How often do you ride? Those who work full time or have babies!

Mince Pie said:
I'd take her up on it, she gets a horsey fix and you might get a new friend out of it as well :)
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I would too, maybe she'd like to ride your boy too? Maybe she could look after the baby a couple of times a week and in return, you could let her ride a couple of days a week (maybe looking after her kids if she has one at home too?) that way you get to ride and he gets enough work.
 
I have 3.5 year old and 8 month old boys. I run a livery yard, so have about 30-45mins in the morning to do the horses and maybe 20 mins on an evening to do them. The rest of the time I'm looking after one or both children. I last rode back in August, and probably won't get to again this year. Pony is rather happy being a field ornament! I watch the horses out of the window all day, so get used to what they are like and can spot if there are any problems. I'll get riding properly again when my youngest starts nursery, but that won't be for a 2.5 years. I guess thats the sacrifice I have to make for having kids :)
 
I have a 20 month old and work full time, I ride 2/3 times in the week and both days at the weekend.
I have a very supportive husband who is around to look after the LO so on the days I ride during the week I go straight from work, he picks up from nursery, does dinner and bath time and I am normally back before bedtime (7.30pm). At the weekends again either he has the LO and they go off for a bike ride, see Nanny etc or they come with and he supervises whilst I deal / ride the horse.

You just have to do what you can and not stress about it, horses have no aspirations ! I would take you r friend up on the offer, and as annagain said above perhaps see if they would like to ride once or twice a week - win win situation !
 
I have a 2 yr old daughter and an older pony in a field I rent round the corner. My husband works 6 days most weeks and I work 3 days a week. I only have childcare for when I work so have my daughter with me all the time I am not at work. I have just turned my pony away for the winter, had his shoes taken off and am letting him get all hairy and muddy! Can't be doing with the guilt of not having enough time for everyone. He is happy just being a horse for the moment and I will reassess in the Spring. TBH I have pretty much lost my nerve since I had my daughter and without anyone else to ride with at the moment it is quite a weight off making the decision to have a break from riding.
 
LHIS said:
As a twenty-something who (I fear) is fast approaching motherhood, these stories don't do much to encourage me to venture down that path! :D sadly hubby doesn't seem to be satisfied with 'let just have dogs'!
You are all superwomen!
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Don't let it put you off lol!!! But be very prepared to have to compromise - of course it is worth it and children do grow up (quickly)! And the horses will still be there long after your kids don't want to be seen in public with you. But sometimes it is rather endless and bloody hard work and the patience of a Saint is required (and a good sense of humour!).

..a bit like having horses really :-)
 
carolineb said:
MEANT TO SAY... I know this feeling so well and I only have 1. Every day when we get home from work & nursery, I ask 3 year old if she wants to come and get horse in and poo pick,she says no so I leave her in front of CBeebies with a sandwich. I get half way round field before I hear small child screaming my name.

I shout back at her that I'm in the field, she continues to sob all the way down the drive to the field (it is only a matter of time before the neighbours call the social services I fear), I go and open the gate so she can come in, she follows me round finding the poo (great game) then complains her legs are tired (this is a 1.5 acre flat field). Chances are she will trip over a piece of grass cue more sobbing (getting wet knees is possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to her and requires a pretty much immediate change of clothes and a flood of tears). She will then run to the gate and no doubt pull it open and hit herself with it... more tears. Then I manage to get horse and wheelbarrow out of the field and start walking up the drive whereupon she will try and race us/the dog up the drive, fall flat on her face again and the world will pretty much end. It is possibly the most stressful part of my day.
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Snort - a lot, in fact loads - actually just spat my tea over my keyboard - I can see it all unfolding in glorious technicolour.

I have exactly the same, do you want to come? no! Fine, I'll go and you stay here. No. Stalemate! Dress child, agree to take 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits for her to play with, find bag to put them in, set off 30 yards to the stables. Check if needs a wee. No

Put hay in etc - go to get horses in. Are you coming? No, staying here to play with toys. 4 steps out of gate - Mummy wait for me, I wait, she dawdles, I shout, she remembers the 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits - of course they must come to the field they would be lonely. I refuse, tears.

