How many times a week do you think you should see your horse?

Enfys said:
How does it make you feel when your horse greets you? Or you have achieved something together? Or is just there for you when you feel down?

Why should it be any different for someone who can't see their horse as regularly as they'd like? :)
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Indeed!

I have been in the position for the last year of my horse being in the UK and me being In Holland (long story but he receives better all round care in the UK) I get to see him for a long weekend every two months.

I am lucky in that i trust my YO 150%, she is in constant contact with updates and I still feel very involved in his care and education.

Whenever I turn up for visits I get the "wuffle" and a big head hug, he knows very much who I am but I know that he is happy, well cared for and given a lot of attention by the grooms when I am not there. When I come for a weekend the yard staff back off completly and leave me too it which is very understanding of them.

I am looking forward to being back in the UK permantly in 8 weeks time and taking over his daily care again myself.

I would have loved to have been in the position of daily over the last year but unfortunatly it was not possible, I always kept going with the thought that it would not be forever but the thought of not bothering or it not being worth it never crossed my mind.
 
These threads are frustraiting, for some reason it always turns into an opportunity to have a pop at a full livery owner.

I think horses should always be checked twice a day, every day even on grass livery. Whether that be DIY, assisted DIY, part or full livery I don't really see how it makes any difference as long as the horse is getting good quality of care.
 
I am on assisted DIY, Yard does them in morning, owners do afternoon/night. Works well for me. I have a system with a friend, I do her boy 2 days and she does my girl 2 days. Works great for us and means we each get a few days off to spend with OH's.

I have no prob with full livery and have done it in past and would do it again given right yard!! As long as the horses are cared for I dont think they care who does it! As much as i would like to think my horse loves me, I know realisticly she loves Hay and feed!!!:(
 
As many or few times as you like! So long as your horses needs are taken care of it doesn't matter.
I like to see my horse everyday, but its not always possible.
 
To the people who say whats the point in having a horse on full livery if you don't see it. Why not, it doesn't mean that you love your horse anymore than they do by having it on DIY.

Sometimes peoples circumstances change and they no longer have the time to go to their horse twice a day, some people work long hours to afford a horse which means that they are time poor and want to make sure that the time they spend with their horses is quality time and that they are not rushing around mucking out and poo picking in the short time thay have rather than grooming/riding/generally spending time with their horses.

I bet most people with horses on full livery would love to have the time to have a horse on DIY but perhaps if they did the horse wouldn't get so much attention as is does on full livery with the owner visiting once a week.

I know that my ponies are happy where they are and I don't think they think "Oh where is Sayra, shes only visited me once this week, she must not love me". I can't afford to keep my pony on DIY, I have full grass livery for cheaper. Does that mean I should sell my April just because I can't see her every day? In the future my circumstances might change again and I could have my own land/stables, if that happend then words could not describe how I'd feel that I couldn't have April there with me, I'd feel like something was missing.

I have spent many an evening thinking, what is the point of me having April when I see her so rarely, but when I think of the alternatives I cannot imagine my life without her. She does not suffer or miss me when I don't see her. She is having a ball, out 24/7 with friends living the good life.


Sorry ended up a bit long!
 
I do mine twice daily, but as stated, providing the horse is well cared for by somebody I don't suppose they care if it is the person who paid the purchase price or not.

I can understand people with busy lives having a horse on full livery and not being able to see it every day, it's still better than having to ride at a riding school and you can compete or whatever when you want to.
 
I would never have a pop at anyone on full livery - that is what works for them, although it wouldn't for me. I am lucky enough to have the time to diy & I love it - others wouldn't
 
Really interesting replies. I personally think that to say that having a horse on full livery and seeing it once or twice a week is a waste of time, and you may aswell ride in a riding school once is a week is completely unfair and untrue. In a riding school you get 50 minutes to spend with horses a week. If you owned a horse on full livery you could spend the whole day with him if you wanted to and do whatever you wanted to with him (within reason :D). To me, it's very frustrating only being able to spend an hour with my favourite horse a week (I ride in an RS), and I would much rather own him and have him on full livery than not own him at all.
 
I am very lucky to be in a position to have my boy on full livery. It means I can see him what ever time of day I want and be with him without compromising the quality time I have with him for a shavings fork and a bucket.

I used to have him on DIY - I spent more time working for him rather than with him. It was madness. I was always in a rush to either muck out, sort feeds, stuff hay nets, turn out, poo pick - I imagined being able exchange all that time for just me and my boy. So I did.

Since I have been on full livery my relationship with my boy has strengthened ten fold. My riding has improved, my instructor says she has seen a real change in my riding and his trust in me. Its such a good feeling. I believe its because its all about me and him now rather than me, him and the workload.

