Time spent with horse

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Flowerofthefen

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Aside from riding, how long during the day do you spend with your horse?
I work full time so my time is limited anyway. I go up in the morning, feed, rug and turnout, that's about 10 mins, then muck out etc. I bring in at lunch, probably spend 5 mins with each horse, then back in the eve to finish off, only spend about 10 mins each with horse to groom etc. In the summer it's probably even less!! They are out 24/7 so literally flick a brush over the ridden one then ride!! Feel a bit bad really that I spend so little time with the actual horse!
So how long do you spend with the actual horse, not doing jobs etc?
 
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I’m not a good example 😂 Mine are on full livery and I am usually there 2-3hrs every day 🤪 I do actually do a lot of the jobs, hays, feeds, skip out etc and ride too but there are also a lot of cups of tea and chats with the YO, liveries etc! I usually go once a day in the afternoon/evening with my daughter after school but sometimes go in the morning too briefly depending on what’s happening.

Probably too much time considering I pay for all services bar riding 🤦🏻‍♀️
 
Bobthecob15 said:
I’m not a good example 😂 Mine are on full livery and I am usually there 2-3hrs every day 🤪 I do actually do a lot of the jobs, hays, feeds, skip out etc and ride too but there are also a lot of cups of tea and chats with the YO, liveries etc! I usually go once a day in the afternoon/evening with my daughter after school but sometimes go in the morning too briefly depending on what’s happening.

Probably too much time considering I pay for all services bar riding 🤦🏻‍♀️
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You sound like a YO dream!
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When I was on DIY the staff would turn out weekdays and I'd get my horse and friends horse in after work to save a few quid. I'd turn out/bring in weekends too to save money.

So I'd probably spend about 2.5 hours weekday nights and about 4 or 5 hours on a weekend.

If I wasn't riding I could easily half that time.
 
Mine live at home. I have four. It takes me about 50 minutes in the mornings to poo pick the yard, feed & do feet. In the evenings I'm out there for about 90 minutes to 2 hours as I'll be doing jobs, riding & it depends if I've got any other odds & ends to do out there. I often wonder whether that's enough but I am simply not one of those people who likes to groom for hours.
 
I spend around 4 hours a day with mine. I'm retired so it is what I do with my time now but even when I was working I spent at least 2 hours a day with my horse. They have all been massively important to me and spending time with them is very beneficial for me mentally, emotionally and physically.
 
My routine for winter. Chuck them out. Muck four stables. Fill and hang four massive nets. Water. Get feed ready. Chuck hay in field. Pull one out of field. Do a quick 40 min hack. Throw back in field. Go to work. Go back in dark. Put lights on. Everything is already done , so I pull all four in, slam stable doors. Shut chickens up. Chuck yard cats some biscuits. Turn lights off. Home and big glass of wine. And fag.
 
Mine lives at my parents place, exactly 12mins from me.

I feel like I spend no time at all, especially since I got a dog who also needs time.

My parents do the horses in the morning. After work (if I've been on site/office dog stays at mums, home when I wfh) I get the dog and muck out, poo pick, hay and make feeds. In winter they're in early because of awful weather usually.

Then it's in, rugs stripped, fed, quick groom and feet checked, jammies on and done. Then walk the dog.

Everything feels so rushed and not enough time to just "be". I've no school or lights so we don't "do" anything during winter usually other than an odd arena hire back on the days before Chip was constantly trying to die.

Then I feel guilty that dog I'd only getting exercised/goes for a run and not enough quality time refining training or learning new things.

Roll on longer days
 
Bobthecob15 said:
I’m not a good example 😂 Mine are on full livery and I am usually there 2-3hrs every day 🤪 I do actually do a lot of the jobs, hays, feeds, skip out etc and ride too but there are also a lot of cups of tea and chats with the YO, liveries etc! I usually go once a day in the afternoon/evening with my daughter after school but sometimes go in the morning too briefly depending on what’s happening.

Probably too much time considering I pay for all services bar riding 🤦🏻‍♀️
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Yes but how much of that 2-3 hours is contact time with your horse?