Get headcollars on, get 2 out of gate - Mummy - I need a wee. You are kidding? No, I'm having an accident. Oh god, drop horses and pray they don't make a run for it - haul trousers down, arrange child, haul trousers up, rescue horses from various places and lead back to yard. Passed by small pony at flat out trot (she brings herself in) TEARS. Panic that pony has flattened child - drop horses again to fend for themselves, run back to field - Mummy, you didn't wait for me. Scoop up child, wipe tears and run back to yard to rescue horses again.

Make one last trip to field to rescue 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits which have been abandoned post wee.

Just another evening at the yard then.
 
I have 2 kids, one in school and one at home full time. I don't work. I ride twice during the week and have my in laws look after the kids and twice at the weekend while my husband looks after them. I have a friend ride my pony once a week and my trainer once a week. I find that he works best when he is worked 6 times a week. I don't hack out because I don't have the time as our trails are a decent ride away from our barn.
 
Doormouse said:
Snort - a lot, in fact loads - actually just spat my tea over my keyboard - I can see it all unfolding in glorious technicolour.

I have exactly the same, do you want to come? no! Fine, I'll go and you stay here. No. Stalemate! Dress child, agree to take 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits for her to play with, find bag to put them in, set off 30 yards to the stables. Check if needs a wee. No

Put hay in etc - go to get horses in. Are you coming? No, staying here to play with toys. 4 steps out of gate - Mummy wait for me, I wait, she dawdles, I shout, she remembers the 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits - of course they must come to the field they would be lonely. I refuse, tears.

Get headcollars on, get 2 out of gate - Mummy - I need a wee. You are kidding? No, I'm having an accident. Oh god, drop horses and pray they don't make a run for it - haul trousers down, arrange child, haul trousers up, rescue horses from various places and lead back to yard. Passed by small pony at flat out trot (she brings herself in) TEARS. Panic that pony has flattened child - drop horses again to fend for themselves, run back to field - Mummy, you didn't wait for me. Scoop up child, wipe tears and run back to yard to rescue horses again.

Make one last trip to field to rescue 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits which have been abandoned post wee.

Just another evening at the yard then.
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Oh lord I nearly had a Tena Lady moment myself! LOL!
 
I only get to ride at weekends in winter, as have no facilities / lights. I just try to get horse as fit as possible before the nights draw in, and then keep him out as much as possible. I generally try to hunt on Saturdays, hack on Sundays, and will take the odd afternoon off to give him some extra work. I will also do as much as I can during xmas holiday fortnight in an aim to boost fitness, because I do feel bad working him so hard at the weekend, then nothing all week.
 
I work full time and have a 1 year old baby. At the moment due to the dark nights I only ride at the weekend but try and lunge once or twice during the week - our arena isn't great and currently resembles a swimming pool but it's managable.

I don't compete anymore so don't currently need to have him fit enough for anything other than an hour or two hacking at the weekend. He's also living out unrugged with no feed other than a couple of pony nuts. I could keep him at a yard closer to home with better hacking and facilities but he's be stabled overnight in the winter which I'd prefer to avoid - plus it's more expensive!

It's not ideal and is very different to how I used to keep him pre baby but my hope is when the spring comes I'll start hacking out 3 times a week. I have struggled with the change but my horse doesn't give a hoot and isn't that fussed to see me on the few days that I manage up to see him (Y/O looks after him on the other days).
 
Work full time, have a 3 month old. I ride 3 times a week, and have someone who hacks him twice per week. Babies dad is at home though, so I can sneak off to the stables much easier!
 
5 times a week. Two children and work full time. One child rides anyway and even if she doesn't come with me both children are old enough to be left at home for an hour or so until my husband gets home.
 
Ridden three to four days a week and lunged once a week and I have a 7 month old baby girl. However I go back to work part time next Thursday and work irregular hours so I've no idea how it's going to work but I'll be dammed if I don't give it a go!

I normally have a sharer 3 days a week but she's had the last month off due to bereavement and I'm not sure if she'll pick it back up. You just have to pull up your socks and get on with it!
 
I work full time so either 8-4 or 9-5. On my 8-4 shift I ride in the evening and on my 9-5 I ride in the morning before work. I am to ride 5-6 days a week which includes schooling, hacking, lunging or free schooling.
 
