Working full time (non horsey) and competing to any decent level

dressagelove

dressagelove

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Hey there, this could end up quite long.... so sorry :)

I am in my last year studying at uni (non horsey) and have got a definate job with our large and successful family company when I leave, I know, I am very lucky :) However, the company is not particularly interesting to me, in short it is waste recycling, and although that doesnt interest me, the environment does, (my degree is in environment studies) and this company would allow me to pursue that enjoyment...

However, horses will always be my first love. I had a go at doing it, I worked for two years in the industry, but then met my boyfriend, and afraid the job was too far from him, so I packed it in (that was in eventing and I know I dont have the bottle to do that!)

However, I have recently discovered pure dressage with a talented little horse I have, and he's doing quite well :) only at low levels at the mo, but he will progress. We made it into H&H today (Page.56, crow wood DR if you want a nosey :) ) and it really made me realise how much I adore competing. Now I know life is unpredictable, and one day I might wake up and think actually I dont want to do this. But at the moment, I want to do it all so much!

I would love to have 2 or 3 horses and compete them to a serious level for an amateur, so I'm talking advanced medium....maybe farther...?

My question is, is this at all possible for someone working 40+ hours a week? I pride myself on my organisation and time management skills, but I know they would have to be seriously good, lol. Then one day I would love to have children as well... and have time enough for my man..

Am I living in lala land to think this is possible? Does anyone do it, or anything like?! Any input it appreciated! Thank you
 
First off I dont compete to any sort of decent level, work 60 plus hours a week at a very senior level (company Director), ferry Mini TX around to BE, BD, Pony Club, have a husband and home which I occasionally see - I actually spend more time with business partner, which goes to show how little I do see my lovely OH and how much time I spend at work. I have some hopes of doing some unaff dressage after xmas. Somehow I dont think I will do it. My time management is excellent, Mini TX looks after my horse when I am working (both on DIY, yard 5 minutes drive away), but I think if I wanted to do anything to a decent level I would struggle big time.

However, I am always a believer in the power of positive thought and if you really, really want to do it, then I believe it can be possible. Just look at that dentist in I think is it germany who owns that lovely grey, Marius, who events - didnt they win Olympic gold? Or am I wrong? Also, if you look in Horse and Hound each week they sometimes have an article on a 'Working Rider', who has done exceptionally well at a fairly high level. However, the sad fact is that ordinary every day life does intrude into most of our horsey lives and we sometimes have to make the choice. I wish you luck with it though and who knows - you could be the one that makes it work.
 
Reiner Klimke, multiple Olympic gold medallist and dressage world champion, was a full-time lawyer with a doctorate. He was married, and had a family. He first made it to the Olympics as an eventer, and then switched to dressage, I believe because he thought it was more manageable time-wise.

If that doesn't give you hope... :)
 
I think its possible if you have the right support network behind you, whether this is family or the yard where you are based.

Sometimes you just need a helping hand with general day to day chores meaning you have more time to ride or see your OH.
It helps having someone to keep you motivated and someone who believes you can do it.

Good Luck.
 
I totally empathise with you. I work pretty much a 50hr week but am desperate to compete at a decent level. Truth be told my dream is to make GP but I just want my top hat and tails. I did have a fairly decent horse, and was freelancing at the time, but had very little money and a bad back. Now I'm 6 years down the line, I don't have a back problem any more, I have a decent job that can put me in a much better position financially, but I have an 18yr new forest...who I adore beyond all belief but who isn't going to GP. So part of me wonders if I can do it realistically or whether I need to go back out and freelance and find a good ride and make it happen. Blah, indecision. Know how you feel.
 
I think it's absolutely feasible... But you need either an amazingly good support network of family/friends, or to be able to afford to pay someone to be that support!!
I'd guess sj or dressage it's more do-able than eventing as it on all year and less time consuming, but I'm thinking you would either need an insanely understanding boss and otherhalf, or someone else doing the chores to give you time to ride. I must admit, I have three horses but having 3 stabled and in work nearly killed me the winter before last on DIY! One is now retired at grass and two is a LOT more manageable... If I fancy a day off riding it's not the end of the world, and I often in winter ride kne and lunge the other or ride on in am and one pm.
But I don't have a career that keeps me in the office late into evenings etc, and I don't compete to a great level (yet ;) one can dream!)
But I wish you luck and I think with enough determination anything is possible :)
 
I think is very possible, but whether you could have three horses on DIY and compete to a high level and work 40 hours a week I think would be very difficult.

