Working full time, full livery and riding at weekends

itroteverywhere

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I'm interested to hear from those of you who have horses, compete and work in the city ie. can't get to the yard during the week.

How do you manage it? How do you justify to yourself the cost of full livery with potentially only 2 rides a week? Do you ever feel like you can't improve with so little time spent in the saddle? Are you happy with someone else riding for you in the week?
 

dressage_diva

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OK, so I'm not quite what you're after as I do try to visit the horses daily and I don't work in London, but I have had horse(s) on Full Exercise Livery for >10years and when I have been busy in the past I've only ridden 2/3times a week (more recently I have managed more, although currently not riding at all as pregnant and both horses injured!).

Personally I didn't have a problem with keeping horse(s) on full livery provided I found the correct yard - I am ruthless when searching for yards and grill any potential yard owners before I even consider moving my horse there! I always ask loads of questions and I'm also 'hands on' despite not being at the yard all the time. I know others won't agree, but for me I've found that the best yards have been those which are professional competition yards that offer full livery as the yard owner treats my horses like there own international Olympic horses, even though one of my horses is a hairy 21yr old cob! There has to be a good relationship between the yard - they have to know that you trust them, but they also have to earn your trust too - I am always 100% confident that the yard owner and their staff have my horses' best interests at heart and they will do anything/everything for them and that if they had to make a decision in my absence I trust them to do that. Saying that I am hands on too - I leave detailed schedules for each horse saying what I want to happen each week (I usually leave a printed schedule each weekend, but I also have mobile numbers for staff as well as yard owner and text them if I can't get up or need them to change the plans). When I move to a yard I give them details about all the horses' rugs, feed, hay, turnout requirements and I supply everything the horse will ever need (including a range of boots for schooling in). Most of this stuff the yard could actually manage myself in my absence (as they are experienced enough), e.g. I trust them to alter my horse's hay/feed if required based on what they find when checking their condition/exercising them, but equally they always tell me when they've done so.

I do find that it is harder to improve my own riding position etc if I only ride occasionally, but I always try and do other activities that will help (if time allows), e.g. pilates and working on my own fitness. I also try and be strict with myself when I do ride so that I get the most out of each session (I try and 'plan' what I'm going to do to make my schooling sessions efficient). I also try and have regular (weekly) lessons to keep on top of niggling issues. I don't find it impacts my horses way of going with me riding them so little - my old boy was only happy hacking before his injury so the staff helped keep him fit, and my young horse was schooled by either the competition rider or one of his WPs and kept him well tuned for me, but again I knew I liked their style of riding before I moved my horses there, so I knew their methods would compliment my own.

For me I justify the cost by the fact that those few hours I get at the yard each week are what make me happy in life and you can't put a price on happiness. For me I have to have my horses on full livery in order to balance my job and relationship with my husband and if it wasn't for that then I couldn't have horses at the moment. I do make sacrifices in other areas of my life - I don't spend much money on clothes/social life/eating out (hubby and I use our Tesco clubcard vouchers to get free meals) and although some of my friends are shocked to find out how much I spend on my horses, I'm shocked at how much they spend on coffees from coffee shops each day and how much they spend on designer shoes/clothes!!!!
 
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dressage_diva

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Oh and just to add, another benefit I've always found is that both of my horses are the sort that are happy to be ridden by a range of different people which is a good skill for the horse to have as well I think!
 

nato

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I have a horse and work full time in the city. My commute is an hour each way. I finish work at 6pm, am home by 7pm and at the yard for 7.30pm. Usually home by 9.30. I ride six days a week.

Only time my yard owner rides is when I'm away with work. This week I've been travelling for work all week and it's peace of mind knowing he's kept going for me, and she is much better rider than I am so it's nice to come back to a well schooled horse!

Full livery is worth every penny as I never have to worry about him.

If you're only getting to ride two days a week then maybe it's worth considering getting a sharer.
 

Abi90

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Mine is on full livery as I used to work shifts and sometimes struggle to get up in the week and get sent on courses a lot.

I have a sharer who rides twice a week, and the YM sometimes rides him as well.

I justify it by the fact that I want a horse and can afford to have him on the livery he is and enjoy riding 3 days a week. I ride more often when I'm on leave.

Sometimes it's frustrating and I think me and the horse would come on quicker if I could ride more but that's the way it is! My horse is happy and cared for and I'm happy and that's all that matters I think.
 

FestiveFuzz

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I don't work in the city but do commute an hour each way to work and am often away in the US for business.

I am fortunate our yard is only 5 minutes from our house though so try to make the effort to go down every night even if it's just to give her a quick cuddle.

She's been on box rest most of the summer but before then I was still managing to get at least 4 days of riding in, 2 lessons a week (one on my trainers schoolmaster) and then hacking at weekends. So I don't really feel my riding has suffered too much.

I justify it as it's the only way I could own a horse and I'm very lucky to have few expenses outside of that.
 

[59668]

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I work in the City and train 6 times a week in powerlifting. My pony is on full livery.

