A "short" trip to the barn: how do you do it?

[findeight]

Your mindset when you go for a short barn visit is to make yourself understand the choice is a short visit or no visit. It made it easier for me to avoid getting distracted and prioritize what absolutely had to be done, what should be done and what can wait.

Depending on what services the barn does, like bringing them in, grooming, possibly even tack up services, or none of the above make a list of must dos. Get those items done, try to get to as many things on the next list of should dos. Set a time limit and when its up, you stop, pack up and go.

Remember its better to do some short visits then no visits. Save the what can wait items for planned, longer visits. Worked for me.

[JB]

@findeight

Your mindset

^^^^^

insert whatever it is you have to do, it all starts with the intention and the discipline.

[paintedpennypony]

Totally off topic to the thread, but do you do mounted archery and foxhunting? I really want to get into both of those with my horse once we move.

[Foxglove]

@paintedpennypony --yes! I have been fox hunting for 57 years --the last 20 with Battle Creek Hunt Club. Seven years ago, after the last kiddo left the barn (raised grand daughter who did WP) I was encouraged by my 3-Day riding daughter to take up Mounted Archery to fill my summers. Previously I was groom/show mom to each of my kiddos and grand kiddo.

I attended a clinic and was hooked. I set up a track at my house --nothing fancy --a dirt path with targets, and began to practice. I attended one competition and came in last. Then I set my sights on two a year. Now I do six a year. Occasionally I win --at the last one, I was out of my depth and came in 30/35. It was a National Level competition --the first I’d attended. Usually I shoot state or regional.

Strongly urge you to attend a clinic before you do anything else in Mounted Archery. One needs to be fitted for the proper bow and have arrows the right size. After that, the key is practice. Although I occasionally hire myself a coach (or take a clinic), practice is the only way to improve.

Mounted Archery is ideal for the older horse --he/she need only canter 90m each time you shoot.

Fox hunting is awesome for the winter. I use the same two horses for both MA and foxhunting.

[Edre]

Please take this with the utmost complimentary intent:
I want to be you when I grow up. You do so much and it sounds (and looks) like so much fun!

[Foxglove]

@Edre --thank you! FYI I taught HS for 40 years --I spent too many days looking out my classroom window wishing I could . . . .(any number of things, all involving my horses). I retired 7 years ago --now I have time to do all those things I dreamed about!

One downside of “waiting” is age --I compete against people who are many years younger than I am. At the national competition I was “honored” as the oldest archer by 21 years –

Every year my competition gets better and better --on the other hand, at 72, my window for improvement is closing --as far as I know there are no 80 year old mounted archers (and very few 80 year old ground archers).

I love shooting my bow, riding my horse, and hanging out at the hunt club. I’ll keep doing that as long as I can . . .but I am fully aware that won’t be forever.

[OverandOnward]

@Foxglove When I was growing up, almost no 70+ yo’s were riding, much less doing anything beyond walk or walk-trot.

Now there are 70 yo’s schooling young horses up the eventing levels. Fox hunting as you do, doing things like the mounted archery and team penning. And so on.

They are also skiing advanced black slopes and doing a lot of other athletic things.

I don’t think you need to worry too much about a ‘window closing’. That’s very individual, and if you don’t feel it closing, it doesn’t have to.

[Foxglove]

@OverandOnward -while I appreciate the wonderful support, one cannot overlook the affects of time. While many more 70+ year olds are remaining active in all sports --there is the reality of injury having a more profound affect at 70 than at 20. Sadly, or MFH took his wonderful horse of many years over a fence they have jumped many, many times in his 25+ years as field master. For whatever reason, his horse added a stride throwing the 75 year old rider off balance. He fell on the jump, on his head. He was wearing a helmet and exploding vest. The EMT that rides with us correctly diagnosed a concussion and he was taken to the hospital immediately. That was the last time he ever rode. The head injury caused detached retina and an injured shoulder that cannot be repaired but must be replaced. The same fall, I believe, would have been less injurious to a younger, more resilient and perhaps agile person.

Today for the first time in 7 years I was back jumping --my old horse felt like it and so did I so we took quite a few fences (horse age + my age equals 98). And I wasn’t wearing my safety vest. Still I had such fun --I didn’t put my horse to the last two fences as he’d had a splendid day --it is hard to know when to stop when having that much fun.

I hope to be fox hunting when I am 80 --and still shooting my bow. But for now, I take each day as a gift when I can sit on one of my horses.

[tabula_rashah]

I have 6 horses on self care board and I schedule pretty much every minute of every day. I know exactly how much time I can spend when I go there. I don’t go over because then it messes something else in my day up

[RooTheDay]

@MissusS

What do you consider a “short” trip to the barn and what helps keep you “on time” when you don’t have the luxury of a free day?

At Peak Speed I can get in and out in an hour: 15 min to groom/tack up, 15 min to untack/pick feet/put away, 30 min to ride. I compromise on how clean the pony is before riding, how clean its tack/my boots are after, and how nicely my stuff is arranged (figure-eighted, etc.) when put away; I don’t compromise on picking feet well both before and after, hosing in summer or currying out sweat marks in winter, and cleaning up after myself in common spaces (though I do groom in the stall specifically to avoid this as much as possible.)

If I have two and I’m doing a fitness day, I’ll pony one, which saves needing to groom and tack the 2nd one at all beyond picking feet and attaching an appropriate headstall. An hour is still never enough time to deal with two at all, but if I’m dealing with two anything under an hour per horse is gravy.

I’ve been observed getting on a horse in some creative attire; I always wear boots with a heel if I have stirrups, but cargo shorts/pants, bike shorts, and jeans have all made appearances in the saddle, and occasionally I just cross my stirrups and wear my non-heeled muck boots for a quick flat. Even if I am in boots, I also often skip the half chaps if I’m short on time and won’t be doing anything particularly strenuous; it all adds up.

Finally, it helps a lot to be there when nobody else is and to pick your times: if they’re in 12/out 12, for instance, and the “out 12” is in a 70-acre field, it helps a lot if you can get there after they come in or before they go out.

[red_mares]

@sheltona01

When I rode, I could be out in under an hour if I really tried hard. The biggest thing is don’t sweat the small stuff. You don’t need to fully groom every day. I could groom in under 5 mins including picking feet. Also just keep moving, you don’t have to stop when talking. Also just having less stuff to deal with in the lockers. Everything has a place so you don’t have to think where to place something or look for it.

This.
When I had the first mare, I could get in in out of the barn in an hour - with a driving horse. No messing around, brushed the minimum amount, did a couple laps, & cleaned up. It was about an hour round trip to the barn. Any extra time at the barn during the week cut into sleep time and I didn’t get all that much to begin with.