For those with a long commute to the barn/don't live in a horsey area, how do you make it work?

[HunterJumper8983]

I live in an area with a very small horse community, and the majority of it is Western with almost no opportunities to lesson, with the few I could find mostly catering to children. There are no H/J lesson/boarding barns within 45 minutes or less, and no barns of any disciplines that I’m aware of/could find within 30 minutes. There is a local riding club that runs small shows very similar to 4-H, but it appears most own their own horse on their own property.

I’m in my late 20’s and am building my career, purchased a home within the last couple of years, and am wanting to make a return to riding at some point within the next year or so. I rode until nearly two years ago, right before purchasing my home. I was riding in lessons once per week at a barn about an hour and fifteen minutes away that I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, driving a two and a half hour trip along with spending a couple of hours or so at the barn isn’t feasible several times per week between my work schedule/other responsibilities and gas prices/wear and tear on my vehicle. Though I’d be more than happy to just be able to ride once per week in lessons, I would love to find a way to get additional riding time since it’s hard to get/stay fit and progress with only one 30 minute lesson per week.

I’m unfortunately not a confident nor skilled enough rider to catch ride or exercise horses more locally, or I’d try that route, as I love riding different horses. I left off at W/T/C cross rails and 12" to 18" verticals, so I’d consider myself a very beginner level rider. I was thinking of trying to find a beginner friendly confidence builder type horse (even if it is a Western horse) within a closer distance to me to partial lease if possible just to get the saddle time in. I am not looking to show beyond the local fun/schooling show level and am just looking to enjoy it in a safe and fun manner, while also improving and becoming a better horsewoman.

For those of you who have a long commute to the barn and don’t live in a very horsey area, how do you make it work? How do you squeeze in extra riding time? Any suggestions?

Thank you!

[Tha_Ridge]

I live in New York City and work full-time, keeping my three horses about 50 miles away in central New Jersey. The drive is anywhere from an hour on a good day, to upwards of two on a bad day. I ride between four and five days a week.

My trainer and I have discussed this a lot and it really comes down to how bad do you want it? There’s no magic that makes the drive shorter and no lifehack that gives you 28 hours in a day. I spend a lot of “wasted” time in the car (although I burn through books and podcasts like crazy) and spend an exorbitant amount on gas and tolls which are just necessary evils given where I live. I understand it’s not for everyone (I’ve never been able to have a reliable carpool partner for this reason) but I’ve chosen to make riding a priority for now and it works for me.

[widge]

Exact same answer as @Tha_Ridge. How bad do you want it?
My barn commute is 70 miles each way. I work from home and am not on the lowest rung of the career ladder, which both afford me some flexibility. I ride 3-4 days per week and my trainer rides my young horse 1-2 days per week. On barn days I plan to spend about 6 hours out between drive time and actual barn time. I’ve accepted the 90+ minute commute because my horse and I are happy and progressing.
The only thing I am actually doing to improve this situation is getting a better car for winter driving.

[Tha_Ridge]

We could be twins! But yes, timing is very similar for me: I can make a barn trip in four hours total to ride one horse and not feel rushed, and like you, I’m in a senior/director-level role at my company so there’s not too much observation of my comings and goings. My trainer usually staggers the schedule between pro rides/lessons so that I don’t usually ride more than two a day during the week.

Would love to hear what car you settle on. I have an 11-year-old VW SUV with 126k miles that I love and want to drive until it dies, but with gas prices, it’s not ideal.

[widge]

Right now I’m driving a 2019 e-Golf (range ~140 miles) but I’m ordering the 2023 MachE next month (range ~270 miles). Based on my test drive, the range, and reasonable MSRP (+ tax credits!), I would recommend the MachE to anyone interested in switching to an EV.
Sorry to hijack OP

[touchstone]

Another possible answer is just ride fewer days, but maybe more horses on the days you do. Ever since I’ve had an hour-long drive to the barn, it feels more worth it if I can ride more than one animal once I make the trek. I recognize that might not be so easy at your level. But if you’re going to a barn with a string of lesson horses, maybe you could do two back-to-back lessons one or two days a week vs. spending so many hours in your car to ride multiple days a week.

[HunterJumper8983]

Thank you all, I definitely appreciate the responses!

Unfortunately, regardless of how badly I want it, driving a 160 mile round trip 3-5 days per week simply is not feasible for me at this time, and probably won’t be in my foreseeable future. I am a part-owner in my company (family business), so my job takes up a lot of my time and I have no choice but to prioritize that above my pastime, as that is how I earn the money to be able to take part in it. I’m trying my best to see what can give, but I can’t prioritize something I do for fun over what pays my bills. I can’t reasonably afford the insane amount of gas it would take to drive that much either at this time, nor a car payment on top of that as well as getting back into riding (as my car is paid off, and the miles would skyrocket in no time with that amount of driving). I wish simply traveling the distance several days per week was an option or I would gladly do it, but I simply can’t responsibly make it work.

