juggling school (many moons ago lol) and college exams, it is do-able! try not to worry! You do find time to fit it all in, just need a routine and don't panic! Too much work drove me mad - spending time with my horses was just what I needed! When I did my AAT exams a few years ago, I stopped riding 2 weeks prior to aid revision time, and didn't ride the week of my exams. I use to take my books up to the yard and lay in the fields with the horses while I revised - very therapeutic .... although it was in summer...
tongue.gif
tongue.gif
tongue.gif
xx
 
It is possible to fit everything in, just takes a bit of juggling! I was something of a stresshead at school and did far more work than I probably needed to, but still found time to compete my horse throughout GCSE's and A-levels. My horse and pony were out 24/7 for as long as poss, then stabled in winter - I would muck out one stable before school and mum would do the other. I got back from school about 4,and went straight out and did the horses. If Mum had time she would put beds down and soak hay, if not I would do that then do feeds and get the horses in. I was usually finished by 5.30, which left me the whole evening for work. I only really rode at weekends until the evenings got lighter, but it was enough to keep horse ticking over.

During actual GCSE exams in May horses were out so there was no mucking out to contend with. I had 3 weeks study leave so Murph got ridden more, and I got plenty of sunbathing in, and still managed to do well (despite falling off at a comp the day before my first GCSE). A-levels were more time consuming, and during revision and exam periods I would muck out and do hay/feeds etc, but Murphy was otherwise fairly ignored. I was very lucky in that my Mum understood my pathological need to stress about exams and so picked up the slack with the horses.
 
I'm also in year 11... it is really hard fitting in my pony as well.... plus i have tennis training 3x a week!! Mum helps me out when she can but usually i have school, then sometimes tennis, then cycle to yard (or get a lift if i have had tennis) (2 miles in the dark!!) then home and do homework/c.w/revision!! I don't get to bed til at least 11.... i can only ride weekends in winter.... so it is really really hard but i manage!!!
smile.gif
 
I kept my horse and competed throughout GCSEs, AS and A levels
smile.gif

It is do-able - and I found it very relaxing to be able to get onto my horse after long day revising!!

I did school study where I studied in school during normal hours, is that an option for your daughter?
Then I found I could come home at 4pm and ride for an hour and socalise for another, then tv time and food, and then more revision on top. Obviously if I had an exam the next day then I would do less of the above
smile.gif


It was only at A level that I stopped competing for 3 saturdays (:p I had to comprimise somewhere - i only had exams in May!!) and my horse went to another persons yard for 2 weeks whilst I revised
smile.gif

With AAB in bio,chem and hist I wouldnt change a thing
laugh.gif

Horses are great stress relievers, I couldnt have coped without mine
smile.gif
 
Wish I was so lucky only_me!! We get 3 hours homework per night and no time to study in school.... plus I'm trying to revise for mocks...
frown.gif


I do love escaping from it all to ride or spend time with Topsy though
smile.gif

especially hunting in winter... I will start competing again in spring so it really will be hectic as tennis matches and tournaments start again
grin.gif
 
Im too in year 11, and have 2 english exams in thw coming week, as probs your daughter will too
smile.gif

my family are not horsey whatsoever, but my mam in the last year has been fantastic!! she too does what you do, learnt to muck out etc and now even drives the wagon! i think the main key to my success is the help i get off people. my mare is turned out from 9am-5pm until i get off the school bus, walk down to the farm, get changed in the back of my stable and start muckng out etc as my mam cant help me unless shes off work which isnt regular. For me personally, the horses for my come before anything else whether it be school work or my social life, although im constantly told no it shouldnt, but i just feel that way. i think unless someone is COMPLETLY dedicated (and with your daughter having 3 im sure she is) theres absolutly no point in doing this to ourselves. but somehow, through the moaning, the crying, the ultimate stress levels and the hard work of keeping a competition horse, it IS do-able
smile.gif
i think as long as you keep on helping your daughter, everything should be ok. Even the little things such as someone holding the straw bag open for you is an amazing help
smile.gif
tell her good luck tomorrow in the exam(that is if her school are doing it tomorrow haha), im in the same boat
smile.gif
 
i did my gcse's last year. i found that the winter was the worst. i am fortunate that my mum and sister were able to help me and take over my share of the jobs if i was too busy with coursework.
i have a routine, i come home from school at about 4.30, have a quick cuppa and something to eat, go straight out and do the ponies, then in the winter come in have tea and do hw/cw. i am awful with homework and coursework, i always leave it to the night before :/
to make things worse, in may one of my ponies was diagnosed with laminitis, so had to stay in for a month. this meant LOADS more work, but i was far more worried about him that revision!!!
im doing my AS at the mo and i have found that it is good to have a night off homework completly one day a week. on thursdays i go to young farmers adn i do NO homework at all
laugh.gif
 
