What did/are you all doing with your horses if you have exams this yr?

[OskyWoskyPonio]

I have my GCSEs to sit this summer and obviously A-Levels in the coming years. I'm wondering what is the best thing to do with my horse? We often compete but obviously that will stop in May and June, as i will be busy revising (thrilling prospect...!), and resume fully again in August for Affiliated SJ, PC camp and a ODE

Those of you that have sat exams and juggled horses around them, what did you find was the best way of coping? I have study leave starting the 14th May, my first exam is on the 18th May and i have 17 exams with my last exam being on the 23rd June

My horse will live out for the summer like normal providing the weather is ok, so that will relieve the pressure a bit but i don't want to let him down completely for May and June as then i only have a month before PC camp and i think it would be nice to destress and hack out and ride a bit in between exams....
I'm probably panicking and blowing this all out of proportion but if anyone has any good tips or advice it would be much appreciated

P.s. sorry that's really long...i wasn't intending to write that much!

cookies and tea or coffee for those that finish

 

[hattie_horse]

Honestly I just continue as normal.
I'm in my 5th year in Scotland so have my Highers, but I'm not going to stop competing for them, I've worked out the dates and as long as the event isn't the day before the exam (which they're not!) I am going (no matter what my mum says).

I figure that if you can't spare a few hours of a day not revising before the exam, you've left it too late! Besides, you can always revise on the way in the lorry

 

[Sol]

I also have my GCSEs this year - tbh I'm not planning on changing anything! There are only so many hours in a day that you can revise, and I'm pretty sure we get half days when our exams are on? So I certainly wont be going home to keep revising straight away!
I don't compete too much anyway, but will simply use my horse free time constructively to revise, rather then sitting here browsing the internet.... (well, that's the plan!)

I don't think I could live without riding and only ever revise! My brain would explode

 

[MandyMoo]

tbh, i just continued as normal throughout my gcse's, and continued as normal through my a levels at the moment.

i rode my horse normally, (i have three) and competed most weekends. so i would just work in between riding/competing - you need to do both work and fun, otherwise you'll get 'stale' and not take in what you're revising.

i used to wake up at 8am ish (this is during study leave), do some revision until 11am, go to yard...ride all 3 horses, be back for 3/4pm, work until 6, have tea etc, then relax. thats PLENTY of time for work....and if i was competing, i would be off on an early start (BSJA) and be back for just after lunch and then revise in the afternoon.

its easy to keep going, you just have to manage your time properly and get into a routine

i did plenty of work and managed to get 5A*s and 5A's GCSE, and then in my AS levels i got AAAB...so i think riding inbetween work really helped my concentration - fresh air and all that

xxx

 

[OskyWoskyPonio]

[ QUOTE ]
Besides, you can always revise on the way in the lorry

[/ QUOTE ]
Hattie_Horse I like it!!

[ QUOTE ]
use my horse free time constructively to revise, rather then sitting here browsing the internet.... (well, that's the plan!)

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes that's the same here! thank you both...you have given me some hope that i will get a summer now!

 

[worMy]

i evented all through my GCSE's and will be eventing (two horses) throughout my A levels

ETA: I will let you know how this turns out at A level tho

GCSE i did very little revision but found them easy, A level is considerably harder and i will need to revise!! ARGH!

 

[OskyWoskyPonio]

thanks Mandy_moow

and well done!

I think that the pressure doesnt help either...not from my parents but from myself!

im predicted to get 7A*s and 3As (not that i will) so i feel more pressure...

Ahh well if it all goes wrong i still have my B grade from GCSE french in year 9 to fall back on!

 

[worMy]

as above i evented through GCSEs and got 10a* and an a
so its fine

enjoy!

 

[BroadfordQueen]

I carried on as normal. It is a lot easier to fit it all in than you'd think. I am in my final year of A levels and am still planning a full eventing season, starting next weekend

I will also be backing a youngster too so lots of hard work for me

 

[brushingboots]

i sat quite a few exams last year - podcasts are the way forward when schooling at home

although i've got the main brunt of my GCSE's this year

i plan to continue normally - with the help of podcasts!

 

[Grey_Showjumper]

I have my GCSEs, and i am not planning on changing everything.
providing you do the revision in advance- easter hols etc. then you will only be checking up on things nearer the time so should still be able to ride... plus you don't need to revise all the time!
Will continue to compete throughout them all!

 

[monkeybum13]

I carried on as normal
I was doing an event with 2 exams the following day on some occassions, didn't affect my grades, 10 a*/a and 2 b's

 

[algy666]

Don't compete but will still be riding as normal

I'm in my final year at uni

 

[only_me]

2009 I had my A levels, and tbh, my exams were a lot more important than my sport/hobby - so I kept riding but I sent my horse to someone who competed him over a 2/3 week period (thats all I didnt ride him for) and kept horse fit, which meant as soon as exams finished I could resume competing.

