Taking Horse to Uni??

SilverLy

SilverLy

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Hi all! I’m new to this forum so excuse me if this is the wrong place to post this:)
I will hopefully be going to uni in Aberystwyth next year and they have a fantastic equine centre on site which does livery. They have some absolutely amazing facilities and teachers - although hacking isn’t brilliant - that I don’t have access to where I live (in the middle of nowhere!) and they have events 3/4 weekends every month. I think it’s also a BHS training centre so I’d do those exams whilst I’m there. The other liveries on the yard would be uni students too so I guess I wouldn’t miss too much of the social side. I’ve been saving for a while so I’m ok in money department.

I guess my question is does this sound like a good idea? I know some people say to leave your horse behind for uni but this whole set up sounds just too good not to use it!
So sorry if this is too much information - I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Thanks! :D
 
Go for it. I had one horse in my first 2 years of uni then upped it to two horses while in my internship year working FT in Corporate Banking and final year and during my postgrad MSc. I still went out with the other students and joined societies, elected as a student ambassador and representative, got all my work done, got a First degree and a Merit in my Masters, worked part-time and did everything everybody else was doing. The only thing that would have held me back is finances but I managed to scrape my way through uni just about. I never got the whole thing around having to give up your uni social life when you have horses, certainly didn't stop me. I agree that this opportunity sounds too good to miss, what is it that you will be studying? I did Organisational Change Management and then my MSc was in Real Estate Investment, Finance and Economics so pretty heavy going but that's why I still needed the horses around!
 
Sasanaskyex said:
Go for it. I had one horse in my first 2 years of uni then upped it to two horses while in my internship year working FT in Corporate Banking and final year and during my postgrad MSc. I still went out with the other students and joined societies, elected as a student ambassador and representative, got all my work done, got a First degree and a Merit in my Masters, worked part-time and did everything everybody else was doing. The only thing that would have held me back is finances but I managed to scrape my way through uni just about. I never got the whole thing around having to give up your uni social life when you have horses, certainly didn't stop me. I agree that this opportunity sounds too good to miss, what is it that you will be studying? I did Organisational Change Management and then my MSc was in Real Estate Investment, Finance and Economics so pretty heavy going but that's why I still needed the horses around!
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Wow - that’s really impressive!! Sounds like you really made the most out of uni. I’ve heard those subjects are hardcore.... so if you did it with two horses and an intact social life, you’ve convinced me - she’s coming with me:) yay!
I know I’ll defo be doing English Lit and Creative Writing - whether I’ll combine them with something else I’m not sure yet. We’ll see!
Anyway, thank you for replying - it’s great to talk to someone on the other side of uni!
 
With the livery yard on site it would make your experience much much easier. Most students not studying equine science have to manage with cheaper yards a distance from the Uni which does make it much harder. Not only in terms of time but also having to keep and run a car etc. There is an old adage - you can do anything you want to do, and make time for anything that really matters to you.

With the yard on site and the opportunity to do your BHS exams at the same time - that does sound like a really reasonable prospect. And earning your summer living as an instructor is significantly above the minimum wage jobs most have to do.

First year in almost all Unis / degrees is "disposable" - in that the results do not count toward your final grade other than to enable you to get through to the second year when it does. Your chosen subjects are also really contact light (not study light - you are expected to do more in your own time than in formal study) so with good organization actually I think you should be fine. If not you have time correct that.

University is a real once in a lifetime thing. (And the debt is crippling Sasanaskyes has done really well to graduate with only £50K debt. My daughter is doing a career path that requires a PhD to practice and she would (if we were not able to pay her way) graduate with a debt of £66K on fees alone - closer to £80K with living expenses. Some careers (medicine, Vet Sci, Physiotherapy, clinical psycholoigy etc) require an academic route. Otherwise - that is a heck of a lot of debt...
 
SilverLy said:
Hi all! I’m new to this forum so excuse me if this is the wrong place to post this:)
I will hopefully be going to uni in Aberystwyth next year and they have a fantastic equine centre on site which does livery. They have some absolutely amazing facilities and teachers - although hacking isn’t brilliant - that I don’t have access to where I live (in the middle of nowhere!) and they have events 3/4 weekends every month. I think it’s also a BHS training centre so I’d do those exams whilst I’m there. The other liveries on the yard would be uni students too so I guess I wouldn’t miss too much of the social side. I’ve been saving for a while so I’m ok in money department.