Over the winter she is ridden 3 times a week for me, and I try and get one day a week from home, so I ride once in the week and at weekends.

In the summer I just head to the yard after work a few times a week and ride late.

It's annoying not being able to ride so much over the winter, but that's just the way it is.
 

itroteverywhere

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Thanks everyone.

I work in the City and train 6 times a week in powerlifting. My pony is on full livery.

Over the winter she is ridden 3 times a week for me, and I try and get one day a week from home, so I ride once in the week and at weekends.

In the summer I just head to the yard after work a few times a week and ride late.

It's annoying not being able to ride so much over the winter, but that's just the way it is.

How on earth do you fit all that in?!
 

muddy_grey

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I don't work in the city and most weeks I do ride 6 times, but I do travel for work and my OH travels a lot so when he is home I try to spend time with him. For those reasons my horse is on FL. D_D's post above is really good and covers everything I think. You need good communication and to trust the yard and staff to look after your horse. When I am away the YO rides for me and I love it, as she is much better then me. Also as she is my instructor I think it helps her teach me.
I think if you are only riding a couple of times a week then you need to make sure you are doing something else to stay riding fit eg Pilates. I justify the cost because I love it! If I were only riding 2 times per week I might struggle to justify it, but for me having a horse doesn't leave much left at the end of the month. It doesn't bother me, but my OH has to make sacrifices for me to have a horse as he pays most of our bills and I would feel bad for him if I couldn't ride much. If it was just me then I wouldn't care at all.
 

Micropony

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That arrangement wouldn't work for me OP. That's a big financial and emotional outlay to only see the horse/ride twice a week. I work in town and spend 3 hours of the day travelling between home, work and horse, who is in livery. Are you not able to organise things at work so you can get away at a sensible time once or twice during the week? It would make quite a big difference to how you are able to progress and how involved you are able to be.

Having said that, I know plenty of people who only ride at weekends, most have their horses exercised and/or schooled during the week by grooms or trainers. Generally women with high powered jobs, family commitments and/or other time consuming hobbies or social commitments. Their horses are healthy, happy and well cared for, there are certainly no welfare issues. But as I say, it wouldn't work for me. Depends what you are wanting to get out of horse ownership really.
 

itroteverywhere

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That arrangement wouldn't work for me OP. That's a big financial and emotional outlay to only see the horse/ride twice a week. I work in town and spend 3 hours of the day travelling between home, work and horse, who is in livery. Are you not able to organise things at work so you can get away at a sensible time once or twice during the week? It would make quite a big difference to how you are able to progress and how involved you are able to be.

Thanks for the input - my thoughts exactly. My economical, pragmatic left brain (and OH! boring!) thinks it could end up costing hundreds of pounds each ride :/
 

[59668]

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Thanks everyone.



How on earth do you fit all that in?!

Haha I'm not sure! I get up at 5.30am to go to the gym, 20 min drive to gym, 40 mins on train to work, and then in the evening I am either training again or have got a 30 min drive to the yard in the summer to ride. I still manage to compete in both sports though. I love riding and I love lifting, so I guess it doesn't matter if you love it. You will always find a way to fit in what you love.

You should do what you want to do. Life is short. If you can afford it, do it.
 

Jenni_

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Haha I'm not sure! I get up at 5.30am to go to the gym, 20 min drive to gym, 40 mins on train to work, and then in the evening I am either training again or have got a 30 min drive to the yard in the summer to ride. I still manage to compete in both sports though. I love riding and I love lifting, so I guess it doesn't matter if you love it. You will always find a way to fit in what you love.

You should do what you want to do. Life is short. If you can afford it, do it.

You're similar to me - I ride and box. Unfortunately boxing training is an awkward time at night so I can't ride before / after it really unless in the height of summer.

Been trying the reverse of you - riding before work and gym after. Horses at the weekend.

I am lucky in that I live 5 minutes from my work, the horses and the gym - so I don't have a bad commute to account for.
 

rachk89

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I struggle to ride my horse cconsistently over a week if I am on lates as I can't get to the yard in time to ride really in winter. He is on full livery during winter from Monday to thursday and I look after him the rest of the time. It's not ideal but life isn't ideal for some. We make the best of a bad situation.
 

HashRouge

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I've not done this myself but I've seen it from the other end, as I used to groom for a professional show jumper who had two liveries (with two horses each), one of whom worked in the city and only rode at weekends. The horses were all on full livery anyway, as that's the only livery service we offered, and her two horses were kept going during the week with a lunging session or two by the grooms and ridden twice by the show jumper's wife. The owner then rode both days at the weekend and competed sometimes too (SJ). I'm sure she would have liked to ride more, but she always said she needed the yard/ horse time at the weekend as a chance to relax away from work. And the horses certainly weren't any the worse for it! If you can afford it, I personally don't see any problem with it! Especially if its really the only way that you can manage horses, work and commuting.
 

Bernster

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It's do-able although not always a easy. Depends what you value and whether you personally think it's worth it but for me it's my passion so it's more than worth it. Requires a good reliable yard. Have used sharers in the past to help with costs and exercise.

