Uni, horses? Not sure where to put this

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Skhosu

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Ok, I am really dreading going to uni and leaving behind all our pets (we have 5horses, 3 dogs and 3 cats). Of those, 2 horses a cat and a dog are mine.
Now, obviously the cat and dog will have to stay here, although I am worried it will break poor pups heart (she gets depressed if I'm away, I'm her owner, hope that doesn't sound big headed!) it has to be done.
The pony has a guarenteed home here, not much attention but he will be here. I can come home whenever and pop on him, no bother, something for me to ride.
The horse, on the other hand does not. He is a 17hh tb x eventer, needs feeding etc. as he loses weight. Too big for anyone to rider so no job. Now, the current consensus is he will be sold, but its breaking my heart thinking about it as he is such a delicate soul, and prone to odditys that I worry about him.
So my question, is it possible to take a horse to uni? I will be doing veterinary which is obviously a hard course. I'm not a social butterfly, I don't go out, horses are my life here.
I like to compete a lot, but could cope without I think...
 
i had my horse at uni for the last 2 years, managed fine, spent most of my student loan on him mind, but still came out with a degree at the end of it, be it in fine art
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Well if you end up coming to dub i'll hook you up with a livery yard no problem!!! i do manage horses and uni. its ALOT of work but i still find time to socialise too!
 
I hav a friend doin vetinary at Notts. She has her horse at a livery yard in the local village, and a few others have too. I dont see why you wouldnt be able to do a similar thing in Bristol/Liverpool, dont know if they are as rural?
 
and what about paying for everything?
I must admit I have it very easy, never had a job aside from getting paid for jobs in dads office, no idea about finance, I assume I'l ned a job once I'm at uni.
Would I be better doing full or DIY livery? I really can't see myself managing without any animals.
And do you all pay for it yourself or do parents help out?
Sorry so many Q!
What about competing?
 
they're not quite as rural (am going for an interview there next month btw!) but the last couple of years are.
You have all given me hope, can't see the parents being pleased.
My only other concern is holidays? I am quite a 'home' person and would want to be coming home. I presume I would just have to arrange a suitable place that could do good cover or possibly get a sharer?
 
my parents help big time. i still live at home and compete full time during season too. i work when needed at the yard (i'm at a competition yard). you would prob have to go on full livery unless you'll have transport. there's a few yards around that have shows at them or have transport. the price of livery varies greatly depending on what type of yard it is.
 
I uprooted my horse from surrey and took him to Wales where I was at uni for 5 years, (and where he stayed in the hols aswell). I was lucky as at the time I got DIY livery for only £20 a week, as it is much cheaper where i was in wales. Things to consider though are shoes, feed, unexpected vets bills, travel to and from yard, transportation of horse to uni in the 1st place and then back for the holidays, or full livery if staying where ever you go to Uni. Can be quite expensive..... I know I stayed in a few nights due to horse needing to be shod/vets bills etc!! I wouldnt of had it any other way though we had the time of our lives wandering around the welsh hills!
 
I am at Bristol and I know what you are proposing can be done as I know someone in her 2nd (I think, possibly 3rd) year of Vet Med who's housemate on the same course has a horse at uni. Apparently she keeps him at a yard about half an hour's drive away but gets up at 5am to go down before uni then goes straight down to ride afterwards and gets home at about 8.30pm, does her work and goes to bed. You would almost definitely need a car and the traffic in Bristol is a pain in the neck.

You will have lectures 9-5 almost every day and none of the vet students I know have jobs because of the workload, although I'm not saying it isn't possible. If you need to pay for your horse with what you earn at uni and you're not living at home then I think you will find it very hard. Also, really think about whether it's really what you want as you will be living a very different life to most if not all of your friends unless you have the money to put your horse on completely full livery and just go and ride when you have time. Not trying to put a dampener on things but just to give one point of view
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thats absoloutely fine, I want loads of POV's!
Thank you. So do most vet students really not have jobs? Hummm...Might need to convince the parents then..
I would not be out clubbing at all, so that helps!
 
If it helps I decided to sell a polo pony when I went to uni - its the only thing I have ever done that I really regret

My advice is keep him - even if you have to find cheap livery where he is just tossed in a field.
 
I manage a law degree at Cambridge alongside a horse and a dog (who I have to go and visit most days a week and take out). It is do-able, but takes management and you may miss out socially etc to fit it in.
 
I know someone doing vet med, and I think they were told they weren't to work. Mind you, I'm at the same uni (doing biology) and we were told we really shouldn't have a job in 3rd or 4th year as need time to study. It comes down to personal choice of course though! I stay at home, and my parents still pay for most things so I manage fine with Chex, time is not a problem.
 
