Working full time and having horses at home.how does everyone do it?!

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karenjj

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Hello,we recently moved into our new home with our 4 ponies, 2 new forest, 1 shetland and a cob yearling. Previously we had the 2 new forests at full livery, the shetland and yearling were out on grass livery. I work full time and have been bringing them all in at night and putting them out in the morning, mucking out etc. We don't really have enough land to leave them out all the time. I was just wondering how everyone else manages because I've come home crying most nights with the stress of trying to fit everything in to 1 day! Does it get better once you have a routine? What does everyone do with their muck heaps, do you poo-pick the fields daily? I just feel like giving up and putting them all up for sale but I've had 2 of them since babies and the other 2 were rescue ponies. Everyone keeps saying, oh you've taken on too much, and I know I have but there must be a way for it to be less stressful! I'm sitting at work on lunch now worrying that they've escaped out of the field or something! Any advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated!!
 
I have two, keep them at home and work full time and I struggle to fit everything in! You sound like you have a lot to do with all of them in. Could you rent some extra land so that you could keep some of them out. Unfortuantely this is the worst time of the year - once the summer comes and they are all out I'm sure things will be fine, but in the meantime can you get anyone to help?
 
What is your job?

Most of the people here do work full time (although granted most don't have 4 equines including youngsters!). I know I found it incredibly difficult when I was teacher training last year (And we were also having building work done, and our mare was dying from lami!). I tend to cope OK when I am working full time, but I don't have children in addition to the horses.

I don't keep my horses at home so that is a strain.

I think it helps to have time-saving ideas such as making up enough haynets for the week, or enough feeds for the week, using super-absorbant bedding that saves time on mucking out.

You could also consider getting a sharer or 2 to help you out.
 
My two horses are kept at home. I get a lot of help from my mum with mucking out during the week but as they are on rubber matting it only takes about 30mins to do everything so can be done before work if needs be. I muck pick the fields at weekends during the winter as it's too dark after work to do this and try to do it much more often during the summer.
We have some one come and collect our muck heap about once every two months but this increases a bit during the winter when we put a bit more bedding down because they are in for longer.
Is there anyone you can rope in to help regularly, a friend, responsible teenager, etc? Time saving tips are also a god send like making a weeks worth of haynets at once. Also make the most of the time free at weekends and get kids/family to help out. Getting out in the fresh air together is lovely.
 
I've got 2 & work full time in London and commute.

Once you have routine it does become easier. Why don't you try deep littering. I don't poo pick now during the week as its too dark but will do a massive clearance at the weekend. As mentioned above you could make all your hay nets up at the weekends or just feed it off the floor. You could make up all your feeds and put them in plastic bags for use during the week.
 
I have 6 and work full time, but I onyl intensively do 2 horses.

4 are out full time in a herd in a large field, so no poo picking, just check on them twice a day.

2 are in during the day and out at night, I feed them first thing in the morning and give them hay on the floor, as nets take too long!

I then get home from 6pm onwards (8pm last night). If not dark I go straight out and ride, if dark like last night I will eat and then do them. So I ride one per day and then muck them out, rug them up and pop them out for the night.

I don't "do" anything else in the week and my house is in a sorry state
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Muck heap is easy as we have a farm, so build it up and then spread it once a year. If I didn't have land I be tempted to have a naughty bonfire with shavings!!
 
Well I only have one so not too bad but it has been a culture shock going from being self emaployed working from home most of the time to having a full time away job where I leave at 7.30am and get home at 6.00pm.
I used to do work early and then go for a ride in the day and then do more work after and could do this 5 times a week even in winter...now I can only ride at weekends until the light mornings are back. This is my first winter with a good doer and less exercise available...slightly worried about the weight issue!
I have had to make changes to cope better so rather than him being in his mobile field stable at night in winter he is out 24/7 but only on grass for the day and then on a small paddock and hay at night. I poo pick in the dark before work with a head torch each day and do everything in the dark with my trusty head torch. I get up at 5am each day to get everything done and have to juggle getting the chores done with having a husband sat at home wondering how much longer I am going to be!
It is the lasck of riding that has bothered me the most...the rest I can find ways around as I am lucky in having a good sized rental field and mobile field stable set up.
 
PS I pay a farmer to take my muck heap away once per year and the same person to cut hedges, harrow etc when needed.
 
i work full time and until recently had three horse to do (one was PTS last month).

It is hard work, but you can find time saving routines. I deep litter on shavings and just skip out every day.

I make up enough haynets for the whole week at the weekend, and also poo pick at the weekends. We don't have winter fields, but are allowed to turn out in small pens on the yard for a few hours.

As regards working them, I alternate between riding one and lungeing one every night in the week, and they are both hacked out at the weekend or go to shows.
 
Rubber matting and either a hay bar or do all your haynets at the w/e's. I try and keep mine out as much as poss, and dont poo pick just rotate fields every 6 weeks, but we arent short of land.
Once you get a routine, you do get much quicker. This mornin I mucked out 24 pigs, fed and watered them. Fetched my horse in, groomed and tacked up. Hacked out for an hour and was back inside to get my daughter up and ready for school by 7.45am
Oh start early and never go to bed later than 10pm helps too
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I get up at 6.30. I go outside and feed them. I come indoors and eat my breakfast. I go back out and put them out in the paddock. I muck out and then I go indoors, get washed and go to work.

