Riding in winter with a full time job?

7-5 is a long day! I have flexi time at work, and I usually do 7.30-3, and will aim to get into work for 7 so I can leave around 2.30-2.45ish so I can still ride in some light! (yard only 10 minutes from work, and arena has floodlights) alternatively, I could go in the morning, and get into work for 10ish and still until 6ish. I prefer the early to work option :)

as people have said, it's do-able, especially with lights (almost have no excuse - apart from the sideways rain, gailforce wind, ice and snow!) I have a feeling my ultra uber duber fancy wax riding jacket may get well used this winter!
 
I was generally lunging or riding 6.30 ish before work last winter. It is more of a problem when the school is frozen or the roads are too icy to hack out in the morning and then frozen again by the evening. I did pay a local instructor to ride one of mine from time to time to add in to the mix and take a bit of pressure off. I used to years ago frequently hack one of mine out before it was light - as others have said he can see well enough in the field so he can see well enough to hack- we were totally off road on private land.
 
As others, I give up riding after christmas. More due to lack of motivation, I can just about keep going until the christmas day ride then I take the pressure off myself and turn away for a few months. Even last winter when I had good facilities I didn't bother. Sounds like the yard your horse is at except the distance. See how you go before moving her, you may find you can't be bothered to ride regardless of where she is
 
I work 9-5 in London and the commute is about 1hr each way. I generally don't get home until quarter past 6 and by the time I've grabbed a quick drink and got changed I don't get to the field until 7. We just have a field (no lights!) but the lady over the road lets us use her school. It is definitely hard to keep up the motivation to ride, especially as early this year it was only about 1 or 2 degrees when I was riding! I'm a sharer so I only do 2 times a week. If I had to ride more than that I think I would struggle. I'm impressed I managed to keep up the riding last winter! The only times I didn't ride was when it was ridiculously cold (in the minus figures). I was chuckling the other day when I returned from riding in my tshirt and jods, thinking about how in Feb I was wearing earmuffs, scarf, tights, jods, winter socks, fleece lined chaps and winter coat that has a fleece coat underlayer. I was like the michelin man!
 
It's doable if you have facilities. I technically work 8.30-5 but more like 8-5.30 and it takes about 40 - 45 minutes to get to / from the yard. I muck out before work and do everything else after work. To be honest I have pretty much the same routine all year round; I ride 4-5 days a week and lunge 1 day (day off on Thurs for the pub quiz), all the exercising happens after work and on a weekend. Only difference is in winter I only hack at weekends not in the week, we school the rest of the time. We have a school with a good surface and floodlights, plus he goes on the walker 3 times a week all year round as well. I have a stubborn attitude to it and an amazing OH who puts up with me getting in late and usually cooks tea!
 
If you have a floodlit arena then I don't see the problem?? Never got people that give up completely in the winter if they have use of a floodlit school. Fairweather irritates me sorry.
 
Elbie said:
I returned from riding in my tshirt and jods, thinking about how in Feb I was wearing earmuffs, scarf, tights, jods, winter socks, fleece lined chaps and winter coat that has a fleece coat underlayer. I was like the michelin man!
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I love layering up, but there's nothing worse than starting to ride, then getting hot! You daren't take layers off! :eek:
 
Much easier if you have a lit arena, had two on diy last winter (one on box rest) and kept the other going. I work 9-5.30 and am an hour from work too so it can mean long days but no need to ride everyday, plus you can lunge. Looking forward to this winter as they are now on full livery so it'll make things much easier :)
 
People make me laugh. I work in London. Up at 6, practice piano for 45 mins. An hour commute. Gym at lunchtime. Leave work 5.15. Home at 7. Yard at 7.15. Ride and home about 8.30. Dinner about 9. Then same again the next day. Ride under floodlights. Compete most weekends and on DIY at weekends too. Just get on with it!
 
That's a long day and with your yard being an hour away it could prove difficult. I'm lucky, I work 7-4 and I both an indoor and outdoor arena so my routine doesn't really change in winter riding wise.
 
I confess to being a fairweather rider :D Well actually I was a fairweather rider when I rode... Now creaky arthritic joints have put paid to my riding career, and I concentrate on my daughter's ponies.

