Working full time & DIY Livery - Whats your routine?

*GroovyGallop*

*GroovyGallop*

Member
Aug 12, 2006
1,087
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Derbyshire
Hi All,

I'm in the process of potentially buying/loaning/sharing my own. Just on the lookout at the moment.
I've owned ponies before when I was much younger, but not recently. I'd just be really interested to know what your routine is for DIY livery and working a full time job? I have a few questions that I'd be really grateful if I could have your answers for.

I understand DIY is a huge commitment, so I'd just like to know how others stage their routines on a daily basis.

Full livery isn't an option for me, I have considered part livery, but I'd really like to try doing much as I can by myself to begin with, as I feel its an important bonding factor between you & the horse in the early stages.

So, My questions are as below;

How far is your livery from your house?
What time do you turn out, and what time do you fetch in?
Does this differ on weekends (turn in/out times), or is it the pretty much exact same routine?
Do you muck out in the mornings or evenings? If mornings how long would you say you spend there?
How much is your DIY livery & what do you get included ? (Haylage, hay, outdoor/indoor school)
How often do you ride and do you ride AM or PM?
Do you go back home, before going to work or go straight to work after the yard? Same for when going back in the eve, do you go home first, or straight to the yard from work?

May seem a little strange me asking these questions but I'm just trying to get a feel of what works well/doesn't work for you guys, I know everyone is different.
 
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Summer and winter are very different as they live out 24/7 in the summer so I only go up in the evening to ride groom and poo pick.

in the winter I walk my dogs then go to the yard for 0715 I change rugs and turn out then muck out Before I get to work for 0830. I go straight to work. After work I straight to the yard hay nets, water and make up feed. Poo pick and bring in, groom and ride or work the youngster depending on what day. Change rugs and put to bed.

home for 8.Weekends I get the the yard for nine and bring in around six

I ride most Nearly every night

my yard is a six minute drive from my house and work is half way between both,

I pay £170 a month for a shared field and a stable nothing else included. We have use of a large outdoor and a small indoor but pay for lights.
We have no restrictions on yard times or turn out which is why I picked my yard.
 
I’m at the yard for around 6.30 am, muck out and either ride or turn out. Takes me about an hour door to door if I don’t ride.
She comes in at about 6.30 in the evenings.
That doesn’t change wether it’s a work day or not.
Yard is about ten minutes drive from home and yes I go home and get changed before work I’m the morning and before going to the yard in the evening.
I pay £150 a month and that includes hay, stable, outdoor school and off road hacking at certain times of year.
I used to ride most days but now it’s every other day.
 
I find grass DIY more enjoyable and a little more flexible on routine if that's an option for you? Currently I leave home at half 6 on a weekday, at the yard by 6.50 to feed hay, can either poo pick and do chores then or in the evening, then straight to work for 8. After work/uni I'm straight back down the yard, usually home by 7 unless I choose not to be haha.

My yard is about 4 miles from home and another mile to work. About 7 miles away from uni which makes for more toing and froing on those days
 
Mine live out full time now but used to be on livery.

I used to allow 20 minutes for each horse in the morning, to feed, change rugs, turnout, muck out (bed left up to air), do hays. Then in the evenings it was about 20 mins per horse to bed down, do waters, bring in, clean up, change rugs and feed, plus about 90 minutes per horse to tack up, ride (1hr in school), untack. That's allowing no time for the extra bits and bob's that need doing, cleaning, fixing things etc. all those little jobs that seem to appear ;) The evenings often took longer than those minimum times. DIY livery at that yard is £25 a week, no hay/straw/feed included but use of outdoor and indoor schools, lights extra. That yard was 15minutes from my house initially, I then moved closer so it was only 3 minutes, work has always been about 30 minutes beyond there.

With mine out now (5 mins from home without traffic) I check and hay at 6am, work 30 mins away 7am - 3pm (sometimes longer). In the summer I am often at the horses until 7/8/9pm, riding and doing chores, in the winter I tend to leave all the chores for the weekends (as I have minimal lights) so I can be done by 4.30pm if I just do basic checks, throw feed/hay at them and run, but that means a full days work at the weekend to make up for it as I have sole use and am responsible for all maintenance at the place I have now. I don't have anyone waiting at home though so I'm not exactly busting my butt to get home :)
 
Okay so Diy.
Its bloody hard work.
Due to my work pattern i was at the yard for 05:15 mucked out ,fed and turned out. 06:00 set off for work. Someone brought in for me as i turned theres out and then i came back after work,most of the time to feed.
I work shifts so i has 4 days per which meant doing haynets for the week and feed. Summer was fab as they were living out. So alot easier. I will say though as í shared a field and i turned out and someone else brought in. But we both had different ideas, our horses became too close and my boy has alot.of issues which meant it was harder. Would i do it again? Maybe if i has a more regular work pattern.
 
I muck out in the evening on weekends mornings.
for Dly I get haylege, turnout, indoors and outdoors arena

Every yard is different though check in your area if you’re looking to do Dly .
 
I'm exceptionally lucky having mine at home. They are turned out at 5.15 am during the week, a little later at weekends (normally between 7 and 8). Winter bring in is about 5pm (they loiter!). Summer it's 8/9pm. Turn out (including rugs, be it fly rugs or turnouts), muck out and haynet filling for three takes me 30-40 minutes. I get zero riding done during the week in winter as I've no arena lights. As I'm up so early I CBA riding before work and don't have time.
 
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