Work commitments + horse = dilemma

trendybraincell

trendybraincell

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This could get very long so I apologise in advance.

I bought the Welsh Cob 4 years ago as an unbroken rising 3yr old. He is my first horse, my dream horse and everything I always wished for, so you can guess he means an awful lot to me!

Anyways, I am joining the police force, only in a community support officer role but hopefully I will move onto PC in time. So till now I have done everything myself...in fact I don't like other people doing my horse for me because they never do things how I want (I know thats not the case but its just how I feel). But I have to now face facts that I may not be able to do as much as I do with the Welsh Cob...so mum and I were discussing part loans.

Frankly I hate the idea, because I don't want to share my dream that I work so hard to keep. I know that makes me selfish but I can't help again its just how I feel. I want to wait until I am in new job to see how I manage and then if I have to consider extra help do so then.

I don't really know where this is going, I guess I'm hoping everyone will say no don't get a sharer keep him for yourself, but I know that will probably not happen & sooner or later I will have to face up to the fact that I can't do it alone anymore.

OK, so is anyone else as selfish as me?
Does anyone else work in the police (or similar) and keep their horse on DIY?
 
I'm selfish to. I don't want to share my ponies with anyone.
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(not that anyone else would want to share them. Lucy's 20 and bronked me off yesterday and Herbie is a riggy/nappy little whatsit
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) But they are my babies.
Sorry i'm not much help on any other front as i am a groom so my ponies are at work with me
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I was a police officer but didnt have a horse at the time, i also had friends who had horses, they used to share the jobs depending on what shifts they were on.
When i worked shifts i was always tired so wouldnt have wanted to do the horses as well...but then im a whimp! Sometimes i didnt finish on time either and just wanted to go to bed after a night shift ready to start again about 10 hours later.
In my police force the PCSO's didnt work past midnight and only worked 8 hour shifts so it wasnt much different than a 9-5 job, just a different times of the day!
 
So Im guessing the police = random shifts?
Hey a little help doesnt hurt here or there
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So if you are stuck in the am get your YO to t/o for you, then you can sort your boy out in the pm. Or if you know you are on a pm shift, leave everything ready in the am [feed/hay/bed] for your yo to bring him in
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But thats coming from someone on Full Livery
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Will finances allow for you to be on a yard with a part livery agreement. So the horse is on DIY but then you pay extra for mucking out, turnout etc. as and when needed to it works round your shifts?
 
Me and my friend had a very good relationship where we helped each other as much as we could and shared depending on work commitments etc (not police officers but she worked late hours or very early mornings) - we trust each other and only treat each others horses as we would want out own to be treated - it does really help if you can find someone you trust to help out. Since then she had a baby and I took over more often but she did as much as possible When she was more able to and before the baby came along we shared turnout and bringing in - even mucking out - it really helped to know you had support if needed. It does not mean you are giviing up your horse to someone else but it does ease the stress of owning a horse as it does take up so much time.
 
no your not the only one who is selfish i dont even let my mum do taz for longer than say half an hour on her own haha and my mum has been around horses forever lol how about puttin him on like part livery i know it will be more expensive but then you wont have to share i know i'd rather be broke and have taz all to mysself than to trust someone else to ride my pony
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I don't see why you should have to get a sharer. We all work full time, sometimes odd hours with other commitments on top.

I often cannot ride till late or I ride in the morning whichever suits. I am lucky that my horse will stay fairly happily out in the field by herself until I can come and bring her in but if yours is not up to that then it might be worth getting help from the yard to bring in etc

Eitherway goodluck.x
 
I'm not in the police but work long hours and live 25 mins away from my horse. I keep him out which works best and the yard owner simply pops some feed over the gate for me in the morning then I go up to poo pick by headtorch at night or ride etc...It means I get home about 8pm but I quite like the relaxation after work. Then I come home, make a homemade meal and settle in front of the box.

If I do have the misfortune of working away from home or doing odd hours then I do have to ask the YO to check on him but it does get easier and I know that its usually me that deals with him on a day to day basis.

How exciting for you though - a friend of mine is hoping to be a PC after getting accepted into the Specials.
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one who's selfish regarding their horse.

My trouble is I already get stressed and give myself a hard time if he doesn't get ridden frequently or has several days off in a row. But the thing is so long as he's fed and cared for appropriately he doesn't care if he's ridden 5 days and since I don't compete regularly (through lack of transport) it doesn't really matter. But thats what I have to tell myself to stop giving myself such a hard time...stupid I know!

