Uni students How have you kept your horses?

Toffee44

Toffee44

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If you are at uni have you had to make changes to your equines lifestyles?
Or had to sell a horse?
How have you coped finiancially?


I am almost at the end of my midwifer degree and tonight in the pouring rain and the wind Toff came over for a hug ( or I was it the banana in my pocket?)

Anyway I looked at her today and I am so proud I have managed to keep her through my course, Ok I have had a lot of help from my parents (Mainly field rent and I pay everything else) but she was one thing in this world that I would not sacrifice for my course. I have found my course very hard, I am at uni three or four days a week for 5 weeks and then I do 5 week placements which are 37.5hours. Inbetween shifts or days at uni I work as I do not get a full student loan or any financial help from the NHS. Plus on top of that I have assignments to right. She went from regular PC and riding 4 times a week to once a weekend or once a fortnight but she has coped v well.

I barely ever go out as I dont have the cash, and then the times the pants student loan came through it paid my car insurance or any vet bills.

But shes still mine and where she should be.


Sorry very sad post feeling all emotional because Im feeling a bit poorly today
 
I kept mine, used money I had saved before uni and my student loan to pay for him and barely ever went out. I also got a sharer 2-3 days p/w to do him and she contributed a small amount financially :)
 
I have just re-read that and the grammar is awful I am blaming my banging headache, sorry.

Mum wouldnt let me have a sharer incase some one "broke" her. I couldnt really argue because mum was still willing to pay the field rent. But to be honest I would not be a good person to loan from I have my ways.
 
I'm in my first year of uni and my pony is at home being looked after by my wonderful YO and earning his keep as a riding school pony. It's really hard being away from him - I'm a 3 1/2 hour drive away and as I can't drive, I can only really go back to see him once a term. I went back for a weekend a couple of weeks ago, and now I won't see him again til the Christmas holidays. I miss him so much, but I know he's being looked after really well and there is just no way I'd be able to manage keeping him down here - I have no transport, either for myself or for him, it's MUCH more expensive here and there are no yards in walking/easy bus distance anyway, and I wouldn't want to have to keep making him travel such a long way every time we went home for the holidays. I think by the time this first year is over I may end up trying to find a share horse here or something, because I am missing riding even more than I expected!
 
I do not have my own horse, however being at a horsey uni with horsey flatmates...I gave in and got myself a loan to keep me sane!!

Luckily I lived on a farm with stables and over 30 acres for the 2 horses that were there! I had 2 part time jobs to help pay for his keep, my food and the car. I didn't go out much at all really. However I got to ride him 5/6 days a week (no school so at least I could hack in the day in between lectures! Kept me happy and sane.

It was bloody hard work: uni, horse, 2 jobs, boyfriend at another uni over an hour away, and on top of all of this I did manage to get a good degree at the end after many a sleepless night :)

Although now I am horseless and just going to enjoy being able to go out and see my friends for a bit before I buy one! :)
 
I was luckily that a good friend of mine just happened to be looking for a loan sj horse at the time I was going to uni- so it worked out great that she could have my gelding on loan for 3yrs.As for my welsh pony my parents tried everything to convince me to sell her, I even had a woman offer to buy her, but when it came down to it I just knew that I could never part with her. So after some tears my parents finally realised that I never wanted to sell her and now they take care of her whilst I'm at uni. I'm luckily that I have my own yard at home so I don't have to pay any livery and she is an extremely good doer so buying hard feed isn't an expense during summer (and limited in winter.) I work during holidays and try not to go out too often- I think I've been very fortunate with how things have worked out.
 
Well I kept my mare at DIY Livery for the first two years of my degree, I did then loan her out to the Equine unit at the University for my 3rd and final year. Have to say my course was not as time consuming as your midwifery course.

However, I have just finished (well almost-doing one resit 29th november) 3 years of night school on top of full time work and looking after my OH and two cats. I found it very hard keeping Seren on DIY but I have managed, she has been my sanctuary at times through this, I just love that horse and as hard as its been I feel its totally worth it, and then end is hopefully in sight, just need to pass this one exam to complete...
 
I've kept mine at DIY livery near where I live with my parents, and I'm now in my 5th year at uni 35 miles away. I commute up for classes, luckily I've only got 2 early starts and my sister feeds him the 2 nights I don't finish until 7.

