Horsey Routines...

Serenity087

Serenity087

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Do you work around your horse, or do they work around you?

I work the most bizarre hours imaginable and Dorey is fed around those. Which means no two days are the same.

This doesn't seem to be causing her any drama, although I'm sure someone will suggest it is. She eats, she drinks, she poos, she wees, she lies in the previous two, and then she runs around the field playing with her new friends.

But she is so patient about not knowing when I'm likely to turn up... is it just this blinding loyalty that I won't abandon her?

Anyway. Just wondering how much of an evil mummy I am!
 
my horses work around me, in fairness, they do like routine, but if i'm late, they wait. except for my yearling, who will jump the fence to get in, but i've up the electrics for him. they are so fab, in fairness, but they love their food, so whatever time i arrive to feed, they are waiting, and they all trot into their own stables. it's great!!! i like to try to keep it routine, but sometimes, it's later. they get over it!!!
 
YO brings Dorey in under the "no horse out on their own" rule - there ain't much I can do about it if I'm on a late!

she neither calls, nor stable walks, nor door kicks (not that she's entirely sure what that achieves, and after I kicked the door back last week she's given up already!) - she's just happy to see me!
 
Badger is in a bit of a Routine now just because I am with work, he likes it but he gets in a bit of a strop if he can't go out because I'm trying to get him ready for hunting etc... so I'm not sure it's a good thing!!

Think feed times should be fairly regular though.
 
Morning, hay topped up, fed if they get grained.
Afternoon/evening - ditto.

Same routine everyday, no set times, they see me when they see me.
I have very laid back horses as a result of this. It is bliss, no gang of horses beating up on each other, or my gates and fences because feed is late.

No way will I ever go back to having horses stabled unless there is a very good reason for it.
 
Oh, I am the same really. My routine is there is no routine! lol

I have always fed, ridden and everything as and when and as a result my mare is never banging her head to to stick to a routine. She can be last out in the field for several hours and whilst OK she will stand by the gate, she wont freak out and be galloping around - as i always come.

Same with my dog. I can get up in the morning and she will either stay in bed (under the duvet) or just come out and fall asleep around me. She never begs to go out, as we always do just never the same time!

I think as long as its always consistant, i,e you are always doing the same things - thats their routine - timewise isn't such a problem if they have not had a strict routine, i.e fed at 6 out at 7 everyday forever and then you come and muck that up.
Obviously now my mare is stabled at night, of course she is literally gagging to go out in the morning but she just wants to get in the field, plain and simple.
x
 
I have to have a routine set out for mine other wise he is the grumpiest! This is mainly why I put him on part/full livery
 
I'm another one whose working hours can be odd & vary from day to day.

On DIY, and lucky in that we share bringing in & turning out. Suits me, means I know they're getting turned out around 7am every morning. I then bring them all in at night, so even if I'm not there til later, they all come in together and there is no one left out alone.

I do think variation is good! We have no kicking the gate to come in - they come over when they see lights, but not knowing when I'll be there means they're not hanging around in the muddy gateway and getting fed up, which has happened when I've had a more steady routine in previous years :)
 
my horse has to fit into my routine, altho it is fairly regular. mon wed fri i go to him straight from the school run, then home to work. tues and thurs i work first thing and ride about 12. weekends vary as to whether i hve the kids home or work, if working i do horsey first thing on sat and then lunchtimeish on sunday as i ride. if kids home it's a case of whenever we get up and organised!! he only ever waits by the gate when its winter and he's hungry, so i make an effort to get there about the same time if i can. otherwise, in summer i know he's fine and don't worry too much!
 
My routine isn't exactly the same every day, as I have 2 9 o clock starts at uni which means on those days Dylan gets done at 6.30. Other weekdays and Sundays it's 8.30-9, and on Saturdays my sister does him - she also does him on the 2 days I'm at uni til 7pm. He doesn't seem traumatised by this at all, doesn't get stressed, hasn't developed any (extra :p) stable vices, and is generally perfectly happy. Except sometimes at 6.30 when he doesn't want to get up.

In summer I appear whenever I appear lol ... and he generally ignores me and continues to stuff his face with grass.

We're moving yards next year though, and the one I'm hoping to move to has a very set routine, so we'll see if it affects him at all.
 
The components of our routine are fairly fixed - the times are not.

All our various horses over the years have seemed fine with this - they know they are going to be fed morning and evening, that riding usually happens in the morning, that they will be turned out during the day etc etc - it's just the exact time it happens that changes (though the little mare would very much prefer not to have to go out whilst it's still dark on a winter's morning!)
 
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