Jobs / chatting / tea drinking doesn’t count. How much interacting with your horse?
 
It varies depending on the daylight. My two live out and are at home, non ridden.

Mornings at any time of year are done in an hour max, that’s a quick feed, poo picking, waters, physical checking over, feed cats. Sometimes the horses wander round with me while I poo pick, other times they ignore me.

Evenings in winter I often don’t interact with them. If I can find them by torch light and they’re happily grazing I leave them to it. I deliberately don’t encourage/shout them to the gate because I don’t like them “waiting” for me. I re-check waters etc.

In summer I will walk over to their fields in the evening as it’s furthest away from the house. If I’m not busy or going out they’ll get a groom and reapply fly spray etc, or sometimes I like to just find a place to sit and they’ll come and have a sniff and see what I’m up to.

They come in for a thorough groom and check over at the weekend regardless of time of year, especially in winter when I barely see them in daylight otherwise.

I’ve got a small kitchenette thingy in the yard away from the house and I’ll often make myself a drink or take my own breakfast out and just spend time watching them (at weekends). So technically not interacting but... One will always take herself off and have a snooze after breakfast, if it’s a sunny day they’ll both have a lie down in a warm spot. I love just watching them be and observing their little habits.
 
My horse is DIY & lives out but 4-5 evenings I pay someone to feed him.

Leaving aside the chores and field maintenance (which takes lots of time)

I reckon I spend about 15 hours of contact time a week with my horse.

I’ve just tried to count and I got to 19.5hours!

I am often at yard 4 hours in morning

It’s a 50 minutes round hack / walk to the arenas I use. 2-3 times a week. So an average session is 1hr35 min.

Approx 4 hours

Hacking takes about 20 minutes to get to the hood hacking. Typically 1.45-2hrs 3 times a week.

Approx 4.5hours

Also box out 4-5 times a month to lots of things, which is contact time. Plating, riding, waiting etc

Approx 2 hours

I trim feet weekly, apply hoof armor, manage feet & lower leg skin. That’s probably 2 hours a week.

Tacking up, untacking, grooming. 30 minutes overall 6 days a week. Changing rugs aside from when exercising

Approx 3 hours

I’m currently doing a plan of bodywork exercises in stable that take about 20 minutes, 6 times a week.

Approx 2 hours

Random contact in field, checking legs, temperature, saying hello, him following me, hanging out together.

Leading to & from field, 15-20 minutes 6-7 days a week.

Some time most weeks trimming, tidying, fiddling, applying de tangler to tail.

Approx 2 hours for last three things.
 
I'm only able to see him 1-2 times a week at the moment, but on those days I'll be there 2-3hr and spend all that time with him (no jobs): ~1hr in-hand walk, lots of scratches, hand-grazing him on nicer grazing, some in-hand work or clicker training, stretches, giving him a massage, and so on. Sometimes we just stand next to each other and have a bit of shut-eye, or sometimes he decides he's not interested in spending time with me so one of his herd mates comes over for scratches instead. I try to spend enough time with him that he gets bored of me and walks away by the time I have to leave - so I'm not a resource that's getting taken away from him when he wants it.

It's the only part of my week that doesn't feel rushed so I take just being with him very seriously.
 
Mine are at home, I work from home (my home office is in the tack room) but I spend very little time actually with the horses. Mornings I feed them and turn out before doing the yard chores, they're in the field all day, not far from me but just doing their own thing and at tea time I bring them in, feet, feed, rug and that's it until bed time checks. In summer I might spend more time with them because we have daylight, but just now I do feel like I'm neglecting them. I don't think they're much bothered as long as I keep providing food though.
 
I'm on full livery and normally go up 5days a week and easily spend 2-3 hours each evening with J. I'm there on my own so have a nice leisurely groom and chat with J, I'm not currently riding so we'll then go for a hand walk in the dark or play in the arena, then back onto the yard to finish up, quick skip out and late night haynet. I'm a good 20-30 minute drive away so generally try to make sure my time with J is at least double the drive.
 
