Support circles for when you are ill?

[sunnyone]

Does anybody know if there are any equine support circles for when you are ill? I ask because I’m an owner rider and over the years have gone to feed the horses myself despite having flu and then a couple of years ago had broken bones and had to rely on my OH for 3 months to feed said horses in the dark before and after work as well as walking the dogs and visiting me in hospital. 15 hour “working” days became his norm. The sharer of our field only gave her normal, regular help of putting hay out at 11.00 a.m. We could really have done with some outside help but not having thought of it in advance I was in no position to organise it once ill or in hospital and my OH did not know who else to turn to.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Are you on a yard and/or are there other horsey people in your area?

Coz around here there's horses all around us and the support mechanism does work well. I'm a YO and have got a lovely livery and I know that if I was poorly she'd muck in and help (bless her), plus there's a super girl who hasn't got her own horse but who rides out with me on one of mine and she's always willing to help too and she's looked after mine when I went away for a weekend recently. She's a real godsend and no the rest of you are NOT having her

But are you thinking perhaps more about an "agency" arrangement? Coz there are people that do this sort of stuff like Animal Aunts and others, but whilst they're brilliant they're hellish expensive.

They do cover horses as well as house-sitting etc., but maybe this is a gap in the market and there's an entrepreneur out there somewhere....???

 

[sunnyone]

This post is meant to make other people think really. We’re now expats but still have the horses. Where we are now, the yard owner is happy to do everything but for 20 years or more we were on our own in the UK. We simply struggled on, like most owners, as best we could. The local riding club folded when the organisers’ daughter died suddenly. As we consider ourselves too old for competitions and did not hunt, we only met other riders when we helped out judging.Our house and fields led off A roads so not the place for most people to hack and chat. We boxed up just to go out for a really quiet ride but the horses could cope with anything the traffic, police helicopter and the railway could send their way. However until I was hospitalised I never thought about the what if situations? Now I wonder if we missed something that was there all along or whether people should be encouraged to get together. Yes there may be a business opportunity for out of work grooms etc but equally if the sick owner is self-employed then the last thing they need is extra expense on the horses. My OH would have “phoned a friend” but freaked out about paying for help, probably in advance.

 

[The_snoopster]

I have also been quite poorly and relied heavily on my OH and friends, its bad enough being ill but the stress of wondering wether my horses were done "my way" totally worried me stupid. I know I may have a pretty rough year ahead, and have decided to train my hubby in everything I can as he really is non horsey.

 

[Polos Mum]

When I had my son early and both me and OH were in hospital for weeks unexpectedly I was amazed at how may people offered (and did) help out with the horses. Both horsey friends (certainly not very close friends) and non horsey friends who had the common sense to give clean water, the bales of 'food' obviously ready to be fed and clear up poo (all that is really critical in that situation).
It wasn't something I'd thought about before but it really made me feel lucky that so many people rallied round when it was really needed.
I now have a lady who provides a grooms service for private homes at the ready should the need ever arise again - she is only £8 an hour and I trust her common sense to deal with them in a sensible way.