Trubie, PCSO do work slightly better hours here too, although off the top of my head I'm not sure exactly what the times are. I am fairly new to the yard I am at now, but there are some lovely people who I think would happily turn him out or bring him i etc. I just hate asking for help about as much as I hate the idea of sharing him!!
 
I just left a comp. yard because of money issues. I've been trying to get into the police for a while so initially I thought it would be a short stint paying out more before the change of job and I would then use the livery facilities. But frankly after helping them out on my days off I do not think I would trust them to do the job. See look I have trust issues!!

Yes I am very excited but apprehensive at the same time, especially now mum has raised this issue. I still think I will wait to see how I get on, if I was a potential sharer and started sharing then got told owner had time to do it so deal was off, I'd be peeved.
 
I think the shifts were quite regular compared to the PC's, i think they worked 2/3 mornings (8-4) then afternoons which was (2-10) and then lates (4-12).
Does your new yard offer a turn out service where you could pay? I know I wouldnt feel quite as bad paying for the service rather than a favour
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No it a DIY yard, and YO told me when I moved she doesn't want to go down the part/full livery route as she is quite novicey.

There are a couple of people I feel I could approach to just bring in or turn out and I would offer them something for doing so. They already help each other out as they all moved from the same yard, so I sometimes feel like a bit of an outsider but I'm almost certain they would help.

See its so good talking things out with you guys...my mum raises good points but she isn't horsey, she doesn't get it, so she is more concerned about me having time to have more of a social life aswell.
 
Several police on my yard and they are DIY but they have to get help some days, which obv is extra.

I hope I am not raining on parade, but I know that the police recently recruited 2,000 people as 'full police' and they have not even yet started their training. The police HR dept are also making ominous sounds about prhaps not taking on the people they have recruited due to 'budget constraints'.

Hold fire in regards to your horse, see what happens and prehaps look at moving to a yard where they do extras if given pre-notice.
 
Im sure it will all work out for you, im a worrier at the best of times and worse now I have the horses. Most people will help if you ask them nicely as im sure they will need a favour one day.
You'll have a great time in the job as well....enjoy it
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Oh no you're not raining on any parades, this is exactly what I wanted...different points of view and experience. But yes I am unfortunately all too aware of the potential cuts to budgets. Which is another reason I want to hold off any decisions until I am actually in the job.
 
I recently moved to a small private DIY yard with a friend who's a nurse. She works shifts and I work 9-5 with the occasional late night. We help each other with turnout, feeding etc. We find that this arrangement works well as I can do the days she is busy and she can help me on my odd late night.
It is much less stressful for me than being on a competition yard and cheaper too! I went through lots of emotions leaving the comp yard because I felt guilty about 'not riding every day' etc etc... I have since decided he is MY horse and I will do with him as I please, and as he is much happier in his new home it is where he will stay.
My friend and I both have very demanding jobs and find horses allow us time to unwind from the stresses of the day. You will become a very boring person if you give up horses because it's all way too easy to let your job take over your life. Yes have a good career, work hard to earn money, but remember work is a means to an end; ie it will pay for you to have lots of fun with your horse!
So I would say no, don't necessarily get a sharer but certainly find a friend or 'pair up' with someone who is in a similar position as yourself, to share chores and make life easier.
 
I often have very long hours at work, and I don't want anybody else playing with my pony either, so I feel for you!

My solution is to keep him at grass 24/7. That way, I can work him around my schedule, and it's not the biggest disaster if I can't make it up once in a while: the YM is kind enough to keep an eye on him. I aim to ride him 5 or 6 days a week, but during term-time, I'm very lucky if I can get 4 days in. He doesn't seem to be suffering for it.

He's also unclipped and therefore unrugged, which means I don't need to worry about changing rugs unless the weather is really, really dire.
 
Find a local groom - you'll have to pay obviously
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, but that way you won't feel like you are putting on someone. If you have someone else do your horse when you can't, you'll have a trade off where you'll be doing theirs - will you have time?

Have a hot choccy while you're contemplating
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Ditto above - find a local freelance groom, or move to a yard where they offer "services" as needed (my yard has a tick sheet - just tick the relevant box and it gets done!). It'll cost more than a sharer, but you keep your horse.

Good luck
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Well just see how it goes when you get to that point.
I manage full time work, my horse twice a day and night school twice a week plus the rest that life throws at you. You can do it on your own, alot of us do even with restricted time, you just have to see how it pans out to see if you can fit it all in within your lifestyle change that is coming. I say, decide after this has all happened first
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