your routine?

[Cobi]

Me again!

Whats your daily routine? I would especially like to hear from the people working office hours and not getting to the yard til say after 6... do you manage okay?

Thanks for any possible replies

~

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

I work 9-5 so my horses go out about half 6 in the morning and come in about 6ish at night. They get used to coming in and out in the dark, I have them at home which makes life easier. Haven't always had them at home and used to manage on a yard too. I had a friend on the yard and I turned hers out in the morning with mine and she brought in so during the dark winter nights I only went down once unless I was going to ride.

 

[Archangel]

do you manage okay?

~

Right now I am like Father Jack it is feck this feck that and worse
I cannot bear the dark in the morning and the dark at night and the mud and the wind... sorry you didn't post to read my rant

I have 3 to do (living out) and get to the yard 6.30am and 6pm. At this time of the year it is grim (rant rant rant). The horses are fab, but doing everything in the dark in sucky mud is testing my resolve. I only see them in the daylight at the weekends! But I am holding on to the fact that it is already 12 mins lighter in the evenings and every day is a step closer to spring.

 

[LaurenBay]

I work Mon-Fri, 9-5.30. I do get on ok, but in winter I don't get much time to do much with my Horse. Summer is a lot easier. My routine is as follows

Days my Horse goes out:

YO feeds and turns Horse out at 6 am (included in livery)
I finish work at 5.30, drive to the yard. Get changed in the car.
5.45 - Start jobs
6.10 - Bring in, pick hooves, rug and feed.

Days my Horse stays in:
YO feeds at 6 am.
8 am- Hay, water, muckout, change rugs.
8.40am - Leave for work
5.30pm - Leave work and head back to the yard
5.45pm - Take for a short walk around the yard and hand graze for 10 minutes or so
6.05pm - Jobs and put to bed.

 

[forestfantasy]

I work 9-5 mon-friday

Workdays:

7am - arrive at yard, turn my 2 out and friends.
7:15am - muck my 2 out, put beds down, haynets,water,make feeds up for night
8:15 - Leave yard, (after getting changed in tack room!) walk a mile and a half to bus stop to go to work for 9am!


5pm- Leave work, jump on the bus.
5:20pm - Meet friend and go to the yard,change into waterproofs, fetch horses in, change rugs, damp feeds down and feed. Lock up
6pm - Home & wine!

Weekends

Sat - at yard before 9am

Turn other liveries horses out, ride, muck out etc


Sun - Stay in bed as other livery turns mine out.

Stroll up to the yard at lunch time muck out, ride etc

 

[*Maddy&Occhi*]

I work in London, 8-4.

Im on full liv so I dont have to do any yard duties.

I get up the yard for about 6- groom, ride etc and get home between- 7.30 + 8.

Weekends is DIY- im up the yard for 9.30 (horses are fed about 8.30) turn out, muck out, do haynets (feeds are already done) bring in, ride etc. Home in the evening.

 

[Jingleballs]

I work from 8 - 5/5:30 pm Mon - Fri and also have to travel one or two days a month.

I'm very fortunate that Y/O feeds and turns out for me Mon - Friday - otherwise I'd struggle.

Typical day -

6:15pm/6:30 - arrive at yard & bring pony in
6:30pm to 7:30 - Ride/lunge
7:30pm to 8:30 - muck out/water/nets/feeds
8:30pm - go home

In the winter I also put him on full livery one or two days a week just to get a bit of a break and get other non horsey things done.

It can be tiring at this time of year and I do sometimes sacrifice riding for the sake of an earlier night but you get used to it.

 

[Cobi]

thnaks for the replies everyone...

TJ&Ozzie - thats sounds like a good plan you had with your friend sharing duties

Rebel Reindeer - rant away! this weather is awful, that made me chuckle you only 'see' your horses at the weekend, bless, roll on spring ay ><

LaurenBay - do you get to ride much? I guess you only can if your lucky enough to have a lit school, preferbely indoors

forestfantasy - QUOTE[6pm - Home & wine!]QUOTE , you even have time for a cheeky wine! hehe

I noticed on a few threads people talking about bringing there horses in at say 4pm and thought there must be some 'office' workers who do it later, I am glad I found some

 

[HOWEN]

I have 4 horses

2 are on full livery thank god! But I have to keep all of them fit (well try, and not succeeding very well) I work 8am – 5pm