I used to spend at least a couple of hours a day interacting with my horse(s) including grooming and riding/ training. Maybe 5-6 days a week. They often kept me company doing poo-picking so that was quite interactive especially the wheelbarrow tipping! They’ve been very unsettled since I had to move yards and they’ve not been much fun especially trying to groom them. They would rather go back to the field. I’m hoping a second yard move will work out better.

Through the connection training I’ve been doing with my younger horse I’ve been taking more time to just be with and observe and helping him relax and that’s been really good. It works best in the arena not so much tied up to groom or in the stable at the moment.
 
Mine are at home and I completely get it. I seem to spend more time poo picking and mucking out at this time of year than I do with the horses and everything is a rush trying to cram it all in in daylight hours too so they mostly only get a quick groom before they are ridden and Im only managing that once or twice per week when you factor in the weather too. I’m not sure they mind but it does make me feel guilty!
 
Mine is a WHW companion pony and I'm retired. She is on part livery so I only do 'helping out' limited chores such as a bit of skipping out or waters.

I spend 45 mins minimum grooming her 6 days a week (I don't go one day a week so I can catch up on jobs in the house). In total I'm at the stables for a total of 2 to 3 hours for pony, tea and chat.

We don't have a tea room so tea is in camping chairs outside on the yard but I put my chair in front of her stable door and she tends to leave her morning hay at intervals and come and gently bop me on the head for a treat - she is a very spoilt and much loved 'companion' to me! So I can count some of my 'tea' time as being with my pony as well.

Once I leave she goes out in the paddock for the day.

I also groom a bit for the YO when she goes out competing or training and so I also get extra time with my pony then.
 
I think my horse would prefer it if I spent less time with her! Much happier wandering around in the field with her chums.

However I do make a conscious effort to spend some ‘quality’ time with them every day even if I don’t ride - 5 mins of favourite scratches, a rug off half an hour or 5 minutes groundwork (I have a great system that even if you only have 5 mins you can practice transitions from the ground!).
 
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.
 
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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Nice to see you back on HHO. Hope you and Sadie are doing well.
 
Outside of the jobs hours. Time interacting with horse at present around 20 minutes am, 30 minutes lunchtime and same evening. Lots of brushing massage pads cuddles chats.
 
Winter + days in the office I spend about half an hour in the evening giving her her tea by headlamp, check rugs and legs then 15-20 mins to dish out hay, check friend and check fence and waters (bit of a hike). Fellow livery does morning checks.
When I'm not in the office I spend about 3 hours split between field jobs, brushing and detangling her behemoth of a tail, pig oiling feathers (once a week), putting sole paint and cleansing feet, grooming and usually either a hack hour and ten to hour and a half, school 40 mins or ground work 20mins depending on weather and company. I can only do this in daylight as the walk to the yard is up a lane and I don't like doing that in the dark.
 
Not nearly enough to the point of feeling guilty, particularly at this time of year. I work FT in a private school so term -time only but longer hours then state schools when we're here! Coblet is on DIY livery at a yard 5 mins drive away but YO doesnt like them out alone and/or in dark!! So she turns out every day M-F and brings in now since the clock change, then I go up at 5 and muck him out, and do all his jobs and prob spend an hr grooming him and doing his carrot stretches etc
I do turnout/bring in at a weekend and probably spend 2-3 hrs there with him, in hand walking up to an hr, ground work, stretches etc as he's unridden now sadly. Luckily i ride a friends horses 2 x week
 
I work full time too.

Mine are at my own place, but I have no electricity so rely on battery lights in the week this time of year.

I spend about 20-30 mins with the horses in a morning before work and the same again after work this time of year as that is the limit of daylight available. They are all out 24/7 so it's checking rugs, waters and picking feet/checking legs. At the weekends I spend longer with them and they all get about 30-45mins of my devoted time being groomed or worked/taught something. I have youngsters so everything you do is a learning exercise.

In the summer I do brief morning checks and then I'm there after work until I'm either hungry or the light starts to drop most evenings.
 
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