I work 8.30 to 5.30. I am back by 6pm and get the horses in, if there is daylight I go for a ride. Sometimes, depending on the time of year I get up v early and ride before work and then I muck out after work.

You just need to get into a routine. My horses sleep on hemp bedding which means during the week I only skip out and at weekends I remove some of the wet.

I poo pick my small home paddock at the weekend, or while dinner is cooking. My big field is too large to poo pick, so it just gets harrowed in the spring.

I do go to bed by 9.30 !

Oh, and when I went away for a long weekend and left it all to my husband he did not know how I fitted everything in... made me feel quite chuffed.
 
I used to work full time at the yard were my horses were stabled so it was great plus I had the help of my mum who used to come down and muck out and groom. Though when I moved I only had the one at the time I moved areas I had to get a new job I found it very hard trying to fit in the pony plus a full time job, a young daughter and not being able to drive. My filly was getting very little attention from me at and I felt awfull so decided to sell her. I now regret this very much though I could not have asked for a better new owner for her as she is looked after like a queen. I wish I would have struggled on for a few more months as I passed my driving test not long after which gave me more time. What am trying to say is things can get so hard but it will get better dont make a decision you will regret in a few months time there are ways to save time.
 
I work 8-4 with a 45 min journey each way to work.

I have 2 horses at home, one mine and one livery who I look after.

I muck out stables daily as they are on rubber matting with only half beds, I find that I can do both within 15 minutes and then poo pick the field within 10-12 minutes if I do it daily. I do this with my headlight in the winter (fantastic purchase!) as I cannot bear to let it build up over the week!



Most of my muck from poo picking does in bags for the neighbours gardens and we get veggies in return
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The rest goes on a tipper trailer which I have emptied once a month.

My housework does not get done very often but I try to do a few mins every day of just stuff like putting washing in.

A time saving tip to get dinner at a sensible hour is to use a slow cooker, chuck it all in in the morning (even buy pre chopped veggies etc to save time!) and it is ready when you get in late.

I ride most days or lunge if getting dark.

You say you are at lunch now, is there a way of reducing your lunch break so you can go home early or come in late? I have reduced my day by an hour so that I can go at 4pm - but have taken on a livery to cover the money I lost!

I love having mine at home and wouldn't have it any other way now but it can take over your life.

Keep your chin up & if you want to chat pm me

Also there was a thread about saving time tips, a few helpful things on there but was a bit disappointed there weren't more replies
 
Employ a live in groom
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I have for the past four years, it's great!

On a serious note, I have an illness which is a nightmare, 2 kids, messy husband, 66 acre farm, 3 horses, 2 cats, a border collie and a more than full time business importing equestrian goods to Norway and a house with 14 rooms to clean... the only way I can stay sane is to employ a groom and even then I am only half sane.
 
We have someone to do our mucking out / bring ins etc weekday PM's which is a great help esp. in winter when it gets dark so early.
 
I have full time work but sensible hours
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So I work from early/mid afternoon to 10pm which gives me the mornings to play ponies, and OH does the putting in on a night. The only time life was a bit too much was when foaling was due, but the sensible lady foaled at 10.30 am which gave me time to sort everything out without fuss. Bet that I am not as lucky next time.
 
Lots of sensible suggestions on here.

Firstly - chin up! I moved house at the end of Jan so for the first time had mine at home. 2 horses. It has been hard, but I absolutely believe it's worth it. Mine is complicated by the fact that although the stables are at the house, the field is a half mile walk away
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If you don't have that issue you are already up on me! I work 9-5 officially but that would be on a good day.

I use rubber matting and cardboard. It's pretty absorbent, doesn't blow around like paper, rots faster than shavings, and is good for the garden. Last year I used a muck heap then had a farmer take it away. I've been on the hunt for a tipping trailer since then and once I get one will put my muck straight into that (to go on farmer's muck heap), though some of it will become part of the compost heap.

It's definitely about routine. This winter I have decided to skip haynets and have gone for the XL 75 ltr trugs, and am going to put my hay in these. Horses may pull it out, but if they poo on it, that's their problem. I'm sure they will learn! I have automatic waterers, filling water buckets is definitely out. I never walk across the yard empty handed, I of course lead the two of them together (half a mile each way, I'm not doing it twice!) I've also just put in a field shelter so that at least if I get held up at work I know they have somewhere to hide.

I am considering paying someone to take them in at night this winter, but not 100% decided yet, but that's a definite possibility.

Finally, I'm afraid the solution might just be to give up sleep! I've read similar "how do you do it" threads on HHO (particularly the competition ones) and loads of folk get up at 5am. I feel like a lady of leisure compared to them, but then I've learnt to just do what I can.

Oh, also I never change rugs in winter (ie turnouts worn in stable).