When I go and see him now (usually about 4 times per week) I love the fact I can just spend hours grooming, riding or sitting with him in his field with a book whilst someone else does all the mucking out and preparation. Thank goodness I don't have to do that job anymore.

Full livery gives me freedom. It means I can have a life, see my friends, have the career I want, go shopping (usually for him!), take my husband out for lunch or toddle off on holiday at a moment's notice without having the rigmarol of finding someone appropriate to care for him in my absence or being committed with the burden of having to "return the favour."

For me, full livery is super. I would never go back to DIY.
 
I think the full livery bashing on this thread is a bit of jealousy, no? I mean how many other threads are the DiY'ers complaining about all the chores they have to do and wage time they have to get up in the morning!
 
It's worth tying your horse up outside the stable so it can see you mucking out and carrying stuff back and fore. It'll make him appreciate how much you do for him. :rolleyes:
 
I should see mine twice a day, every day - I'd be unhappy with less. I'm on DIY through choice (not finances) as I love all the daily care as much as the riding.

How many times do I think anyone else should see their horse? As often as they want to - assuming the horses's needs are taken care of by someone else if the owner isn't here.

I personally hate the idea of full livery - I'd only do it if I had no other option. But I have no issue with people who use full livery or even own a horse and see it rarely as long as horse is well cared for. Some owners are not riders afterall ;)

I do get mightily hacked off with the numpty's at my yard who fail to see their horse every day (we're totally DIY only) and leave it to chance that their horse isn't injured or hungry :(
 
If at DIY i would say twice a day, everyday, morning and evening. I personally wouldn't and haven't left any horse of mine for one morning or evening without seeing it-ever, unless on holiday etc when someone else also sees them twice daily. But maybe that's just me :) they can get up to all sorts of mischief!
 
thatsmygirl said:
I'm on diy livery so twice a day, I really don't see the point tbh with full livery if you don't deal to your own horse you might as well go to a riding school once a week. If I had to put mine on full livery I'd sell up, wouldn't see the point as to me it's not real horse ownership
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Oh what rot!

Mine is on livery because I work full time and she needs a regular routine. So she is entirely adequately cared for if I don't go down one week to the next. However I actually see her most days, because I love spending time with her, and because I want to keep her fit, improve her schooling etc etc.

Owning a horse on livery is totally different to going to a riding school, and to suggest it isn't is quite simply ridiculous. I am 100% responsible for my horse's schooling, fitness, etc and no one rides her without my say so, that is totally different from a riding school. I am responsible for deciding (if not implimenting) her feeding regime, not so at a riding school. I am responsible for deciding what tack she wears and getting it fitted, not so at a riding school. I can have the vet/physio/saddle fitter/dentist/farrier as and when I choose, not so at a riding school.

Plus if you go to a riding school you are riding under supervision and instruction and have to (at least to some extent) follow the instructors plan. With my own horse if I want to I can school or jump or hack or lunge or long rein or ride on a thursday instead of a wednesday.

Also in a riding school you will not consistently be riding the same horse all the time like you are with your own.

Having spent many years making do with lessons in a riding school I can tell you that no matter how good the riding school and instructor it is not the same to go to a riding school. My riding school was excellent, we were allowed to school with minimal input, we competed and went xc etc and whilst it taught me loads it isn't the same as owning my own horse.
 
There would be a lot of unemployed grooms if no one owned a horse unless they could look after it on DIY........

And a lot of homeless horses..........
 
I like the fact that daily mucking out in winter keeps me fit, but if I had stacks of money, I would be very tempted to pay someone else to do it. I'd still like to see my horse every day though - I just like being with him!
 
Waffles said:
It's worth tying your horse up outside the stable so it can see you mucking out and carrying stuff back and fore. It'll make him appreciate how much you do for him. :rolleyes:
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This is a good point.

However, if I was on DIY, I would imagine my boy watching me muck out and muttering...."sucker" whilst adding to my workload with a fresh steamy poo.
 
I like to visit twice a day every day, even if my mum/sis are on hols just cos i like to see him :D and he does seem to like it to; if i don't go up one day (mum will sort him) he all standoffish with me next day lol.

As someone else said though they do have to fit in sometimes, but don't seem bothered.

Moving to the yard Thursday so think i will be there all the time :) x
 
Mine is DIY so its twice a day 7 days a week (she needs medicating at both end of the day anyway) and yes, I do live a long way from the yard too but that is my tough luck. She is my responsibility. If you are on full livery you can go as little as you like in theory, but in which case, why spend £100s of pounds a month for something you have little interest in? You may as well donate the money to a horse charity and really benefit the horse world.
 