I guess my question is does this sound like a good idea? I know some people say to leave your horse behind for uni but this whole set up sounds just too good not to use it!
So sorry if this is too much information - I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Thanks! :D
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As someone who spent 4 years at aberystwyth for uni, take your horse! And don't believe anyone when they say the hacking isn't brilliant, as long as you are happy to do some road work the hacking is really good; you can hack to clarach beach and ynyslas beach (if your crazy enough, i done it a few times with my horse hacked all the way from lluest to borth and back), through the rheidol valley honestly the hacking is great once you get off the road and to be honest although its a fast national speed limit road its not overly busy and you can see a long way after the first corner, could easily go for hacks of 2 -6 hours without worry, me and my friends regularly left on a sunday morning and returned late afternoon!

Honestly there isnt a great deal to do in aberystwyth apart from go out, or get stuck into other clubs, so having your horse is a god send in aber.

I took my horse to Aber, and kept him at lluest, enjoyed 3 years of hacking and competing every weekend, using the amazing facilities, great to have the option to leave your horse there on full livery whilst you go home etc. If you want any more info on the hacking etc feel free to send me a message.
 
Shay said:
With the livery yard on site it would make your experience much much easier. Most students not studying equine science have to manage with cheaper yards a distance from the Uni which does make it much harder. Not only in terms of time but also having to keep and run a car etc. There is an old adage - you can do anything you want to do, and make time for anything that really matters to you.

With the yard on site and the opportunity to do your BHS exams at the same time - that does sound like a really reasonable prospect. And earning your summer living as an instructor is significantly above the minimum wage jobs most have to do.

First year in almost all Unis / degrees is "disposable" - in that the results do not count toward your final grade other than to enable you to get through to the second year when it does. Your chosen subjects are also really contact light (not study light - you are expected to do more in your own time than in formal study) so with good organization actually I think you should be fine. If not you have time correct that.

University is a real once in a lifetime thing. (And the debt is crippling Sasanaskyes has done really well to graduate with only £50K debt. My daughter is doing a career path that requires a PhD to practice and she would (if we were not able to pay her way) graduate with a debt of £66K on fees alone - closer to £80K with living expenses. Some careers (medicine, Vet Sci, Physiotherapy, clinical psycholoigy etc) require an academic route. Otherwise - that is a heck of a lot of debt...
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Ahhhhh yes I’m not looking forward to crippling debt..... I’ll try not to think about it too much now haha! Wow - what career is your daughter hoping to follow?

Yes I do love my timetables, so time management and organisation shouldn’t be a problem for me. Plus, having her there will be a great incentive to get up in the morning and work hard - who wouldn’t want their equine baby to accompany them to school?! :D
 
JenTaz said:
As someone who spent 4 years at aberystwyth for uni, take your horse! And don't believe anyone when they say the hacking isn't brilliant, as long as you are happy to do some road work the hacking is really good; you can hack to clarach beach and ynyslas beach (if your crazy enough, i done it a few times with my horse hacked all the way from lluest to borth and back), through the rheidol valley honestly the hacking is great once you get off the road and to be honest although its a fast national speed limit road its not overly busy and you can see a long way after the first corner, could easily go for hacks of 2 -6 hours without worry, me and my friends regularly left on a sunday morning and returned late afternoon!

Honestly there isnt a great deal to do in aberystwyth apart from go out, or get stuck into other clubs, so having your horse is a god send in aber.

I took my horse to Aber, and kept him at lluest, enjoyed 3 years of hacking and competing every weekend, using the amazing facilities, great to have the option to leave your horse there on full livery whilst you go home etc. If you want any more info on the hacking etc feel free to send me a message.
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Omg it’s brilliant to hear from someone who went to Aber!!! I’m so glad to hear the hacking is better than they told me.... I wasn’t too sure of being stuck in a small concrete black for the next however many years haha. And the facilities really do seem fantastic - I’ve never seen an indoor arena that big in person! Did you ever use the instructors who came to the yard? If so, what were they like?
Also what degree(s) did you do?
 
