Time spent with horse

Very little, it is chiefly riding. Contact time is grooming and a feed. They live out 24/7 without rugs, so grooming is brushing once a day at most but hoof picking and fly repellent is twice. Even when doing poo picking and field maintenance they are let into a different field while doing that and so they are no where near me when I am doing that.
 
My share horse had back and sacroiliac issues (he's under vet treatment and supervision) and so part of the pre-riding protocol is the full cycle of massage pad then specific mobilisation exercises, at least 20 minutes walk at the start of the session (although I do that with all horses, but now quite often I walk him out in hand and then do a little gentle lateral work in hand before getting on). So I need a minimum of an hour to prep - longer if he's out in the big field - and actually it has shown me how little time I was previously spending getting ready to ride before!
 
Full livery, so no chores. Most of the year I aim for 6 days a week but I probably average 5, I'm there for 3 hours and for 2 of those Amber is with me as its grooming/tacking up/riding/untacking. for a good 8 months of the year were away for 2 long weekends every month and I'll spend most of the day with her then riding, grooming, poo picking a small corral etc. But life's gone a bit squirrel, so I've only seen her for 20 minutes in the past month. I admit that to start with, I needed to break, but I'm starting to wish I could get back now. I can't see any point in going and disturbing her for the odd hour here and there with no chance of building on it. She's happiest out with her mates, so I shall leave her to it for now.
 
I do not feel like I give mine enough time TBH. I work mon-Fri, 8:30-5 so currently it’s always dark.

I feed in the morning, rug up and put them out. They’ve been in all night so I make myself feel better by saying they will want to get out and stretch legs and eat grass. I muck out stables once they’re out and that all takes an hour although only 20 mins of that is with the horses.
In the evening I take them in, feed, rugs off and check over etc. they then get tucked into their haynets so I leave them to it. I don’t think either would care to be fussed and groomed.

At the weekends they seem more interested in interaction with me after being out for a while. Summer time they get more fussed as they are out 24/7 and come over for attention.

I try not to feel guilty though. We’re often just trying to make it through winter 😂
 
I definitely don't spend as much time actually with the horses that I would like to. I'm at the yard for an hour at 6AM to feed hay turnout and skip out 6. Then I leave to go and check the retired horse at one field, and then the yongster at the other field opposite side of the village. Then I go to work for 8 hours. And then I'm back to the yard to finish off the 6. This time of year I'm especially unmotivated to hang around and groom/faff, and we don't have an arena so I don't ride midweek. My sister does late shifts so does hack or arena hire a couple of mornings a week.
 
Not as much as I'd like but we do OK, I think.

At the moment we are not riding after a few months off so I try to do in-hand stuff in the morning to build fitness - either in-hand hacking, walking over poles, playing at liberty or more connection based groundwork. I'll groom and check over as part of this but it's largely the same when riding (I generally ride first thing too).

In the evenings, I try to set one or two evenings aside just for quality time - I might massage or play with Masterson Method, offer aromatherapy or herbs for self selection (sometimes it's a hit, other times there is no interest) or to just chill together. Sometimes it's just 20 minutes, sometimes it's longer.

I do try to make sure each day he has lots of fuss and isn't hurried in his day to day life. It's something I try to be careful of as life is so busy it's so easy to rush around and I don't want him to feel hassled or rushed just because I often am!
 
My two are currently un-ridden and I feel like I barely see them. I chuck them a feed out in the morning on the way to work, if I'm in the office, my dad does the lunch feed, I do it if I'm work from home and then I call by in the evening to pick up feed bowls. They live out 24/7 at the moment. I try to bring them in once every couple of weeks for a proper groom and hoof trim, otherwise it's mostly an occasional scratch in the field. The days are so short and having them at home means that a lot of their care is putting up / fixing fences.
I have another horse that I ride (not mine) that is on full livery, but I don't really spend much time with her outside of riding. I actually have to go to the yard, so rarely go if I'm not planning on working her. We generally have a minute or two of cuddles before bringing in for work and however long she wants to hang around with me after I've turned her back out. She doesn't like being in or groomed very much, so I try to stay efficient and quick to make it as short as possible. So outside of riding, I'd say perhaps 30 min every time I go. We do do one groundwork session a week and I obviously spend more time with her if out competing (feeding hay several times a day, offering water, hand walking)
 
I keep mine at DIY livery a couple of miles from home, and he lives out.
I am there every morning for 2 to 3 hours before work (Summer 6-9, Winter 7-9): bring in to a feed, poo pick field while eating, then ride/groom/ then turn out. I only go once a day as livery owner (just the two of us) goes up in evening to check on sheep and cat and our ponies.
 
smolmaus said:
I sometimes feel a little guilty about the days I just come up, muck out, bring in, feed and give her a kiss and a carrot so I tried to get a little extra "contact time" last week. I had to clear the arena for it to be harrowed so brought her in loose with me and asked if she felt like "helping". I was very thoroughly ignored. She was following other liveries up and down the arena fence to beg for snacks (I already told her I didn't have any).

Wonderful way to stop feeling any guilt whatsoever, highly recommend.
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LOL mine follows me round the field - helping poo pick (normally when I am in a rush) and ignores me when I have the time to play.