For AS and GCSE I kept riding through them, didnt do any harm i thought

But A-levels are massively important - if you dont get what is required then thats you out of your place at uni!! Its only for 1/2 months! I finished my A-levels on the 3rd June last year!! It was totally worth not competing imo - I got AAB, over-qualified for my course and hence got bursary for one of higher amount of points which is now being spent on the horse!

 

[OskyWoskyPonio]

Thanks to everyone who has replied

I can see that it is possible to do both and am planning on drawing up a revision timetable so that should make things easier

 

[Annette4]

I only had a horse through A levels and uni so slightly different but I don't see why you can't do both.

It's about time management and not spending 3 hours chatting and grooming, you can't constantly revise but this period in your life is important.

With my A levels I'd get up early, skip out and do all my yard jobs in an hour, revise for 3 hours, ride, then revise for another 3 hours before my evening job. Something similar at least even if not that exact program. Time management is key but you do need to give yourself time to relax too. It's just as important as the actual revision you do.

Even if you're not competing I don't see why you can't keep him fit enough for what you want to do after exams.

 

[Lolo]

GCSEs didn't really affect me at all. I got decent grades without doing any work at all- study leave was time spent chilling...

A-Levels, you NEED to revise! I really couldn't have got the grades I got without hard work- I'm doing maths, further maths, physics and chem and so I suppose I took on a lot, but I never ride in the week (my mum does though, so Cheeks gets exercised) but last year we were still pretty successful.

Remember that your A-Levels get you into uni, and if you plan on going into a competitive degree you need good ones, so don't prioritise horses over hard work.

 

[jumptoit]

I didn't change at all only had 2 proper events, continued with lessons, rode both horses most days, just didn't go out with friends and things instead. I avoided competing or riding the day before exams but other than that just the same, that said I only had 13 GCSE exams and they finished the first week of June!

 

[freyaandrogue]

i carried on as normal! i even went to a 5 day stay away show slap bang in the middle of them! (i took work with me, but didnt manage to get to do any ) tbh, if you work hard at school and revise sensibly ( i didnt do loads but i did enough) you will be fine!
good luck you will be fine

 

[FlipFlop5]

GCSEs & AS i carried on as normal, if you plan ahead then it works out fine- just don't leave it all to the night before!
A-levels- gave him a week and a bit off, the thought of not getting into uni scared me into work!

 

[Cash]

I have my GCSEs this year...and am currently in the process of looking for a new horse

As others have said I'm planning ahead for Easter- as I'll hopefully have new horse by then, I definitely won't be stopping competing or anything

like the others I reckon there's only so much revision you can do per day- I can't manage more than a coupla hours before i start seeing stars!

 

[Stormy123456]

Carried on as normal, and although maybe this time for my AS's I wont be competing around that time, I'll still be schooling and exercising the two numptys!

 

[JenTaz]

i'm in scotland and my exams start in just under two months im only doing four though so am not under much pressure but i have to pass all of them to get my place at uni but im not changingg anything horse wise i'll still be out competing twice a week and riding every day if a competition falls the day before the exam i'll take notes with me you cant cram everything in the day before anyway!

 

[katie_and_toto]

I also have my GCSE's this year, I have 1 pony (Toto) who I share with my sister, and I also had a 'share' pony who I rode twice a week for her owners. I was finding the coursework and revision etc. very time consuming that I didn't have enough time to ride the share pony too, so I had to give up the share

But this meant I had more time because I didn't have 2 to look after on those 2 days, and now I have only 1 to sort out. When I have my exams, my sister will be riding Toto while I stay at home and revise.

Could you ask a friend or someone on your yard if they'd like to ride your horse for a few days a week, just to take the pressure off you, and your horse would still get exercised? Or you could adertise him for share?

 

[Sarah_Star]

I'm in my last year of A-levels, i just bought a new horse (well December 09). I'm not going to compete him for 1 month (June) but will still ride. It's only one month and at the end of the day horse riding is my hobby, not my job. My education is more important than a hobby.

 

[horseywelsh]

Carried on as normal for GCSES and got all a*/a grades. Through AS and A level also carried on as normal (again all a grades), but i did put alot of work in and used my time wisely. 1st year of uni, same number of hours/horses to ride but competed less. 2nd yr uni, carried on riding the same, but cut down competing around exam/busy times, as my degree is realy important to me. There is no reason why you can't do both if you get your priorities right, and sometimes other things have to be scarificied such as social time, but it's worth it.

 

[kerilli]

i carried on competing through 'O' Levels (oh god, that dates me!) but for 'A' levels i had my mare in full livery and i was so busy that i only got to ride once a week or so in the final term... but i was at school 6 days a week from 8.30 to 5.30.
Degree was easier tbh.

 

[MegaBeast]

I find with degree exams that during the exam periods I need that time away from the house/books to keep me sane. Saying that though I did no revision whatsoever for GCSE and A level (got AAAB at A level in Sciences/Maths) so worked for me but I have a semi-photographic memory so cvan get away with doing less than most!

In all honesty though, would you actually revise straight through from 9am-9pm with no breaks? I know I couldn't