So. As some of you know I changed my job to work full time doing non contracted hours. However I have found it to be 'quite ' in the last few weeks so I was keeping my eye out for any full time Jobs. However I am moving sox to a yard where there is no school and the school I can use there are no floodlights. So I either stick with the same job and hope it picks up or see about getting a full time job. But again I either only ride sox on a weekend or would have to ride .. well in the dark really if I was to get a full time job. Thought?
full time job and working horse?
- Thread starter lauren123
- Start date
A floodlit sandschool is crucial for me and ale. I ride on days off and one or 2 evenings a week and my mum hacks him once or twice a week for me. He would be horrible to ride if he hadnt been worked for 5 days and super unfit also. He's not very fit at the moment due to his injury but I still like to keep him worked over winter and that means ridden 4/5 days a week. I work 9-6 so without floodlit sandschool couldn't do this
I can only ride at weekends in winter. We do have an indoor school but as it is in one of the stable blocks and by the time I get home from work the horses are all in and dozing/munching on their net. I have to go through to the other stable block to get my tack from the tack room and really for the 20 minutes max I would get to ride (yard shuts at 7 pm) it just isn't worth disturbing them all. It isn't ideal, but on the other hand I ride a lot after work in summer and although I love it, it's quite hard work on top of looking after a family and working full time, so winter is a rest time for both me and Raf. We'll try to keep getting out and about at weekends for as long as the weather permits though, so hopefully his fitness shouldn't suffer too much. I think it's hard to get a horse fit riding only at weekends, but once reasonably fit it's easier to keep on top of.
Unlike Ale though, Raf isn't really much different if he hasn't been ridden for a while.
Unlike Ale though, Raf isn't really much different if he hasn't been ridden for a while.
Would you be able to squeeze a quick ride on Sox in before work? Or would it still be too dark? I think over winter sometimes we just have to accept riding only at weekends. Plus its quality not quantity and all that. I am lucky because I can make work fit around riding - tis only ever the extreme weather that puts the stoppers on me being able to ride. Also I think madam would be okay just being ridden at the weekend. Could you lunge Sox with head torch / car headlights parked up? If you are worried about keeping him ticking over?
Well I was thinking about this. If I do short shifts so 8 hours I can fit sox in. I work 7 til 3 and 12 til 8. So I could fit sox in. Or I could do 1 or 2 long shifts (13 hours) shifts and then still ride the other 5 days in the week. I can always muck out on a night. The other thing is if I get all hi viz zed up and have my head torch I could do a quick hack around the village in the dark if I had too.
Tobes was V naughty last winter. I work full time - 9-6 Monday to Friday. No school as this yard. I had decided pretty much that if he continued in 'naughty' mode this winter, I just would not ride him til Spring. But he has injured his tendon, so isn't being ridden now anyway!
I am so lucky, we have access to 2 schools one indoor but can only be used when the riding school is not in use (it's closed on Monday's so always free then, plus we actually have two indoor so the school try to allow us use of the small one). Plus a flood lit out door so always somewhere to ride even if you have to get wet. Plus a horse walker.
The schools are the main reason to be at the yard I am at as I like to ride every night all year round. I also work 8-5 min-fri
The schools are the main reason to be at the yard I am at as I like to ride every night all year round. I also work 8-5 min-fri
I work 7-3.30 mon-fri, I live alone but my dog has to be crated while I'm at work due to massive separation anxiety so leaving him in the afternoon/early evening is a no no or he barks like crazy upsetting my neighbours, in summer when I can hang out with him for a while then ride later it's okay, we don't have a school but do have flood lights in one paddock so can school if we want but with a horse living out I don't like getting them too hot too late so I've done a deal to leave work early on a weds so I can ride once mid week and I hope to lunge once in the week too, not that it makes any difference to how jess behaves. When I was at a yard with an indoor and outdoor, and drove to the yard so could leave the dog in the car I managed to ride 2 horses daily.
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