[onlyTBmares]

I would encourage you to try to find a western barn to ride in. I had a similar situation while I was in graduate school. It was a very small rural community with no hunter jumper program to speak of. I was in a different point of my riding career than you are so I bought a sweet little western appendix that I boarded at a western barn and taught to jump. I rode a bunch of western horses during that time and had a great time. I put my English saddle on some western ponies who turned out to be great little jumpers, it was great fun. If you 100% must keep jumping to breathe (as many of us do) then by all means figure out how to make that work with your schedule. But if you don’t require that for happiness, I suspect you could learn plenty and build and independent seat and hand in a western saddle too.

[173north]

When I lived in NYC I was driving 90 minutes to the barn 2 or 3 times a week… sometimes more? It was worth it but it’s definitely a major commitment of time and money.

If commuting really doesn’t work, I’d look around for something Western to get in more saddle time. I’ve taken some Western lessons just because I felt burned out on h/j life, and it’s fun. Good riding is good riding regardless of discipline!

[Ponyplusaninch]

That is a tough situation to be in. A lot really depends on time vs. money and which you value more.

Even with an hour commute (what my current commute is), there is still a lot of time spent at the barn, and my work and family demands do not allow me to take the 4+ hours in a day I need.

I will pay more money when need be for full-care on week days. That cuts down on at least an hour of pre-ride/post-ride time which I really can’t put a price on when I’m trying to be present for my family. On the weekends, I have more wiggle room and can spend more time at the barn and do my own care.

I know another amateur who owns a horse and leases another. She only rides on weekends, BUT, she maximizes her time by having two horses for four lessons total on a weekend. Needless to say, however–it’s costly. I don’t envy her paying board on two, but she has dramatically improved as a rider because of it.

[Mander]

I sympathize. I work a 9-80 week (so every other friday off, but I work 9 hour days) and while I love having the Friday’s off, the week days can be LONG, especially by the time I go to the barn (25 mins from work, 45 from home).

Last year, while I had a slightly more flexible schedule, fully remote, and a normal 8hr day, I was driving 50 mins each way 4x/wk and even then, it was tough. By the time I finished work, spent 4 hours on a trip to the barn, and took care of whatever other responsibilities I had at home (dinner, cleaning, walk the dog, grocery shopping, etc), I was absolutely beat. If I’m being honest, a lot fell through the cracks. I was initially remote once I got my new job with the longer days, but after 2 months of it, things really started to become unmanageable.

We moved and I’m no longer remote and have a 15-20m commute each way (as far as commutes go it’s hardly anything, but it does add up) - from the moment I leave my house to when I get home, my days are nearly 10 hours, and that’s only if I work through my lunch. For a variety of reasons (time being one of them) I’m down to just taking 1 lesson/week with a dressage trainer (not my preferred discipline, but I’ve had a surprising amount of fun on my trainer’s horse!). Eventually I’m hoping to do more, but in the meantime, I’ve just accepted that this is what I can commit to right now and that it won’t be this way forever. Additionally, my husband knows that things fall through the cracks when I’m going to the barn - and that’s ok.

If you’re really itching for more time, I second the opportunity to take multiple lessons on the weekends if the trainer has a big enough string to allow it.

[OverandOnward]

I was 45 minutes one-way for years (I know, easy distance for some posting above!) and losing 1.5 hours of my day to driving on riding days was hard.

Compromised on 4 days a week riding to balance making progress with maintaining the rest of my life.

Had a weekly schedule and did my best to follow it on auto-pilot. Never, ever entertain the thought “so tired, is it really best to go to the barn today?” Just go. It all works out at the barn.

That said, the commute was hugely draining. Having useful things to listen to on the way almost made it more draining after very full days at work. Not having useful things to listen to was unbearable. I know absolutely that I rode less well than I could have had I not been doing so much driving just to be there (straight through a city for years).

I think it goes beyond “priority”. Riding and horses need to be evaluated in terms of your entire life trajectory, your goals and ambitions that matter most to you, whatever those are. If you care more about riding than work, (if you can) make a move to an area where you have the work you need but without the long commute and other conflicts with riding. If work/career is the priority for the time being, then scale the horse involvement to a level that you can manage.

I compromised that as well. I didn’t move to a rural life, but after several years of pounding it out, I did change jobs and moved to the other end of the city to cut the barn commute in half, as well as make a needed career adjustment. That helped enormously. I can’t tell you how much better life became after that move. It indicated that I hadn’t placed a high enough priority on what riding meant to me before that.