I'm doing the same course as Amage and manage fine having horses (3 currently at home) - as long as you can sacrafice a bit of social life and afford the livery then it's pretty do-able (Though lights for evening riding are a must!)

On the other hand, your lad sounds exactly like what I'm looking for on loan....
 
My daughter is at liverpool uni doing vet med, first year. She has left her horse at home and tries to come home fortnightly at weekends, and muggins hear keeps him ticking over, which I have to say is hard work at this time of year. As some of the other posters have said veterinary is a very hard course and there is nothing like as much free time as some courses. The first couple of years are spent in city centre so livery might be a problem but after that is is on the Wirral so more rural. The other problem is the work experience, this summer she has to do 10 weeks. Are there any agricultural colleges near you who have an equine section. They are often on the look out for loan horses and the good thing is they come back to you for the holidays. Sorry this is lengthy, hope it is of help.
 
hi
i finished an international business degree last year and managed to keep all my neds - at the time had between 5 or 6. i lived at home and commuted to uni daily - again - have to miss out on some nights out to pay the bills but its do-able - i even managed somehow - god knows how to go to the USA for 6 months on an exchange over there! i didnt see a horse for all that time - i thought that was tough but i managed and time flew by as i was having fun - i left a friend to look after the neds (was getting livery paid in exchange) but she let me down - that caused a lot of stress etc but somehow my unhorsey mum managed!

an idea i had - is why dont you put your horse on loan at an equestrian college nearby whichever uni you end up attending - that way you can have it maybe that you can still ride etc - and will work out cheaper. or also - you could consider your horse living out 24/7 should you find somewhere offering it and he would manage - that way would save on time mucking out and bedding cost etc?

i knew a vet who went to liverpool and managed to keep her horse on a mix of taking him with her some of the time - and other years leaving him at home. my sister went to Bristol and as another person has posted - traffic is a pain and i doubt for the 1st couple of years if it would be possible to have a horse on a DIY basis.
 
I could deal with living out 24/7, would love it! Couldn't put him on loan to an Eq. college, just doesn't sit right with me!
loads of great thoughts/suggestions there. Thanks guys!
If I could find someone to loan him, I have a feeling that might be the best idea, but exploring all my options!
(Just a pity our local uni doesn't do veterinary!)
 
I took mine to uni! A four year course of which shadow was with me for 3 of those, and he was a baby when i first got him it is possible. You just have to be willing to sacrifice the things that other students do. Not much opportunity for going out etc. Complete poverty and having to hand in essays a day early as you know the physio is coming on the day you should be handing your assignement in. i know a few people who have taken horse with them, some survived like i did, and others could not cope and either sold them or loaned them. Its tough but it can be done. i even managed to compete too!
 
Vet med is a full time course so I doubt very much that you'd be able to have a job as well, so hopefully you have helpful parents! Time wise i think it could be done with some sacrifices and lots of organisation! I currently work full time whilst doing a part time biology degree and keep my horses DIY and have some sort of social life, but it is tough!
 
i went to uni at bristol. i kept my horse on loan for the first year but then realised that i wasnt going to be able to take her to uni (its not easy to comute out of the city and back in again for lectures 9-5!). so i sold her.

if i were you i'd leave him behind for the first term and see how you feel. get settled in your hall, course, make friends etc, and do some digging and see if anyone else has a horse there - or wants to share?

while your in the city it may just too difficult but when your out in Langford it would be more possible.
I wouldnt advise trying a job and a vet degree at the same time. the work load is high and you may just over do it.
 
I am at bristol and have my horse with me. Yard is 25mins drive out and I manage fine. Depends what your priorities are. Housemates think I'm mad when I'm up at 6 to go and ride and get back for 9am lecture!
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I'm going to uni next year - either staying in London (So horse will stay at current yard on DIY or part livery depending on the workload), or I will go to Sussex or Brunel (In Uxbridge) in both cases the horse will be coming with me as both are in fairly rural areas
 
I managed to keep my 2 horses going through 4 years of uni, and was 9-6 in college most days! An arena with lights is a must and I managed by rotating which ones got exercised- must admit they got lunged quite a lot! I kept them at home and commuted to college everyday so did sacrifice evening/night social life! However I usually put mine out on holidays for october/november and brought them in back into work then on Christmas holidays, which meant I could at least have some socialising during first term! I managed to compete every weekend when they came back into work and it was just a case of juggling study and horses! Actually thinking about it I had quite a lot of holiday time in my college- 3 terms of 2 months! Don't know if your college would be like that but worth checking out. I had 1 month offf in december, 1 off in march and 4 off during summer, if yours is like that it might not be worth bringing your horse over if you go home on holidays! I used to do all work/study during term time so could properly enjoy holidays!
 
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