Keeping A Horse

[sarahlou]

I am new to the world of horse riding and have just started having lessons. I'm looking way into the future but I was just wondering if anyone could tell me how much time it takes (on average) to look after a horse. I work full time and I was thinking about maybe eventually doing a loan/ share arrangement.......

[Showjumper]

I spend at least an hour at the yard most days but sometimes far less due to work and college commitments, but Dolly is still too young for riding, so if you had a rideable horse, I expect you would try and spend longer so you'd have time to ride.

In my hour, I feed Dolly, check her rugs, make sure she has no injuries, take her for a walk, trot and canter in hand up the track (bit of training), then chuck her back in the field.

However, this morning she came in with some horrible infection AND mud fever on her back legs, so I've borrowed a friend's stable which now means that I will have to wake up earlier in the mornings for at least the next fortnight so I can muck her out and doctor her legs in addition to her normal routine as she has been banned from the field to heal.

[Tootsie4U]

If the horse you loan requires alot of work to keep him up and going, you will need to be there more often. If you have a laid back older horse, you can get by with an hour here and there.

I am at the barn 5 days out of 7 for a few hours on weekdays and about 4 hours on weekends. Reason is I have a 3 year old I am currently "breaking". He requires alot of my attention.

In comparison, one gentleman at the barn has an old TB that becomes INSANE if he isnt worked regularly. So, as I say it depends on the horse mostly. Consider this when you go looking.

In all, loaning or owning a horse takes alot of time and money!!

[Wally]

We have 20. On our days off, one a week, we do a head and leg count twice a day and that's that. If you get the right breed, minimum maintenance you are onto a winner.

If you buy a Thoroughbred or thin skinned beasty you will have to look to it a great deal. Get a native, sensible hairy type and they will be happy, on busy days with a wave from the car window.

If you keep him in it will take time and money, out at grass 24/7 all you need to do is make sure he has food, water and company and 4 legs which work twice a day. This isn't ideal, but this is planet Earth and occasionally they all have to make do with a quick check.

I have 4 in at night, on rubber mats, it takes me 15 minutes to muck out and put a new bed down and throw them out. 15 mins at night to get them in and fed.

[Tootsie4U]

Wow Wally, it takes you only 15 mins. to muck 4 stalls - you are SUPER WOMAN! :D

[Showjumper]

It took me half an hour to put Dolly's bed down tonight lol - I'm sooooo out of practice, and Dolly was convinced the pitchfork was getting more attention than her so kept trying to push it out of my hands :rolleyes: :o :p

[Wally]

Nope, they are all on rubber matting, with enough bed down to soak up the pee and then it's a case of just sweeping up the wet bedding and the poos and a quick shake of more bed down. I LOVE the rubber mats. The cows are on it too. It's only really 3 stalls as the mare and foal are in one together, but they could make a mess at olympic level.

I forgot to mention too that all the horses are viewable from our houses, so even when I am washing up I can just check through the window that they are moving about the hillside and not in the same place for long. Even if it is my day off.!

So we are constantly aware of them, it's not as if they are miles from us.

[Peace]

sarahlou, I think it depends on the kind of boarding arrangements you have. I've noticed that lots of the U.K. folks are on DIY livery, but where I live, full board is more the norm.

That's what my horse is on, which is a blessing for me right now. I'm in school out of town during the week, and I'm a new owner, so having someone do everything for me is a godsend!

If I were doing it myself, I'd estimate about an hour twice a day to muck out, groom, and feed. I don't really know, though - when I'm at the barn, I usually do more than just my horse, because my barn owner is so good about giving me extra help when I need it!:)

[virtuallyhorses]

Wal, I object to the thin-skinned TB comments! :) Our paddock of 5 TBS (only 1 mine sadly) are out 24x7 and have highly variable levels of 'maintenance'.

All owners work to some degree and we each have different schedules depending on health of the horse, current commitments, weather etc etc However this is one of the advantages of sharing grazing - over the Xmas break most of us were away for at least some hols which meant the horses had a break from any work too or any maintenance other than a head\leg check from the remaining owner.

Most of us are up checking on (pulling them out of the paddock for a groom, rug change, leg check etc etc) and\or riding 4-6 times per week but its not unheard of for this to drop to 2-3 times per week if required. Partly this is because we know that any injuries or serious illnesses would bring a phone call from whoever else was visiting the horses that day but partly its also because of NZ's temperate climate and laid-back attitude to TBs (they are our 'natives' if you like) .

How much time you spend is therefore very dependent on a lot of factors so unfortunately there's not a std answer to help you out in your planning. I think if you do a search you'll find a few questions like this and many will respond that once you have your horse you tend not to mind\notice the hours spent on grooming, training, riding and generally faffing about as other things (like telly or whatever) tend not to matter as much. :)

[Wally]

Mossy too would probably pull me up with the "thin skinned TB" comment too, she has one who gets fat looking at grass.

My comment was really based on our situation, TB's just do not thrive here, to keep one out 24/7 would kill it. A woman managed to kill 2 Arabs in the beleif they could stand up to a force 12 strom with driving snow and sleet.

If I lived in England or even the lowlands of Scotland at TB would far not bad at all.

If I kept TBs here I would be spending all day looking to their welfare and feeding.