How long do you spend at the yard ??

Shysmum

Shysmum

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Ok, I admit I don't work full time, so am very lucky to be able to spend a very long time with my Shy...... I was told today that he is a very pampered pony, who else spends three/four hours at a time at a yard with their horse.. I was extremely flattered, but a bit flummoxed - is it just me ?????. It is sadly true tbh that other peeps at the yard who even tho they work part time are part of the "chuck out/chuck in brigade", but where the hell is the fun in that ???

So that set me thinking, and tbh, I think there are a hell of a lot of us that, on days off and time allowing, would almost live at their yard with their horse/pony ? Give me a camp bed, and in times of illness for Shy, I'd move in no probs. I live in hope of my own house with a paddock *sigh*...

So how long do you manage to spend at the yard ?? I know for most of us it ain't enough time however long we can manage. And does it mean as much to you as it does to me (i.e. virtual sanity ? ) Am I going slightly mad ?

sm x
 
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usually I just chuck out and feed in the mornings - I don't do getting up early! But in the eves I toodle about for hours, often don't finish until 8.30 - 9pm in summer - the yard is very flexible though, no silly opening times as it's a working farm and summer is pretty full on, I ride out with YO and we go for lots of long hacks, so I'm up there 3-4 hours in the eves, in winter it's 1-2 hours - I don't understand the lob in and go brigade either??
 
I have Jasper on part livery, so they do him 5 days a week, I do him the other 2 (usually weekends). I work quite far away from home so I don't get to do much with him in the week, but I do pop in to see him for a cuddle and a carrot at the very least. Weekends are a different story, I'm up the yard pretty much all day if possible!
I've got next week off work too, so I'll be up there all the time!
xx
 
Depends on what hours im working and time of year etc.

If its my day off and its summer time then literally all day long, morning till sundown :)
 
faaaarrrrr too long considering I never seem to get anything achieved at home!!!

Even a 'quick' visit is an hour.....!
 
Yup, a friend of mine works extremely long hours, but she spends every second she can with her old girl. Yet another girl at the yard has three crackers, works sporadically, and does nothing but the chuck in and out.

I have to admit I love my pony a bit tooooooooo much.. (blush).

Takes all sorts I guess.
 
i spend about an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening whether working or not :) always more if i'm riding of course. i do have 3 and they are all spoilt!
 
In the morning i chuck them out and muck out then go straight home, on evenings i spend an hour minimum, now its getting lighter i could be there from 3-7 or 8.On weekends i spend all day there unless i have any other plans :)
Im studying atm so i have a lot of spare time
 
When i had my boy he was on diy, in the winter i would be there for about 45mins before work. The yard brought him in at night, i would only go up if rding usually 2/3 times during the week and spend 2 hours there. At weekends i was able to spend much more time there. However i also have a demanding full-time job, a family who aren't interested in horses and a social life so it is a matter of getting a balance.
 
I work full time teaching and I spend 1 - 3 hours every day after work depending on what time I get out of work and if and how long I ride. My OH expects me home around 7 each day. Sometimes I call in on a morning before work to put out, depending on my friend's shifts.
At weekends and holidays it's all morning, I'm expected home at lunchtime. He goes surfing as often as he can while I'm with my horse, so it works out well.
 
Far far too long although I thought about this a lot recently as my horse was lame and on box rest. I found I could spend just as long with her as I would riding and I was surprised to notice the amount of people who do the basics and run. First of all I thought maybe I should get a life and then I thought actually this is my life. I love spending time with my horse and doing yard duties. It's outdoors, it's healthy and it keeps me fit.
 
Occasionally I do have to do a flying visit, if we are going out or something but normally I'm there for 45 mins to an hour each morning before work, mucking out, doing feeds etc. I ride every day so spend about 2 hours there after work during the week then at weekends around 3 hours each morning and about 30 mins in the evening.

I do have a very understanding husband who is very good at not moaning about the amount of time I spend down there. I too try to get home by lunchtime at the very latest at the weekend so we get a little time together :D
 
I'm really lucky, I live 15 miles from the stables, but they are on my parent's land. I share them with my sister (although she's still at uni 300miles away!). Whilst Ro is away my parents do her share of the care, and OH and I do ours, and when she's back she does extra. This means that over the winter my parents do chuck out/bring in, skip out and feed, pick out feet and quick groom. they do this monday, wednesday, thursday, and then friday morning. OH and I do Tuesday, friday evening, saturday and sunday. In the summer OH or I are up there most evenings to ride, and Ro does the mornings etc.

My parents admit they do the bare minimum, but I don't really mind as neither horse is fussy or difficult. They are both happy if they're fed and warm, anything else is a bonus. I spend about 3 hours min with them when its our turn, and we'll happily do extra when we can or if my parents can't for any reason.
 