You could certainly have one horse on full livery and compete at a high level and hold down a demanding full time job.

I think time is only part of the equation as to get to the top you need talent, horsepower, and money too.
 
I used to work a 50 hour week in the city and migrate all the way from canary wharf to cobham Surrey to ride a horse I shared there several times a week. At that stage I was competing mostly unaffiliated but i think perhaps a single phase sport could be mire manageable, certainly in the early stafes than a three phase one!! I think having a horse on full livery is a huge help
But obv is pricey. Also my now hubby was a massive support (and still is) as he would meet me at station and drive me to yard etc.

I think if you're organised enough many things are do-able! £££'s help too!
 
Probably doable - if you work near home and horse is near home. My job is 65+ per week (including driving) and tbh I am totally sick of getting to the yard at half six at night, riding it, then getting home at half eight totally knackered.
 
I work full time 40hrs a week and have horse on DIY livery about 5 miles from work, i ride everyday after work and we compete up to 1.25 level at the moment but are hoping to continue up the ranks. I'm not sure how far we will go and I know we won't be competitive against the professionals but I want to give it a go :) Follow your dreams if you work hard enough you will be able to do it.
 
It is definately do-able i manage it! I work full time running my own virtual admin and paraplanning company for Financial Advisers and also have 3 horses who i compete BS, a 5yo grade C, 7yo grade C and 12yo grade A. I compete most weekends and jump up to 1.30m level and have to keep them all fit by myself. The only help i have is a friend feeds and turns them out for me in the mornings. Im there every night sorting them and working them and do get home at some silly hours but like you horses will always be my first love and as much as i do like my job i only do it to fund the horses. So as long as you are diciplined, hard working and dedicated you can do it :D
 
Some fab replies, thank you all :)
I keep my horses on my parents farm at the moment, which saves pennies, but I stable alone, so don't really have anyone to help me, need to find a horsey person who wants to help me out! lol
 
Also, those of you that are doing it, and doing it quite well, what makes you carry on with your normal job and not pack it all in to compete full time? Do you make more money, and have a more comfortable life than if you worked full time with horses?

What if any of you got somewhere with a fair few good horses and thought 'I'm going to go for it full time?' Scary??? lol
 
do-able but the real Q is for how long you will WANT to.

helps if you have a good support network and a horsey OH, otherwise there are never enough hours in the week.

i work 8.30-4.30 desk job, and teach 3 evenings a week freelance.

i have one horse, currently competing adv med, hopefully PSG next year and maybe an international in 2013.

I have an excellent support group-sister, and friend who keep horses at our yard, all help each other out.

OH is none horsey and TBH if i had any more than one horse it would be impossible, he likes to see me occasionally lol, clean and not stinking of horse.

i seem to rush everywhere as it, id get really fed up if i had any more to do, and i only work 5mins from home/yard and OH only lives 15mins away,lord knows what id do if it was further!
 
hey i work full time for a large bank in canary wharf am a PA for one of the senior people there!! I must say blackberrys and laptops with WiFi make it a little simpler !!

Last year my horse went to all the big shows in UK qualifying for British Open, Hickstead (jumped internationally) HOYS etc etc an i went to them all though there was a lot more I couldnt get too - I have to make a list and plan everything to the shows i HAVE to go to then the ones that are less important but i may have to do if i havent qualified etc at other shows !!

I dont actually ride the horse at shows but they are kept at home with me so have to excercise them and get them ready - sometimes getting in from work at 7pm, riding, bathing then plaiting till 10pm going to bed up at 5am to drive to a show!!!

I am lucky that they are all mucked out etc!! This year i had both my good horse and my 4yo so that was even more fun on a saturday i would be jumping BN/Disc then on a sunday a 1.30 and 1.40!!

I also am lucky to have a horsey boss so time off for shows is easier to get than normal as he understands - i even drove 6 hours to a show then 5 hours home to do the Grade C final (which we won) then went to work the next day xx

It can be done i carry on working in london as it helps pay for the horses maybe if i was lucky enough to sell one to pay my mortgage off then i may give up work but at this time i enjoy it and its managable x
 
hayleyshep88 said:
Also, those of you that are doing it, and doing it quite well, what makes you carry on with your normal job and not pack it all in to compete full time? Do you make more money, and have a more comfortable life than if you worked full time with horses?