My routine is
5.45 Alarm goes off get up dressed grab dogs, walk to farm I am the first one there so open up.
6.10 Say hello to the 4 of them. Grab 2 horses turn one out in his field then taken the other on a mammoth trek to his. Both horses are 1st out in the morning.
6.45 Back on yard start mucking out but never finish in time
7.05 Walking back with dogs still in the pitch black
7.20 Back home get showered and dressed for work, wake everyone up as still in bed
8.00 Sat at my desk
1.00 Back home let dogs out
1.30 Back at work
5.00 Leave work
5.30 Walking back to farm with dogs
5.45 Still mucking out and hay water ect then the task of getting them in (they are always the last ones out!)
6.30 Maybe ride or lunge 1of 4 of them.
7.30 Walking back home
7.45 Putting tea on for OH
8.00 Go for a run
8.45 Having a ear full to how busy and stressful OH day has been
9.30 Shower again
9.45 Housework clean up after everyone
10.30 In bed.

Do I cope? No do I heck, I can’t wait for the summer. What I don’t get is how I am first at the yard and my horses are 1st out and are last in. When I get there in the evening everyone’s horses have been ridden, in bed, with pjs on. They are driving out the yard when I just getting there. Surely not all 40 others at my yard don’t actually work. All I can say roll on the spring

 

[LaurenBay]

Not really, my mare doesn't have a saddle at the moment anyway. So not riding at all. Although I do take her out for inhand hacks at the weekends. We do have an outdoor school with good drainage. But no lights yet.

 

[Cobi]

*Maddy&Occhi* - QUOTE[I get up the yard for about 6- groom, ride etc and get home between- 7.30 + 8.]QUOTE - thats a good routine. I like the sound of that, if i could work earlier and finish for four things would be easier.

Babybear - QUOTE[In the winter I also put him on full livery one or two days a week just to get a bit of a break and get other non horsey things done.
It can be tiring at this time of year and I do sometimes sacrifice riding for the sake of an earlier night but you get used to it.]QUOTE - Its good to get a break id imagine. I don't usually go to bed til midnight and still up early but that will prob be a struggle the first few weeks so I will have to see what works best for me.


keep the routines coming guys and gals x

 

[BlairandAzria]

I work 9- 5/5.30

I pay a lady to feed and turn out in weekday mornings for me.

Finish work at 5
5.20 get to car park
6.00 get home, feed cat get changed.
6.10 leave house drive to yard
6.30/ 6.45 get to yard
7.00 ride or lunge
8.00 start muck out, soak speedibeet, hay, change water.
8.30 rug up and feed
8.45 head home
9.05 home


That's pretty much to the minute my schedule at the minute, although the last couple of days have been earlier home as I've not been riding due to the weather. If i want to go out in the evening I go down to the yard before work to do all my jobs- the worst part is all the travelling and being stuck in traffic that I do, if I didn't have the commute life would be so much more simple!

I used to be on 5/7 livery but ended up going down every night to check he'd got enough hay anyway so it was a false economy, I'm much happier DIY although I do wish I could have the odd day off from mucking outhere and there!

 

[Potato!]

Im lucky in that I only work 5 minutes from the horses.

7am get up
8am leave home
8.10 feed and turf them out.
1pm off to much out make up haynets/feeds etc and bring in.
2pm back to work.
5pm leave work straight to the horses groom and feed skip out etc
Usually home by 6.30pm

 

[Cobi]

Howen - Your day seems pretty hectic, but I bet your never bored! I always use to feel I was the only one working at a previous yard I was on as I was always there last and everyone else had gone! It was very odd..

LaurenBay - ah i see, i bet its nice to take her for a walk in the woods

The Naughty Elf - I am lucky enough to work in town at the minute so it would be quick and easy for me to get home and to a yard, if that was close but I am looking for a new job, so I will think about taking one further as the commute itself (in most cases) would be worsened by traffic/road works, it might be twenty minutes up the road but on a bad day thats doubled. I am far better to stay local. I bet mucking out becomes a drag.. only just muck out n its dirty again ay hehe

 

[Cobi]

Burness_21 - you are lucky! That would be perfect

 

[Potato!]

Burness_21 - you are lucky! That would be perfect

Im not entirely sure the guys in the office would agree but they don't say anything about me smelling like a stable.

 

[Cobi]

Burness_21 - haha well I am on my own in my own room, so no one would notice anything! I swear sometimes nobody would even miss me if I werent here... ><

 

[nat_1]

As a non office worker i have to get mine in before 5pm as i have to be at work for 5.30/6.00pm.

