Keeping involved with horses while being a Police constable?

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Rider12

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Finally got accepted into undisclosed Police service which has been my dream for a very long time. I wanted to hear any opinions of serving officers about keeping riding and horses through the training and during employment? Is it doable?

Thanks a ton for any advice!
 
I've literally just had a new horse delivered today and I'm due to start my training in a couple of weeks so it will have to be do able! Mines only 2 so there won't be the necessity of riding yet, just lots of handling and basics and over winter and dark nights even less. I'm on a DIY yard and know when shifts kick in, I shall be relying on a friend or paying someone to do checks for me on the days I can't realistically get there twice a day. Luckily my shifts will be a considerably shorter commute away than my training!
 
Yes, I know someone who is in the police force, she has also competed for the police. She has been doing this for quite a while so I'm sure it can be done!
 
Not any different to anyone who works a shift pattern. You need either part livery or a friend who can do the horse when you're not there.

My friend has worked shifts for more than 20yrs. I do her horses when she's not available.
 
I just retired from 25 years, and at one point I had two horses competing at BE Nov, it was perfectly do able.

I had them at home, and it helped that OH was in the same job and we were on opposite shifts so there was always someone at home. For the odd time that we had to be out together (usually when something big happened, sometimes at zero notice) I had 2 local people who could step in and bring them in for the night.

I found that it helped not to get them into a routine set around time, as in breakfast could be at 4.30am or as late as 9am depending on shifts. Tea could be at 4pm or as late as 11pm. The horses knew that when we got up then they would be fed, and listened out for us getting up. Similarly they waited for us to get home. If I or OH were not able to feed between those times we would pay someone to do it. Riding was between 6am and 10pm.

You do need a safety net, for example one day we were both working a day shift for a football match, and there was a prison riot in the local prison, and all of a sudden neither of us was going home anytime soon, at zero notice. It was all sorted with a phone call, but it does need to be a pre organised thing.

I also had to cancel some events at a day or two's notice due to something coming up and leave being cancelled. Sometimes it was because I was competing on a Sunday and it kicked off on a Saturday night, and I was kept on until 2am. One silly time I did that and was then up at 4.30 for the event and I was like a zombie! After that if I was not going to get enough sleep I would cancel, which was frustrating, but as we only got one weekend in 3 off there was no real way round it as a Friday or Saturday evening were not easy to take on Annual Leave.

Also, even if you know what the shift patterns are now, be prepared that they change at the drop of a hat! When I started it was straight 7s, easy and predictable, then they introduced a quick changeover (not good for horses) and then 4s and 4s, and it has changed again since. For a lot of the time I was in a specialist department, so shifts were more between 8am and midnight, and that was easier on the body.

While I was actually training and getting established I did change to just hacking for a while, I was exhausted!
 
I had two on assisted DIY for about 10yrs while on response shifts. Its fine as long as you have the assistance available to do the end of the day you're not there. Quite often I would swap chores with other DIYers as I could be there when they couldn't. My initial training was residential so I had to get them done for me then.
As Red-1 says you really need a yard where you can ask for help if you get stuck on for extra hours, arrest, crime scene etc

I found I got more riding in than when I was on office hours especially in the winter. You can ride in the mornings when you're on lates, get straight to the yard after earlies, and nights you can jiggle your sleep period around to suit. And you don't have to compete with everyone else to get into the school at 6pm!
 
I had an allied colleague who had her horses at home. She lived alone and found it very difficult working shifts. She moved to a DC role (in a Safeguarding unit) working Mon to Fri, 9-5 and found things much easier, though she still struggled alone, but things were easier after she hired some daily help during her working week.
 
I do!!
I have 2 horses on DIY, I see them 3 times a day most days, sometimes its 5.30 am, 6.30pm or later and then before I go to bed, due to being late off on Tuesday night I didn't get back to see them until 01.30, but I need that pony time just before bed, especially after a long stressful day at work.
My mum does help with getting them in, they are diva's!

I was on the response team for 7years and in all honestly, it was actually easier to ride than it is now I am in a detective role in child abuse and I don't get nearly as much free time to ride.

Training is hard work, several friends gave up their horses when we were in training, I couldn't have done that, I found it veery difficult and needed my girls to remind me why I was putting myself through it, 10 years on, I still need them for exactly the same thing - post therapy, its often very much needed.

Shift changes, being kept on late with no notice, mutual aid on a rest day, court on a rest day, training days that should be rest days - basically, you life isn't your own for a lot of the time! You do need a support team/back up for those last minute duty changes that screw up the best laid plans and planning.

Good luck, the job isn't what it used to be and its a rather unhappy place right now but go into it with enthusiasm and an open mind and enjoy it, it is still the best job in the world.
 
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