A full time job and a 9yo child makes for difficult winters with limited riding opportunities. We have a private yard, currently with just fields and stables, no arena. We do have planning for one, and will hopefully get it done next year, but there is no permission for lights, so I'm still not sure how miuch we'd use it mid week. Normally in winter we'll ride when the weather is not too atrocious at weekends and holidays. Otherwise the ponies live out and we let them go a bit feral. It never does them any harm, they're all sane enough for my 9yo to get on board from the field having not been ridden for a few weeks - living out keeps them sane and stops them getting too unfit.

There are 2 reasons we don't ride in bad weather. One because it's just generally miserable and not particularly enjoyable, so what's the point, and two because we only have a field to ride on, and in bad weather it can get too slippery to do anything more than walk around. Our yard is on an extremely busy main road - we don't ride on it in good weather/lighting so no chance of riding on it in winter.

We've had such wonderful weather this summer and the ponies have been ridden more than every before in their lives! I don't begrudge them some downtime in winter, and it gives us a chance for more family time, and for other hobbies.
 
I work 19:00 to 07:00 so simply don't ride on work days. It is dark when I get home from work and dark when I wake up, and as we have a field with no facilities it can't happen in the winter, so the boys get shoes pulled and roughed off with occasional barefoot plods around the block on the not so nasty days off.
 
Megibo said:
Thanks everyone, the current yard has top facilities just a shame it is so far away. There's a lovely yard closer to home but they have no winter turnout. They have walker she could go on once a day and they're allowed to be turned out in the lunge pen for an hour or two. The school there has floodlights too and its only 4 miles or so from home so might be an option to go there, just need to make sure she comes out the box at least 2 hours a day due to being in.
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Personally I'd opt for winter turnout over the other stuff. I work 9 - 5.30 so leave home at 8.30 and get back at 6. I ride before /after work when I can (mostly after) in a wind swept outdoor school with a very heath robinson floodlight system that only works in the dry. I normally go to a riding club lesson once a week in a local indoor arena and if I manage one or two other nights a week, that's good going, which is why I think guaranteed turnout is so important. That way, riding is a bonus, otherwise the pressure to ride is just too much and it becomes a chore rather than a joy.
 
I work 7am-5pm sometimes 6pm if workload is greater and have a horse on diy, just fit it in around me- turnout early am (winter only) ride after work both summer and winter, it works :) Nothing better to do anyway ;-p My stables are very close though!
 
I'm only a happy hacker and happily have a flexible job, in winter I ride in mornings, short hacks mostly, and get into the office about 930, obviously can't do this every day, but last winter managed average 3 days a week. It does mean very early start to get all chores done before ride and having a spruce up in the loos at work before appearing at my desk but it was worth it.

Tbh with your hours and length of commute I think you'll struggle to hack anyway, the turning away idea proposed by Amymay on the 1st page sounds pretty good solution.

Also, as others have said, turn out is most important thing!
 
I don't bother for a few reasons. Pony lives out 24/7 and I leave him unrugged with ad lib hay. Being a Haflinger he grows an immense winter coat. On the rare occasion I will ride in the winter, he just gets too hot and sweaty and then not having a stable its a nightmare to get his dry before turning out. I was thinking this year that I'd give him a small clip as encouragement for me to ride, but all it will mean is Ill have to buy rugs and pony still wont get ridden!

I agree it takes massive dedication to ride regularly in the deepest depths of winter.
 
I guess its easier to ride mid week if you have just one horse on full livery and no young children.

For those that do only DIY, work full time and care for a family I'm always incredibly impressed. They're usually the one's who are very time efficient and make everything look effortless, particularly when they have their children and ponies to work with as well.
 
I think it's always doable if you manage your time. I manage to keep two horses in work all winter, I tend to do all jobs in the morning so feed, rugs, turnout, muck out, make beds, fill nets then at night it's do water, make feeds, bring in and ride. My working day incl travel usually goes from 8am to 5.30pm but I have to walk the dog twice too before and after work.

I also give lessons a couple of nights a week. It is hard, last winter my day started at 5.40am and it was usually near 9pm before I got to have dinner(cooked by me) but I would very quickly become bored and miserable if I couldn't ride in the week so I make it work.

I'll make it slightly easier this year as instead of going to the yard early then coming home to shower and leave for work I'll be doing them on way so will just have to manage clothes and getting changed. Plus hubby is going self employed so will be on dog walking duties, giving me a little extra time!
 
As soon as it gets dark I stop riding and ride at weekends if I feel like it. I have the dogs to walk as well and eat so I don't want to be out in the cold and dark for too long.
 