Wow. I'd never realised keeping mine on diy made me a better owner. I'm sure my horses must love me more because I clean their tack, muck out etc. Infact, i'm sure mine were out in the field the other day just filling up with love at the sight of me stacking the muck heap to empty their muck onto. Poor traumatised full livery horses!
 
Even if mine were on full livery id aim to see them once a day. I see mine once a day, sometimes twice. I prefer going twice but OH is the taxi service and i don't like to put him out.
I wouldn't have a horse if there wasn't a suitable yard close enough for me to see to them every day.
 
This is something that is close to my heart and annoys me!

Before I had the job I do now I could not have afforded a horse! I did have him on DIY to start but found that I spent my time poo picking, mucking out etc and had little time for riding. Plus the fact that when I finished work at 6am after a night shift, by the time I had done those jobs I was ready for nothing else except bed!

My job means that no I cannot turn my horse in the morning, unless people think it is acceptable for him to wait until mid day some days and other days be kicked out at 1am!

But it does mean I can keep him on full livery, run a lorry and cover the costs of everything else he needs.

I don't feel our bond has suffered one bit. He is treated extremely well by the yard and taken care of like one of their own. In fact I would go as far to say that he is spoilt! They have a groom there from 8am to 5pm catering to his every whim and owners live on site and he is checked again at 8pm. Rugs changed dependant on temp at that time, late evening snack of haylage etc.

He doesnt not care if I didn't clean his tack or muck him out! In an ideal world I would look after his every need and be lucky enough to have a well paid job that let me work the times and days I wanted. But in this financial climate I feel lucky to have my job and my horse.

It annoys me that people who are trying to do the best for their horse and paying a lot of money to achieve that are accused of not caring or having no interest in it.

Perhaps I should just rent a field and leave him out 24/7, waiting for me to turn up at random times to feed him? That would make me a far better owner as at least I'd be doing it all myself!
 
I have no problem with what type of livery other people use as long as the horse is well cared for. It's their money and their horse.

However - for me - I would only use DIY livery (unless Part livery was a short term thing). I have been on Part and Working in the past and I hated it, plus my chestnut mare (I only had her at that point in time) hated it too. For me, the looking after is more important than the riding, which is lucky as I've not had a sound riding horse for over a year (still don't infact :( ).
 
it depends on the time of year and where she is.

in summer when shes at home i see her anything from 2 to 10 times a day.

winter when shes on working livery the first winter i saw hwe on average 6 times a week.

this years winter livery on diy i saw her twice a day, sometimes once and sometimes 3 times.
 
I really don't think that it matters as long as the horse is well cared for, I've had my horse on Working livery, DIY and I am in the next month going to move him onto full livery. Moving him onto full livery in this case means that I can actually see him more often than I do at the moment as I will be able to ride whenever I am free to as everything else has been done already. My horse has been happy on all of these types of livery and I believe it is up to the owner to decide how often they want to go if the horse is being well looked after :)
 
fatpiggy said:
Mine is DIY so its twice a day 7 days a week (she needs medicating at both end of the day anyway) and yes, I do live a long way from the yard too but that is my tough luck. She is my responsibility. If you are on full livery you can go as little as you like in theory, but in which case, why spend £100s of pounds a month for something you have little interest in? You may as well donate the money to a horse charity and really benefit the horse world.
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Perhaps because you have enough of an interest in the animal to justify spending £100s a month on its welfare and wellbeing but not enough time to spend shovelling **** :confused: I don't spend vast sums of money on my horse because I'm not interested in her. I spend it because I am way to interested and committed to her to waste my valuable spare time mucking out when I could be riding, grooming or enjoying her company. And I care enough about her welfare to pay someone to meet her needs, so that she isn't suffering because I have a demanding job and the OH has his own business. Better that than a horse stressed due to lack of routine, or putting up with care being provided via unreliable return favours and sharers.
 
I'm on full livery and usually go up every second day to groom, ride and spend time with my mare. However, things have been manic at uni with essays and exams which meant I didn't get up at all last week. Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with it as long as she is well cared for.

I miss mucking out and the daily chores and I hate not being up everyday, but during exams I have no time and it's too far to travel every single day. We are moving the horses at the weekend to a yard just down the road from us. It means I can see my mare everyday and be able to go back to DIY. When it comes to exam time, my mum will take over her care for a week or so and I will return the favour when she is too busy with work.

It's all to do with individual preferences and circumstances. Some people aren't bothered about mucking out etc, some are. Some people don't have any help for when they are busy at work or uni, so have no option but to go on full livery. The horses safety and care is paramount, so as long as that is catered for then I don't see what the problem is.
 
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