what would you do? :(

[TarantuLove]

Ok, so I'm at university 300 miles away from home. My horse is currently at a livery stables at home being looked after by my parents.

I really really really miss him, and he is really miserable at home without me. He is not being ridden or anything as well so he is getting bored, stiff (has joint problems) and rather fed up!

I can't have a car at my first year in university but there is a yard that I can get to by bus. It only offers part livery/full livery but I have just got a job which will give me some extra cash for the month.

I dont know what to do tbh, I thought I would be ok without him and seeing him in holidays but Im struggling without him!

 

[spotty_pony]

I would look into moving him to yard near your Uni. Would mean you would be able to see him everyday and ride him again regularly. You could take him back home with you in the holidays too!

 

[TarantuLove]

the only thing is taking him home and bringing him back etc is a very very long trip in the horsebox for him and he is an older horse, and i cannot guarantee a stable either way (e.g. going home for xmas may have nowhere for him to stay, bringing him back may not have a stable to go to)

 

[Ella19]

budget carefully and make sure you can cover yourself and any unforseen circumstances, also budget in transport costs especially if you want to go home every big holiday. Also consider costs if you want to live out rather than halls. If cost isn't a problem then go for it. My friend used to travel her horses up and down from Oban in Scotland to Warwickshire every half term and swap them over!! Time wise with exams and things you'll be fine if horse is on part livery.

Edited to add, try using professional horse transporters, it's expensive but they will do the appropriate breaks and know how to care for your older boy.

 

[TarantuLove]

thanks tbh i think finance is the main factor for me! i dont have much savings etc and would probably have to keep him on full livery for the holidays if i went home rather than transporting him back and forth (really not fair on him, he doesnt like change) so that's added expense...

Miss him so much though

 

[spotty_pony]

That is tricky then. Well if it is Part/Full Livery, you could put him on Full Livery during the holidays and just bring him back during the Summer Holidays and ask for them to save your stable for you.

 

[Ali2]

TBH I'd give it a bit more time and see how you are feeling in the spring. I do honestly think you'll miss out on the whole uni experience if you've got your horse to look after, not to mention the added financial burden that would come with bringing him down to you then keeping him there in the hols or transporting him back and to.

Could he have a loaner or sharer at home to keep him going, keep his stiffness at bay and keep the variety in his life? I know you're missing him but (I'm assuming) you've only been away at uni for a couple of months so you are still in your settling in period.

I hope it all works out well whatever you decide

 

[TarantuLove]

thanks

do you normally have to pay to get a stable kept for you?

and yeah, i might get some more money saved up first at least, but i just miss him so much

 

[maletto]

I agree with sjs, you should really try to move him to near you if you can. There might be a DIY yard within cycling distance and bikes aren't that expensive, so that's an option.

I see what you mean about the difficulty of guaranteeing a stable/field at each end for holidays but if I have one thing to add it's this.....

there was a post in SB the other day about having regrets - I couldn't bear to open it because I have one MASSIVE regret in my whole life:

When i went to uni, I put my horse on full livery at home and that was that, didn't see him for weeks on end. Now that he's in his late teens, I wish wish wish I hadn't wasted his youth and done more with him back when we were both young and quite good.

I hope you find a way to make everything work out

 

[jaspejoo]

I have my horse at umiaks I have to say you do miss out on the experience. If were you I would leave pony at home and maybe ask a trust worthy horsey friend to look after him, then take pony next year. I think i would have done that looking back!

 

[TarantuLove]

thanks it scares me that when i get out of uni he will be 22/23 and he is ageing fast already, im so scared im going to miss out of his last few working years!

 

[Tilda]

I would suggest perhaps leave him at home this year and as others have said get a sharer to keep him in work and then see how you feel next year. You might find that as you get closer to your uni friends that you prefer to stay where uni is in the holidays. I met my boyfriend (now husband) in my third year at uni and never went home again! (except to visit I'm not that harsh lol)

 

[TarantuLove]

thanks x

 

[Dancing Queen]

Having been through the same situation I would leave him in the care of your parents. He is an older horse and he maynot appreciate the continual movement and stress involved in moving yards.

I made sure that i came home from Uni (100 miles) every 2 or 3 weeks for the weekend, but i did have a good boss who played with my shifts (job at uni).

Its only for 3 or 4 years Keep positive - It is hard and i spent lots of time at Uni crying because i missed my babies.

 

[trojanpony]

I have done both - left horse at home 1st, 2nd year; brought horse(s) [one had a foal and become two!] to uni for 3rd year.
I can tell you I had a very big overdraft after 1 year livery (and I was working on the yard too) so I think you would struggle on your student loan to do it for 3 years.
For 1st and 2nd years I used to go home every weekend (3 hrs on train) - yes, everyone thought I was a plonker, and I missed out on nights out etc but I could ride 3 times a week, had a saturday job at home which paid the train fare and still competed through the long summer hols. It was much cheaper leaving horse at my parents place with no livery bill to pay, plus had some spare time for uni work cos evenings were free. I would recommend leaving him at home if you can, at least for the first year or so...