taking my horse to university?

[holz_rider]

i am starting university in September and would really love to take my horse with me, but i don't know if i will be able to manage both,

my mum thinks it would be best to leave him at home with her and just see him when i go home

i am doing [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] veterinary medicine which is quite a demanding course so i might no have much time for him


[/FONT]has anyone else got experience of taking their horse to uni and can help ? did you manage OK?

really don't know what to do :blue:

 

[spookypony]

A few things to consider:

Would it be manageable financially?
How far away from uni would he be/how far (and long) would you have to travel every day?
Would part livery be available if needed?
Will you be holding down a job as well as studying?

Having your horse there might be a good release for you, but you need to consider the issues of time management carefully. As a uni lecturer, I'd be more concerned about a student holding down a job, because those tend to be really inflexible and interfere a lot with priorities (although I know that many students need to work to afford their studies).

 

[rach1]

I didn't take a horse to university, but what you need to consider is the whole experience you want to gain while you are there. You will experience a whole new group of friends, social events and as you mention, work/studying. I didn't have a course as demanding as yours will be, and I'm not sure I could have managed it without missing out on a lot.

Also, you will need to factor taking the horse home over the holidays (transporting and costs) and paying for a stable which you aren't using, unless you are happy to risk loosing a stable at the yard you have found.

Personally, I can see the benefits and the downsides. I would suggest that you concentrate on your studies and make the most of your university experience if you Mum is happy to look after your horse while you are away, and you will have time to enjoy him in the lengthy uni holidays. There may also be an university riding club you can join to prevent you getting rusty. Also, I was at a top sporting university and I don't know anyone who brought a horse with them.

Why not go to university and see how you get on? You can always get your horse up there once your settled and know what your life and the area is like.

Out of interest, where are you going?

 

[daughter's groom]

You would be a very lucky peson to be able to take your horse to uni.When my daughter started her medical training I wanted to sell the horse but we were fortunate enough to find an excellent loan home. Eleven years later he is still with us but she would never have had the time to complete her studies and do the right thing by the horse. Your horse might be better off staying at home, settled in a familiar place while you have the time of your life, working and playing hard in a relatively worry free situation. Hope you are able to find a solution which keeps everyone happy.

 

[hnmisty]

Personally, I would leave him at home until you settle and see how much free time you have. You don't say whether your parents would be in paying for him (in which case, the ball is in their court really) or whether you would. And if you would be paying for him, whether you would also have a part time job.

If vet med is as full on as dentistry and medicine, then having lived with both of those, I can tell you now that you won't have time. My finial year med student housemate is currently getting up at 6am and revising to 9pm ever day. I presume you will also have placements to go on, which will take up more time (when on placement, my housemates were out the house usually for a minimum of 12 hours). And again, if vet med is like medicine or dentistry, then having a part time job is frowned upon by the departments, and would leave you with no time for you horse at all.

 

[LynH]

I took my horse with me when I went to university. I did a law degree which was quite a lot of work but managed to look after my horse until Xmas of my final year when he went to a friend.

I taught at the yard where I kept him and not only earned enough to keep him but paid for most of my keep too. I stayed there for the shorter holidays as I didn't have transport to take him home but I worked throughout anyway. I took him home over the long summer holidays and didn't have any trouble finding stabling for that time.

I would go ride, muck out, turn out etc before anyone else was even up each morning and if I wasn't working at the yard in the evening someone else brought him in for me. I managed to get all my studying done (law is a hell of a lot of reading) and had a really good social life so I don't think I missed out on that side either. I got a 2:1 so it didn't affect the quality of my work and I felt less stressed than most people as I had time away from uni and other students on a regular basis.

It's up to you if you think you can manage everything. I think it set me up for when I started work and I managed to keep my horses on DIY whilst building a good career until I could afford part livery. Personally I'm really pleased I did take him with me and that I kept riding whilst having a busy career.

 

[LittleVet]

Where are you going? (Pm me if you prefer). I'm in my 3rd year of vet med and am taking mine back with me in January. You need to consider if there are stables near by etc, which may be more difficult if your at one of the vet school with the first few years in the city, if there was livery options e.g. Who would look after him if you went home for the weekend and also while you're on placement if you chose to do it round where you were at uni. There is a lot of work but you also need a break. If your mum is willing to look after him you could always take him to start with and if it didn't work out he could go back home

 

[Love]

I am at uni doing human biology and I would be pushed for time. My best friend is doing vet med and is in her second year. Her horse is out on full loan as she has nowhere near enough time.

My boy is on full livery at home and although I miss him when I'm there he is still here when I get back.

I know people who have very happily taken them with them but personally I wouldn't recommend it

 

[Horse*]

I think it really depends on what you want to get out of uni as the others have said. If I were you I would leave your horse at home for the first term and see how you get on. With my course I could probably have my horse at uni but there aren't yards, farriers, vets etc around that I would be happy with and I couldn't manage a social life, exams and a stabled horse through winter. And if you go to uni far from home it is a lot of work packing all of your things and your horses up every few weeks to go hom for holidays. A lot of good yards make you pay holding fees for stables too so quickly adds up cost wise. Similarily my brother is a vet and I know he wouldn't have time to look after a horse. But there are a few people in our uni riding clubs with cars who seem to manage keeping horses at uni.

Tough one!

 

[holz_rider]

thanks guys i think i am going to have to leave him with my mum and see how it goes, i am going to Cambridge

 

[Zeb93]

I have my horse at uni as do a number of my friends. There is a big group of students at my yard so we all help each other out, including a medic so it can be done even with higher workload courses.

That being said, I didn't have a horse in my first year so had a year to work out possibilities and get to grips with being a student. I would say it depends on your circumstances but I am so glad I have my horse up here and its working really well for the moment!

 

[pippixox]

congratulation on getting into vet med at Cambridge i have known a few people at university with horses, but doing less demanding courses time wise. personally i would not do it, especially with such a though course. as you are lucky enough to have your mum keep the horse i would just leave them at home.

 

[meandroger]

I took my fell to uni with me once I had settled a bit - I think at the very start you need to make friends and settle in.
I am in my final year x

 

[meandroger]

I took my fell to uni with me once I had settled a bit - I think at the very start you need to make friends and settle in. He then died suddenly and unexpectedly. I wouldn't have managed a horse through 4th year (the year we do finals) but I know others who did manage (probably more efficient than I).
I am in my final year of medicine and it is very intense. I bought a new horse and have had to make sacrifices to fit him in. The emotional support he gives me I quite an emotionally heavy course counteracts the time he takes - plus I just love having him around!
I think it is something to consider and play by ear! Good luck!!

 

[Horse*]

Congrats, which college?