how the flip do you stay motivated

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impresario08

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Dark both ends of the day and I have no school lights. My boy has been in and out of hospital for the past year due to soundness issues. Long story short he is now ok to ride. However I am really struggling to find the time and motivation to ride - it's dark and cold! Trying to balance riding with a full time job, part-time degree and an other half, plus the gym once a week to try and support a back injury is quite intense.

Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom?
 
Honestly it's just a case of doing what you can when you can! I work full time and frequently have to travel with work, alongside having a young baby. The mornings are slightly easier now the clocks have changed but I frequently use my lunch break for a quick ride and get out hacking as much as I can so horsey doesn't get stale. I try and plan the odd thing here and there to have something to aim for- clinics, competitions etc- depends on whether you have transport or not though really!
 
It is bloody hard I know. I can only give sympathy. My friend and I both ride my horse which helps to keep her going, but we have lights in the school. This is the worst time of year I think... Shortest day 21st December, maybe keep that in mind!

Last winter I used to get up really early to ride before work. It was hard at first but I got used to it and had light a bit more then. It doesn't do for everyone, any chance it could work for you?
 
If he is only just coming back after soundness issues then to my mind you either have to do a proper fitness plan to get them fit, which would mean exercising as many days a week as possible with the length and intensity increasing gradually, weekends are not enough and may do more harm than good depending on what the issues were, or give up even trying and wait until the new year when you can build up properly.
It may not suit your horse to be completely out of work but may be better than a hit and miss approach, it often does no harm to give them a complete break, you both come back with a fresh attitude.
 
It's nearly 2 pm & I still don't think my feet have warmed up after feeding at 7am :-(

My old boy needs to go out for a potter 3 times a week & yesterday gave me 'a look' when he saw the saddle. Should have listened to him - there was sleet.

I'm coming back in my next life as a cat. Sleeping from Nov - March by a fire sounds a good option right now.
 
It is the shortest day in 5 weeks, we have had the most amazing October and OK, it is cold now but it is dry and no mud.

I do know what you mean though !, I am starting my 40th winter of keeping horses, but just think how lucky we are to have these wonderful creatures in our lives. I have to admit having been so very ill and getting better I now view life differently and am just pleased to be able to get up, go out, get cold and spent time with my special animals.

Stay positive, soon be Spring.
 
AdorableAlice said:
It is the shortest day in 5 weeks, we have had the most amazing October and OK, it is cold now but it is dry and no mud.

I do know what you mean though !, I am starting my 40th winter of keeping horses, but just think how lucky we are to have these wonderful creatures in our lives. I have to admit having been so very ill and getting better I now view life differently and am just pleased to be able to get up, go out, get cold and spent time with my special animals.

Stay positive, soon be Spring.
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I am very surprised (pleasantly) by the lack of mud!
 
be positive said:
If he is only just coming back after soundness issues then to my mind you either have to do a proper fitness plan to get them fit, which would mean exercising as many days a week as possible with the length and intensity increasing gradually, weekends are not enough and may do more harm than good depending on what the issues were, or give up even trying and wait until the new year when you can build up properly.
It may not suit your horse to be completely out of work but may be better than a hit and miss approach, it often does no harm to give them a complete break, you both come back with a fresh attitude.
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I thought this when I read your post, OP.

Personally I find it easier to stay motivated when starting a rehab/fitness regime because I know how important it is that I just get it done. The necessity means I don't even question whether i feel like doing it or not.
But if you don't think you can commit to it, then perhaps it's best to wait it out and try again in the spring.

I'm frustrated this time of year because we don't have lights in the school but I'm really motivated, I have training aims for the weeks before xmas and competitive aims in the new year and that's what keeps me going through the winter :)
 
If you do the fitness work now, by the spring you will be able to enjoy long hacks or shows- whichever you prefer. I like to have aims, it keeps me going in the dark and the mud. Also there are no horse flies.. This makes me happy. Winter is tough but it has its perks.
 
How do I stay motivated? I don't; I "have" to ride all summer as that is part of my job and the horses have to be prepared and ready to perform weekly. In the winter I like to keep them ticking over, do the real training and advancements as and when they are ready, but I do that when the weather allows/the mood takes me/the planets align, so not a lot (in reality this works out at about 4 rides a week, but I like to think it's more relaxed than that).
 
I don't. 30 years of winter and horses and I still get through it by the skin of my teeth. I hate dark. My body doesn't cope well with cold as I have an abnormally low body temperature (35.1- I'm a medical mystery!). I force myself to ride as many times a week as I can, but I could gladly hibernate from November to March.
 
I motivate myself by getting up at 5am to feed, turnout and muckout before getting to work at 8am, it feels great knowing that I can leave at 4, and all I have to do is bring them in and do something with them, be that riding or just grooming and having a cuddle. We have school lights though, I don't think I'd get any riding done except at weekends without them. Could you ride by very bright headlight or buy some portable lights for the school? One of my yard mates hacks out in darkness with a headtorch but I'm too scared of not seeing rabbit holes etc.
 
