Early barn hours?

[LilDunFilly]

@luvmyhackney

If I didn’t ride by myself with no one on the property, I wouldn’t ride most days. I keep my horses at home. There is no one to watch me ride.

I don’t think the problem is “no one to watch them ride” as “for safety reasons, someone should be on the lookout for you if you don’t return”. I ride late at night when no one is around because I get off work at 7 pm at the earliest. I make sure to text/tell a friend that I’m getting on my mare and if they don’t hear from me in 30-45 minutes to check-in. Then I let them know that I made it without issue. Maybe I wouldn’t be as vigilant if my mare wasn’t still young and we were just walking around. But I’d like to think I’d always try to be as safe as I could.

If I get injured, help wouldn’t be coming for 10 hours. I see no reason to risk that unnecessarily. It’s just so so easy to get hurt working or riding with horses! Knock on wood, the worst I’ve ever gotten was a bone bruise but it sobered me up on working alone. One of the loose horses in a pasture got too antsy and tried to double-barrel me as I was catching my horse. Hoof glanced off the point of my elbow and I lost feeling for a bit. There was 0 cell reception down there, so I went up to the BOs house to tell them. They weren’t home (and didn’t wind up coming home for 5+ hours). It was a 2-3 hour drive to the barn and everyone who knew I was going wouldn’t have expected me home till near dark. Had that kick shattered the bone in my dominant arm, or even just hit a nerve, it would have been very bad.

It’s one thing to choose to ride alone on your own property and get hurt. It’s another to do it on someone else’s.

[emeraldcity]

Agree! I would never like feed an entire meal, but I have frequently given handful of hay to make sure my horse has food in his stomach, or to chill him out if he seems anxious during tacking. I wouldn’t if I knew it was specifically not allowed, of course, but I do think this is a logical thing to do in general.

Regarding the original topic, this for sure would not be allowed as a regular occurrence at my (mainly dressage, FWIW) barn. There are like 40+ horses, the trainer likes the staff to be mostly undisturbed to get the early chores done, and does sometimes ride some of hers before open time as well. Not saying don’t ask, but echoing the “be prepared for no” sentiment. She’ll allow it as a one off with communication (I have a flight to catch so this one day I have to come at 6am, or I need to be around for an emergency, or to get in the trailer to go somewhere, or whatever), but not as a regular habit.

[Boomer]

No harm in asking. I’m an AA with a full time job.

My current barn doesn’t have set hours but I know if I want to ride at 7am when they are feeding, I’ll have to deal with hangry pony and coordinate to have the feed left outside the stall so I can feed after I cool out my horse. So I usually try to go before that or after - IE on the horse by 6am or on by 8am or if I want to ride at 730am, to have my mare get a small portion of her breakfast then I drop the rest after my ride.

I’m in the hot southeast so riding super early is definitely a thing at nearly every barn here, dressage or otherwise.

Since I have a 4 yo, I want to ride when someone is around or aware I’m getting on. If no one is at the barn, I’ll text a friend - “hey I’m getting on, if you don’t hear from me in XX minutes…” I used to have my own farm so texting was usually all I could do or I wouldn’t ever be able to ride. I used to board a couple horses and the owners were all vet students so they came at crazy hours. I was fine with it as long as they were not blasting music and treating my property respectfully.

[CoconutEventer25]

Looks like you have some good advice - I am one of those people who ride early in the morning (5:30) but my BO is super chill - I usually always do throw hay for everyone (although it is only 15 horses) just to keep them happy even though he didn’t ask. Wouldn’t hurt to have a conversation with your BO!

[atr]

The barn I’m at keeps early hours. Its not possible to ride after work there, but if you need early morning, no problem.

I couldn’t ride there if I didn’t have a very flexible working situation.

[sascha]

@beowulf

While a lack of routine is fine in a home barn, it’s not in a 20+ horse barn where the horses are stalled at night.

This depends on the barn. I’m at a larger than 20 horse barn where some horses are in full board and some of us are on self care. Horses adjust to knowing who is there for who and not to expect anything if their caretaker (personal servant) isn’t present.

Occasionally when one person fills in for another that horse may take a day to readjust having thought they gained their self a second Pez dispenser, but it’s not upset, more like, “Hey, aren’t you here for me today? No? Damn. Sad blue face. I guess I didn’t gain extra staff after all.” And that’s it. None of the full board horses ever so much as inquire about snacks.