Its hard but doable. We have two ridden horses and two non ridden companions. I found that leaving ours out 24/7 and going onto big round bales helped. My daughter only rode/lunged about once or twice during the week and twice at weekend. A levels were much harder as more home work, daughter now had social life, plus I discovered I was pregnant.

But that was nothing to how hard it is now, daughter has defered Uni for a few years and is working full time and I am working part time and looking after an 8 month old baby!
 
When i was in year 11 i had my mum go up once or twice a week and she would do the horses any other day i would go up and sort them out ride etc and then sometimes go home and revise i am at college now still the same apart from i do all my homework in college and have a study day to its pretty simple if you are commited to both,
 
Depending on the suitablity of your horses, could you offer a share for a competent rider 'might suit a mum with kids at school' to do some chores eg mucking out poo picking in return for some riding or hacking out daytimes midweek? This would cut down on the work needed to be done and have the advantage of exercising them as well, and might appeal to someone who wants to ride but perhaps can't afford their own?
 
When doing my 12 GCSEs(in June) I fitted it in with 3 horses, competing every weekend and all the extras such as hockey, DofE, JSLA
Wait till she gets to A Levels
tongue.gif

having a horsey mum really helps ie Mum mucking out whilst I was riding. Leaving horses out as much as possible helps. It meant late nights doing homework and although people say its hard its not impossible.

ETA do as much homework as you can at lunchtimes means more time at home to play with horses
 
she has said its good to have horses to do when she comes home.a break between school and homework even if its mucking out.her social life with friends is the thing thats gone out the window as no free time but something has to give.were both looking forward to her long summer next year before a levels start.
 
I'm not sure what year 11 is but my son is about to do his prelim exams and next spring does his standard grades which are like gcse's. He gets up at 7am and turns out 5 while I or OH muck them out and then leaves for school at 8.10am. Home for 4pm and he rides the two he is competing while I catch the other 3 and make feeds etc (I have negotiated my full time hours between 8.30 and 3.15 so I can drop him at school and pick him up). They only get about 40mins riding each but it's enough 5 days out of 7 to sj on. Over the next few weeks he'll probably only ride one a night but they will survive I'm sure as they are turned out all day. He's in for 6pm to have tea and do homework and study. I then put the horses to bed later after doing homework/playing with much younger son and doing some more work from home for my job. Makes the horses work but my house is a tip!

Today elder son learned to clip shilst I watched and gave him tips. Wonderful - I've been waiting years for him to be old enough to do that!!
 
My last share began while the owner was doing A-levels. Worked a treat, she got extra time to revise while I rode and mucked out for her, I got some free riding in return for stable duties.
 
Don't panic it's easily done. When I was 15-18 I had my first proper horse on DIY livery, parents not remotely horsey. I finished school at 4, and walked over to my mum's office - she finished at 5/5.30. We'd then drive home, I'd change, she'd drop me at stables about 6, collect me about 7/7.30 (depending on whether I rode). Whilst I was at stables she would cook tea, I had to be ready to jump in car when she picked me up so tea didn't burn. We'd then eat tea, I dried up whilst mum washed, and normally started homework around 9pm. Finished about 12 midnight and went to bed - back up at 5.40am to feed/t/o. Teenagers don't need much sleep I reckon as I was fine on that schedule.

Passed my GCSE's with 5 A*s, 5 A's and a B and although that B annoys me, I don't think it was caused by my horse. I managed right through A levels on that schedule as well, but tried to get some homework done during my free periods (but usually ended up gossiping, not studying!).

Good luck! When I was doing my A levels I also had a part-time job, which meant that one day a week I could afford to have the yard owner muck out etc my horse, which gave me one early night a week to catch up - and that was a godsend. Perhaps you could help your daughter by doing the horses one night so she has a night off?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top