It's been VERY hard work, but well worth it :)
 
I sold my two and whilst I don't regret the big lad going even now four years after I graduated I sometimes wish I had kept my little gelding. Both have been replaced now and I love the new ones dearly but he was awesome.

So well done you lot. That's no mean feet and you'll probably be glad you did it for years to come!
 
i've just started uni, im a student nurse, in uni three days a week, only one of which is a full day so have plenty time to do taz, but mum turns him out in the mornings that i am at uni, and on the full day mucks him out, rides, and brings in and feeds, im lucky that i get a nhs bursary and havent had to take out a student loan, my job that i have on a saturday covers his insurance etc, he is on diy livery in edinburgh btw at the moment im finding it easy, but he is a distraction, but to me he is worth more than my course, come jan it will be interesting to see how i can handle a 24 week placement and him :(
 
JenTaz my best advice is grit your teeth and get on with it thats what I have had to do. There have been some really pants weeks and if your nursing runs like the one at my uni(Nursing and midwives training together) it does get more full on spesh half way through year two to year three. But to still have her whinnying at the gate for me is worth every second, tear and debt :D
 
I'm in my last year and Phil is just about to move onto his 4th loaner in 3 years :(

However I am very optimistic right now! He's moving yards this weekend and I'm really exciting about seeing him progress.

Phil is easy to do but his weight was my main concern. Being a good do-er if he was left he would get lami, no doubt in my mind. In september 2008 I moved him to a different yard where a friend could keep an eye. She found someone who wanted a horse to ride twice a week and she was fine for Phil, however we had an incident (he bucked her off because he was in pain) and she stopped loaning him. He stayed off work until March 2009 when i found another loaner and moved him back to where he used to be. She was fab but ended up moving off of the yard and I didn't want Phil to go, so he stayed. In November 2009 I had a third loaner who rode him all through winter but had to give up in April apparently due to money (though at £10 a week for 6 days riding he was a bargain even if he isn't perfect, he's not dangerous).

I've been searching for someone since summer. I was paranoid about his weight between April-June when I came back from uni for the summer. I've finally found someone and I've not been this excited. I'm crossing my fingers very tightly!

With regards to money, he is very basic. Hoof Trim, wormer and out 25/7 so cost about £100 a month total.
 
I bought my horse during my 1st year of Uni (last year) and kept her at the Uni's equine facility. This year we keep her at a local yard. My boyfriend owns half of her and we also have a sharer to help pay. I have just about enough time to ride every other day and really don't think I'd enjoy Uni as much if she wasn't here with me.
 
i bought a horse going into year 2....

I pay for her myself,, i work (well will do again soon just lost my job)!....run her...my car etc

i receive no financial help from my parents.... i refuse to accept any help even if offered!

my choice to go to uni... my choice to have a horse... so i resent the spoilt little brats who take from mummy and daddy and never say thank you or realise how spoilt they are... (know a few of them too lol)!
 
I've just started radiography course and so far i've had lots more time to do my horse than I did when I was working full time but this does mean I dont have enough hours left in the day to do studying and find myself reading myself to sleep or working quite late. I also get a NHS bursary and student loan which will helps and my OH has a decent wage which also helps.

I also think I will find it really hard once I am on placement - not sure I will be able to be on non assisted DIY then if I have to commute as well.
 
noodle_ said:
i bought a horse going into year 2....

I pay for her myself,, i work (well will do again soon just lost my job)!....run her...my car etc

i receive no financial help from my parents.... i refuse to accept any help even if offered!

my choice to go to uni... my choice to have a horse... so i resent the spoilt little brats who take from mummy and daddy and never say thank you or realise how spoilt they are... (know a few of them too lol)!
Click to expand...

I agree ^ I also recieve no financial help from my parents, so have to find other ways to pay for my horse.
 
Got mine in my gap year - we were going to sell her but fell in love too much so kept her :D

Shes on part loan for 3 days a week and my mum and dad look after her the rest of the time i m not home. I taught my mum to ride and both how to look after her cos they didnt have a clue when we bought her.

I come home everyother weekend at the least to ride her and make sure everything is ok - which means a 250 mile journey on fri and sun nights from london back home.

The girls who share her help towards her livery and then mum and dad pay the rest of the livery / feed costs. I buy anything else she needs out of my very little money.

Means i dont get to go out drinking or spending money on myself. So i end up totally scruffy, studying stupid hours so that i can spend time with her on a weekend.

