When do you ride?

[Flowerofthefen]

This is more aimed at people that work

I love to ride first thing in the morning. It sets me up for the day and it's a ' job' out of the way!! By the time I've finished work and poo picked the fields the last thing I feel like doing is riding!

 

[Gallop_Away]

I love riding on a summer evening. I don't like feeling rushed when I ride so riding before work isn't for me.
That said I do love an early morning ride when I don't have anywhere to rush off to. The world just feels at peace when it is just me, my horse, and early morning bird song.

 

[Poppy+MrDarcy]

When I wasn't a stay-at-home mum, I had a day job, and it was a struggle to ride in the winter, as it was getting dark, but I used to ride 2-3 times a weeks depending on the weather. Now almost every day due to having younger horses in need of consistent work x

 

[throwawayaccount]

I used to ride before work so around 6.30am/7am, but also after work( I finish at 4, unless its a day I go straight to job 2).

however I am not riding much at the mo, I have a lesson weekly on my lunch break (I take all my breaks together to give me an hour) to enable me riding

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

I'm an evening rider as dog gets precedence in the morning.
The horses mostly live out, so I tend to bring them in at lunchtime if working (from home) and ride straight after work. Time then somehow disappears and its time for bed! I don't ride days I work in the office because the hour commute on each end of the day just makes it too much.
I do love a morning ride, but it's rare I get a chance even on a weekend, because there's so much stuff to do, and I won't do it if I ride first!

 

[MuddyMonster]

Through the winter, it's week day mornings. In the Spring or Summer it's a mix of mornings and some evenings after work. I'm riding 5-6 days a week and have done all winter so it works well for us.

I like riding first thing to keep my evenings free for non-horsey stuff but in the Summer riding after work does allow more time for longer hacks.

I'll ride anytime at weekends, it depends what else I'm doing.

 

[Snow Falcon]

After school. Great stress reliever

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Weekends I like to ride early as well so I have the rest of the day to myself

 

[Fransurrey]

I do like riding before work, but I have sleep issues, so it's sporadic, as I need to get up at 6.15 to be able to ride and make it to work for 9.30. I tend to do that in the winter. Once marathon season is done I'll ride more in the evenings again. At the moment runs and weather conspire against me so he's ticking over on one or two rides a week at the moment!

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

Through the winter, it's week day mornings. In the Spring or Summer it's a mix of mornings and some evenings after work. I'm riding 5-6 days a week and have done all winter so it works well for us.

I like riding first thing to keep my evenings free for non-horsey stuff but in the Summer riding after work does allow more time for longer hacks.

I'll ride anytime at weekends, it depends what else I'm doing.

This is basically my routine. I prefer to ride early mornings at the weekend though as the park gets very busy with runners, dog walkers, cyclists and the weekend walker at weekends. Often I have a show or clinic at the weekend so also work around that.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Usually early mornings, but the last month has been more late afternoon than morning, but that's due to just a short pootle needed for me.
I ride 5 to 6 days a week.

Morning preferred particularly in summer as more cool, less mozzies and less horse flies etc. In winter if doing harder work again I prefer morning so any fuzzy coat thats not clipper can dry properly before nightfall.

My brain and body seem to work better pre elevenses.....

 

[Peglo]

I love an early morning hack at the weekend but I poop scoop in the morning through the week so ride in the evenings. In summer. I love both a sunrise or sunset hack. Pretty much don’t ride in winter

 

[SEL]

I got into the habit of riding in the morning when the Appy came along - night blind and inability to sweat meant morning was light in winter and cool in summer.

 

[rextherobber]

It depends on the weather! I hate riding in the rain, obviously in this country, its a given that you have to, but if I can make work fit around a spell of dry weather, I will! I mostly ride early morni gs, I love a summer evening ride, but it rarely happens as it seems to impinge on family life more.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I would love to ride first thing but I start at 6 am so I ride at 2pm every day unless its my rest day and those days I can ride early

 

[Love]

I'm an after work rider. In the winter I'm limited to just school work/lunging in the week and hacking at weekends due to the light. From this time of year onwards I school/lunge and hack weekday evenings. I aim for 4 days work for him a week - any more is a bonus and any less I just accept it is what it is.

