University... (and hello)

[Jessm]

Hi,
First time user here, so apologies if this is in the wrong place, but could really really use some advice.

I have had my horse for 3 years now and i adore him (even if i don't ride often enough), this september shall be heading to university (hopefully). I realise the sensible thing to do would be to sell him but i can't bare to part with him - i feel like if sell him i probably won't get another horse... Or even be around horses for a looong time, which would suck. Only two of the universitys i have applied to have equestrian facilities and the rest are in london and i couldn't afford that (i live in oxford btw). Equally i had a bad experience with a sharer which makes me super nervous to loan him. Anyway to end the ramble, i was wondering if any of you have any advice? Or have taken a horse to uni? etc
Thanks
x

 

[*Spider*]

Hello, I'm at university at the moment and I have my horse with me.
Works out very well for me. I live on a farm with other students, we walk out the front door onto the livery yard, it's fantastic!
I have loads of time for him as I'm not in a lot at uni, and with him being here I don't waste time travelling etc.
Definitely consider taking him with you, I can't even imagine thinking about selling Obie. Some people here have left their horses on full livery at home and just go back a lot which I supposed is feasible if you can trust the livery enough, and to ride him adequately.

 

[Snowysadude]

I took my horse to university with me, kept him at a yard down the road! What universities out of interest are you looking at going to and to do what course (as that will make a difference)? Do consider taking him with you, there is no way I could have coped without horses, but equally if you dont take him you dont have to be without horses completley - you could look for something to share in your mornings or afternoons and weekends off etc !

 

[Biscuit]

If you don't want to sell and prefer not to loan, there are several options..

-taking him with you. Even if the university does not have equestrian facilities, you may find livery in the area?
-keeping him at home, on full livery, if you can afford it
-keeping him at home but on supervised grass livery

 

[Spotsrock]

Hi

I didn't take lottie to uni, I put her on loan. She couldn't have come to uni with me and I couldn't have sold her, it would have killed me! The loan didn't go terribly well but I was able to ride her and so check on her in the holidays and sort out little habits she got into.

I ended up taking her back 1 summer holiday and sorting a new loan for her.

Is there any1 near your horse that could keep an eye on it if you put it on loan in the same area? You are right to start thinking early and while it is lovely to take your horse with you and the majority of people are saying take your horse, it's not always an option.

 

[Jasper65]

Heyy i was in a similar situation last year and decided to leave my boy at home on full livery. I found it very hard not being able to see him as much as I had been doing, I used to see him twice a day everyday but only managed to see him every now and then This year I have decided to take him to uni with me

I would suggest looking into local livery yards as if you are anything like me and your horse is your world it will be very hard to leave him behind.

hope this helps, good luck and welcome to the forum

 

[Jessm]

Trouble is i'm a country girl that wants to live in a city. Have my cake an eat it ect. But yeah i have applied to Manchester Met, Leeds Met, Bath spa, Goldsmiths and York St Johns to do Anthropology (the study of man - )

See i'd love to take him, but i just don't know if its feasible, but my last 'sharer' was utterly crap. So we both have trust issues.

Also with taking him did you bring him home over the holidays? Or leave him there?

 

[scarymare]

The girl who I sold my horse to has just taken him from Orkney to Edinburgh Uni with her. She is keeping him on working livery wouldn't be my bag though. When I went I sent mine away to go eventing but he did far too well and I ended up selling.

 

[TheEquineOak]

Hi Jess!

Welcome to the forum

One of the girls at our yard is a university student. She is at Newcastle and keeps her horse here, about 15 mins north of Newc - in open wide country side. So you can have your cake and eat it

It all comes down to cost at the end of the day. Will your parents be able to help you? Will you be working whilst at uni?

Although you may not be at university full time (you'll probably do 12-15hrs a week) when the 'work load' starts to pile up I'd suggest having your horse on full livery

 

[Jasper65]

we have the option of leaving ours at uni but i think i will probably bring him home if im coming home. Money is gonna be tight for me next year but I have worked out I can afford to take him. My main reasoning for taking him in september is that I spent all this year thinking about what he should be doing and where I wanted to be with him and that I feel I've wasted a year that I could have been riding him. He is an ex-hurdler racer that is rising 5 so he is young enough but he has spent all this year in his field doing nothing and the bit of progress we had made has been lost.

I would suggest having a good think about it, look at your finances to see if you can afford it and I wrote a list of pro's and con's to having him at uni and it really helped me to weigh up what was best for both him and me.