This is one of those meandering posts - I am abusing NR by trying to get you to help clarify my own thoughts!
So... for some years now I have shared a lovely mare who lives a very convenient two miles from my house and a mile and a half from my work. I am friends with her owner and attached to my mare. Now - unfortunately - my work is moving over ten miles away. Given London traffic I think it is going to take me an hour or so to get to work in the morning and back at night so it is going to cut into my stables time. Some changes are going to have to be made. At the moment I do two stable duties before work two mornings a week but I've already warned my mare's owner that will probably become difficult. I work long hours and really value my horse time to 'get away from it all' but I also value sleeping!
I will still be able to do evenings (I don't have her a weekend day) but will obviously sometimes arrive pretty late. My other problem is that I currently have a lesson once a week or so which I ram into my lunch break. I really, really need the lessons and both me and my share are finally making progress as a result of them. However, my RI won't do evenings so they will become impractical once we move.
As far as I can see my options are:
1) Continue sharing my current mare and just accept that I manage without lessons on her (I could book lessons at a riding school once a month or so to help me).
2) Have two shares! My RI also teaches further out of London and close to where I'm going to be working. If I could find a share at one of those stables (even for one lunchtime a week) I could have lessons there and continue with my current mare. My problem with this is it is going to end up more expensive and - possibly - more stressful than I can manage! After all it is unlikely I'll find a share where I can literally just turn up and ride so some work is likely to be involved.
3) Stop sharing my current mare and look for a new share. This fills me with horror because I feel a strong obligation both to her owner and to my mare. I've been there since the beginning and - while I am no great shakes in the riding department - I know I am valuable to them both financially and in the tlc stakes. On the other side it might be more practical - given the hours I work - to have something near where I work.
I don't have to make my mind up on any of this immediately, but if anyone has any helpful thoughts please let me know.
So... for some years now I have shared a lovely mare who lives a very convenient two miles from my house and a mile and a half from my work. I am friends with her owner and attached to my mare. Now - unfortunately - my work is moving over ten miles away. Given London traffic I think it is going to take me an hour or so to get to work in the morning and back at night so it is going to cut into my stables time. Some changes are going to have to be made. At the moment I do two stable duties before work two mornings a week but I've already warned my mare's owner that will probably become difficult. I work long hours and really value my horse time to 'get away from it all' but I also value sleeping!
I will still be able to do evenings (I don't have her a weekend day) but will obviously sometimes arrive pretty late. My other problem is that I currently have a lesson once a week or so which I ram into my lunch break. I really, really need the lessons and both me and my share are finally making progress as a result of them. However, my RI won't do evenings so they will become impractical once we move.
As far as I can see my options are:
1) Continue sharing my current mare and just accept that I manage without lessons on her (I could book lessons at a riding school once a month or so to help me).
2) Have two shares! My RI also teaches further out of London and close to where I'm going to be working. If I could find a share at one of those stables (even for one lunchtime a week) I could have lessons there and continue with my current mare. My problem with this is it is going to end up more expensive and - possibly - more stressful than I can manage! After all it is unlikely I'll find a share where I can literally just turn up and ride so some work is likely to be involved.
3) Stop sharing my current mare and look for a new share. This fills me with horror because I feel a strong obligation both to her owner and to my mare. I've been there since the beginning and - while I am no great shakes in the riding department - I know I am valuable to them both financially and in the tlc stakes. On the other side it might be more practical - given the hours I work - to have something near where I work.
I don't have to make my mind up on any of this immediately, but if anyone has any helpful thoughts please let me know.