His best trick is knowing I am in a rush and coming back for one thing I have forgotten (fly mask / wound cream / leg check) and playing games circling and nudging me (he self lunges too) but refusing to be caught / allow my hand past his nose / shoulder. He LOVES this game.
 
10 mins in the morning, about an hour in the evening. I go up early, change her rug and then take her and her field mate to the field. Neither needs a breakfast. Then I do all the jobs with them out of the way. Evenings, I bring them both in and spend time grooming or being observed filling nets or making up dinners.
 
Bert is on full livery with exercise due to my parent's poor health and having a job which takes up a lot of time and living in London.

I am not seeing him that much if I am lucky it is 3 times a week. But when I am with him it will normally be at least 2 hours more if is a weekend.

When I had Homey I saw him 5 times a week but my parents were in good health then. My mum became unwell the day after I got Bert. If I had not found him when I did I would not have got another horse due to my parents health. At one point it became overwhelming and I thought of selling him due to lack of time and feeling he would be better off and happier in a home with someone with more time.

He is costing me an absolute fortune. I adore him and not sure how the next few years will go as my parents are 81 and 84 and their needs will increase over time so I will have even less time. I am very lucky that BIL only works 3 days a week and that is normally a weekend so he has been helping to cover most of the doctors appointments during the week whilst my sister and I are working.

Hopefully now mum has a diagnosis and is recieving treatment there will be less doctors appointments as she was going on average once a week for the last year either to gne the GP or hospital. Her condition is not curable but medicine is helping to treat symptoms and hopefully stablise her for as long as possible. Mum and Dad both have progressive chronic conditions that limit what they can do.
 
My boys are on field livery at the moment in a field that is in at the side of the woods, i have no lighting etc so during Mon, Tues, Thurs and Friday i literally check them over with a head torch and that's it. On a wednesday i spend between 2 & 3 hours there as i have the afternoon off work. Weekends are all different, sometimes i spend half a day, sometimes a full day, sometimes just an hour.

We are moving to a sole use yard in Jan with stables so i'm hoping it gives me more time with them as i will be able to bring them in after work to give them a groom whilst I feed. And weekend my partner and kids will be happier to come down as we will have somewhere to sit and have a cup of tea, with a heater rather than being in the middle of a field with no facilities.
 
Actually with the horse very little time. Bring in feed check over daily ,turnout again . Somesys I remove rugs and groom. If weather is decent then I might do some inhand work or go a short hack. But I do spend time at the yard,poo picking, filling haynets and so on.
 
Peglo said:
I do not feel like I give mine enough time TBH. I work mon-Fri, 8:30-5 so currently it’s always dark.

I feed in the morning, rug up and put them out. They’ve been in all night so I make myself feel better by saying they will want to get out and stretch legs and eat grass. I muck out stables once they’re out and that all takes an hour although only 20 mins of that is with the horses.
In the evening I take them in, feed, rugs off and check over etc. they then get tucked into their haynets so I leave them to it. I don’t think either would care to be fussed and groomed.

At the weekends they seem more interested in interaction with me after being out for a while. Summer time they get more fussed as they are out 24/7 and come over for attention.

I try not to feel guilty though. We’re often just trying to make it through winter 😂
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Sounds like my winter routine except mine live out all year round and I'm an early retiree so am home all day. I prefer watching the telly and sitting by the fire to riding these days anyway.
 
Differs depending on the horse.

At the minute we're in the middle of a house move, so generally not much.

My mare year round though gets a quick check to make sure she's intact and then occasionally a hair cut when it is becoming too much like dreadlocks! I'd prefer she had more grooming time and didn't look quite so unkempt, but she hates it, so I just go with the flow and don't force it.
 
I poo pick while they graze, feed then spend up to an hour grooming and tacking up. Ride then probably coffee standing with the horse. Second and third get less time and they take turns. I feel guilty if it’s wet and I don’t spend time grooming.
 
Unless I make a point of it I spend very little time actually with the horses in winter.

First thing they have already eaten breakfast and seen some friends go past and are DESPERATE to go out. And when I bring in they're hungry and would rather be left alone to eat, grooming them is an imposition and riding them before they've had an hour on the net would have them calling the RSPCA.

I don't need to rush home for kids these days but the cold and dark makes me finish up and leave unless I remind myself to do something with them. I did tail detangling tonight.

I need to do a lot more. I have the time, I should pay someone to bring in then head over later for a ride. Just need to check forecast and organise it.
 
When they are at home,

10-15 min most weekday mornings at about 5.15. A pat and quick check.

10-15 min most weekday evenings, late night check and generally a bit of a cuddle and groom between 7pm and 10pm.

On days I work from home (usually 1 day every week or two) I’ll pop out and see them a couple of times a day. I take a cup of coffee out and go and chat to them, or bring them some treats.

On weekends, we do a lot with them. I do silly things like have breakfast with Mim at the kitchen door, and Mim helps with with stable chores. She’ll walk behind me when I’m pushing the wheelbarrow. She just wants to be into everything, all the time. Miri is a less confident little soul, so we do horsey things like ground work and grooming but I don’t tend to hang out with her in the same day as I do with Mim. Mim is like having a dog rather than a horse.

ETA, when on livery, only on the weekends and generally less time because it is a less appropriate space to mess around with horses than home.
 
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