Full time work, and I get 3-4 rides in a week, realistically. Occasionally a fifth. I take a long lunch break to go see the horse (and work late), but it means I can either squeeze a brief (40min) ride in, or do chores (poo pick). I try for 2 days riding during the work week, three if the weather plays nice (which it hasn't lately). Then I ride both weekend days, one of which is usually a lesson. No school or lights at the yard, so no option to ride in the evening and only hacking unless I travel to my trainer's yard.
 
carolineb said:
MEANT TO SAY... I know this feeling so well and I only have 1. Every day when we get home from work & nursery, I ask 3 year old if she wants to come and get horse in and poo pick,she says no so I leave her in front of CBeebies with a sandwich. I get half way round field before I hear small child screaming my name.

I shout back at her that I'm in the field, she continues to sob all the way down the drive to the field (it is only a matter of time before the neighbours call the social services I fear), I go and open the gate so she can come in, she follows me round finding the poo (great game) then complains her legs are tired (this is a 1.5 acre flat field). Chances are she will trip over a piece of grass cue more sobbing (getting wet knees is possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to her and requires a pretty much immediate change of clothes and a flood of tears). She will then run to the gate and no doubt pull it open and hit herself with it... more tears. Then I manage to get horse and wheelbarrow out of the field and start walking up the drive whereupon she will try and race us/the dog up the drive, fall flat on her face again and the world will pretty much end. It is possibly the most stressful part of my day.
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Doormouse said:
Snort - a lot, in fact loads - actually just spat my tea over my keyboard - I can see it all unfolding in glorious technicolour.

I have exactly the same, do you want to come? no! Fine, I'll go and you stay here. No. Stalemate! Dress child, agree to take 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits for her to play with, find bag to put them in, set off 30 yards to the stables. Check if needs a wee. No

Put hay in etc - go to get horses in. Are you coming? No, staying here to play with toys. 4 steps out of gate - Mummy wait for me, I wait, she dawdles, I shout, she remembers the 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits - of course they must come to the field they would be lonely. I refuse, tears.

Get headcollars on, get 2 out of gate - Mummy - I need a wee. You are kidding? No, I'm having an accident. Oh god, drop horses and pray they don't make a run for it - haul trousers down, arrange child, haul trousers up, rescue horses from various places and lead back to yard. Passed by small pony at flat out trot (she brings herself in) TEARS. Panic that pony has flattened child - drop horses again to fend for themselves, run back to field - Mummy, you didn't wait for me. Scoop up child, wipe tears and run back to yard to rescue horses again.

Make one last trip to field to rescue 36 plastic cows/pigs/sheep/rabbits which have been abandoned post wee.

Just another evening at the yard then.
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Hahahahaha! Completely empathise with you ladies, this is also me. My husband doesn't understand why I don't like taking small child and crazy dog to the field with me, everything just takes soooo much longer and is so stressful. My 2 year old is desperate to 'help', can't wait until she is big enough to be useful beyond stirring the feeds.
 
I work full time, have 4 horses (3 ridden) and am currently riding 5-6 times per week. I have helpers who come and ride with me to make sure that they all get exercised.

I'm normally done dusted and home for 7 when I ride during the week but that's only thanks to the fact that hubby is now mainly retired so does all the 'jobs' during the day - I literally just rock up and ride.
 
I have 2yo twins and work 3 long days (with commuting 6.45am - 7pm) but I still get to ride 4 days a week. The kids go to nursery the 3 days that I work but the other 2 weekdays they're with me so no sneaking off for a ride like a lot of other mums who work part time can.
It is definitely not easy and for me the key thing is to be on a yard with a floodlit arena. I have only ever considered yards with them otherwise the chances of me riding in the winter would drop to maybe once or twice - on the weekend. My horse thinks nothing of me arriving at 9pm to do a bit, or occasionally a 6am start just to mix it up!
The perpetual guilt of motherhood is something I still struggle with, I always feel like I'm failing at being a mum/horse-mum/employee/wife but I'm definitely trying my best so hopefully none of them hold it against me too much!
 
2 or 3 times a week if I'm lucky. No babies but I work full time and have a 1hr+ commute each way so I'm out of the house for about 12 hours a day Monday-Friday!

Jazz hasn't been ridden at all in about a month due to holidays, lost shoes and the weather :( hoping to get back on board at last this weekend.
 
abbijay said:
The perpetual guilt of motherhood is something I still struggle with, I always feel like I'm failing at being a mum/horse-mum/employee/wife but I'm definitely trying my best so hopefully none of them hold it against me too much!
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^^^ oh absolutely... this!
 
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