Nine to Fivers, How do you do it?

A

Andrea E.

Active Member
Joined
16 March 2017
Messages
32
Visit site
So, I've not had a horse on livery since I was a teenager and my Icelandic Horse (he's over 14.2!) is semi-retired occationally entertaining my teenage sister. (This is all in Iceland by the way)
I was lucky/spoilt as a child, when it came to horses. My grandfather was quite a "big cheese" in the Icelandic Equestrian sport and gave me my horse at the age of 14. I never had to think about livery, farriers, vets or pretty much anything. I had the nice jobs, so to speak, the riding and grooming and as and when I felt like it.

I'm now 26 and have done the running about i.e finishing my education and getting a job and have now worked 9-5 in London for a year and a half. So, I have now started allowing myself a to think about horses again after about 7 years out.

As an adult approaching this hobby/lifestyle in a different country and with noone to hold my hand, I have realised how little practical knowledge i have despite having been around horses my entire life and that true horsmanship is grafted with blood sweat and tears (so many tears :().

I'm not thinking about buying a horse for a good while yet but I have been looking into it and I just wanted to ask:

How do you people, working full time, manage?

What sort of livery have you got and why?

Best,
Andrea
 
I currently look after 3 on DIY, I work 9-5:30 and my commute is a 3 hour round trip. Currently I do 2 days in the office, 3 at home, but I am looking to move closer as it is wearing even on only two days a week.

Summer is my easy time as they are all out 24/7 so no mucking out but I still have to poo pick the fields. I ride after work as we have a floodlit school, I couldn't manage without a floodlit school, this and proper turnout are my absolute minimum requirements for a yard.

Summer when I'm in the office, I'm up at 6 and have to leave the yard by half seven, I generally get back down to the yard for anywhere between half six and seven, bring in, groom, ride and finish off to be back home between half eight and nine.
When I'm working from home I can lie in till half seven/ eight :lol:, as the yard is only 5-10mins away and I can be at the yard before six in the evening, home for half seven/ eight.

Winter will be longer days but more getting up earlier, than home later. House work gets left until weekend or I can do bits on the days I'm at home, food gets cooked in batches so its quick to reheat and have something to eat within 10 mins of getting in.

For DIY the working from home is a god send, if I couldn't I'd look at part livery as I think 3 would burn me out!
 
I'm luckily enough to rent my own place so full diy but I do have a small herd and couldn't afford full livery for them all.

I have quite a senior high pressure job and normally work 10/11hrs a day so horses are done early and late. It is hard work but I find my horse time the most relaxing part of my day and my down time
 
I work full time and have tried both DIY and Full livery and now have my own place (bought in my fifties so took a while to get there!). Learning decent enough horsemanship actually happened in my forties when I went and worked part time at a very busy very large riding school, livery & event yard (lots of shows in different disciplines). There I learned how to handle, muck out, feed, groom & school horses as well as how to deal with common ailments/injuries. My riding improved too as I was thrown onto various beasts and I learned how to handle the most evil of horses. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have known where to start when I struck out on my own. I would recommend therefore you try and work part time at a riding school / livery yard as the experience will be invaluable - you might then be able to take a horse on loan there.

As for working full time - well that has always been an issue even with full livery but I just had to accept that sometimes riding has to take a lower priority as even the most basic of tasks takes up time!

Nowadays my horses are full on - as they have to be stabled all year round due to the risk of laminitis during the summer - but they are stabled at home, I have a good routine, an understanding employer who lets me work from home at least 2 days a week plus my non horsey husband helps where he can. Where I need extra help I can pay for it - there are freelance grooms in the area.

As for the house I have a window cleaner and a cleaner - otherwise the house would be minging!
 
I have assisted DIY, my horse lives out through summer and is turned out for me in winter. I go up straight from work which takes about 30 mins in traffic and muck out/bring in/ride etc.

You make a lot of sacrifices to do it but it's worth it.
 
My schedule is the same summer or winter (as I'm better when in a routine); so I'm up at 5:30, at the yard by 6 then it's either feed/turn out/muck out; or beds down, bring in, feed depending on if we're on summer or winter regime.

Home, showered, changed, at work between 8:45 and 9am; leave work at 6-ish, straight to yard, groom and exercise, feed/ turnout or put to bed. Usually get him,e by 9pm, quick dinner, fall into bed - repeat ;)
 
I also work full time (8.00 - 4.30) and am on DIY livery - mostly because I am a control freak and love to do everything myself and know that my horse is been looked after how I want her to be plus I can't justify spending a fortune on part or full livery.

