What's your horse routine on Christmas Day?

[horsesatemymoney]

Just interested (and nosey ) how everyone fits in horses, family, cooking etc on Christmas Day, especially those who also have to work For me, it probably won't be much different

 

[Kokopelli]

Get up early and turn horse out and on the way back pick up my grandma from the care home. Once back we all open presents then start cooking lunch. Eat lunch then go to yard armed with tinsel and reindeer ears and go for a christmas ride, muck out then go home and have dinner then drop grandma back at her home.

We're quite lucky in some sense that we have a small family so christmas is just like any other sunday lunch with my grandma.

 

[asmp]

I try and share duties with others at the yard. I don't drink so am happy to do the evening shift if someone else will turn out in the morning. I also do a good muck out the day before so only a quick skip out can to be done on Xmas day.

 

[*hic*]

Pretty much the same as on all the other days.

 

[dollymix]

I'm quite flexible and I think that's the key to horses and Christmas Day - I am soooo envious of all of those who manage to ride on Christmas Day - I honestly don't know how you fit it in!! In previous years, we've had a Christmas eve hack, bedecked in tinsel but never managed on Christmas Day.

I'll probably team up with some of the others on the yard to sort the horses on Christmas Day. One of us will do the morning and the other will do the afternoon....I am on a fairly large livery yard and this is one of the main bonuses!!

 

[Natz88]

My dad goes up to help my mum in the morning, turn out & muck out. Then I will nip up in the afternoon to bring in & finish any jobs if they don't get done in the morning.

 

[Marydoll]

Going out for dinner this year, so it'll be a skoosh !
Feed, turnout, muck out, pick up oh then up to see the grand kids with their pressies, only 5 mins drive. Back home, spot of brekkie, walk the dog, doss in front of tv eating sweets and opening pressies
Might ride, might not, depend on my mood and weather, bring the horses back in again just before dark,4ish, check everyone over, a flick over with the brush, feet picked out and settled.
Home, shower, a pre dinner drink then walk along to the pub/restuarant which does fab food and is only a five min walk for dinner and a few drinks, then wander home later

 

[ajn1610]

Ours are at home so it's easier. Get up, feed and skip out we have breakfast. Cover them in tinsel and snow spray and go out for a hack weather permitting. May stop at the odd pub for a stirrup cup on the way! Get home mid morning I turn out and do beds while Mum starts cooking. Family arrives at lunch time we open presents in the afternoon. I bring in before it gets dark and we have Christmas dinner at about 6. I think making it dinner rather than lunch makes life easier. I'm getting excited for my Turkey while I'm writing this YUM!

 

[Spotsrock]

Get up and walk poochies, then go and give breakfast to the horses with extra carrots. Turn out B and S and S2, Ride L for 15 mins, (have done every xmas for 17 years if I manage it this year) Turn out L muck out, everyone in with big nets then home, washed dogs in car and off to mom and dads for light lunch, pressies then big xmas dinner. Drop dogs home anout 10, then rush up to yard, skip out hay and feed round, home to bed.

 

[MiCsarah]

My parents are here this year so were having a proper christmas Me and the parents get up early and take the pony for a quick ride with the parentals walking the dogs following me. Then home for breakfast (OH making pancakes apparently), will probably then open presents (or present seeing as were all so poor weve done secret santa).Dad will then do the dinner about 3ish so will probably rush to yard to bring in before then. Give my pony his christmas dinner and off home to scoff prawn cocktail,goose and then christmas pud yum yum!

 

[ausipaliboi]

I get up around 7 (per normal with a toddler). Go down the paddock to give double trouble their special christmas breakfast - chopped apple and carrot, mangos (seed removed), a separate bucket with molasses and bread chunks and an extra feed. That's the only difference to my every morning.

For dinner, well, when I eventually roll myself off the couch and get in the car they get dinner. That's it lol.

 

[Ranyhyn]

8am -Walk out of my back garden to check horses and give them a christmas breakfast, walk dogs.
9am back in for brekkie and then present opening.
1pm christmas dinner
4pm evening check on horses
5pm His parents
7pm My family

we're lucky we bring the horse home for crimbo and this year, no-one is working in my house so we have a pretty relaxed day!

 

[Lisamd]

I have 5 horses that are in overnight and am cooking for 6 on Christmas day!!!

Will get all prep done the day before, my parents are bringing starter, we're cooking dinner and OH's parents are bringing dessert (good plan I think that will allow me time to ride!).

Up early, cup of tea in bed and prezzie opening with OH. Feed, skip out and hay/water up. Hack one with my mum and her horse, then they are all staying in for the day if it's horrid or may go out if its super nice. OH will pop Turkey in before he nips to the local for a few pre dinner drinks and I'll take over when I get back about 11am.

If they are out they'll come in around 3.30pm and I'll go back around 6ish to feed and skip out etc, otherwise they will go all day till 6pm if they are in.

I think the winning formula is prior planning and team work....but I'll let you know that after xmas day!

 

[LaurenBay]

This the the first xmas with my Horse . I am planning to get up about 8ish. Muck out,rug,water,feed. Give her my xmas pressie (likit) then go home and open pressies.

My YO doesn't tend to turn her Horses out on xmas day, so Ruby will have to stay in. I will go up evening to skip, top water up, feed and rug. Although I may ask my YO to do this for me, if I do one of her Horses in the morning.

 

[HCkernow]

up early with my 2 little kiddlies to see what father christmas has brought, when we've done all that wonder out & turn out (1 hunter x 2 ponies). Home, hopefully hubby will have cooked yummy breakie, off to in-laws for lunch but i'm doing starters so make them, walk to inlaws (next door-very handy!!) then sometime in the afternoon, prob about 3 ish, muck out, bath & plait ready for hunting on boxing day. Then back in for more festivities followed by last check bout 11 ish. Happy Christmas everybody.

