Working full time (non horsey) and competing to any decent level
- Thread starter dressagelove
- Start date
ironhorse
Well-Known Member
Looking at the replies it would seem that something always has to give, and if your priorities are work and horses, it tends to be relationships or your home life. I don't mean this is in a negative way, and if competing is what makes you happy, then it's worth it!
My OH is the MD of an international company, travels a lot, often abroad and works 60ish hours a week. I run my own business which is flexible, but can be random - sometimes I'm away working for up to a week at a time.
We compete in western at national level, and two years ago OH was one of the leading amateurs in his particular discipline. Most of our shows are 2-3 days which means frantic reorganising of his schedule, lots of time on the Blackberry and the occasional stressful conversations with his sales team while I get his horse ready! We toned it down a bit last season as he was finding it a bit much (we're no spring chickens either!), and this year we have been trying to get his mare in foal, so have just been competing our youngster.
We're in the fortunate position to have both horses at full livery 5 mins from home but he rarely has time to ride in the week so I train his horse as well as riding the youngster (who also gets training from the YO, which helps me time wise as well as everything else). I do all the show planning, preparation, trimming, bathing etc and he just turns up to drive the box. My choice and one I'm happy with.
When we're not showing there's always a lot of pressure to visit family (elderly parents...)
so very little downtime or opps for holidays. The main thing that has to 'give' with us is housework and DIY...our house is virtually crumbling around our ears. But we're happy!
My OH is the MD of an international company, travels a lot, often abroad and works 60ish hours a week. I run my own business which is flexible, but can be random - sometimes I'm away working for up to a week at a time.
We compete in western at national level, and two years ago OH was one of the leading amateurs in his particular discipline. Most of our shows are 2-3 days which means frantic reorganising of his schedule, lots of time on the Blackberry and the occasional stressful conversations with his sales team while I get his horse ready! We toned it down a bit last season as he was finding it a bit much (we're no spring chickens either!), and this year we have been trying to get his mare in foal, so have just been competing our youngster.
We're in the fortunate position to have both horses at full livery 5 mins from home but he rarely has time to ride in the week so I train his horse as well as riding the youngster (who also gets training from the YO, which helps me time wise as well as everything else). I do all the show planning, preparation, trimming, bathing etc and he just turns up to drive the box. My choice and one I'm happy with.
When we're not showing there's always a lot of pressure to visit family (elderly parents...)
so very little downtime or opps for holidays. The main thing that has to 'give' with us is housework and DIY...our house is virtually crumbling around our ears. But we're happy!
Ahrena
Well-Known Member
My two cents are..it can be done.
I'm determined to have a shot at making it in the horse world.
Having had no real competition experience until this year (i've always had problem ponies and youngsters to bring on and sell), when I got a very talented horse on loan (and now to buy cheaply as he only has 1 eye, fingers crossed he passes the vet), I rediscovered my passion for eventing, and have decided to follow it.
So with my limited experience, I found a working pupil place at a competition livery yard (mainly eventing) so i'm working 50 hours a week, 7.30 - 5.30, I have my competition boy at work so usually manage to ride him in my lunch hour, or in a lesson during work hours. Before and after this I have to go look after and ride my ex-problem pony who I could never sell even if I wanted to, so i leave the house at 6 and get home around 7.30-8.00.
I can only afford it thanks to my parents paying for my pony and helping me out (limited experience = pittance paid), but it's doable!
I'm determined to have a shot at making it in the horse world.
Having had no real competition experience until this year (i've always had problem ponies and youngsters to bring on and sell), when I got a very talented horse on loan (and now to buy cheaply as he only has 1 eye, fingers crossed he passes the vet), I rediscovered my passion for eventing, and have decided to follow it.
So with my limited experience, I found a working pupil place at a competition livery yard (mainly eventing) so i'm working 50 hours a week, 7.30 - 5.30, I have my competition boy at work so usually manage to ride him in my lunch hour, or in a lesson during work hours. Before and after this I have to go look after and ride my ex-problem pony who I could never sell even if I wanted to, so i leave the house at 6 and get home around 7.30-8.00.
I can only afford it thanks to my parents paying for my pony and helping me out (limited experience = pittance paid), but it's doable!
Big-Brother
Well-Known Member
I would say yes and do it now before you have children as that is a whole new ball game of juggling, and in my experience not do-able unless you have a lot of support networks around you to help out with the childcare! My competitive career is on hold at the mo due to lack of nannies/auties living closer enough to help out occasionally!
Sarah_Jane
Well-Known Member
It is possible but there are many sacrifices. I work f/t for the local council as a Health and Safety officer. I can work 7 to 3 which helps. I currently have 3 horses keptat a yard I rent 10 miles from home with no school! Sarnie I have taken from a baby to compete at Advance, I have oneI am producing and is currently Novice eventing and a baby shortly to arrive.
I am single, still live at home have virtually no social life and dedicate every spare minute to the horses. It is not always fun and many people wouldn't like it but it has helped me achieve what I have so it is possible!