To be quite frank, the question I'd be asking if I was in your position is, "is the time, work, and - maybe most importantly - debt, worth it for an English Lit & Creative Writing degree?". As someone who did a degree back in 2003-2006 that has never done anything for me and that I have never used, I would genuinely urge you to consider what doing your degree will actually do for you - if anything. I'm now 34 and wanting to go back to uni to study something that will actually lead to a career! If you want to go to uni - do something that won't be a waste of your time. Do you really need a degree in reading and writing?
 
Sounds like an awesome set up. Go for it!

But as a bit of a sidetrack - on the issue of student finance, for most people it does not matter that much what the number you come out with is in terms of debt. You can be £50,000 £500,000 or £5 million in debt and you still pay the same amount each month as it's a fixed payment - I think 9% on earnings over £25,000 or something like that.

And the whole debt gets written off after 30 years. So it behaves like a graduate tax not any normal kind of debt.

If you earn a lot after graduation then a bigger debt means you are paying it off for longer so you pay more overall, but it is the same monthly repayment whether you owe £5000 or £5 billion.

So don't let fear of debt put you off. If you don't earn much on graduation you don't pay much and some people don't pay anything at all.
 
I think it's a great degree! My ex boss' boss did his degree in English lit, he was on a six-figure salary plus bonuses ;) English lit and creative writing could open OP up to any career which involves writing and that involves a wide range of industries from journalism, publishing, marketing, advertising and media, to education or business management. I'm sorry that you didn't get a career in your first degree Joosie but look at the bright side at least you wouldn't have been hit with the £9,250k fees :p
 
SilverLy said:
Omg it’s brilliant to hear from someone who went to Aber!!! I’m so glad to hear the hacking is better than they told me.... I wasn’t too sure of being stuck in a small concrete black for the next however many years haha. And the facilities really do seem fantastic - I’ve never seen an indoor arena that big in person! Did you ever use the instructors who came to the yard? If so, what were they like?
Also what degree(s) did you do?
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I studied Agriculture with animal science so about 12-16 contact hours a week, but I also worked part time (some weeks up to 25 hours as I was saving up for a new car and had to pay for competing every weekend and weekly lessons somehow) I had a lot of lessons with the instructors who came to the yard to do regular clinics particularly Patrick Print, had the opportunity to have a lesson with geoff billington, and matt ryan, but I know now that there are regular clinics with Johnathon Pett and others, ( i graduated 2 years ago but have friends still there so keep up with whats going on. I also had lessons from the yard staff which I found very beneficial to keep me right over the winter competition season.

For the hacking, Id recommend getting yourself the OS maps app, and buying the map for the aberystwyth area, or if you live in england just the years membership, i think its about £25 but its great as it can show you where you are while your out and the direction your going in. Its great for discovering the bridleways in Aber, however the students that will be there if they have been hacking im sure would happily show you some routes. However if you have a look on a map if you go out of the yard (up the main drive) and turn right you go all the way to the cross roads at the bottom of that road, its probably a mile and a half and once you get there there are so many bridleways that make some fab hacks. It depends how much you really enjoy hacking, if your looking for a short hack theres around CKs (a bit boring) or you go a bit further around the frongcoch (i think) campus passed penglais farm, which is a bit better but still only a walk trot route really. Clarach beach is the shortest of the closer hacks but is a lot of road work to get to, but worth it if the tide is out. One thing I will say about the hacking, the more hi vis you can wear the better as most of it is welsh country roads the sooner you can be seen the better. I hope you have loads of fun with your horse at Aber, i certainly did
 
Agree AE student loans are the best kind of loans you will ever get - I think I only pay about £27 a month at the mo but I'm not 100% sure as I never see it anyway! Just comes straight out as a tax. And if you stop earning - you stop paying and it will be written of after 30 years so unless you earn megga bucks you probably won't ever pay it all back anyway. I don't let the debt bother me because it's so manageable.
 
Sasanaskyex said:
Agree AE student loans are the best kind of loans you will ever get - I think I only pay about £27 a month at the mo but I'm not 100% sure as I never see it anyway! Just comes straight out as a tax. And if you stop earning - you stop paying and it will be written of after 30 years so unless you earn megga bucks you probably won't ever pay it all back anyway. I don't let the debt bother me because it's so manageable.
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Fab! I hate all the talk of 'crippling' debt as it might put people off Uni. Especially people from poorer backgrounds. But it really is manageable as payments are directly linked to earnings. I wish all debts were like that!!!
 