There are just 3 of us on the yard. One girl does every morning as she works funny shifts so is not often around on a night, one girl comes and goes as she pleases which is annoying as she will make 2/3 feeds up at a time and rarely contributes to any yard duties apart from mucking out her stable and I feed the horses every night. In summer it's not too bad as I feed them in the field and don't have many chores to do but in winter it's harder as there are hay nets to soak and put out, the hardstanding of the yard to clean down each night but it keeps me fit if nothing else and I find it quite therapeutic.

The horses are turned out 24/7 but do have access to their stables all year round. In winter my mare likes to sleep in hers so I always make sure it's bedded down. We only have one of the fields to ride in which mostly means in winter we are restricted to hacking on weekends but I do lots of groundwork in the yard to keep us both engaged.

In terms of home life I also have two dogs and a lazy OH so I do all the cooking, cleaning, walking the dogs etc. I do my cleaning on a Saturday when the OH is at work, in winter most of our meals are done in the slow cooker so I don't have to worry about that and I walk the dogs on a morning and night. Then slump on the sofa about 9pm with a glass of red.

It's a busy life but that's how I like it - I guess it's just finding what works for you..
 
I have 2 on DIY, I love to do it all myself and would hate to give that up but I know other people have different set ups which work for them :)

It's so much easier since I started working from home, because now I have no commute which is a massive time saver. So I am usually up about 6, ride one before work and do all the stable jobs, then work mostly 8-4 or sometimes 9-5, back on yard between 4.30 and 5.30 to do the other one, poo pick fields etc. Usually home by 7.

I had a 70 mile round trip to work before getting this job, which took a good hour each way, was in the office by 7.30 so was up at 5 most days as I had mine plus another on hunting livery... that was a bit of a killer in the winter.

My OH is horsey and also very understanding which helps!
 
Wow, what an amazing read. Thank you all for the replies.

Working from home seems to be a common theme here. I have the ability to work from home and as my industry is not known for paying well I can request more flexibility which is good. I already work from home once a week and I think that, in a couple of years, I could definitely do more.


You are all amazing and reading your comments is a huge inspiration. I also have a non-horsey OH who doesn't spare me the doomsaying when this pops up XD.

I think the trickiest bit for me is finding a yard relatively close to home so I imagine relocation will be a key element as well.

Thanks again!
 
Two winters ago I had 6 on DIY livery with little to no turnout (so mucking out twice a day) with a full time job 8am - 5pm, as well as sheep and pigs to tend to and a house to run on my own. Slow cookers, soups and pasta bakes kept me going but I had no time for anything other than caring for the horses and barely rode. It was do-able with very early mornings and late nights but I soon lost the enjoyment and it became a chore.

Last year I had an accident that put me out of action and then my health issues took over making life difficult. Last winter I had the horses on grass livery and that was a life saver but since I have come back to riding, this doesn't work for me so I have made some big decisions. Two of the horses are now out on loan, two are continuing on grass livery and two have gone to a HHOer's yard on full/part livery and I can honestly say that even in these early days, it feels great. I'm so grateful to said HHOer as they have reduced my stress considerably and got me looking forward to riding my horses again.
 
I wish I was 9-5! I leave the house for work at 7.20 and am back between 6 and 8pm (usually). TBH I effectively have full livery at home. By the time I've done the chickens and walked the spaniel I just have a look at the ponies (living out) in passing, I pay someone to bring them in do feet and feed as needed, and another girl to work them up to 3 days a week. I just don't have the time/energy to do more!
 
I really struggle in winter (with myself I mean). So I absolutely must be on a yard with good lighting and a floodlit school.

I am also soon to be moving to a yard with assisted livery on a pay as you go kind of setup (50p turnout/bring in etc).
This yard is also handily on my 15mile (40min) commute to work, although it's 3miles from home; I can do a round robin in the mornings/evenings.
I work 9.00am - 4.30pm & I have two ponies.

My intention is to get to the yard for just after 7am, muck out, feed, turnout, fill/hang nets, fill waters. Leave for just after 8.
Make use of the 'bring in' service around 4pm, so by the time I'm calling at the yard again around 5pm the girls will be in & dry, ready to groom/ride; home for 7ish. Repeat.

My weekends consist of more stuff off-yard. Hacking/shows etc. Evenings through winter are slow cooker batch meals.
Summer is a little kinder and I tend to kick back a little more and take my time in the evenings. But winter is regimented/routined for me.

You must have loved your teenage years!! Living in the UK all of my life I have been obsessed with Icelandic horses. I always daydream about getting one over here somehow... Though it's not happened yet - I just drool over them on social media instead :)
 
I now have 3 at home, but previously either 1 or 2 on DIY, and 1 on part livery for a while as I was travelling overseas a lot with work at the time.

The honest answer is that if you want it, then you make it fit, but if you don't then you find it a chore. There are times when I've found it a chore or I wasn't finding enough time to ride so I've rejigged when possible to gradually move myself into a more comfortable position. Although I do still spend most of my time outside of work on the horses as I work quite long hours, which I love, but it isn't for everyone.

