How do you balance work and horses?

Honestly I wouldn't do it in your shoes either! I work 30 hours/week in a local secondary school (only 20 mins commute) and have 3 school age children myself (10,15 and 17) and its bloody tiring and stressful. I have 1 retired coblet and a friends pony currently that has just finished his endurance season and "on his hols" keeping mine company. In the first 2 years we owned coblet (he was ridden then) he lived on a DIY livery yard that was a nitemare in winter as the yard had strict turnout and in times (basically 9am and 3pm) which I could never do so ended up paying loads to the yard owner! Then the past 10 months since his retirement he's been living out on grass livery at a friends and then just last week onto a field which basically means he's becoming more and more feral.

But my week looks like:
Mon/Tue/Fri - I go on my lunch break for an hour to feed, water , rug change, poo pick etc and then back in the evening after work to do the same again!
Wed/Thur - I get up at 5.30am to go 6-7am to get back to get the kids up and do the school run and then return at 3.30-4.30pm as I work half days.

I like to check them 2 x day but to be honest over the winter I may have to reduce it to once daily - I'm installing security cameras to keep a constant eye on them.
 
I work 7-5 with 2 at a sole use yard and also play rugby so train 7-9 tuesday and thursdays and games on sundays, plus i have 2 dogs and 2 cats. The yard is about 45 mins from work and 25 from home . My mum has one with mine so i do one end of the day and she does the other - if youre at a livery yard you may be able to find somewhere with other liveries that you can find a similar agreement with.

My average weekday is 4:30am - 10:30pm so very long days but i have found if i eat properly and look aftermyself i still have loads of energy :) Its dooable working full time but is a lifestyle. In the winter i only really ride on weekends, but i just enjoy being around them so dont mind not being able to ride weekdays
 
Diy on 24/7 turnout in the summer but if you can’t make it down a day or two they live on sight so will call if horse in any bother
Go to part livery in winter still 24/7 turnout but they’ll take in and muck out on the odd time the weather is in a warning level and will check on them days I can’t make it
I also have someone exercise them 3 days a week so i can organise meetings in the evenings during week (due to people in different time zones) and have a day off now and then
 
I work until 6pm and get to the horses for half 6. They live out all year round, someone does checks in the morning as there's others there anyway. You'd be fine in the summer months if you went straight from work and got there for 7pm. If I ride, I'll poo pick the following day instead just to save time so I don't get home ridiculously late.

I book off half days for farrier, vets, etc.

No riding after work in winter as no school and no lighting so only weekend riding but we make do.

No reason why it couldn't work if you found a similar shared set up where someone can do morning checks for you.
 
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The only way I can have a horse is have him on full livery. I work from home most of the time, but I have a very full on and stressful job. My horse is only 5 mins from home, but I have the school run to do, and don’t finish work until 6pm every day. I still ride about 5 days a week and compete most weekends.


I do resent the cost, but it’s the only way I can make it work and still have a life. I am happier poorer and with my horse, than no horse with cash in the bank.
 
I’ve been on full livery with my daughters pony for the last few years, got so fed up with sub standard care despite paying a fortune! I was doing it all myself bar the morning turnout… anyway I’d exhausted all the full livery options within 15 mins or so of mine, they were all the same..promised the world but once you were there it was a very different thing.

I’ve now gone onto DIY, I am currently at a yard 30 mins away which is just too far, mine has been out 24/7 all summer so it’s been ok, but come winter it’s just too far when you add on top my commute to work on the days I go in and the school run etc..all opposite directions!

Im moving to a friends yard which is 8 mins away and basically DIY but she is going to do the morning feed and turnout for me. I’ll do the rest. I’m hoping it will be the perfect compromise…I can get back to the yard before it’s dark in the winter..just, but she can get her in for me if I’m stuck.

Are there any assisted DIY options? Or the other thing I considered was getting a freelance person to go in for me once a day etc. could you afford that? Perhaps split the time with another livery? It’s really hard in the winter!
 
HopOnTrot said:
Three hours a day commuting?
Move house or job?
Click to expand...

This..

I use to have 2 horses on DIY with a 9-5.30pm job, although only a 30 minute commute I always finished late and it was a draining customer facing role.

I took a gamble, applied for a role on less money as an apprentice in a totally different career path. The reduced wage hit me a bit but 4 years on I work from home 3-4 days a week and have flexible working hours.

My work life balance is SO much better. I’m so glad I took the jump. If having a horse is really important (and you only live once, right?) I think you need to change something
 
I had 2 at my own place and worked a usual 8-4/9-5 job. No kids at that time do it was doable but hard. I had to sell my ponies when my son came along as then husband was not helpful.

I soon ditched the husband and retrained as a midwife. I now work long night shifts which means my days are free to play ponies and it is truly delightful!

I don’t think I could do your situation again as a single parent with a primary aged child, it’s really hard!
 
I don't try to. I've accepted that Monday to Friday is all about work, but I enjoy it and it pays for the horses. With your commute you need some sort of full livery, whether a conventional livery yard or full grass livery. On days I'm in the office I leave home before 7 and get home after 7, so all of mine not kept at home are on full livery and those in work are ridden only once or twice midweek. Weekends are horse focused.
 
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