Thinking of packing it in! Some advice please

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amanda1788

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Ok so I'm in my last year of uni and started a new job as a TA in a school in January. I rent a field near my partners house where my horsey lives. Lately I've just been feeling like maybe packing it all in. I love my horse to bits and think the world of him, but I don't have time anymore to spend riding or just grooming and giving him a fuss. And looking at the next couple of years my time to spare is only going to get worse because of starting teacher training and then my NQT year. I know teachers get the holidays but my partner wants to travel during the summer hols each year.
I just feel I'm not giving my hirse the love and attention he deserves, it could be the winter and as summer comes and the nights are longer I may have more time. Should I seriously consider finding him a new home or stick with it?
The main thing that puts me off finding him a new home is him ending up somewhere that isn't very nice as he has the most gentle gorgeous nature and any harsh treatment would ruin his personality. And I will miss him so much, maybe I just need to re-organise my time. Any advice??
 
stick with it - if it's something you love then you'd be upset to give it up.

After a break due to work (see previous posts....) where I had to let me horse out on loan, I'm now just getting her back and it's the best thing ever.

I'm sure you really do have the time to spend with him but have less to spend watching tv or taking it easy or get up a little earlier. I realised that it was the time i spent with my horse which was my "free" time and that I shouldn't organise this out of my life.

i find the busier I am the more productive you are, and having the excuse to go outside and get some fresh air every day has a positive effect on any work you'll ever do. spending that extra 1 hr 40 planning is no match for spending 1 hour with your horse and the 40 minutes on planning (or vice versa) as it's just way more productive.....

and if your partner wants to travel - great - send him away! lol! only joking! you can always get someone to look after him whilst you're away - having a horse doesn't have to be constricting as there's plenty of services out there to cater for anything...

hope that's helpful...
 
I don't think you should pack it in just yet!! TBH most horses are happy to be left to it as long as they are warm and have plenty of food and water. I work full time and in the winter they only really get attention at the weekends, during the week i go down check them do the jobs and go. But they seem happy enough and as long as they get a feed bucket from me thats all they are intererested in.

Id give it some time and see how things go
 
I'm a teacher and bought my first pony the year before starting my teacher training and the second in the middle of my training... If i'm honest it was hard work but also know that if i didnt have my ponies i would never have got through the course! this is because having the ponies helped me de-stress and made sure i had some me time everyday which is also important when training to be a teacher. My ponies both lived out and i was lucky enough to have someone check them in the morning for me so only went up in the evenings. As for riding i rode on the weekends during the winter and about 4 times a week in the summer. I just made sure i planned my work well enough to make sure i also had time to do what i wanted. One piece of advise i would give is to make good use of free time during the day. (you will be giving free lesson time for planning and reflecting on lessons.)
So it really is possible to do both. I did GTP for my training, what sort of training are you looking at? Have you considered maybe getting a sharer to help a couple of days a week?
 
I wouldn't make any hasty decisions. Its been a long hard winter which can put off the keenest of horse owners! See how you feel when the evenings are lighter and you might be able to do a bit more.
If you decide you want to do a bit of travelling with your boyfriend, you could always look at a loan home for a while, then you could have your horse back when you felt ready again.
 
Sounds to me like you've already made the decision and have just lost interest. Your job will finish at 3.30pm, if you work full time - most TA's don't - and you have 13 weeks holiday per year, btw - and little real lesson prep, compared to a teacher, so that shouldn't be the excuse.
 
Once he's gone he's gone and there is not turning back, I'd say stick with it or possibly find a sharer? so he gets the attention etc when your not about, if it doesnt work out there are not ties
smile.gif


I'm sure there is a way round it, rather than selling him.
 
Don't do it. I'm halfway through my NQT year and can't wait to get my own! The PGCE is tough, but if you are organised then it's managable. I did a lot of riding during the year, it was a way of detacthing from the stress of school!

The year before that, I was a TA and had loads of time. I worked 5 days a week 8.30-3pm, and it's lovely not to have to work outside of these hpurs so I don't think the TA job will restrict you.

This year (NQT) is definately the hardest, but I find I am enjoying it more. Winter has been really really hard and I haven't had much time for horses, but the first year is always going to be the toughest. Things seem to be easing off more, and the evenings are getting lighter.

Could you look at the possibility of a loan/share to ease the tougher times?
 
I'm sure you know in your heart what to do... You shouldn't feel guilty if you want time off from horses, there are plenty of other life enhancing things to do and if you have the time to go travelling and so does your bf, maybe you should go for it? You might regret it later when you have more time constraints.

I gave up riding to go to uni and found plenty of other new interests, and in the future I imagine I might sell my horse to go travelling with my bf also. It's good to try it all!

If you're set on keeping him find a sharer to help you out. As others have said, perhaps waif for the end of the cold spell before deciding!
 
I think it's just time of year? Are you getting pressure off your other half to spend less horsey time? Stick with it. But remember should be a pleasure not a chore, if so I agree with others why not get sharer/part loan to help out if you really feel overpressured.
Good luck
Ellie
x
 
I'm a teacher too - and ditto the above about horses being great stress relief. It is a really tough job at times - and after a hard day at school the best thing you can do is go for a nice ride / groom your pony / even poo picking relaxed me (I'm weird!)

I wouldn't give it up yet - look for a part loaner / sharer to take some of the pressure off. Even offer a loan for free in exchange for poo picking to help you find someone.

Hang on till the end of the winter at least. I've felt like jacking it in many a time in the depths of winter, but am always very glad I didn't when the lovely summer arrives!
 
I'm currently in my NQT year and have my horse on DIY livery. It is very hard and i do struggle to find the time to ride and even spend time with my boy sometimes and i have wondered if it is worth it when i'm really tired from work and draggind myself down the yard twice a day! BUT as others have said, it is a great stress reliever after a hard day at school and my NQT year could easily take over my life, but having something away from school which requires me to donate some time to every day really helps with this.

It is very annoying though when i've been looking forward to having some time to ride now it's half term and my horse has gone lame and i've just had the vet out! I'd say stick with it though for the time being and see how it works out for you further down the line.
 
If you are now keeping him in a field, have you considered a "change in scenery" - for example, to a yard with nice flood lit school etc so that you can also ride in the evening if you are busy? Some times it can be inspiring to change the routine.
 
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