110% worth it though :D Wouldnt get rid of her for the world :)
 
You probably sort of know my situation if you do midwifery as I am also on an AHP course funded by the NHS.
This means no tuition fees for starters.
I get the 'Basic' student loan which means the minimum amount. This covers my living more or less.
I get the NHS bursary which goes towards my living too and my horses living.
I worked the summer before I started uni and saved so I have enough to get me through any emergencies, car/horse related even though horse is insured but you never know! This money is also used to compensate for my typical student drinking habits and online shopping for myself and horse.
My family help me by paying my rent so far and my dad pays my car insurance and used to help out with my livery by paying a half of it but not anymore as my car decided to die in September so he had to buy me a replacement (cheap one!) therefore I am forever in his debt and feel bad asking for any kind of money. Not even getting a Birthday present this year!

I find it hard on placement as I have to get up crack of dawn before and after plus commute, no different to a grown up :p but she is on DIY and has to stay in so Winter is a slog.
I save money whilst on placement which is four months every year as I hardly go out (compared to normal) so i end up saving a fair bit of money!

The workload is difficult too, I am not keeping on top of it and it does mean that my horse gets less exercise especially around deadlines and exam times! but I don't feel bad as she is happy, healthy and none the wiser just a little less fit.
I may add my mare is a native who is, at the moment, unrugged, a very good doer and barefoot so this has quite an implication on her costs as I don't pay for shoes or much feed.

I hope you're enjoying uni and good luck with your course, I hear it is hard work! :)
 
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Im in uni full time and work approximately 20 hours a week and I manage to pay for everything for my horse and all the other stuff that requires money(car etc). I am very lucky to be living at home rent-free tho!
 
It's been pretty tough, I rarely go out and I work in the early mornings before lectures to pay for him (main bill really is car/petrol to get to the stables).

I've let him go au naturel in the field for the first time ever, as I just do not have the time to ride regularly.

I think the worse thing is not being able to go home during the holidays due to work and horse...next Summer I'd love to take him home with me and take unpaid leave off work, I'll see how that works out.
 
noodle_ said:
i bought a horse going into year 2....

I pay for her myself,, i work (well will do again soon just lost my job)!....run her...my car etc

i receive no financial help from my parents.... i refuse to accept any help even if offered!

my choice to go to uni... my choice to have a horse... so i resent the spoilt little brats who take from mummy and daddy and never say thank you or realise how spoilt they are... (know a few of them too lol)!
Click to expand...

I'm the same as you, I don't get any financial help from my parents (well a tenner now and then) but "spoilt little brats" is a bit harsh! If my parents were super rich they'd love to pay my rent and buy me a car, and I would be grateful and happy to accept!
 
I was planning on going to uni this Sept but I have three horses and a car to run and didn't want to end up in debt or having to get rid of something which I would only want back once I had finished my degree. So I decided to look at other options and ended up doing a degree through the Open Uni. Yes I am not getting the experience of uni but I am planning on doing my last or last 2 years at a uni as I should have more money.
It's working out very well for me.
 
I'm in my third year but have done a sandwich course so have also done a years placement. My uni timetable for this year is all over the place.

All the horses on our yard are out 24/7 in summer which the option to carry on through winter so he'll be kept out. Suits us both as he gets stressed in the stable.

Financially, I am good at the minute but had to move back in with my parents! Generally I use my loan to pay towards his keep. Our rent is £86.60 p/m so it's not breaking the bank!
 
I bought my horse at the end of my first year- well I went halves with my mum :)
I work two days a week and I'm at uni the other days and I leave my weekends free for work and competeting
I'm very lucky in that my mum goes halves with me on everything and we have our own land so rent free. My uni is an hour away by car and includes a bridge toll of over £5 a day which is what costs the most.
My horse is only young so I've been trying to get him out as much as I can and I still have my weekly lesson, usually go out at the weekend and he gets ridden most days.
My sacrifice is that I don't go out, I don't have to time or the spare money to spending it on getting drunk. I suppose some would say that I'm missing out on the student experience but *shock horror* I've got to uni to get an education and a degree to better myself- not to get drunk every night!!
 
I bought my horse in the final year of uni, I had a part time job, i kept her on a basic part livery...i didnt drink and was really careful with what i bought foodwise for me....! it can be done ;)I nearly got a sharer but couldnt bear anyone else riding her also for the money to make it worthwhile id barely have been able to see her!!

you have to be good with your money and spending though..!
 
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