Questions for FT working DIY people..

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For those of you that keep your horses at home or on DIY and work full time - I’ve got a few questions for you..

How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work?
Do you feel like you can fitr everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?
Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?
What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?
How much of a tie is your horse (not a nice way to put it but hey ho), Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?

We are thinking of renting a house with a stable/field but I’ve never had to look after my own horse all on my own before (good ol mum!!) I’m a bit afraid of the commitment! But excited too!
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How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work?
<font color="green"> 20mins before work, unlimited time after, depending on how long I ride for
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Do you feel like you can fitr everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?
<font color="green"> I can fit it all in - horse comes top in my priorities anyway so that's what I choose to spend my time on. I find it quite relaxing. </font>

Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?
<font color="green"> Yes, my YO would do her in some circumstances, e.g. car broke down or emergency vet needed. Otherwise she would just have to wait for me. </font>

What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?
<font color="green"> Either hack out off road in the dark
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or schooling (floodlit school) </font>

How much of a tie is your horse (not a nice way to put it but hey ho), Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?
<font color="green"> My horse is a huge tie but I choose to be like that. I hate leaving her, but if I had to then I would either ask a friend or my YO to look after her. </font>

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We are thinking of renting a house with a stable/field but I’ve never had to look after my own horse all on my own before (good ol mum!!) I’m a bit afraid of the commitment! But excited too!
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Sounds exciting! Good luck with it all
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Hi there, I do DIY with my horse, and I run my own business (which sadly does not mean I can faff off any old time, despite what my hubby thinks!). I work 8.30 to 4.30 and sometimes longer in the summer, and sometimes a wee bit less in the winter.

How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work?

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt; I do 30-40 minutes in the morning to skip out, change rugs if necessary, feed, and sometimes lunge for ten or fifteen minutes (my horse is stabled 24/7). In the evenings I can be there as long as 3 hours if I'm working the horse - but I also fill all my nets, do up my feeds, do a better muck out, tidy and so forth so that I'm not running behind in the morning. I turn out for an hour while I do the chores. &lt;don't need/want lectures from anyone re my turn out regime, thanks&gt; My horse gets worked/ridden 5-6 nights a week - minimum 1 hour work- more if I'm hacking. The nights she has off, she might have a little longer t/o but she's a lami and no real hope of a proper starvie paddock so this is my solution, which works for me and the horse.


Do you feel like you can fitr everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?

&gt;&gt;&gt;At first I found it stressful, but I've got in to such a routine that it's a dawdle now.

Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;I'm on a yard where a friend or someone who does full liveries can help out, so that makes a huge difference to my own peace of mind.

What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Fortunately for me we have an indoor so can ride every night. Just means I have to plan my hacking for the weekends or slope off early in the winter now and again, which does sometimes happen.
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How much of a tie is your horse (not a nice way to put it but hey ho), Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;As we have someone that does full liveries, it's not a problem - or I get a friend to do. I either pay the person to do the horse on full or return the favor to my friend, so easy enough.
 
Hi,

I work fulltime-ish but I do work from home. Which means I don't have to spend an hour getting 'presentable' in then morning. However, I do take forever doing anything, so I probably rush around more than anyone!

Basically you just have to make it happen, you just have to get up early - turn out. The after work, bring in, clean, muck out and ride.

If you go to a yard which has lights in the school or an indoor then it's no worries what time you ride.
If you go to a DIY yard which does assisted, then again you can call on them to turnout and feed in the morns (or just when you want a bit mor time or lie-in) And assisted will help obviously if you are ill or wanted to go away.

I think you would have no problems if you found a yard with assisted or if you found a great yard as no doubt others will help. I was on assisted but now I just help out friends and visa/versa if I go away for anything like.

Goodluck...
 
Keep my horse at home. He was in DIY before we moved here. Its easier now as I can just pop out the house to do things rather than having a 10 mile round trip in the car.

I start work at 7.30am 30 miles away, so I tend to do most of the horsey things in the evening, as I am home by 5pm. In the morning I just turn out, or check them in the summer as they are out 24\7 at the mo.

In the evening I tend to go straight out and ride, muck out etc. The order depends on the time of year, but I normally muck out first unless there is just enough time for me to ride in daylight if I do that first. When its really dark we do have 1 light on the school but its only enough for flatwork. Whole lot takes 90mins-2hrs max.

I'm lucky that I work from home 2 days a week so in the depth of winter he gets execised in my lunch break on those days, hacked out or competed at the weekend and then ridden in the school (with my one light) on 2 of the other days if the weather isn't too horrid.

The working from home means that I can also have the Vet\Farrier on these days, which were actually the biggest pain to organise when I had to be in the office full time.

It is hard if we go away, we don't know too many people in the area, as we have only been here a few years. However we do have a neighbour who has had goats or sheep all his life, and if we are only going away for 48hrs he checks that the horses are OK for me. For longer trips, I have a couple of people who I pay to come in and do the horses and cats once or twice a day depending on if they are in or out.

Having the horse at home does mean you have to plan your trips etc., but I think the benefits outweigh this. You have your own rules, you can choose when to go up, and what routine to put your horse into. Also your stuff stays where you put it and in the condition that you left it.

The worse thing I have found is having to always hack out alone. When I was on a yard there was always some one to go out with, or gossip too. I have spent ages looking for a livery, as we have a spare stable, and tons of grass. But people round here don't seam to be interested on being on a private yard.
 
I keep my horse at home, and as we don't have a school I don't really ride much in the week in winter due to the dark nights, but the weather is crappy anyhow!!

Prob 30 mins in the morning (have to drive there) and the same in the evening. Remember the great thing about having yours at home is that he will get done when you are there, and not be watching when everyone else horses are fed etc.