I leave for work at 9 and get home shortly after 6, last winter i had one in full work, but a half hour round trip to the field to bring in and turn out twice a day (mostly). We had a floodlit arena so i schooled or lunged after work, or hacked/schooled before work, then hacked and competed at weekends. This year i have 3 in full(ish) work, although i will be needing to do less with my eventing mare as she won't need to be kept as fit as through the event season.
You just fit in as much as you want to. I want to keep improving my 3 and keep them working, so i choose to get up between 5-7am to ride before work and not get home til 9pm at night on occasion. I have an arena this winter, but it isn't very well floodlit...that's ok, it is rarely so dark that you can't navigate your way around an arena once your eyes have got used to it. It helps that i don't have a family to look after, but i still manage to see family and friends and have a social life, as well as doing horses and competing.
I do find i have to be less of a perfectionist about things (not that i am hugely anyway!) and just have the odd day where everything gets blitzed/cleaned/tidied!
 
Oh it's definitely do-able, as long as you don't like sleeping or eating and don't mind the cold and dark :)

In all seriousness, I don't compete over winter so never feel pressured to ride/guilty if Fig has an extra day off here or there. Lucky enough to have lights and all weather arena, so no excuses for me!!!!
 
When I was at school and got to the yard for 4pm I used to ride 2 in the dark (no floodlights). They were fine with it.

Then I got a job where horse was at work so no problem as rode him during my lunch break and at second yard riding him was part of my day at work which was great.

Now I'm self employed and am basically going part time over the winter - my horses are part of my career to be fair and although they are both getting a holiday, both will be back in full work towards end of November so part time is the way to go :)
 
Lol op you have an arena with floodlights that means you have no excuse! I thought you were asking for ideas on how to do it, not how to organise your time so you can do it :p
 
Once it gets dark I won't ride after work it is not the weather it is the darkness that is the problem. My pony lives out and it takes 30 minutes to collect him from the field and bring him to the yard earliest I can get to yard after work is 6.15.

The walk from the field to the yard involves walking along a narrow path in some woods and pony is spooky in the dark sometimes he is even nervous round by the gate in the dark if the others ponies are not near by and it is windy and the trees are blowing about. He is fine in daylight. I had an incident in the darkness when he spooked and I had to let go and he jumped back over the gate into his field so am reluctant now to try and bring him up to the yard. So in the winter I check him in his field and don't bring him up to the yard when it is dark. So just ride at the weekends. He keeps a basic level of fitness due to living out.
 
I kept mine very fit through winter, but it did take it out of me!! (I work weird hours, so sometimes could ride in the day but sometimes couldn't ride til 8 or 9) I would definitely think about giving him a holiday over the winter, or maybe just hack gently on the weekends to keep him ticking over :)
 
It's really quite difficult to find yards in my area! From home the yard is 30 odd minutes (but 45 for me as I have a moped!) so it would take longer to go past home and then go to the yard. The fields are also really far away at the current place so turnout would be a pain and we get one field that needs to last us year round. I'll work something out, probably try to find somewhere with floodlights and winter turnout near to home if possible as if its near home and floodlit I should be able to get away with it! Thanks again everyone.
 
I manage to ride in winter; no floodlit arena. I get up early and ride before work. It's my de stress before work. But I don't have to leave to go to work til 845 am so I have more light, for you, it'd be dark before 6am so it will be hard. Good luck with job!
 
I've always managed to keep mine fit and competing (current and last horse) so it is do able. I currently work a good half an hour from home and the yard is on the way luckily. I work from 7 until half 4 with every other friday off which helps a lot. I go up the yard before work to turn out and muck out, straight to work from the yard, he is brought in for me in the winter as none of the others stay out past 3/4 so at least he is in, ride finish jobs then home for about half 7 8 ish depending on how long i ride for. He gets schooled, lunged and hacked round the roads once a week (i look like an ad for hi vis and bike lights with the amount i have on) he then gets hacked or competed at weekends and possibly an extra schooling session depending on weather. If the weather is bad he has the day/week off but i know he wont lose much fitness as i keep on top of it.
I purposely looked for a yard nearer to work than home so i could make the most of my available time but it is hard work. Half 5 starts are a bit of a killer in the winter, for me its worth it but i can completely see why people turn away for the winter.
 
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