8.30 get to yard
Turnout,muck out,haynet n waters done in half hour(loving my new comfy bed)
9.30 back home(yard 10 mins away)

4.30 bring in,feet,rugs changed and feed.

Back home,get showered,changed then go to work for 6pm

Sometimes i wish i'd been to work before going to yard in evening,as i feel rushed most nites.

 

[Cobi]

Keep calm its only christmas - Thats a shame you sometimes feel rushed but at least you get a bit more light doing it that way round.

 

[Brandy]

I work office hours monday to friday - 8.45am - 5.15 pm

Current routine - I have three living out, 1.5 miles from home. (work 5 miles on from there)

Get up, get mostly ready for work, put trackie bottoms, hat coat etc on top of work stuff. Drive to ponies, feed breakfast, poo pick while they eat, then move them into day time paddock (keep old horse seperate overnight so he can eat his fill) give hay, take a layer off and drive to work.

PM- finish work at 5.15pm, drive straight to ponies. Use headtorch (invaluable....) put back in night paddocks, feed hay etc. Go home - get home 7pm ish.

I can't ride during the week as its dark and crap and no school and ponies are wet and muddy.

Weekends are much the same excpet ponies get brought in, tied up, groomed and properly looked at and ridden.

Previous routine was at DIY livery where they had to be stabled over night all year, and I had two ponies, and hadn;t yet bought a house and moved in with other half - therefore having more time! Worked 20 miles from home and yard was on the way.

Started the same by getting up and ready etc, driving to yard 6 miles away. Fed, changed rugs and turned out. Mucked out if was early. Go to work

Finish work 5.15 again, but drove 14 miles back to yard. Muck out if didn;t do earlier. Get head torch on and go and bring in from field. (field was 10 minutes down the private lane unlit....) bring in, tie up, hose legs, pick feet groom, ride (floodlit all weather school.....) put away feed etc. Get home about 9pm!

Ponies were much cleaner and more pampered, but think they are happier living out. I struggle that I don't have so much time for them these days.

 

[Brandy]

Meant to say, at livery yard I was at, most people didn't work, and would often bring theirs in at 2 - 3 pm in the winter. Mine were out 7am - 6.30pm minimum, every day. As I have two they were never worried about being left and knew they didn't come in before it got dark!

I also have a coat, wellies, socks etc att he yard, along with handwash. And perfume in my bag......

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

another 9 - 5'er here.

Currently its dark both ends of the day

AM: alarm at 5.45 up, dress & go straight off to yard 5 miles away.
Feed, change rugs, skip out & take out any visible wet, turn out with hay, finish yard off so all is done for evening.
Home around 6.45 having collected newspaper en-route. Coffee/shower/change.

PM: Arrive yard by 5.30, change into wellies & big w/proof coat - shout at Fuzzies & damp the feeds slinging them into boxes.
Open gate & let them come in.
Change rugs or move them.
Check both over for scrapes etc.
If dry, take barrow out round nearest paddock with torch & pooh-pick.
Bu88er off home.

At w/end I make up haynets for each for the whole week, I also do proper muck out, scrub buckets - all the things you might do during the week.

When its lighter either end of day, then I poo pick daily too, also do a few more chores & prob spend another 15 mins there doing these daily.

Rock on summer, as in the evening I go home for a light dinner after work & then go to yard to do chores & ride (still doing the early mornings tho)

 

[WelshTilly]

I'm lucky my work is quite flexible however I work full time and in construction so early starts and late finishes the downside is I can't always guarantee I'll be home by a definite time as my work involves travelling in the south west and meetings can over run etc the list goes on I also stay away 1/2nights a month sometimes more..... Ive just moved yards so finding me feet etc However The timetable i am aiming for .....
Mornings -
Mon/ Fri - work from home or travel in the local area

6.15am alarm goes off
6:30 arrive at yard (2mins down the road v lucky!!)
6:40 rug/ turnout
6:45 muck out
7:00 home shower change and ready to work on laptop 7:30am

Wed-thurs

YO will be turning out for me

I can then choose to muck out on my way to meetings or in the evening and this helps with me doing early starts and getting on to site early means I can finish early.....

Evenings

4-7 - arrive at yard - thankfully yard will bring her in if she is left out on own.

Muck out /hay if not already
Lunge/ride lucky have an indoor or floodlit outdoor, I try and hack on a Monday/Friday if I have time whilst it's light then school/lunge with a day off if needed to break it up
Rug
Leave yard
Home varies 5 if lucky but rarely 8 at worst may do some more work check emails etc
Cook dinner
OH walks in the door...