I don't ride as much as I'd like and I realise that our progress will be hampered by not being able to ride more often, but it's a compromise that I'm prepared to make to have my own horses. There's really nothing to beat that imo !
 

tootsietoo

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I did this in my early twenties for 4 years. First of all I had the horse at livery in Surrey, and rode a couple of times during the week as well as weekends, then moved him near my parents in Glos and rode only at weekends. The second arrangement was better as the yard was great, horse was in fab condition and YO would take us (her liveries) off team chasing at weekends! However, I didn't really like living in London, and I hated not riding more, so for those reasons I completely changed my job and life and moved to a market town up north where the horse was at part livery 10 minutes drive from where I lived, and I rode every day after work and I had amazing hunting country round me at the weekends. I was much happier. The job was not as exciting or well paid, but quality of life was immeasurably better! A nice bonus was that house prices were affordable, and could afford to buy my own house, even on the reduced salary (I'm not sure the same applies anywhere now though). It really worked much much better for me. It does depend on what sort of person you are and what you value most in life. I do regret a little not having "success" like some of my friends do - and if a fast paced exciting work environment with good money is what does it for you, then stick with your current arrangement!
 

Eventmum

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We moved horse to full livery when rider went to University. Close enough to get back to ride at least once a week and more in holidays. Livery do fab job, horse is happy and kept and really fit so rider can continue eventing; only downside is its more difficult to sort out any issues so try to fit in a lesson or competitive outing once a week. Definately expensive but after two happy and sucessful BE seasons so far so we think its worth it.
 

Cluelessblonde

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I have my boy on full the last three weeks and if anyone has seen my posts he can be a little tricky so a sharer is not an option.

Its provides complete piece of mind for me as I used to work in the industry and I no the girls years. Its either full livery or no horse at all for me. Plus hes coming on leaps and bounds with a proper routine.
 

nbred

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I work in the City and find it hard to juggle life and a horse! My horse used to be on DIY - i would get to the yard at 5am, turnout and muck out etc, someone would bring in for me then i would go back up in the evening, returning home at 10.30pm, it was a killer. He then went on to part livery for 2 years, this helped loads, i would go up 3 times during the week to exercise and then i would look after him myself at weekends. 2 weeks ago i moved him to a full livery yard, it has given me so much more time to do boring housework chores and actually spend some time with my boyfriend :) during the week i get to the yard at 7.45/8pm, give him and groom, massage pad,ride, snuggles then home for 9.30pm ish. weekends are for competing etc. I think it is defo worth putting your horse on full. x
 

HotToTrot

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I worked silly hours in the City and, when I started out, I had my horse in a yard out south, which meant I could only really ride at weekends. Getting to Cobham before or after work in the City wasn't do-able.

She was kept going by a very good rider (the yard owner) but I struggled. I only did BE100 on her and not very well, either. I don't know whether things would have been better if I had been able to ride more, or whether she and I just weren't really cut out for each other.

Then I discovered East London!!!!! It is so much closer to the City than South London. I kept my horse in Hackney and you can cycle from Hackney to the City in 30 mins. Then I was able to ride every day. I started to do better, but there were a lot of variables (such as getting a new horse).

When I got up to Int/CIC**, there was no way on earth that I could have ridden only at weekends and competed at that level. So then I would have had to choose.

I don't think I would have a weekend horse again. I think that it still costs so, so much and you (I) don't get as much out of it. I don't begrudge the cost, as long as it's worth it. "Worth it" has very different meanings for different people. For me, right now, "worth it" means able to compete at the higher levels of eventing. I've just sold my two and given up completely, but when I come back to it, I think I'll want it to be full-on again. However, that is not to say that a weekend horse would not be "worth it" for many people. It's so personal!
 

SirDuke

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I work in the City and have a horse on full livery. I would say I probably ride 2 nights during the week but I occasionally work from home which helps. I've recently moved him onto full grass livery which is cheaper (so I suppose better value) plus I don't have to worry that he's stuck in a stable if I can't get up that day. The ground is fab and he seems really happy but he's a sturdy type so not sure it would work for finer horses. To me I couldn't sell him and going to the yard, even if it feels a bit depressing going from work back out into the cold, dark evening, always makes me much happier and relaxed by the time I've untacked. Summers are much easier! I tried sharers but he was horrid with them so gave up. He gets schooled once per week by the yard owner and we try to have a lesson/compete at the weekend.
 

maletto

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FWIW I'll add my comments in case they help anyone.

I work in Canary Wharf and live in west london (40 min commute) & keep my horse in claygate. I ride before work 2-3 times a week. I get up at 5.30 (20 mins there) ride, go home (1hr back in rush hour), shower and go to work. I'm usually at my desk by 9.45/10. I am supposed to be there by 9.30 but everyone understands why I'm often late and no one seems to mind. I am very fortunate!!!

I also usually ride both weekend days. no one else rides my horse but he is on part livery. Costs a fortune but it's the only way I can manage. I personally don't think I could justify not riding during the week at all.
 
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