I often really don't feel like riding when it's cold and miserable but I find as long as I get into the swing of riding almost everyday it becomes easier I plan whatever I am going to do the whole week and really try and stick to it, if I constantly have long periods of not riding I find it so much harder to get back into it, and I like to keep them ridden over winter in preparation for the shows in spring so I have that in the back of my mind.
 
I have a lovely rider to hack my horse out 2 or 3 times a week for me to keep him fit for me to hunt at the weekend. So I don't have to try to ride in the dark, as have no area or lights. Weather has been fab so far though, it feels more like the end of the summer to me, than well into November! Haven't had to start mucking out yet :-)
 
impresario08 said:
thanks all :)
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I'm in (kind of) the same boat. It's really tough, I'm struggling with the degree work at the moment. I do almost no horsey activities because my back is so bad, but go to work, do what I can with him, usually walk one or two dogs and try to study during lunch and in the evening. Currently I'm procrastinating and finding it really hard to get into it. I'm just so tired all the time at this time of year.
 
I lost my riding horse last Spring and have barely ridden since. I have my old retiree to look after, and I love it.

I didn't miss it during the summer and I sure as heck don't miss it this time of year. The pressure is off. I care for my oldie (he's spoilt) and have found another hobby to pursue which doesn't involve the cold and wet. I have had horses since the 1970's so have 'paid my dues!'

If I still had my little horse I'd be finding it mighty hard to get motivated too. I'm tempted, when my oldie is no more (hopefully not for many more years) to rescue another non-ridden.

So the answer to your question, OP, is that I don't need the motivation and it's great!
 
I don't know if you've heard of Wilberry Wonder Pony but Hannah's struggle to live life to the full against the odds and her never ending positivity has given me a permenent kick up the backside. Every time I think I can't be bothered to ride, I now think "I'm so lucky I can" and give a wee look up to the sky and thank her.
 
FfionWinnie said:
I don't know if you've heard of Wilberry Wonder Pony but Hannah's struggle to live life to the full against the odds and her never ending positivity has given me a permenent kick up the backside. Every time I think I can't be bothered to ride, I now think "I'm so lucky I can" and give a wee look up to the sky and thank her.
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^^This! I was fortunate enough to chat regularly with Hannah and I miss her a lot.
 
This year Im at home for our first winter. I've no school .. installing solar lighting frantically at the stables ... and I've taken the pressure off and I only ride at the weekend now. I do poo pick in the mornings which is rather refreshing!

I have found I'm more keen to ride, in fact I cant wait to get in the saddle come the weekend and off we go for a little hack, its lovely ... but its dry so this 'lovely' could potentially change, lol
 
I just accept that I can't ride over winter so it takes the pressure off, luckily my lot will be absolutely fine when I pop back on in spring, I just couldn't ever keep a horse that needed to be kept in work, we have no lights and grass paddock is way too slippy to ride in when it rains
 
FfionWinnie said:
I don't know if you've heard of Wilberry Wonder Pony but Hannah's struggle to live life to the full against the odds and her never ending positivity has given me a permenent kick up the backside. Every time I think I can't be bothered to ride, I now think "I'm so lucky I can" and give a wee look up to the sky and thank her.
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Quite, you never know what is around the corner, one life, live it.
 
FfionWinnie said:
I don't know if you've heard of Wilberry Wonder Pony but Hannah's struggle to live life to the full against the odds and her never ending positivity has given me a permenent kick up the backside. Every time I think I can't be bothered to ride, I now think "I'm so lucky I can" and give a wee look up to the sky and thank her.
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I couldn't agree more
 
FfionWinnie said:
I don't know if you've heard of Wilberry Wonder Pony but Hannah's struggle to live life to the full against the odds and her never ending positivity has given me a permenent kick up the backside. Every time I think I can't be bothered to ride, I now think "I'm so lucky I can" and give a wee look up to the sky and thank her.
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^As others have said, this is a huge inspiration

I'm lucky in that we have a good school with good lights and i'm not on full DIY - so don't suffer too much but its just the dark, i only seem to see daylight at lunchtime and if i pop to the shop, the lack of sunshine make me extremely tired and i often feel like i cant be bothered to ride - but i think of the aims i have for next year and plan a few comps or lessons in and try to stay on track.

I dont think anyone enjoys winter with horses, but stay focussed on the spring, its just around the corner! Christmas/ shortest day is in 6 weeks, and the year before last we turned the horses around mid March so that makes it slightly easier to bear!
 
FfionWinnie said:
I don't know if you've heard of Wilberry Wonder Pony but Hannah's struggle to live life to the full against the odds and her never ending positivity has given me a permenent kick up the backside. Every time I think I can't be bothered to ride, I now think "I'm so lucky I can" and give a wee look up to the sky and thank her.
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this made me cry! *sob* so true...
 
This time of year stresses me out, trying to keep a horse fit enough for weekend outings, when working all day and its dark both ends of the day, no school, no lights :(

on the flip side, do you have to ride? if he has had soundness issues, does he need bringing in to work now or will a few months off over the worst part of winter do him any harm?
Sometimes I think whats the harm in a gentle weekend pootle round the village and the week off?
But then reality hits and i want to do galloping across the countryside at the weekend so back to the original issue!
 
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