Take my pony to uni?

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SarahandOxo

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Hiya,
I'm applying to university this year, and unfortunately have to start thinking about what I'm going to do with my 14.2 pony. I can't bear to sell him, and we have such a strong bond, i don't know if i could leave him at home, but at the same time, i don't know if it's fair to him to keep moving him around every term. If i did take him, the journey would probably be about an hour and a half... Does anyone have any experience of having a horse at uni, or know someone who had to make the same choice? I'd appreciate any advice you could give...xx
 
An hour and half is not that bad a journey, people travel that far to go to shows all the time.

I have no experience personally as where I went to Uni was a small town and I kept my mare nearby regardless.

However, I kept her at Aberystwyth University stables because it also doubled up as a livery yard for locals, most of their stables were taken up by students bringing their horses to University.
The girl next to me had 3 with her and she lived further away than you, they all took them home at term time. The yard was beautiful and quiet over the holidays for me and the other guy who was a non equine student
If you can do it and afford it then why not, go for it :)
 
I understand how you feel!! I am of to Uni in September 3 hours away from home. I have come to the decision to leave my pony Archie at home. I love him to bits and could never ever ever sell him he is my horse for life!!

I understand that many people do take their horses to uni, and it probably works very well for them.

Reasons for not taking Archie:

1) Lewis my dads horse would have a head fit if Archie went!
2) Extra expense on top of already very expensive uni fees! (livery at my current yard being a hell of a lot cheaper, then uni yard)
3) If I want to come home for weekends and holidays there is no worry of whos going to look after archie or how i'm going to get him home.
4) If I have an early morning lecture, I would have to be down yard for 7am, which after a night out and not going to bed until 5am, would not be fun!
5) Archie would be a distraction on my studies!!

However I could think of a million reasons why I would love to take him!!

I am in a very lucky position where my Dad has said he will look after him, and ride and lead him/lunge him as often as he can. When I come home at weekends and holidays I can help out and ride him.

Would your parents be happy to look after your pony? Or could you find a sharer who would maybe do 3 days a week and every oher weekend or something? As hour and a half your not that far away so could maybe come home some weekends to ride him, possibly even come home some weekdays?

Its worth having a look at the local yards close to your uni, and seeing the cost of livery and what services they offer. Deffo go have a visit and get a feel for the place. I'm sure there will be plenty of people on here who have taken their ponies to uni and will be able to offer you loads of advice!

xx
 
I was in a very similar situation to you when I started uni.
For my first year I decided to leave my pony at home (on loan) until I found my feet. I've always had ponies so it was actually quite nice to have a year off and not get up at the crack of dawn/ be out in all weather/ have (some) money!
In my second year I decided I couldn't live without my pony any longer, so I found a local DIY yard and kept her there for the next 3 years (I did a 4 yr course). Money was very tight but I ended up working at the yard, which helped a lot (and also showed that not all students lie in bed until midday!) I did a lot of babysitting too, which made the money go a little further.
My parents were worried that I would be taking on too much by having my pony at uni, but I think it actually helped me become MUCH more organized and I found that riding really helped me relax during exam times. I'm now doing a PhD so the horses can't have affected my studies too much...
I've taught quite a few 1st year students and my advice would be (if at all possible) to try and go horseless for the first term/ semester/ year, just until you're settled in. There're so many different opportunities/ experiences in your first year, and it's nice to be able to enjoy them without having to worry about other responsibilities (that's not to say that you won't enjoy yourself with a pony from the start, it'll just be different!) You'll also have lots of time to meet other horsey students and then you'll have plenty of people wanting to come and help you out when your pony arrives.
Although it was perhaps a rather unorthodox decision, I'm so glad I took my pony to uni and I even managed to have a social life (shock horror!)
Hope this helps, good luck!
 
I have my horse at Uni and I love it :) She travels 8hrs home with me during the holidays and copes fine with it. I got someone to share her for a bit so that I could concentrate on work. The sharer payed half her livery costs and looked after/rode her everyother day, you could try this if you don't think you'll be able to balence work and horse. I find having her here is a really good way of having a break from working too.
 
I went to boarding school which was 4hrs away from where I lived and took both my horses with me! It was fairly hard work fitting it all in but managed to do it. I am at uni now only 45mins away from home so Mum looks after the horses in the week and then I come home to ride at weekends. I would say take him if you are happy to have early starts to do him before lectures etc!

Am sure it depends on course you do but I am doing a geography degree and have much more free time on my hands then when I was at school so you should be able to fit in looking after your pony!
 