Sasanaskyex said:
I think it's a great degree! My ex boss' boss did his degree in English lit, he was on a six-figure salary plus bonuses ;) English lit and creative writing could open OP up to any career which involves writing and that involves a wide range of industries from journalism, publishing, marketing, advertising and media, to education or business management.
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The point being that you can get into any of those careers without an English Lit degree ;) And I would pretty much bet on my my life that your friend didn't get his 6-figure salary because he studied reading at university ;) I mean, if you want to go into journalism you're better off doing a journalism degree. If you want to go into advertising you're better off doing an advertising degree. etc etc. I honestly think more young people should be urged to think about whether or not they NEED to go to uni and study what they're studying, and actually be encouraged to look at other, and potentially more useful, options. EVERYONE goes to uni these days and degrees in certain subjects just don't make you stand out.
 
My boss' boss actually did earn his salary through reading and writing as he was an absolute genius with words which made him very popular with clients.

I would also argue that the more narrow degree specialisms like I did can be less helpful and limiting, luckily for me I knew exactly what I wanted to do but if you're not 100% dedicated to a specific career path there are broader degrees out there for people which open up more possibilities and have transferable skills.

However, I agree with you to an extent, of course uni isn't the only option, but I also think people need to move away from this ideology that people go to uni just to get a job when that's not necessarily the case for everyone.
 
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joosie said:
To be quite frank, the question I'd be asking if I was in your position is, "is the time, work, and - maybe most importantly - debt, worth it for an English Lit & Creative Writing degree?". As someone who did a degree back in 2003-2006 that has never done anything for me and that I have never used, I would genuinely urge you to consider what doing your degree will actually do for you - if anything. I'm now 34 and wanting to go back to uni to study something that will actually lead to a career! If you want to go to uni - do something that won't be a waste of your time. Do you really need a degree in reading and writing?
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I have to say, you can say that about a lot of degrees.... my dad did one of those ‘useful’ subjects that he wasn’t passionate about and it’s done absolutely nothing for him. He’s now been a successful artist for 20yrs and he always wished he’d done it earlier. I think if uni was just about a degree there would be no point. But it’s also about meeting people and moving away from home. Plus, writing is what I want to do! :)
 
joosie said:
To be quite frank, the question I'd be asking if I was in your position is, "is the time, work, and - maybe most importantly - debt, worth it for an English Lit & Creative Writing degree?". As someone who did a degree back in 2003-2006 that has never done anything for me and that I have never used, I would genuinely urge you to consider what doing your degree will actually do for you - if anything. I'm now 34 and wanting to go back to uni to study something that will actually lead to a career! If you want to go to uni - do something that won't be a waste of your time. Do you really need a degree in reading and writing?
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But it's entirely possible to go to uni just to study something because you enjoy studying/like the subject!?
 
SilverLy said:
Exactly! It would be strange to study something that doesn’t relate in any way to your passions! 😆
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You know you don't HAVE to go to uni, right?

SilverLy said:
I have to say, you can say that about a lot of degrees.... my dad did one of those ‘useful’ subjects that he wasn’t passionate about and it’s done absolutely nothing for him. He’s now been a successful artist for 20yrs and he always wished he’d done it earlier. I think if uni was just about a degree there would be no point. But it’s also about meeting people and moving away from home. Plus, writing is what I want to do! :)
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You've kind of just inadvertently proven my point ;) Your dad did a degree that was "useful" in theory and it STILL did nothing for him, and he ended up with a career that developed instead from his talent and passion. If you want a career in writing then it's your talent and passion that will get you there, not a Creative Writing degree ;) But if you are just going to uni for the social aspect, and the education part is only secondary, then I guess that doesn't matter anyway!
 
I studied zoology and loved it! I stayed in Alexandra hall on the sea front and it was exciting when the tide was crashing over the building when the waves hit! Rag week was always a great time. Good luck if you go!
 