Everyone understands how their life works.

For the OP, ask. No harm in that. But, if the answer is no, respect it even if you don’t like the reason.

[dogsbody1]

As someone who has always stuck to an early morning schedule, I appreciate hearing these logistical reasons why it’s a PITA for a lot of barns. I had a lot of reasons for leaving my previous barn, but far and away the #1 reason was because they started implementing an hours rule that curtailed early morning rides. I confess to feeling personally victimized by this rule. In fairness, I was the only person showing up 6 days a week at that hour, so it was difficult not to take it personally.

I will say there are many, many practical reasons to ride early in the morning. Especially in my case, given it was a busy lesson barn with a tiny arena, showing up early was the only guaranteed way to avoid ring traffic. I tried scheduling ring time a few times after the rule change and found they had zero qualms about double booking the ring to squeeze in a kid’s lesson. Too bad so sad if you needed to lunge first.

Also, anything you want to do every day, you’re better off doing first thing in the morning. Pushing barn time to the end of the day makes it easier to blow off and allow other activities to take precedence. And lastly, the mornings tend to be better and more consistent weather-wise (excepting the deep freeze in winter). You rarely get early morning thunderstorms, for instance, but they can be an almost daily occurrence in summer afternoons. I also find it’s generally more temperate and less windy. I don’t have a meteorological explanation for this, but the pre/post-dawn weather just seems more easygoing.

I will always be an early morning rider and it would be a deal breaker to me if a barn didn’t accommodate that. For feeding, I give soaked hay cubes first thing, then get my tack ready and my poles set up while the horse eats. After my ride, I allocate 10 minutes to hand graze. I set a timer and my horse is so used to it, she pops her head up and starts walking back to the barn when she hears the alarm on my phone. Routine with horses is such a beautiful thing; I know mine loves it and loves knowing the drill and what to expect every day. And without those early mornings, it’s very hard to stick to a schedule.

[poltroon]

When I boarded as an adult, riding dressage and eventing, I had a 7am lesson once a week and rode around that time multiple other weekdays. Those 7am lesson slots were coveted by us working adults and they were full Tues-Friday.

In those barns, typically horses were fed around 6-6:30.

It is possible that a barn has hours restricted due to zoning/permit issues; usually nights are even worse in that case. The hours aren’t always very practical. IME barns I’ve been in were willing to be chill as long as you were quiet and polite and the neighbors didn’t notice.

In the summer in California, evening hours are hot while morning hours are cooler. But there are lots of reasons that the morning was a nice time to ride.

[LilDunFilly]

I am very sympathetic to people who want to ride early; I would be in that camp if I didn’t live ~2 minutes from my barn. I don’t start work till the late morning so I can afford to go ride at 8-9.

Historically, I’ve lived on the west coast where it is scorching by 9 am so everyone started working horses at the crack of dawn (or earlier if there were lights). The trainer I’m with now used to start at 4 am in the summer, when she was based in the west coast. Her biggest gripe about early rides is it cutting into TO time and I can’t fault her for that. She currently doesn’t have any clients who want to ride early (I think there are 3 of us in total) so it isn’t an issue.

@dogsbody1

Also, anything you want to do every day, you’re better off doing first thing in the morning. Pushing barn time to the end of the day makes it easier to blow off and allow other activities to take precedence. And lastly, the mornings tend to be better and more consistent weather-wise (excepting the deep freeze in winter). You rarely get early morning thunderstorms, for instance, but they can be an almost daily occurrence in summer afternoons. I also find it’s generally more temperate and less windy. I don’t have a meteorological explanation for this, but the pre/post-dawn weather just seems more easygoing.

Very good point. I’m currently struggling with this as I keep planning to do horse things post-full-day-of-work. It is much easier for me to go “mmm, actually I think I’ll pass” if I’m feeling lazy at the end of the day than first thing in the morning.

[endlessclimb]

That’s why I said to bring your own soaked pellets if Dobbin absolutely MUST have something to eat before a ride. Then you aren’t getting handsy with the barn’s supply, or trashing perfectly good hay.