Part livery (if you can afford it) is probably a good solution to start you off, so you can start off with the riding, grooming, etc and gradually pick up the general care side.
 
I've had horses at home most of my life and in the past I've just fitted riding, etc around work. You need to have an understanding partner! I haven't competed since before uni so there's no pressure to keep horses fit and ready. Depends a lot what you want to get out of it. I've always kept mine out 24-7 and these days with a baby I just ride when I can. Not ideal but that's life. My 6 yo (horse) is very forgiving and at least I only work 3 days now. You could look at full livery to start which is probably more in line with what you were used to.
 
I have two on DIY and work 7.00 am - 5.00 pm with three hours commute per day. When I was younger I used to ride weekday evenings with no problem but now unless I can finish a bit early, riding is confined to the weekends as I get too tired.

Needless to say I don't get enough sleep and am on my knees by Friday. Wish I still had the energy of ten years ago!
 
I only have 1 and I am now on assisted livery Mon-Fri, DIY at weekends. My commute is around 1hr and I am in the office around 08:30-18:00. For about 8 years I was pure DIY, but commute was only 20 mins. I have had to get some help now as I can't ride otherwise!
I do have a cleaner at home and an understanding husband. Can't work from home though.

In winter I school/lesson twice a week and hack at weekends. In summer I usually ride 5 or 6 days. I think a school with lights is an essential! But my horse is my downtime and I love seeing her every day.
 
4 at home, no groom.
Summer they all work 6-7 days week, I usually ride 1 before work, 2 after and lunge one. They Compete once a week/ fortnight. Lesson once a week and trips to beach etc
Winter they hack at weekends and my days off, have their shoes off and in light work.still go on trips to beach and try not to let them get too unfit but they do need building up once spring comes!
They live out most the yr.
Having the sharer helps, usually comes 2-3x week.
 
I've done it for the last 6 years.

A good floodlight menage is your friend here!

I had to do DIY assisted as I did require job services some days, or if you could do DIY but buddy up with someone.

Yard 1 -

Paid for turnout every morning, went up after work and did jobs and rode. In summer she lived out so much much easier!!

Yard 2 -

Buddied up with someone. I turned her Horse out every morning and in return she got mine in and put to bed. On the days I would ride I would go back up a second time to ride.

Yard 3 -

Turned out and did jobs in morning - went back after work to bring in and ride

In winter I paid for her to be bought in as they had to be in by 2pm and I worked until 5.30.

It can be done very easily, but you may find some days you do not get in til late if you fancy a long ride.
 
I work 9-5 with a short 30 minute commute each way.

I'm up at 5.30, get dressed and at yard between 5.45 and 6am all year round. They are in during the day in the summer and vice versa in the winter.
I put their beds down (leave them up overnight to dry), do hay, waters and then it's a 15 minute round trip to get them in from the field as it's a bit of a hike!
Soemtimes I'll ride one in the morning. Usually back hom ebetween 7 and 7.30 and off to work just after 8.

At the yard usually by 6 in the evening and will ride the other one, skip out and then turn out. Usually home around 8 to start cooking!

In the winter I ride in the mornings as soon as it gets light - any time from 6am as I'm not great at getting home from work in the dark, wind and rain and then finding the energy to ride!
We do have limited light on the school in winter but luckily my horses are very good in low light!

It's hard work, I'm not going to lie but summer definatley make sit worthwhile when you can get out and about!
 
I do a 9-5 that can sometimes be a 7.30-6.30
I've found that the best arrangement for me is part livery. By the time I've factored in travel (diesel), feed and bedding (both are provided as part of the livery package at my yard) it is only about £10/week more to go part livery. With that, I get the peace of mind that my horse is in the hands of dedicated and caring staff, in a good routine and all the routine chores are taken care of. This leaves my time free to be with my horse each evening, riding, grooming and just generally tatting and chatting.
 
This is a really handy thread! I am starting to share my first horse and also look for a new job.

The commuting distance is my main consideration - I've worked in central London all my working life, but the stables is a 20 minute drive/30 minute bike ride away, which needs to be added into the time.

He's out 24/7 on DIY grass livery so no stable to muck out, though there is poo picking. There are 2 arenas at the yard, both with lights, which is just brilliant. He's a sweet itch boy, so I need extra time for rug sorting/washing as well as treating his itchy bits.

OH is totally non-horsey, but the people at the yard are fab and will help if needed. (I've been helping with others there, so they know I will pitch in too)
 
2 on DIY. Always stabled 50/50 due to managing grazing. On my own little yard. Have to move fencing every day (fatties) and fill water buckets. Work 9-530 with an hours commute each way. It's knackering. I try and get organised on the weekend. Make up all hay nets, dry feeds etc. Sometimes things are not perfect... certainly my mucking out during the week (!) but they are both fed, watered, exercised and seem mostly happy. Ok they don't have spotless beds, they ain't always well groomed but they really don't care!
 
