Is it possible to work long hours with commuting AND have a horse?

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Echo24

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I currently work shifts but am hoping to get a new job in London. I'm in the process of looking for a horse share and I'm worried I won't be able to find any suitable shares as I will get home too late to get down to the yard, (especially with winter on the way) and don't think I will get to ride at the weekends as I understand the owner would want to ride then. So I was wondering for all you horse owners out there who work long hours during the week, what do you do with your horse? Do you have your horse on full livery during the week and only ride at the weekend? Or do you ride very early in the morning and late in the evening when you get in?
 
You really shouldn't have a problem.

It is however, different when you have your own horse. i.e if you have one now, then you MAKE it all hapen, as you have to.

I would just try and find something suitable and by that I mean, find a sharer who doesn't want to ride weekends. Lots don't, as they may want to be with family or have other commitments etc. So trying to find somewhere that will fit into what you have free is the key, as opposed to trying do 'the norm' and then making that work.

Goodluck.x
 
I dont see it as a problem. I dont finish work until a minimum of 6pm each night (work in London also), so the earliest I can see my horse is about 7.30pm. As long as you have the motivation and where the horse is kept has the right facilities, you should be fine.
 
I used to share and neither of the owners wanted to ride both days of the weekend!

The first one the lady was a pub manager so weekends were her busiest time, the other was an a-level student who had a saturday job and I used to ride saturday so she didn't have to come down and then one week day evening. I didn't used to get to the yard until 7pm on my night but as he was on Part Livery (mornings done) and they had an indoor school it worked fine.

I still have a big commute and when I find my own I'll have it on part livery so I don't have to worry too much.
 
Yes! It is possible, although sometimes you will think you are mad trust me! I would say if you don't already have set horsey commitments then that is even better as you can adapt your horsey activities to suit.

I work a lot of hours and in my job now I travel a lot so can be away for a few days at a time. My horse is now on full livery but I used to manage on DIY perfectly well with a stressful job and over an hours commute each way. Just got up early to do chores and rode in evenings.

Now I usually ride late-is (about 8-9pm) and it suits me fine as the yard is a little quieter and we have a well lit school.

It really is all very do-able if you are willing to have what some people will thinkis a bit of a strange routine! Makes me happy though and my horse is perfectly happy too!

Hope that helps!

PS Where are you looking to share as I am also currently toying with the idea of getting a sharer for my boy?
 
Thanks for the replies guys! I shared a horse last year on a small yard near Hertford and one lady worked in London and would come up to ride at around 7pm and some people thought it was a bit late and rather strange! I think if I ever have enough money to get my own horse I would keep it on full or part livery as I don't think I have enough time to skip out and ride too! Simplynotenoughhours!: I live near Harlow/Bishop's Stortford which may be a bit too far from you :(
 
7pm is seriously not late!! I have recently moved but previously often wouldn;t get to the yard til 6.30 - 7pm (and I wasn;t the last there) and then depending on what I'd done in the morning I might have to muck two stables out, get feeds haynets etc ready, bring horses in (in the dark with head torch on) groom, wash muddy legs then tack up and ride. Me and a couple of others would be there til 9 or 10pm some nights!!

Depends really on the rest of your life - if you have kids or a not so understanding hubbie it may not work.
 
I reckon loads of us have to work long hours in order to earn enough to ride in the first place! It's definitely a case of deciding to do it in a mad moment, then many days spent wondering what you've done and how you can carry on, but the good bits somehow make it worth it!
What time do you have to get in? Don't underestimate the mornings - it gets light at 4.30am in the summer and even until November it's lightish at 6 (once the clocks go back). You feel pretty smug having schooled your horse as the sun is rising and still being in the office by 9am. ;)
 
7pm is not late at all- maybe to those who dont have to work, or work shifts, P/T etc but for someone who works a 9-5 etc, 7pm is normal.

Lots of people will want help during the week and providing you can get the horse brought in for you and perhaps given a haynet I dont see why it would be a problem if you got down there at 6.30-7ish.

Also, not every person looking for a sharer wants weekends, most want 1-2 days during the week and a weekend day so you should be fine.
 
I've been daydreaming about either sharing or buying a horse for a while now, having been bitten by the horsey bug once again after a good few years away. I used to be happy just having lessons, but when I started them again lately I realised that I was missing the whole 'care' aspect of horses, the grooming, the mucking out, all the good stuff!

I too work in London, and don't usually get home till about 6.45pm, but I don't think this would stop me, if all other circumstances were right. I say go for it, if you find a horse to share that ticks all the boxes!

For me, there's a bit too much on the horizon at the moment to think about buying, so I am going to look into what shares are available in and around the area once we're settled (moving house in a couple of weeks).
 
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