What if any of you got somewhere with a fair few good horses and thought 'I'm going to go for it full time?' Scary??? lol
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I have to work to pay for my horses. Im lucky in one way as the grade A isnt mine, i just look after and compete her for the owner so they pay for her but the other two are all down to me. I would love to do horses full time, however unless you had a fab yard of your own, some good owners and sponsors its pretty tough out there. I would say that you would need a good lump of cash to get started and then work up from there promoting yourself and getting out to some of the big shows etc. But thats not easy, the only other way would be to start at the bottom and get yourself in to a top yard, be someones slave for a few years and then hope that you then get some good rides and make it yourself. Look at Billy Twomey, he did it :D and im sure there are plenty of others that have to, but thats not easy if you have OH and own home etc, i would say thats something you would have to do if you were young free and single ;)
 
From January up until about a week ago I worked an average of 80-90 hours a week across 3 jobs (4 if you count coaching the pony club!), I have 4 horses on DIY, 2 green youngsters and 2 playing ponies that across 6 days of every week they needed to go out on hard exercise, get schooled and I needed to fit in some stick and ball work as well to keep my eye in. Between mid May and mid September I spent every other weekend at a tournament, the odd one with a 2/3 week gap in between (I work 7 days per week so this time was coming out of my holiday allowance from my main job where I have to work weekends).
I do this alone, I fund my horses, car, truck, myself etc alone, no help with horses, I have an OH who has his own hobbies he does and he works erratic hours as well so we usually finish around the same time at night so that part of things doesn't get knocked.
The national championships was the weekend before last, my team won our division and I got best player. Thats what makes the season of hard work so worth it!
It's totally possible...... But exhausting!
I've been having a break since nationals, my older guys are off to pastures new tomorrow for a holiday, I'm down to 2 jobs plus some pony club coaching and I have the whole winter to teach my youngsters the ropes so they can play next year. Busy!! :p :p :D
 
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Escada2004 said:
I have to work to pay for my horses. Im lucky in one way as the grade A isnt mine, i just look after and compete her for the owner so they pay for her but the other two are all down to me. I would love to do horses full time, however unless you had a fab yard of your own, some good owners and sponsors its pretty tough out there. I would say that you would need a good lump of cash to get started and then work up from there promoting yourself and getting out to some of the big shows etc. But thats not easy, the only other way would be to start at the bottom and get yourself in to a top yard, be someones slave for a few years and then hope that you then get some good rides and make it yourself. Look at Billy Twomey, he did it :D and im sure there are plenty of others that have to, but thats not easy if you have OH and own home etc, i would say thats something you would have to do if you were young free and single ;)
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But Billy worked for Michael Whit first and found his owners through them when im sure they came with a horse and MW didnt want to ride it (dont think it was that good) so told BT too and they ended up being multi-millionaires .... if MW had ridden the horse that day it could be a complete different story x
 
All these replies have given me hope too!

I thought I was the only mad one to get home 8pm(if im lucky) each night after work.
Im 23 and work 9-5, I get to my yard at 6. Im the only one there at that time so its quiet. I compete dressage currently my horse is at novice (ony just after 4 comps!) hes young but good potential and more than anything in the world I want to compete at leat at PSG. If it was not for my horse and the facilities I have I would not be doing the job that I do. Ive never complained as personally i would much rather be out and about rather than sat infront of tv...unless celebrity juice is on :p
 
Tinks81 said:
But Billy worked for Michael Whit first and found his owners through them when im sure they came with a horse and MW didnt want to ride it (dont think it was that good) so told BT too and they ended up being multi-millionaires .... if MW had ridden the horse that day it could be a complete different story x
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Oh yes i totally agree, but like i said if you can get in to a big yard then you never know where it might take you. I had a couple of offers from a couple of excellent stables when i finished on ponies many a year ago and i still kick myself for not taking the opportunity as that would have been my only way of staying in it full time x
 
Rossifoal1 said:
All these replies have given me hope too!

I thought I was the only mad one to get home 8pm(if im lucky) each night after work.
Im 23 and work 9-5, I get to my yard at 6. Im the only one there at that time so its quiet. I compete dressage currently my horse is at novice (ony just after 4 comps!) hes young but good potential and more than anything in the world I want to compete at leat at PSG. If it was not for my horse and the facilities I have I would not be doing the job that I do. Ive never complained as personally i would much rather be out and about rather than sat infront of tv...unless celebrity juice is on :p
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We sound very similar! Lol. Obviously it depends on your personal circumstances, and perhaps 3 horses is a bit ambitious, but I don't mind working hard...