I aquired my first pony during uni. Loved having her and kept me sane during exams. Most uni's have a ridding club, why not give them an e-mail and see if they can give you some advice about local yards/workload etc. (student union websites usually have contacts for student clubs)
 
i've been on both sides of the fence.. i've left her at home and i've taken her with me!
first year i kept her at home on schooling/competition livery and i used to go home (5 hour journey including journey time to yard) every weekend and although my horse was fine and she kept her fitness up ready to do whatever i wanted in the holidays, i missed her during the week and my work suffered so much! i do maths, which is like 24 hours of lectures a week (much more than most other degrees!!) and the traveling back and forth made me so tired and i couldn't concentrate and then on weeks when i wanted to do a sunday show i'd end up not going back til monday night and missing all my lectures on that day.

then this year i've brought my horse with me to uni and keep her on full livery and make my journey to the stables (usually just over an hour each way) every day (except thursdays as i have lectures 9 til 5) and i'm doing really well in my degree and my horse is still fit etc. the only downside is that i can't really go to shows that often. i've been to a few but whereas at home my dad could always take me, i now have to rely on other people to take me (i can't take myself)

but out of the two, keeping my horse at uni is much much better!!! you just have to put in the effort of managing everything, and most universities are in cities so it's unlikely you'll find a stables close to your uni, but if home is only an hour and a half, to me you could still go there every day. some times my journey is as long as that and i still manage it with my degree, a boyfriend and going out to get hammered! :D

sorry about my essay ;)
 
I took mine to Uni. I initially tried to put him out on loan but some of the people calling me about him were horrific and totally put me off. Luckily it's only a 2 hour journey from London to Norwich so he copes with no problems. My first year was problematic as he was stabled 35 mins away from me and I wasn't allowed my car on campus, so had to get a bus to my car, then drive 35 mins, which meant I only ended up going sporadically (he was on full livery and out of work).

This year he's kept 20 mins drive from my house, initially on DIY but going there twice a day really messed up my work, so he's now on part livery so I do him at weekends and some wednesday afternoons. He is turned out everyday and has a quieter life now so he doesn't need to be exercised hard every day. I also found a sharer who rides him twice a week and pays for his shoes. Fortunately my parents pay for his livery costs and transporting him to and from uni to home.
 
Thank you all so much for your advice. I think the idea of leaving him at home for the first term to let me get my bearings a bit is a really good one, and might even prove to me that i work better without the distraction, though i really doubt it (He actually helps a lot of the time).
I'm researching yards near to the uni, in case there's one that's perfect for him, but tis all work in progress at the moment.
Keep the comments coming- they're so helpful :)
xx
 
I did what's been suggested and left mine at home for the first term, then took him with me once I was settled and had scoped out local yards, got myself a part time job ect. I didn't travel him back and forth but as was only an hour away from home anyway it wasn't so bad. If I wanted to go home for a few days he went from
assisted livery to full. Finding a flexable yard is really important! I found having my horse with me kept me grounded and was a brill destress, nothing better than getting out the city and going for a ride! You'll prob find that you have plenty of time to ride and enjoy your horse. I stabled mine round he corner from three big show centres so got to compete weekly within hacking distance ( brill for keeping you off the booze at the weekend !). I also met some fab horsey people who I remain firm friends with.
 
I took French to uni after the first term once I had scoped out yards and settled in, I then took her home at easter and she's stayed there as my summer term is only 4 weeks, two of which are exams so the girls are just keeping her ticking over for me. I then work during holidays to pay for her, not sure how uni work has been affected (we'll see at the end of these exams :S) but I'm definatly much happier with her here. My plan for next year is to take her up next year and then keep her there until easter as I'll have a house and then I'll take her home at easter and then leave her there for summer term so she'll only be moved twice (I don't have a trailer so can't afford to hire a trailer to move her about all the time). Hope that helps!
 
Interesting thread!

I'm only in my first year of college but hoping to go to uni eventually to do law and wanting to take the pony with me.

By the sound of it, taking him would be a fab idea!
 
I have a horse at university with me, and he is kept on the DIY yard on campus. He moved in about 3 weeks after I had started.

To be honest I think it was the best decision I ever made having him here. He gets me up bright and early in the mornings so I'm ready to fit as much into my day as possible, and he's great to go to when you can't stand being around other people any more!! Also, I have learnt more in these 6 months here than in the last 10 years of riding. The facilities at the price I pay are exceptional, and all of my friends on the yard help me no end with his 'training'.... After a 3 year gap from jumping, with their help, I have gone from refusing to go over a cross pole to jumping a 90cm course with in a week!

I would definatley recommend it!
 
Im in my first year,go to hartpury but live in south wales-so about an hour and a half aswell.Decided to leave my eventer at home for the first year and go home on weekends/days off to ride.Its expensive to DIY here -bout double the amount of the local livery yard.so Ive applied for a hartpury yard off campu at half price,will get a job but I do drive which makes things easier. I would see how it works for the first semster ,then decide what you want to do :).
 
In my first year my horse stayed on 5 day livery back home, and I went back at weekends and had a sharer during the week.

This year I have him at uni, but I don't go back and forwards during term time/holidays, I just stay here. I love having him with me :D
 
I have my boy at uni and this is the second horse i have taken up in two years. I abseloutley love it and couldnt be without him now!

However i didnt take any horse up for the first term of uni and it was the best decision ever, gave me a chance to make new friends, go on the nights out and get to know everyone and i also realised how much i missed my baby, without having all the early mornings and late evenings and constantly stinking (bit like i do now :P)! Unless you can afford part/full livery then i dont think leaving your horse at home for the first term is so important :)
 
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