I am single, still live at home have virtually no social life and dedicate every spare minute to the horses. It is not always fun and many people wouldn't like it but it has helped me achieve what I have so it is possible!
Rafferoo
Well-Known Member
I think that eventing is probably the hardest to combine with a full-time job as practising and training in all 3 disciplines is expensive and really time consuming. I only compete at low level/RC stuff but have friends that manage BE 100 with a FT job without suffering exhaustion (just) but have found that Novice when it starts to get quite serious and more fittening work and SJ practice is needed that it becomes really tough to fit around FT hours unless you have help. As Sarah Jane says competing at a decent level in eventing becomes a job for only the most dedicated! I personally think that in dressage it will be a bit more achieveable (although not taking away from the years of hard work/training needed) and as an example a good friend that is a mother of 3 produced her own WBxTB up to advanced medium as a true amatuer and probably would have gone further if it was not for injury problems. I think if your dedicated you can do it : )
Hen
Well-Known Member
Pretty much this! I sold my home and rent instead which helps enormously because I don't have to do DIY or even the gardening (hooray!), housework is something that happens in the depths of winter! I am a project manager by trade so that does help ensure that logistically I'm well set up both at work and organisationally for competitions - but I am competing for 3 plus days pretty much every other weekend from April to October. It can definitely be done - but sometimes I look at what I am trying to achieve and forget that I'm supposed to be having fun. Doesn't always feel like that, particularly when work or health or horse throws a curve ball - but that's life, I guess!!
Just one more show to go this year, then I can collapse!!
imr
Well-Known Member
It is do-able but as with many things in life its about compromise and priorities. I am lucky in that I am senior and well paid so have resorted to the throwing money at the problem tactic.
I would always rather ride than do yard work, so if realistically you only have time to do one of those, make it the riding and pay livery, keep your journey to work as short as you can, same for yard journey.
I have a fairly demanding but well paid job, and have 2 horses which I have on full livery with a dressage trainer. The second one is a new acquisition which is why I have decided that in order to cope I do have to have someone good who will ride them if I cant. I did find it all very difficult in 06-08 as I was frantically busy at work and my riding suffered as I just couldnt ride other than at the weekend, but mostly it has been doable to ride in the week 3-5 times most of the time. I live 10 mins drive from the yard, 15 mins walk from the station and my commute is under an hour door to door one way. However my personal life is nonexistent and I have found that socialising and being up early to ride dont mix that well either so after a few years where I lost focus on my riding a bit have canned most other stuff to concentrate on riding instead as ultimately I get more out of it than too many evenings in wine bars. I dont really have the ability to do much in the way of flexi-hours - If I did that would be much easier.
I have BD pts at up and including adv med, but it is the case that at that level and above you are mostly competing against the pros. As posters above have said I think it is much easier to achieve at dressage or SJ because you have more venues and they are nearer and you dont have the long weekend problem other than for championship type things.
I would always rather ride than do yard work, so if realistically you only have time to do one of those, make it the riding and pay livery, keep your journey to work as short as you can, same for yard journey.
I have a fairly demanding but well paid job, and have 2 horses which I have on full livery with a dressage trainer. The second one is a new acquisition which is why I have decided that in order to cope I do have to have someone good who will ride them if I cant. I did find it all very difficult in 06-08 as I was frantically busy at work and my riding suffered as I just couldnt ride other than at the weekend, but mostly it has been doable to ride in the week 3-5 times most of the time. I live 10 mins drive from the yard, 15 mins walk from the station and my commute is under an hour door to door one way. However my personal life is nonexistent and I have found that socialising and being up early to ride dont mix that well either so after a few years where I lost focus on my riding a bit have canned most other stuff to concentrate on riding instead as ultimately I get more out of it than too many evenings in wine bars. I dont really have the ability to do much in the way of flexi-hours - If I did that would be much easier.
I have BD pts at up and including adv med, but it is the case that at that level and above you are mostly competing against the pros. As posters above have said I think it is much easier to achieve at dressage or SJ because you have more venues and they are nearer and you dont have the long weekend problem other than for championship type things.
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MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
I dont know if its the same with dressage and I guess it very much depends on where you live, but what has stopped me going further as a full-time working amateur (bar the expense which I cant afford) is that to go to a higher level I'd need to travel to further afield events. I do BE mainly, up to 1*. There are only 3 1*'s I can think of in the whole of Scotland and not many intermediates. To travel to and from these you basically need to take Friday (or the Monday) off work which isn't easy with limited holidays.
You might be very lucky though and have heaps of events nearby which go to a high level.
You might be very lucky though and have heaps of events nearby which go to a high level.
Escada2004
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with you there, i do SJ and i have reached a limit with my grade A as to go bigger than the 1.30m's i would have to be travelling the whole country to be doing in constantly. At that level its no good doing it just once every couple of months. The winter is the hardest as shows are scarce round here