 

[Fieldlife]

I am a morning rider, and I tend to ride 6-7 times a week year round. I am lucky as I can typically start work later morning, and work later.

The arenas tend to be quieter early morning.

If I am hacking the local area has a rule (due to racehorses exercising) dogs on leads before 12pm, so morning is a good time for hacking without out of control dogs or idiot cyclists etc.

That said I do flex, I can fit in riding at lunchtime sometimes, particularly in depth of winter when might have defrosted, or an odd lesson time, or if need be.

I do also hack the odd afternoon / summers evening. But if it is nice weather the downs are very very busy.

I struggle to school after a busy day at work, I struggle to find the right frame of mind, plus everyone seems to be using the arenas, and I get dragged into lots of chatting, and takes much longer!

I am a bit grumpy when competing involves riding after lunch, as doesn’t come naturally.

 

[smolmaus]

Yard is "closed" until 8am (yard owner sorts all the horses AM so not really a problem) and I would be hitting heavy school run traffic on the way back making the journey 30+ mins so not a chance of ever riding before work. We do have lights in the arena though so we muddle along in the winter evenings.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I got into the habit of riding in the morning when the Appy came along - night blind and inability to sweat meant morning was light in winter and cool in summer.

20 years ago I aways rode in the evenings but I bought a horse that was a headshaker, unknown to me at the time! He was more combing ridden first thing before the pollen rose and I just stuck with the morning thing. Usually much quieter as well!

 

[Accidental Eventer]

When I worked full time I rode after work unless it was too hot then first thing. But we have more daylight over winter so that made it easier. Now Iam a mummy I ride early to fit in with hubby, and I dont ride on work days at all usually!

 

[dreamcometrue]

When I worked I rode after work during the week and in the morning at the weekend. Now I’m retired I ride in the morning, the roads are quiet and we are both rested.

 

[millitiger]

When I was working in the office, I rode before work as better frame of mind then, before my brain got full of work stress!

I work at home now so ride at lunchtime which is a lovely way of splitting my day up

 

[SO1]

After work as then no need to rush anywhere and because of the distance between home and yard and work.

Yard shuts at 9pm and I usually get there about 7pm and have the school to myself. No jobs to do as I am on part livery.

Weekends I normally ride at 3.30pm.

At the moment I don't have a horse after loosing mine but hopefully soon will find a new one. So now I am riding at the Riding school normally twice a week. Once after work at 7.15pm and the other time 11.00am on a weekend day. The RS has the last lesson at 7.15 as a lot of Londoners and they come on tube after work and some people tend to work quite late.

 

[AntiPuck]

I much prefer after work, as then I don't feel like i'm rushing at all - but a sunrise ride can be really lovely, and it's nice to be out super early when the dog walkers haven't emerged yet!

 

[Sealine]

I work from home and ride in the mornings. In the week I ride at 7:30am after I’ve done my jobs. At the weekend I ride about 9am. Im very much a morning person and I’m exhausted after work. In the summer I occasionally ride on a weekday evening.

 

[SOS]

I have my horse in the village across and I WFH, so I either ride morning or lunch breaks and now it’s summer I can do evenings too. If riding I take a two hour lunch and work a longer shift to accommodate it.

Reading this thread makes me realise how lucky I am to do that and not have to worry about traffic etc bar the odd tractor or sheep blocking up the road.

When my horse was further away (20 mins with traffic) I rode early in the mornings predominantly and evenings when light allowed.

I am not sure which I prefer, mornings make it nice to get it over and done with but you’re always clock watching. Evenings are more relaxed.