How much time do you spend with your horses?

[acw295]

Particularly those on DIY who work full time?

I've always ruled out DIY in my head as I've always thought I couldn't fit the mornings in around work, but I was talking to a work colleague who says she spends max 20 mins with her horse on DIY on weekday mornings. She does most of the chores etc after work (she just catches, checks and feeds her horse in the mornings in summer when he lives out - and in the winter just feeds, checks and turns out) - she mucks out etc in the evenings.

So, am curious as to what you all do?

[iloveshearer]

Shearer lives out full time so it doesnt really matter when i go up there but i do quite often go up before school and check he is ok etc, then go back later on and ride etc.

At my old yard when the horses were on DIY the owners did the same as what you said- turning out iin the mornings then mucking out in the evenings. It seemed to work pretty well aslong as you're happy to go up after a long day and muck out a dirty stable :D

[sam_pring]

i dont keep my horses at a yard because I am lucky enough to have my own field to keep them in, luckily at the bottom of the garden so cuts out any travelling time! :)

My sister and i share 3 horses so have some help but i normally spend approx three quarters to 1 hour in the morning. they are turned out 24/7 so feed them, put fly rugs on, one has severe sweet itch so has lots of products that need to be put on which takes about 20mins!! also muck out the field. dont know if thats any help!

[Maddison's girl]

both of mine are on DIY. I head up before work, catch them and give them a quick feed. Check them over whilst they are eating and then turn them back out and head off to work. Its a fine art keeping a suit clean though, and I have been known to turn up to work on the odd occasion with straw stuck to me:D After work I pick up the kids and then go straight to the stables, its then that I do all the other bits poo picking, exercising etc. Im quite lucky because they live out 24/7.

[Lucyad]

In the winter I give Oscar his breakfast in the stable while rug changing, then put him in the field - literally 10 mins. In summer I give him a scratch over the gate if he is around, if he is at other end of field I dont bother, as he doesnt get breakfast. I do everything else in the evenings, though if not riding, in summer that can consist of as little as 10 minutes giving him his dinner, saying helo, and usually picking feet and quick brush.

[Guest]

In the winter I am up the yard for around 7, Bry would go out pretty much straight away after her 'pretend' breakfast. I'd then muck out and sort the stable out for the evening or at least muck out, then be gone at the latest by 8. I could be in and out in 15 mins if I didn't muck out, but ours isn't the type of yard where you leave a dirty stable, at my old place I'd leave it untill the evening but I'd be to scared to do that where I am now:o Besides then it's done and that really does make more sense.
Then I'll go back up and see her in the evening - she maybe in depending on the turnout situation, I'll get there about 5, ride then put her to bed and leave about 7.
In the summer I go up once a day to say hello or ride and thats it.

[fitz]

I dont work full time, but at the moment I'm spending hours and hours with the horses every day. Riding, mucking out and turning out two every day is really time consuming, as well as feeding 4 others... I'd say I spend 3-4 hours a day with the horses at the moment, but this will calm down in a couple of weeks.

I like to do the mucking out in the morning (even if its just a quickie job)

[michie]

Unfortunately I don't have my own field so I stable Otto. I go to school full time as well as do work my internship. However, I try to go up to see him everyday. He doesn't get turned out by the stables, so I like to keep him company for a bit and see that he can stretch his legs. Also, I don't like the way the stall cleaners do his stall, so I end up doing it myself. Then I have to keep the pigeons away while I grain him. All in all, I probably spend an average of 3-4 hours at the yard.

[millie n pride]

Pride get's fed in the morning in winter and i had an agreement with someone that they turned out Pride and i brought in theres so i wasnt there in the morning. In summer he is out 24/7 so i go up after school.