The big time poor/cash rich and visa versa debate.......

[AutumnRose]

So i'm sure this one has been done loads before but i'm at a bit of a cross roads at the moment so i'm interested in peoples opinions.

I work in a well paid job, commute to London everyday and keep my horses on full livery. They are both well looked after and i ride them both enough each week to keep them competition fit (at 5am or 8pm!). Looking for new jobs at the moment...just don't want to be in London anymore and i've realised my ambitions all lie with horses, not my career.

Most of the roles i find that will allow me to do horses the way i want to will involve a huge pay cut...so the big question??!! Will i really be happy the other way aound...or is the grass always greener?! And who are those people who manage the cash and time rich version.......(short of marrying a rich man...i'm working on that-don't tell the OH!)

Nothings ever easy is it........

 

[Eaglestone]

When you have the answer I will be following you ..... except I do not have to go to London ATM .... but would love to spend more time with my horses and have less of an income, but still afford to live

 

[ajn1610]

The problem with working with horses - unless you are very lucky - is that it doesn't pay enough for you to have your own. Even if you find a great job where they'll keep your horses for you you still have to pay farrier, vet, entry fees, travel costs even wormer and washes cost money.
Add up what you spend now excluding livery, would any of the jobs you've looked at cover those costs and leave you enough to live on?
That is why I went into teaching because I'd earn enough to keep my horses but still have time to ride. There are other jobs (drug and feed reps, working/lecturing at the colleges, managing yards) that are horse related and pay OK but from your post I don't think this is what you are after. I think you want to be hands on?
It is an eternal dilemma for a lot of people and it is down to personal choice and where you derive your satisfaction.

 

[hadfos]

unfortunately i think the grass is always greener on the other side....never seems to work out that way though

i worked with horses for yrs but had to move on due to wanting better for me and my horse...i now have a reasonably paid job family and horse and would love to go back to working with horses but just couldnt afford to!!Plus i have found horse jobs are not 2 a penny like they used to be

!!
If you are that unhappy in your job and maybe prpared to drop your horses liveries down then it may be an option for you...guess it just depends on how much you like the expendable cash at the mo

 

[natalia]

Sod it, you will have a much better time with your horses at livery and spend more quality time with them for them being at livery, plus be able to afford to do all the nice things with them. If you can afford full livery and still have times set aside to ride then don't change anything!

 

[AutumnRose]

Mmmmmm tbh i think i am looking at options like feed reps etc rather than the actual grooming or similar. My sister does that for an eventing pro and cannot afford her own horse at all.

I know i'm lucky to have my horses at the moment and although i can ride them enough it's not as much as i'd like to and i don't have the flexibilty i want with them. Would be more than happy to have them on diy if i have the time....that alone would save me lot's of money.

 

[Tia]

I think it depends how old you are. If you are young then I'd say don't give up the lifestyle and money you have right now otherwise I think you will forever regret it. If you are older (40+) then you have probably put aside a fair amount of capital on which you can fall back on if life gets a little tougher.

I moved over here to Canada and basically did what you are considering doing. Bought our farm and everything needed to run it outright. This makes life easier as you have small outgoings therefore don't need a huge amount to live on. We love our lifestyle here - but I admit I loved our lifestyle in England too

. I think it is easier to give up things when you are older, particularly if you've had most things you want, been most places and done most of what you want to in life. When you are younger there is so much left to see and do in the world that money is more important for a certain period in your life. Once you accumulate a decent amount of money behind you, I think this is probably the time when you can give up the high-flying lifestyle and be HAPPY settling for less.

Happiness is the key and you need to seriously think about everything you enjoy in life, not just your horses. Good luck making the decision.

 

[ajn1610]

I think those jobs are really variable time wise, you may well find you are not any better off, it depends on the territory you have to cover and the number of appointments you have.
I don't know your background but most companies would want you to have a Equine Science type qualification (I applied for these jobs when I first left Uni but decided it wasn't for me. PM me if you like I'll tell you what interviews were like).
A friend of mine is a drug rep (human) but she seems to have a very good deal - good wage, bmw and phone. She has bi monthly meetings at head office and has to visit X number of GPs a month but it is up to her how she organizes her time. She blitzes it for a week/ten days and then has the rest of the month at home. The good thing about her job is she doesn't have sales targets as it is PCT who order the meds she just has to keep the GP informed about new products. She says it's really boring but gives her time to do other things.