I wonder how I fit it all in and people think I am mad but I love my job and horse and somehow it works I hate asking for help but I'm getting better at re aliasing I'm not superwoman ..... I try to be super organised all Hay nets done at weekend, feeds madeup in advance, oI even choose bedding for quickness of mucking out as every minute counts ....

K x

 

[claireandnadia]

Ok,
Up at 6 and take dog for a walk, come home and get in the shower and leave for work at 7.30am.
Work till 5, get to the yard at 5.30-5.45ish, muck out, water, hay, feeds and bring in. Can be home by 6.30-6.45 ish if i'm quick, then walk dog again, have dinner, watch tv and go to bed.
Horses get turned out for me.

 

[leflynn]

9-5.30'er here!

6.45am Boy gets turned out by YO (cheating I know)
7.50am Leave for work
4.00pm Boy gets brought in by YO (more cheating)
6.15pm Arrive at the yard, muck out, hay, ride/groom then evening feed (order dependant on what I'm doing)
8.30pm home for dinner - earlier if I don't ride

I always make sure his 2 haynets are stuffed so he has enough leftover to keep him going from being brought in to me arriving. I also tend to make feeds up in advance and he lives in the same rug so it's less bother I have gone up and done the morning shift, it gives me enough time to have a shower before work thankfully or I'd be stinking and means I've got less to do on an evening

Same routine on a weekend but he gets a 30 min lie (and so do I as I do the turning in/out).

 

[Bertolie]

I work 8.30-5pm, daughter works 8-4.30pm. We both go to yard in morning at 7am to feed and turn horses out but dont do any jobs. Daughter goes straight to yard from work, arrives at about 4.50pm and starts mucking out. I get to yard around 5.30pm and help finish mucking out, making feeds etc. Horses come in about 6pm, either straight into stables for the night or into indoor school to be lunged.

At the weekend I usually do both horses as daughter stays at her BF's every weekend. I usually get to yard around 8.30-9am and will turn daughters horse out into paddock (he was injured in RTA 12 weeks ago so isn't being ridden at the moment). I usually take my boy for a hack, then muck out and get feeds ready for the evening. They usually come in around 4.30pm at weekends.

 

[VixieTrix]

For winter my routine is:
Up at 5.50am - walk to yard with Dog. Feed all (Mum and sisters ponies), give hay, then muck out Blue, leave bed up and change rug.
Walk horses to field with hay – home by 6.45 ish.

Back at 5.50pm – Lay bed, scrub water, make feeds and sort hay. Give Blue a brush / comb etc. Random nights either take him for some grass and walk down the road or poo pick.
Home by 7-7.15pm.
Although once or sometimes twice a week I will just put him in, change rug etc.

Weekend – Riding / leading out, fencing, tidying etc.

 

[Toffee44]

Shift worker pattern goes: Long Day x2, Night x,2 5 days off.


Long day (leave at 6am home at 10pm) Night (leave at 7pm home at 0930am).


Long day OH does her, shes out at 8am in at 5pm

Nights OH turns her out, I muck out and bring in at 5pm

Days off shes out 7.30-8am-9am depending if riding, dogs sometimes comes with me, there is a 32 acre field behind yard which I walk them in. Shes in anywhere between 4-6pm

Thats all year round. She gets a small feed when comes in, sometimes dont rug change OH doesnt. Unless dramatic temp change.


When my space comes available:

YO will turn out for me on my Long Days OH muck out and bring in

OH happy to turnout on my nights and I bring in. Downside I cant take dogs with me

 

[Cocorules]

For years I worked 9 to 7 now just doing 10 to 7 and that made a massive difference as get to ride and get horse jobs done before work. It is just a quick feed check and poo pick by head torch at night now. They all live out fully now too.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

work 8-5, 2 horses DIY livery 5 mins from home:
up at 6am
leave house 6.45ish
feed, change rugs and turn out on way to work, if its wet and there isnt turn out then refil haynets and check water, leave around 7.30am
arrive at work around 8am
leave at 5pm,
home by about 6pm (traffic busier at night)
let dog out
change and head to stables: bring in, muck out cow court, groom feed etc, make up hay for next day as well as that night (8 nets)
if its summer I'll ride one or both horses and get home between 8 and 8.30pm (sometimes 9 or 10 if there is a show to prepare for)
once home OH will have walked dog and made dinner
eat 9pm
bed at 10pm