I agree I love my boy way too much too! I work 12 hour shifts so the days i work i dont get long with him but that leaves me 4 whole days every week to pamper him!!! Have had this week off and have been up the yard at least 6 hours every day. . . . . Although he has just been geled so this is my excuse!!!. . . . (not that i needed one really!!)

:)
 
I'm there for about an hour a day in the week after work but easily spend 3 hours a day on weekends. I have a very understanding hubby who spends his Sundays fishing most weeks and I don't complain. I could say plenty about the amount of time he spends on his hobby so he tends not to say anything :p :D
 
my time is varied, if the weather is nice i can spend all day finding things to do up the yard, if the weathers horrid then i dont. lol

Dont really spend anytime with them on a week day at the moment as working full time, and its dark by the time i finish work. The other lady with a pony at mine hays and waters them, so i dont need to as they live out.

I will go and hay etc if she is busy though..... torch in one hand.... hay in the other lol
 
It's hard to be judgemental of the time people have to spend with their horses without knowing their personal circumstances. Years ago, I was young free and single and like you spent every hour with the horse - totally pampered - Even when I met and moved in with my OH I spent hours each night after work and practically all day Sat and Sun - because time allowed and we didn't have any other priorities ...

Now life is very different in that we have several businesses to run, a toddler and another baby on the way so I physically can't spend all the time I'd like to with the horses - However, on a plus side, we've moved so that we've got them living at home with us, so any free available time I have I'm there! :)
Kate x
 
Mon-Fri A.M. is 45 mins muck out and turn out before work. P.M. about 2 hours as some of that may be riding. Weekends it's longer - usually 8.30-12 noon (longish hack, muck out etc) and 1.5/2 hours in the evening again, evening at weekends is just spending time with the boy, grooming, chilling and relaxing (both of us!).
 
In the winter and at the moment i keep one horse at a DIY livery and the other one lives out at home. I work full time so on the days i work i do the one at livery on the way to work at 6.30 every morn for about 40 mins. then i spend an hour or so in the evenings (he's on box rest so not being ridden at the moment). On my days off i spend half a day with my pony at home (my mum does him when im working as its dark at the moment when im home and we have no electricity in the barn) and the other half with marco on the livery yard. I definately spend more time than anyone else at the yard, sometimes its a bit embarrassing when others arrive after me and leave before me, also i think the YO thinks i like spending time with him, lol, but i just love my horses and they always look so happy to see me, and i think thats what makes it so worthwhile. I admit though, my social life takes a bit of a back seat to the horses, which is a bit sad, but my life is horses and i meet alot of people through having horses!

In the summer marco comes home, and i spend ALL day on my days off with them and im out with them till dusk when im working.
 
I love spending time with mine, I must admit that during the week it is a quicker time than at the weekends, when I spend hours just being there, not necessarily riding or working but just spending time with them, either in the stable or field. I work full time, so they can live in the manner in which they have been happy to become accustomed to!
 
Generally in the evenings after work anything from 2 hours onwards usually 2 1/2 - 3 but can often be longer if I ride. I'm quite slow at doing my jobs though and often chat to people inbetween. Unless I'm going out somewhere.
 
Because i am at school in the week and my dad does him for me i spend as much time as i can with him at weekends :)
Saturdays i normally get there at about 9:30 and wont leave until about 2, after riding, mucking out, washing etc. for sunday.
Sundays i normally compete so with him all day :D
Holidays i am up there a lot of the time, more so in the summer!
 
Depends how much time I have. At the moment time is a bit short as my dissertation is due on Thursday and I have various other essays to write before April 1st so I balance my time between uni and the horses. Some days can be 2 hours to get everything brought in, fed, hayed etc, other days I can spend the whole day up there pottering about :)
 
I have this theory that there is 'normal' time, ie any time spend away from the yard, and 'yard time' where time is suspended and an hour feels like 10 mins, two hours feels like 30 mins and so on....lol. My OH now understands that when I say I'm off to the yard for a couple of hours it means he's making his own tea...lol
 
I am a foster carer so I have my week days free and hubby takes charge at on Saturdays in the mornings so I can still ride etc. He plays football on a Sunday morning so I get little helpers about 9am, so sometimes only manage to ride just one.

I get up the yard for about 7.30, hubby gets kids off to school, (school days) then I muck out one whilst they both munch on some haylage, then I ride one, let her out, then ride the other. That is usually around 10 ish, then I do all the mucking out, waters, feeds etc and I usually get home between 11.30 - 12.
Obviously its earlier if I only ride one or dont ride at all.
I go back up later for about an hour to fetch in, groom, put pyjamas on etc. So a lot of my time is spend up the yard too. :-)
 
I think the concensus is that, time allowing, we all love being up the yard as much as we can ?!! I'm a faffer as hubs so nicely puts it, but I have to admit, being around horses, messing about, the routine of it and riding keeps me sane. Really interesting !
 
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