Finally - keep thinking how ace it is to have them at home. You can turn them out on a Sunday then go back to bed. No losing your stuff to liveries. You can pop out just to say hello in an evening and feed them a carrot before bed. One of the best things for me is how much more I see my OH. And - keep coming to HHO for a cheer up!!!

It's hard, I have no arena so can hardly ride in winter, but I wouldn't change it for the world
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I work full time doing 24/7 shifts and I've got 5 horses to do. Yes, it's knackering but you do get used to it and it's really is worthwhile - honest!
I use hay bars to save on net filling and use good quality large bale haylage which means one or two slices lobbed from a wheelbarrow into each haybar and the night hay's are done in seconds.
I have really thick beds on rubber matting to save taking the wet out every day.
I also use good quality outdoor rugs and keep the same one's on when they come in at night to save time (and no cold rugs on warm back's in the mornings !!)
Mine are all fed a high fibre feed that I can chuck into a big tubtrug and soak overnight so this also saves a few minutes.
My fields are always muck picked every day but this is my daughters one and only job!
None of mine are competing at the moment so this has saved a lot of time as don't need to worry about clipping, fittening, driving to shows etc . . in fact it feels like a holiday in comparison
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I would definitely invest in rubber mats and minimal bedding.I can muck out 5 in 20 mins. I have a big barrow and try to do minimal trips to the muckheap! I soak hay when they are in at night so I prepare loads of haynets on a Sunday. I have three dustbins for soaking hay.
To save time with water buckets, I fill a dustbin with water while I am doing feeds etc and then just fill buckets from there.
I also make up feeds for the morning the night before.
I dont change rugs, unless I need to. They stay in breathable turnout rugs at night.

If they are coming in for the farrier I prepare all the boxes the night before exept for the hay. Then they will stay out in the paddocks overnight. If they are in I will sometimes put haynets outside the boxes and water buckets outside for the morning. I have loads of buckets and haynets! LOL!!

You can also save time by having feed delivered and buying off the internet.

My routine for the morning would go something like this...

Put hay into soak. Leave one dustbin filling with clean water.
Feed horses and empty water buckets if dirty. Muck out while they are eating. Remove soaked hay and leave to drain. Fill water buckets (always carry 2 buckets at a time) Put hay out- again 2 nets each time. Turnout. If they havent finished eating then I will have my breakfast and feed the dogs before I turnout.

If I have a horse that doesnt need soaked hay I dont use nets and feed from the floor in the bigger stables. I will also chuck hay out for the horses on the ground if they are out. I actually think this is safer than nets anyway.


I think they call it multi-tasking! LOL!! You just have to be really organised.

TBH I dont think they are as well looked after as they would be if I had them on full livery but they survive.

I will add that 2 of mine live out all year round and only come in for the farrier, (or if it snows badly or they are ill/injured) but will be in for the week as their field is 1/2 mile up the road. So would agree that it may be worth you looking for more grazing. I do dread the weeks when I have 4/5 to do!

If I am on a mission I can do all of them in 30 mins.
 
I have my TB, and my miniatures including foals at home. I leave for work at around 8am.

When we moved here it was hard to get into a routine, but now i have a routine it's fine. It takes me about an hour each morning to sort the horses, feed the chickens and the guinea pigs. When I get home from work I do the same thing I always try to prepare for the next morning in case I'm running late.

I only stable when needed (illness, foaling etc). My horse has a nice thick rug on and is happy at being out 24/7. I only have about six acres so I have to really manage it well.

I used to pooh pick through the summer, but am now saving for a terra vac................anything to save time really!

At the weekend I do all my jobs that i don't have time to do in the week.

You could advertise free muck if your muck heap is in an easily accessible place.

Everything is new and your probably feeling a bit down. Some time ago I very much felt the way you do, but hang on in their otherwise you might regret it.
 
I have 1 horse and 1 pony. Unfortunatly I can't keep them at home but would love to. I keep mine in a rented field and luckly they live out. We turned the field shelter into part stable part shelter as the older has to be fed a lot and the other is greedy and will eat his food if left alone. What we did was put a door that the older can push from the inside to open but it can't be pushed from the outside so he can let himself out when he's ready and can eat in peace which helps as he's fed twice a day and I don't have the time to wait for hrs am and pm. I try to pooh pick everyday or do a little as if not it gets too much, and it just goes in a pile to rot., if there is straw and its in quite a safe place it can be set alight which reduces it a bit.

I make up several haynets when I have the spare time and I make up feeds in large quanties as they have soaked fibre so I make up several days at a time.

I have had the older for yrs so couldn't possibly get rid of him so I know how that feels.

I find it hard to fit in work, chilldren and horses but my partner helps. He does the field and I find that really helpful and sometimes he makes up the feed while I sort out the other stuff. Also my mum helps some nites when I know I'll be home late. There are times when I feel totally fed up and wish I didn't have them and times when I just need break, this is normal. I don't know if there is anyone who can help or if you can afford to pay for someone to help even if it's just at the weekends to let you have a couple of days off.

Keep smiling as I know its hard work and time consuming but it gets better once your in a routine. And all you have to do is go for a ride (unfortunatly mine are too old for that and I really miss it)
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or groom them , hug them or watch them messing around and I always remember why I love mine so much
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