Mine is on part livery, as I leave home every morning at around 6:40 to get to work by 7:15, and I'm lucky to leave at 5pm on any given day.

He's brought in, fed and put out every weekday morning, and lives out 24/7 aside from the in-to-feed in the morning (the way it works for all geldings at the yard he's kept at). Because they are brought in at around 7:30am, I can't do the bring-in or put-out, especially in winter. Instead, I go down after work and check him over and feed him. Fortunately for me, he's either in a field really close to the yard so that he's quick to bring in and out (helps that he comes to call now!), or he's in a distant paddock that has an area outside that is easy to feed a horse in.

He lives out easily enough in winter, but I'll only be able to ride at the weekends, unless I'm not working (I'm a teacher, so fairly regular holidays even if I do end up working at home for most of them). Summer is much, much easier! But like someone else has said, if you want to do it, it isn't hard work - and some days, I pretty much live just to go and feed my boy and see his big, stupid face :)
 
For the last three and a half years, I've had a 20 mile commute to work and on assisted DIY livery (just a turn out or bring in though, the majority of the time) 5 miles from work.

I've recently moved my horse 4 miles from home and changed jobs so that I now work 1 mile from the yard. It's meant I can go back to DIY (I'm very lucky as April-November/December they are out 24/7).

My previous commute meant I spent at least 90 minutes on a good day travelling, whereas now I can get to my yard in 10 minutes and to work in 5 minutes. I love it!

Most of the time, it's just about being organised & working out what works for you: I found haynets far too time consuming, so bought a haybar which saves a tonne of time. I make up feeds in advance & just need to add water at the time of feeding. I switched from straw to rubber matting, wood pellets & shavings which is so much quicker to muck out.

At the moment, my boy is out 24/7 so I'm at the yard about 8.15am to bring in, feed, groom and make a fuss of. In the evenings I bring in, groom,exercise and turn back out. In the winter

If I want to ride before work; I'm generally there just before 7am - with the decreasing light in the evening, it means I can hack before work for a while.

This feels like luxury compared to a 5.15am alarm to be on the yard for 6am!

If you lack practical experience; can you think about taking a BHS horse owners exam, share or help our at a livery yard? The reality of cold, wet mornings and late evenings, frozen hosepipes, muddy horses and knowing you have to get up again to do it all again tomorrow alongside a day job is tough if your not used to it (it's tough even if you are used to it ...!)
 
If I worked 9-5 I wouldn't have a horse. Fair play to you that do it but the thought of having to go to the yard after a hard days work would kill me. I'm very lucky that my job is two days a week (24hr shifts) so I've plenty of time to tittle about at the yard in day light which is how I like it with two days a week full livery and turned out every morning as most of the yard do that anyway but my horse has to be first out or he has a tantrum so I'd never know when yo was up and about to fit in time to go up and beat them lol
 
Last edited:
1 on DIY, but with 2 friends & in winter we help each other out. My pony gets turned out with the others & I bring in in the evening if I am first to the yard.
My commute is 1.5 hours / 40 miles round trip, but work is slap bang in the middle of home & yard.
Lucky enough to have a barn setup & floodlit school at yard.
 
I failed miserably when I was full time! I used to pay the yard to feed in the morning and then do them in the eve (1 of mine is non ridden, but the other should have daily exercise).

I was working in London with a 90 min commute. I used to be at my desk at 8 so I could be at the yard by 6pm. Trouble was, that meant leaving the office at 4:30 & my then boss didn't like that. I'm pretty sure he only employed me because I didn't have kids so he thought I'd be happy working ridiculous hours.

So now I do 4 days a week 15 min from the yard with a start time of 10am. That means I keep both on DIY & can exercise the PSSM one before work. I still don't think my other horse gets enough cuddle time tho...
 
I work fairly long hours combined with the joy of battling the A3 and M25 every day, which means my commute alone can be anywhere between 45mins and 2+ hours depending on how lucky I am. I also regularly travel abroad with work, so the only way I can keep a horse in any semblance of a routine is by keeping them on full livery. This works well for me as I know all their basic needs are met and I can just focus on me and my horse.
 
Season dependant my job is often 5am-9pm plus ;) however its flexible hours so I can usually ride in day light all year round. My daughter who is 8 and I have 3....each. Kept at home and all out 24/7 except one of hers who is old and needs to be in at night in the winter. Most of them go onto hill ground once it’s too dark to ride after school and she just rides at the weekends.

If I only had one and couldn’t work flexibly I would have it on full livery and just do the enjoyable bits on a yard with an indoor!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top