[EventingMaff]

I am a before-work rider, typically getting to the barn between 6-6:30. First while, horses would get all excited about breakfast when I showed up. Now they all know I’m useless and there is zero response at my arrival (except my mare who knows a treat is coming).

I put a small flake in her haynet for mare to munch while I tack up. I stay out of the way of barn staff once they show up at 7-7:30. Tack up in stall to keep aisle clear for turn in/out traffic and wheelbarrows. We have an indoor and outdoor - if weather allows, I avoid any rings being dragged and shift to another ring or hit the trails.

I’ve not had issue but I try to be very respectful of barn work routines to stay out of the way. I also try to be helpful. If I have time, I quickly muck the stall and / or dump water so any interruptions to morning routine I can’t prevent I make up for with less work on their side. Usually I turn her out myself, but if she’s still finishing breakfast and I can’t turn out before I need to leave - I prep her fully for turn out (blankets or fly masks, fly spray, halter on) so again - my being there lessens work to extent possible.

[candyappy]

@Minxitbabe

I can’t say in all my years in my area that I know of any barns that advertise extra early hours for the working person who can’t realistically make evening ride time a set daily thing.

They may not advertise but I don’t see why you can’t talk to the BO/ BM about the need for you to be able to ride when it is best for you. My BB never had a time when they were closed so I was able to go very early or very late if my job hours / personal life meant I needed to.

Just let them know you will be as quiet as possible for those who live on site.

[Mondo]

@LilDunFilly

Historically, I’ve lived on the west coast where it is scorching by 9 am

I think you meant to say, “Historically, I’ve lived in southern California…” I live in the West Coast, and I assure you, here in the upper left corner of the map it is never “scorching” by 9 am.

[LilDunFilly]

Nope, I didn’t just mean Southern California as it was the same in AZ and NV when I rode there. The entire west coast doesn’t get hot but enough portions do that “ride before the sun turns you crispy in the morning” is the norm in those places.

[rogueknits]

I really wish my barn had early or late (after 6pm) hours. I can usually count on someone being there to feed as early as 8:30, and dinner gets fed around 4-5 (don’t get me started on trying to groom/tack on cross ties in the aisle while staff is dropping off grain–ideally I try to be out in the arena by the time that happens). So, either way I have to ride during “work hours”. I’m actually a bit surprised more barns don’t cater to the working adult amateur, but around here they tend to be focused on either people who can afford to not work or kids who are able to come right after school.

Technically, I can go out and visit/ride my horse whenever I want to, but I personally have a rule that I won’t ride if I’m the only person there in case of an accident.

[atlatl]

I’m surprised by the number of responses citing concerns for interfering with feed times or upsetting other horses by one going in or out.

Not sure what happens to those horses in a show situation. Back when I did AQHA all around, we’d have horses in and out of their stalls all.day.long. They all learned to live with it, even being taken away from their hay at times.

[sascha]

@atlatl

Not sure what happens to those horses in a show situation.

You brought up the bit I forgot to bring up

Even horses on a routine adjust pretty quickly to showing non-routine where their neighbours may be getting fed super early or super late or in the middle of the day or whatever.

[jvanrens]

@atlatl

I’m surprised by the number of responses citing concerns for interfering with feed times or upsetting other horses by one going in or out.

We had our horses at a training center, with multiple trainers doing their own lunch feeding (breakfast was usually fed by the farm owners and supper as well if a boarder didn’t beat them to it). It was never an issue with the horses being fed at different times. They were used to it.

[Mondo]

@LilDunFilly

I didn’t just mean Southern California as it was the same in AZ and NV when I rode there.

Arizona and Nevada aren’t the west coast. It’s a weird thing to say. They are the desert southwest. Washington, Oregon and California make up the west coast. and a vast portion of the west coast doesn’t get that hot.

[Mersidoats]

I board at a very small private facility, so the situation is not typical. I generally ride early, sometimes 6/6:30am during the hottest months ( Ocala area). The barn owner doesn’t mind, and I try to be respectful of her space. The only bathroom is at the house so if I have to pee, I pee in a stall, rather than disturb her. We maintain the arrangement with open communication. She knows the days I show up to ride, she knows which horse I am riding, and I know how to avoid mucking up the routine. I groom in the stall to keep the aisle clear, and I can feed some hay and grain prior to my ride, provided that I tell her or the help so they don’t feed my horses double by accident.