It doesn't really matter too much about what time things happen for them (feeding etc) imo, as long as they get done within a 2-3 hour buffer!! Ours get turned out at about 6am during the week in winter, but some days (depending on the wine!) might get left til 9am on the weekends. Yes, they are perhaps a little grumpy, but they have enough food and water (and a happy owner due to lie in
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But if he is the only horse there, he can just watch for when you get up/get home from work and thats what time things happen
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How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work?
1hr before work, feeding, turning out, mucking out, filling haynets so just have to catch/groom/bed down after work (soon to increase when we pick up 2 weanlings) - anything fro 20 mins up after depending on if we ride

Do you feel like you can fitr everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?
I can fit it all in - horse comes top in my priorities anyway so that's what I choose to spend my time on. I find it quite relaxing. (shamelessly nicked answer from above!
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)

Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?
Not as such, horses at home, both work FT and share car to work places but neighbours keep an eye and a friend a coupld of miles away can help if drastic - though would have to plan if bringing in as gate locked)

What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?
Ride in arena with floodlights on (I'm lucky to have floodlit arena at home)

How much of a tie is your horse (not a nice way to put it but hey ho), Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?
Don;t go away but a friend can do them odd days for us (would not stay away overnight though as don't like them there alone)
 
How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work?

Mine are at home but I leave for work at 0530 and get home at 2000 so they get 15-20mins in morning and a few hours when I get home.

Do you feel like you can fitr everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?

Its a bit stressful in the winter but having them at home makes it worth the stress

Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?

Friends and the OH...

What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?

If I cant get them ridden then use the time for grooming and general quality time with them

How much of a tie is your horse (not a nice way to put it but hey ho), Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?

Horses are a full time job at home but friends will watch them for a few days. Mind you, only go away when they are outside 24/7. Dont like to ask anyone when they need fed/mucked out. In saying that, its easier to ask friends to check horses than look after dogs!!

Good luck with your decision. If you have the chance to have them at home, I would say jump at it.
 
btw - she lives out 24/7
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but i do everything on her i would on a stabled horse - she's clipped, does comps, hunts etc - i just prefer her to live out!

How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work? half hr before - depening on time of year i change rugs, fly spray, check over, hay etc

Do you feel like you can fit everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?
fit's in fine

Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?
delayed doesn't matter - she lives out and dosen't get fed much so no set feeding times - if can't get there ask other liveries to help (no yard manager - just DIY liveries so we help each other out)

What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?
i ride in the dark ni the fields! never found it a problem

Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?
get other livers to help out - see above re; ifi can't get to yard - in exchange for me doing thier horses first thing on weekdays i only go up once on weekends
 
How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work?

I allow 1 hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. This time includes travelling time to/from farm and doing all my jobs.

Do you feel like you can fitr everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?
No - everything is fine

Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?
Yep. Lucky enough to work for family business and our horses are all kept together.

What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?
Sometimes dad lets me off for a few hours a week.

How much of a tie is your horse (not a nice way to put it but hey ho), Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?
Not a bit of a tie. Mum and dad look after if I'm away and vice versa

We are thinking of renting a house with a stable/field but I’ve never had to look after my own horse all on my own before (good ol mum!!) I’m a bit afraid of the commitment! But excited too!
 
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How much of your time would you say your horse takes up before and after work?

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At the moment I'm paying £1/day to have my mare turned out in the morning for me. After work, I muck out, poo pick, groom and ride. I'm usually at the yard for at least three hours in the evening. Come mid winter I go in the morning instead and have my horse brought in about 5pm.

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Do you feel like you can fit everything in fine or do you find it all a bit stressful?


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I find fitting everything in quite stressful, when you finish a tiring day at work and think 'ugh I've still got to poo pick, muck out, etc' but riding is my stress buster and I always make the time to ride, and I always feel better afterwards. Last winter I thought I'd make things easier by not riding for the winter, and thats when the stable chores really become a drag, because you aren't getting any enjoyment out of it.



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Do you have help available if you are delayed at work or if something happens to your ned?

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Yes, £1/day for either turning out AM or bringing in PM, plus owners on site for if anything happens. I choose to pay for assistance because the yard is quite a drive and I spend more than a pound a day on petrol otherwise.


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What do you do mid week re riding in the winter when it’s dark outside work hours?

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We have a really well lit indoor school, and a floodlit outdoor. We have off road hacking so can pop out even if the light is fading a little, and in mid winter I usually go to the yard to do everything before work rather than after. I'm usually there by 6.30am mucking out and head out for a hack as soon as it gets light.
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How much of a tie is your horse (not a nice way to put it but hey ho), Can you arrange for someone to do your horse occasionally so you have the freedom to go away for the odd weekend?


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TBH I don't find it a nuisance to go to the yard every night - most days I spend all day looking forward to being able to ride after work, and the mucking out and poo picking only takes about 15 mins each. I can pay for help at the yard, or the other liveries help on the odd occasion as well if I want a break. I also have friends who I'd trust to look after my mare if I went away, although I'd pay them for their time.

The worst thing IMO is just thats its really physically tiring, I get up at 8am to travel to work, work (on my feet) from 9am-6pm, half hour drive to the yard, then a huge list of stuff to do before I get home at about 10pm.
 
If you can leave them outside most of the time, it'll save you lots of time! Mine's out 24/7, and unless I have to shift him between fields or treat him or something, I only have to go once/day. Between travel time, catching, grooming, riding, and turnout, it takes 2.5--3 hrs. If I'm not riding, it takes 45 mins--1.5 hrs.

In the winter, I try to arrange my working hours to ride in the morning. When that isn't possible, I hack in the woods in the dark (everyone thinks I'm mad), or hack over to the riding school to see if there's a free arena.
 
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