How often do you see your horse?

AShetlandBitMeOnce

AShetlandBitMeOnce

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2015
Messages
7,134
Visit site
This is more geared towards those on part and full livery, how often do you see your horse?

I am on 5 day part, so I see him every weekend AM & PM, but during the week I have 1-2 evenings where I don't see him, be it that I have after work plans or I am on an in-office day where my commute can be 1-2hrs each way traffic dependent, and I am constantly worrying about it! Whether I am not doing enough, or guilty for not having that desperation to go see him after work some days when I am just knackered, or its grey and overcast and drizzly and I just want to go home, or indulge in another hobby as I have a few interests.. I have a couple weekends away coming up and I am honestly feeling like the worst mother in the world!
 
Horses don't care. I see mine on average about 4x per week as I'm not currently working. When I was in work, I tried for 4x per week but didn't always happen. If I had to be in the office, there was no chance as it takes about 1.5 hours one way depending on if I could time the switches well. I'm about to move to assisted DIY which means I will see him every day but won't mean he will do "work" (his version of work) every day.
 
When I was on full livery (until last week), I would go both weekend days and at least once during the week during summer.

Don’t beat yourself up. There was the odd week I wouldn’t go down at all. As long as your horse is being kept well (which I have no doubt he is) - he doesn’t mind!

Sometimes life gets in the way, or we just feel pooped at the end of the day. That is the luxury of part or full livery - ultimately.
 
They’re currently at home, so at least twice a day. If I’m not at work, then more like five times a day.

When boy was on full livery, it was more like two/three times a week. Sometimes work just gets in the way.
 
Not sure how helpful this will be as our situations are very different, but I see my boy (older boy on full grass/retirement livery, not in ridden work) 1-2 times a week. Could probably squeeze another day in but that would mean travelling on trains 7 days a week which I just don’t have the energy to do.

I do feel guilty about it - every once in a while he stands by the gate watching me go and it’s all I can do not to start sobbing - but the rational side of my brain says it’s better to have less visits weekly, where you can spend really quality time together, than more visits where every visit is rushed because you’re tired/stressed/got a lot of work to do.

As other people have said, as long as their needs are met, horses don’t need us. They spend more time with their herd than they do with us anyway, even if you’re there 7 days a week. God knows my boy would be far more upset if his best friend left the herd than if I never showed up again.
 
2 at home daily
2 at livery just weekends but with longer evenings more opportunities
Have someone riding one during week to keep her fit so she does 4 days riding
All out 24/7 so they happy munching
 
When my pony was on part livery I went X2 weekend days, X1 three days a week with 2 days a week off as I had late meetings.

Now she's DiY grass and I still do similar but I split it with another livery who works part time so I do evenings and she does mornings. I think I would honestly be exhausted doing more and wouldn't honestly enjoy it or ride any more than I do now unless she lived in the garden.
 
Daily. He’s on DIY livery with 24hr turnout, shares a field with one other. One of us does each end of the day, sort of, so they’re checked twice a day. If either of us is away we pay the local freelancer to do check, poo pick etc.
 
When they are at home, at every available opportunity. If I'm working from home (not very often unfortunately) then I'm out there every couple of hours whenever I have calls I can take on the phone or whenever I take a break. Otherwise definitely 5am, 7.30am then when I get home so that's either 6ish or 10ish. I always say good night before I go to sleep even if it's midnight because I love the quiet and the munching noises. If they are in the field then I blind them with my torch. They must love me.

When they are on livery, twice a week at least.
 
When he was on part/full livery it was most days so 5-6 times a week usually, sometimes 4.

Now I'm on DIY (but use a freelancer) it's usually 1-3 times a day. In the next week or so I won't see them one day a week due to work hours (unless an emergency crops up, of course).

I don't mind 2 visits (3 visits in Spring/Summer, often) a day in the week - as I WFH it's a natural break between work time & home time and still plenty of time to do other stuff - but I struggle with 2 visits at the weekend as it becomes difficult to juggle non-horsey life so very grateful to have found decent freelance help.

Don't feel guilty (as long as your not asking him to do more than he's fit for when you do go, which I'm sure you are not), it's why part/full livery and freelancers exists :)
 
Last edited:
When my horses were on full livery and I was working full time, I went down 5 days per week. Not always to ride, sometimes just to say hello. I hated not seeing them everyday, even though I knew they were being looked after!
Now that I am semi retired they are on DIY only 7 minutes away. I go down twice a day.
 
Mare is on part livery, so I see her 4 times a week. She is done fully 3 days a week and mornings on the other 4, so I just go up on those afternoons.
 
When I was on full livery I would do both weekend days, unless something else came up, and probably 3 times during the week.
 
On part livery but I pay for exercise 3 times a week. Because of my parents health issues I need to spend time helping them either in person at least one weekend a month plus remotely after work including evening telephone calls to to help with mum's loneliness as well as online shopping.

Normally I go 3 times a week. Once after work plus the weekend if not at my parents at the weekend. On weekends where I am at my parents I go twice after work. It takes me an hour and half on a good day after work to get to the yard on public transport.

When I had Homey and my parents were in better health I went to the yard 3 times after work plus the weekends. I exercised him myself. However since my mum became unwell which was the day after I got Bert I have been using my savings to help pay my instructor to exercise Bert 3 times a week and I exercise 1 to 3 times depending on if I am at my parents or not. I am physically and mentally exhausted and if I go to the yard after work I don't get back till 10.30 at night which is too late to call mum. My sister calls mum every morning as her boss lets her do this and I try and call mum as often as possible in the evenings.

My parents have a carer in every week day. Mum hates Dad so she doesn't want to interact with him if possible. She gets depressed and lonely.
 
Mines on 5 day part but I go down every day to sort his feeds at least, as I’m ocd about it 😭 so he gets a groom and a cuddle while I’m there, though I don’t always work him.
 
The two out competing, one I see usually twice a week. The other generally only at competitions, sometimes the occasional training session.

My other non ridden ones, every day
 
I'm so glad you posted this and to see the replies from people on full and part livery! It's been on my mind with current loan horse and with looking to buy my own.

At the moment I am doing three days (Fri - Sun) with loan horse.

The yard is 40 mins drive each way so before and after work in the week isn't practical with standard 9-5 hours, but I'm looking at doing a late shift once a week to be able to go in the morning then start work at lunchtime.

ETA - I hope in time I could have a horse much closer to home but current set up has advantages which work well for now.
 
When I was full livery and working I went both mornings at the weekends and Tuesday and Thursday mornings or evenings before or after work.
.
 
Full livery and we go every day, sometimes twice a day! 😂 we live 5 mins away…there are no DIY options near us and I need the full services most of the time as I work quite a distance so would struggle to do turnout before work etc. I would probably be better with part livery and may move to that at some point, there isn’t a lot of difference price wise though and I like the certainty of not having to go up in the morning/evening if we have something going on
 
I see them all the time! They are at home and I work from home most of the time.
Weirdly I find that quite stressful sometimes. I feel pressure to be constantly making sure they are ok/happy/ have hay or are the right temp…. The list is endless.
My retired two are on DIY turned out 24/7. I see them twice a day and actually think I prefer that!
 
Mine are on multiple yards. How often I see them depends on how close they are, whether they are on full livery and whether they are in work. I usually see the ones that are on full livery close to home and in low key work 3-4 times a week. Some weeks they don't get ridden but they seem pretty happy with life.
 
Twice a day during the week - before and after work. Weekends I tend to be around all day…. So technically once (but I just don’t leave!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top