I've just seen its made it to facebook as well! Lol, probably because its something lots of people would like to do! It would be interesting to know out of a full section doing a PSG class, how many of them are full time horse riders wouldn't it...?
 
I'm hoping I can!!
I work as an Interior Architect in a big International firm in London - I work about 50hrs per week plus travel time (1.5hrs to and from work).
I leave for work before 7,30am and don't get home until after 7,30pm.

I have a nice little horse who is currently at aff. Novice but who I hope with work will be much more.
I have a sharer who is only interested in hacking and jumping who hacks him Monday & Tuesday so I can actually see my other half!! Then I school him for an hour or so Wednesday/Thursday/Friday after work. Saturday my sharer jumps him and I prepare him for competitions on the Sunday (or vice versa if competition is on Saturday).
I have fortnightly lessons with my trainer, and she rides him once a fortnight so we can iron out any kinks.
He is on part livery monday & tuesday and is then turned out weds/thurs and my dear mum does him on friday (she adores him!).
I would like him to be competing Elementry this time next year and working at medium at home (poss medium un-aff) and am in no rush to get him as high as I can as I very much enjoy him and he only started competing in January at Intro. He has qualified for Area Festivals this year, numerous championships etc and I hope he has many years of this to come.

I adore my job and would never give it up for horses but without my sharer I wouldn't be able to do my job, keep my OH and have a horse competition fit! Okay some people might not want to share but for me it's incredibly valuable. She hacks him so he's not school-sour and she gives him the fuss and attention I wish I could!

Even if he never gets to PSG (which he wont!!!) I would like to think I can balance my life enough to get my next horse to PSG eventually :)
 
hayleyshep88 said:
We sound very similar! Lol. Obviously it depends on your personal circumstances, and perhaps 3 horses is a bit ambitious, but I don't mind working hard...

I've just seen its made it to facebook as well! Lol, probably because its something lots of people would like to do! It would be interesting to know out of a full section doing a PSG class, how many of them are full time horse riders wouldn't it...?
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I've got three and it is do-able :D i hardly ever see my non horsey OH but after more than 10 years he has got used to it. It is real hard work and im shattered most of the time and we never get to go away for a break but to be honest i wouldnt give it up, once its in your blood it never goes away. Just hoping one day i can have a yard at home as that would make life that little bit easier :)

Dont let go of your dream, it is possible ;)
 
I work full time and compete BE. I think its perfectly possible but it depends how far you want to go. I am keen to give up and compete full time but its a money thing like everyone else. I am also keen to get more horses to ride but I either have one and do him well but ride other peoples too or have more and spread myself more thinly.

I have a non horsey other half who lets me get on with it but doesn't want to be at events with me etc or down the yard. Its a bit of a juggle but I wouldn't not do it. We are on the verges of reaching a compromise and buying somewhere where the horses can be at home and I can have more and see how far its goes. I am also constantly exploring other options such as cutting down my hours at work and being employed as a contractor, organizing training clinics and schooling sessions (small beer) and seeing if I can get more rides.

I would certainly take on the job and see how you go because all the while you are finding out you are learning a trade which will benefit you in the future. Its perfectly dooable but your life just becomes a bit manic.
 
I used to do it!

I worked 50-60 hrs pw, had two horses on DIY and evented to Int. BUT I had a very supportive husband and no children. I'm afraid that once we decided to go for children, I sold the horses and only got back into it once we bought a pony for my eldest when he was tiny. Now I'm not brave enough to event again but love teaching my daughter - we share the horse - a nice Novice eventer that I get to hack and school, and she schools and competes. We are still arguing over who is taking her hunting first :D

It can be done - you just have to be ultra-organised, have lists for everything, and be shameless about the state of the house - you can worry about that later!

Good luck
 
Escada2004 said:
It is definately do-able i manage it! I work full time running my own virtual admin and paraplanning company for Financial Advisers and also have 3 horses who i compete BS, a 5yo grade C, 7yo grade C and 12yo grade A. I compete most weekends and jump up to 1.30m level and have to keep them all fit by myself. The only help i have is a friend feeds and turns them out for me in the mornings. Im there every night sorting them and working them and do get home at some silly hours but like you horses will always be my first love and as much as i do like my job i only do it to fund the horses. So as long as you are diciplined, hard working and dedicated you can do it :D
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[waves at Escada] I'm a paraplanner too!
 
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