 

[Flibble]

I am part way there the only trouble is I now cost everything out in sets of shoes etc. I work part-time gardening and I try and swap resources. Lend me trailer out for a bag of shavings and the like. Fence judge for a bottle of wine. I do have a small redundancy settlement that is on a spreadsheet that I eke out and I paint horses(dogs and cats).

I am cash poor and time rich and have spent a chunk of the redundancy on a new horse but I would rather stack shelves in Tesco than get back in the rat race.

(Currently typing this wearing OH old work jeans and socks with a hole in the toe) I can honestly say I do worry about money but I have never been happier and the horse benefitrs as I dont ride in a rush and stressed out.

 

[Angela_Jackson]

[ QUOTE ]
Mmmmmm tbh i think i am looking at options like feed reps etc rather than the actual grooming or similar. My sister does that for an eventing pro and cannot afford her own horse at all.

I know i'm lucky to have my horses at the moment and although i can ride them enough it's not as much as i'd like to and i don't have the flexibilty i want with them. Would be more than happy to have them on diy if i have the time....that alone would save me lot's of money.

[/ QUOTE ]

Working for a feed merchant, I know quite a few feed reps, and believe me it is hard work, most of them do not have time now to ride their own horses (a few have put their mares into foal) as they are out on the road alot, and even have to stay away some nights to make calls early in the mornings. Obviously it depends on what area you get, but for example we are down in cornwall and more than one of our feed reps cover the whole of the south west, which to my surprise included Wales, Bristol area, down to Isle of White and all the way down to Cornwall, others covered everything below London, both east and west! That really put me off the idea of being a rep!

 

[AutumnRose]

Thanks some interesting thoughs....i know there's no simple answer. I think i've just got to do what i think will make me most happy and deal with any consequences......

 

[Scribbles]

Have you thought of going into teaching in an agricultural college, or something similar?

 

[scotsmare]

The only way I found a balance was to work part time for an employer and part time self employed as at least half the day was then mine. No, I don't have pots of money to play with but it's enough to keep us all. I do the bartering thing too which saves a bit.

If you are really keen on being a rep then PM me as there are a couple of firms you really should avoid......

 

[oofadoofa]

Only just read your post. I worked with horses for several years, and although I enjoyed it most of the time, I was always broke and never really had the enthusiasm to ride and compete my own horses on my days off. I now have an office job and work for a land agent, where most people in the office are quite horsey. Although it's a 9 to 5 job (well in fact, I work 10 to 6 so I can ride in the mornings!), it pays well enough for me to keep my horses and compete, and I still get time to ride every day. My work is also flexible when it comes to things like farrier/vets visits so I am very lucky. I think it's all about getting the right balance, finding a job where you can afford to keep horses and where you also get the time to enjoy them properly.

 

[Firewell]

Can you not do a similar job that your doing in the city but closer to home? Like 10 mins max from where your horses are kept for instance. I used to find its the commuting that took the time up..

Otherwise have you thought about field sales jobs but not in the horse industry? My mum is a sales exec. Her pay and commission is good and she works mostly from home, so its flexible. She gets up at 6.30 and goes to the stables, she starts work about 9, sees customers, goes to meetings, makes phone calls etc. She then goes to the stables at 3 till about 6 to ride ect. and then when she gets home in the evening she catches up on the paperwork. Her bosses dont care how she manages her time as long as she hits her targets which she does... Sometimes she'll even take mornings and afternoons off to go to lessons etc! (but the next day she'll work extra hard)

I used to manage having a horse and working by taking a shift based job. Id work 6.45 untill 1.15, and spend all afternoon at the stables and still have time to see OH in the evening. Or I would work 2.15 untill 9, which left me all morning to play with horsie and have lunch with OH before work.

There are career type jobs out there that you can fit around quite nicely with the horses. Might have to be prepared to look into jobs you hadn't thought of though... and perhaps work your way up for a yr or 2 to start earning decent money again.

Think of what you would be saving in terms of travelling and full livery costs tho!!

 

[nuffield]

I've get round the problem by keeping my horses athome, when i didnt have my own field i kept them at farms on DIY,ie rented a field and building all to myself so no interference from other people,working in a well paid job then going onto 3 days a week. this way i hadnt much money but time to do my horses. i now also help out1 day a week at local horse rescue centre. great fun.