 

[Lu1]

Up early (hopefully before kids wake up) turn all 5 out, muck out, come home and look after kids while husband cooks christmas dinner.
1pm all horses coming in with extra large haynets
YO-late night check

 

[Little Squirrel]

As it's a Sunday this year then mine will just have normal Sunday routine. Turned out, mucked out and bran mash in the evening. The only thing different is that I'm having the whole day off, my first in 6 months!!!! Lie in for me!!! A few are running on NYE so Xmas eve will be a nightmare trying to get a piece of work into them here's hoping the frost stays away!!!

 

[Kat]

Our yard will have a member of staff on to cover christmas day as they have to do their own horses. Therefore I will probably have my horse done as usual so her routine isn't disrupted.

DH will go up in the morning to ride while I do family stuff with my family. He will have lunch with his parents after a festive hack and then join me with my folks in the afternoon.

Horse will be turned out after DH has ridden and brought back in at about 4pm by the yard staff. Boxing day they will have staff on too, DH and I are planning to go to the hunt on foot so horse will probably have a day off or be ridden afterwards if we don't follow the hunt for long.

 

[starryeyed]

It'll be the same as usual - horses all morning, prezzies / family in afternoon, horses in evening. Don't usually ride on xmas day though.

 

[miss_c]

Well we go to midnight mass, then sleep for a bit, then we're up fairly early and Mum comes with me to the horses. I turn out Titchy, and she will loose-school Genie while I muck out or if it's not too cold she will ride her on the lunge (but only for about 10 minutes - Mum is going to be 70 just after christmas!).

Once the horses are done we go up to my old instructor's house and have a warm drink and mince pie. It's been our yearly ritual for the last 6 years or so!

Then it's home, Christmas lunch (this year a friend who is a medic and is on-call will be joining us as she can't go home for christmas), and flop! Later on back to the yard (just me this time, Mum will be asleep with the dog!) and get the girls in and put to bed, making sure I'm home in time for Doctor Who!

 

[whizzer]

I'm usually working in the morning & start at 8am. Get everything ready day before & have proper muck out so I can be really quick on Xmas day. Turn my horse & friends mare out, get stuff done quickly & whizz off to work. Friends does evening so when I'm done at work I can relax with the family & some alcohol. I'm never bothered about riding on Xmas day.

 

[leflynn]

Last year it was get up and muck out (in due to weather), have festive cuppa at the yard and go back home for pressies and a mahoosive fry up (with cheeky beer). Had a bit of a nap then back to the yard to skip out/feed/pressie for the pony plus some festives drinkies for us. Back home to cook xmas dinner then too much wine and flake out on the sofa

I'm sure this year will be similar with turnout and a hack out hopefully

 

[The_snoopster]

Same as everyday really, my horses are in two separate fields I usually walk to each one which are only 5 mins away, but I shall get a lift to each field. To make things quicker the buckets will be made up night before, and the haynets I hang in the babies field will also be ready made.
The only thing I dont do on xmas day is poo pick, I shall catch up on boxing day.

 

[zoelouisem]

Usually im working on xmas day (with horses) so i get up about 4.30 to go into work and get back before daughter wakes and and we can see what father xmas has bought!! After pressie then head up to yard to do daughters pony she rides covered in tinsel while i muck out (12hh pony so only takes 10 mins) or if like last year she had a new saddle we hacked down to my dads with dogs in tow pony had carrot in garden and hacked back!! The xmas dinner cooked by my dad. Then finish up bout 4 so i can get back and have a proper drink!!

This year my dads away in thailand!!! Lucky man!!! So my mum her husband and my half brother and sister (6 and 8 year old) are all staying at mine and im not working for the first time in years!!!!! So i expect well get woken very early by 3 excited kids open pressies from father xmas, then head up yard quick muck out then will let all kids ride theres a mile track round the field so i expect well all walk round that with the 4 dogs so there all exercised in one go!! head back and start xmas dinner. Ill go back about 4 to finish up on my own as its only 5 mins away so i can be there and back in 20 mins!!!

 

[pottamus]

Same as every other day...he gets fed and let out before me!!

 

[MagicMelon]

We're doing Xmas Eve at my mums house so I'll do the horses that morning as usual. Dont tend to ride on Xmas day (usually too cold / snow etc.). Xmas day itself going to the inlaws for the day and night so mum will do them that evening.

 

[Hexx]

Probably get to the yard for about 8.30 am - we all (whoever is there) will hack out suitably decked in festive tinsel. Back to the yard about 9.30 - load the horses with hay (the yard girls will have been in at 5am and mucked out already), the off home for brunch, presents then Christmas Lunch. It's just me and Mum this year as my sister is now living abroad. Then about 7pm, pop back to the yard to skip out and top up on the hay. Same for Boxing Day and New Year's day.

 

[touchstone]

Mine are living out so all I do is chuck in some extra forage on xmas eve so I don't have to rush round first thing on xmas morning. Hubby will walk the dogs in the morning while I feed and check over. Then pm I feed and check over again when its a convenient time.

 

[stacey_lou]

Its all about the xmas morning hack.

Get up, go for morning hack muck out ect (she is bought in at tea time and rugged) go home get changed into (xmas day clothes, been tradition that we dress up xmas day)go to my mummy and Daddys open presents all together have lunch, eat loads, grandparents come over open more presents

Eat some more, play games, uncles and aunties come over more presents, watch xmas DVD's, play trival pursuit which mum always wins!! and drink lol pretty chilled out

 

[foraday]

Chrimbo Day is like every other day for the ponies!

Normal routine as well as open last advent calendar and open pressies!!!!! So wrapping paper to muck out as well!

Go riding in the after noon as normal