SilverLy, just go and do what you want to do; it's fairly likely the degree you do won't end up being your final career anyway so if you want to go to university then just go!
The setup for your horse sounds lovely too, when I go to uni I'd love to have something like that but none of the places on my shortlist have anything similar so I'm leaving my horse and pony at home.
 
joosie said:
You know you don't HAVE to go to uni, right?
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But I WANT to haha. I’ve just given up a career in music that I’ve been studying 7hrs a day for since I was 4.... I would have been moving to Berlin this year to go to the music conservatoire there but I realised it wasn’t my passion.... trust me I’m not one to be rash. I give everything a careful thought - I never even thought I would go to uni till this year!
 
blodwyn1 said:
I studied zoology and loved it! I stayed in Alexandra hall on the sea front and it was exciting when the tide was crashing over the building when the waves hit! Rag week was always a great time. Good luck if you go!
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God those seafront places do look stunning! I fell in love with the view when I saw it last month - can’t believe students get to stay there. And thanks:D
 
I went to aber too to study environmental science. I didn’t take my horse as she was 33 so all those facilities were no use to me. I’m glad I didn’t as it gave me the freedom to try other things I wouldn’t have had time for. I joined a sports club that I loved and made great friends in, I wasn’t a big drinker but I did enjoy some of the social scene. I went walking a lot with my flat mates too. And I was a very conscientious student so spent every spare minute studying. And I do now, via a very circuitous route of non-related jobs (working as a personal trainer and groom across the world) work in a field relating to my degree. Could I have got this job without the degree level knowledge? Quite possibly. But I still see university as a hugely valuable investment in my life. I met an incredibly diverse range of people, I studied a subject that fascinated me and gave me a broader world view, with access to information I might otherwise not have gained. I learned to develop skills in communication, data interpretation, report writing. And I gained confidence in myself through having a network of brilliant supportive people around me. Other people may well pick up these skills without going to uni but for me it was the all round experience that I found beneficial.

If I wanted to go back to aber now I would definitely take BBP if they had enough turnout, because I don’t need those other things in the same way now.

You will have s great time!
 
Shay, if I have understood you correctly, you are paying or thinking about paying your daughter's tuition fees upfront? Please be very, very careful. You may well be chucking money away on fees she would never have to pay anyway. Read Martyn Lewis on the subject who is forever getting calls from parents who have paid fees and lost tens of thousands unnecessarily as a result.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/should-i-get-student-loan/
 
BBP said:
I went to aber too to study environmental science. I didn’t take my horse as she was 33 so all those facilities were no use to me. I’m glad I didn’t as it gave me the freedom to try other things I wouldn’t have had time for. I joined a sports club that I loved and made great friends in, I wasn’t a big drinker but I did enjoy some of the social scene. I went walking a lot with my flat mates too. And I was a very conscientious student so spent every spare minute studying. And I do now, via a very circuitous route of non-related jobs (working as a personal trainer and groom across the world) work in a field relating to my degree. Could I have got this job without the degree level knowledge? Quite possibly. But I still see university as a hugely valuable investment in my life. I met an incredibly diverse range of people, I studied a subject that fascinated me and gave me a broader world view, with access to information I might otherwise not have gained. I learned to develop skills in communication, data interpretation, report writing. And I gained confidence in myself through having a network of brilliant supportive people around me. Other people may well pick up these skills without going to uni but for me it was the all round experience that I found beneficial.

If I wanted to go back to aber now I would definitely take BBP if they had enough turnout, because I don’t need those other things in the same way now.

You will have s great time!
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I’m so glad you had a wonderful time! Sounds like you chose the right degree for you which seems to really help in enjoying the overall experience:) I agree it seems to be a place to meet people and expand one’s mind... so glad it all worked out for you!
 
The one thing that hasn’t been mentioned is finances whilst you’re at uni. Your undergrad student maintenance loan (ie the money you live on, not your tuition fee loan) is wildly variable from person to person as to what you’re entitled to get. I’m graduating in a week’s time, worked my way through uni earning above minimum wage, unlike most of my friends, and wouldn’t have been able to afford to keep my horse had my parents not been willing to fund him. I couldn’t get anymore from student finance by way of maintenance loan, and my savings from 3 years of full time work really didn’t go far. The system changes again for post grad, with the loan I’m getting for my MSc being significantly more than I got through undergrad and significantly less than many of my friends had, so worth bearing in mind if that’s a possibility for you.

The only way I could have funded my horse myself would have required me to work 30+ hours/week, which, on top of placements every year, uni work and friends, wouldn’t have been doable. For a less intense course, you may well have more time than I did, and cost of living may be cheaper, but definitely plan out the financing before committing to anything. Long term student debt is easy, short term finances can be crippling.
 
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