And truly bottom line – People have very different innate levels of energy. People who are constant energizer bunnies are going to be able to manage more demands than people who are at a more consistently moderate energy level. Tune your life to fit what truly works for you, not what you (or anyone else) thinks it should be.

And lastly on the innate energy, keep people closest in your life who are in the same energy ballpark as you. It will be a much more positive experience than feeling they are holding you back, or that they are dragging you forward faster than you are comfortable going. Both will drain you even further and take a lot of joy out of what you are doing. It doesn’t have to be that way.

[mika0116]

echoing a bit of the “how badly do you want it”, but with a sliightly different perspective.

I leased / half leased in SoCal (jumpers) and rode 3x a week (1 weekday and both days of the weekend all of those 3 being lessons, one grid lesson - weekday, one intensive flat lesson (saturdays) and one coursing (sundays). I worked and traveled for work a lot so often it ended up being friday - saturday -sunday. I lived between 15 mins and 30 with light traffic from the barn during those 5 years. I also had a barn that catered to adult ammys and would teach lessons at 630 or 7am on workdays. Barn had guest facilities with a full shower set up so I could go from barn to i-banker work without stopping home.

cut to a move to the PNW in a rural and non-HJ area. Ideal barn was 1 hour each way from me. I changed jobs (remote) and despite some flexibility (Mgmt / Sr IC in tech), after 2 years off, 2020 and most of 2021 - I found it really hard to coordinate riding during the week. Instruction and horses were great at this barn, but the trainer hours were not a great fit for me (no Sunday lessons and no early mornings). Between my time off & 20 lbs of covid weight gain, I found it a little depressing to trek 2+ hours commute time in the dark and rainy winter to ride at a level I used to be capable of as a 12 year old (2’3 / 2’6 courses).

Now, I KNOW time in the saddle and commitment would fix the depressing feeling, and I theoretically could somehow make a half lease riding 3 days a week work, but coupled with again yet another job change and some major career progression (I’m 31 and I have no kids) that affords me massive leverage in a house purchase situation – life right now is screaming at me that I have other priorities (work, health / fitness outside riding, saving for major kitchen and bathroom remodels).

We are house hunting in only extremely horsey areas and I know I’ll be back riding again within a year or so. In the mean time, I am hitting the gym and yoga studios, dropping some unnatural weight that made me feel sloppy in the tack and preparing to lease, clinic, and compete in the near-ish future.

Your situation sounds a bit more permanent than mine, so I’d recommend a work-around like lessoning multiple times a day (even at different barns). I did this before in SoCal.

I’d lesson on my lease horse at my main HJ barn and then have another lesson in the early afternoon at an eventing barn 30 or so minutes away from HJ barn. Sometimes I’d do that both Saturday AND Sunday, so despite only “riding 3 days a week”. I had 5 lessons per week - best I ever rode in my life!

[LilyandBaron]

I would definitely get more saddle time with local western options, then make the drive occasionally for h/j lessons. You could likely do some ground poles on western horses and even may get to throw on English tack. At your level, saddle time at wtc (or wjl- walk, jog, lope) will still be helpful. And many QH folks value having all-around horses. Practice two point on the flat, and keep your eye, or help develop an eye, with the ground poles. When you go to a h/j lesson, ask for exercises you can do on a western horse to help you. Good luck!

[Always_WIP]

This. I also ride with someone that is an hour and 15 min away on average. It’s a matter of priorities… but also privilege. I decided I really wanted to be a better rider and I would make that a priority and do whatever was needed to make it happen. I found a trainer who has a lot of upper level experience and really stresses the fundamentals. I’m basically in riding boot camp and I love it.

I am lucky enough that I work a job that is primarily based on east coast time/international so I’m done by 3pm. It’s still a 75 min drive to the barn at 3pm, but I just listen to a lot of podcasts and audio books. I live by myself, and don’t have any children. I do have a high energy but older dog so I always dedicate at least one day a weekend to take him on a full day adventure - hiking, backpacking, etc. Right now my job is hybrid, and unfortunately with doggo if I go into the office I can’t then ride after work. It just wouldn’t be fair to him. So that means I have 5 days left in my week to schedule riding, 4 if you subtract 1 day on the weekend where I try to take the doggo out hiking.

That means on those 4 days? I ride. That is my priority. I am in the career I am in partially because it allows me to (moderately) afford to ride. As an adult, sometimes work does interfere. But I’m also good with setting the boundaries there. If there’s a major problem then I would of course have to cancel my lesson. Otherwise, I just take my work phone with me if I’m concerned something may come up after my shift. I treat riding like any other appointment - it’s not optional. Sometimes on the crazy weeks I may not make it out all 4 days, in which case I prioritize the lessons.

Honestly it comes down to priorities, time, and privilege. If you really want it, you can make it happen. Sometimes you have to adjust your goals or expectations, but you can get your horse time in. One thing I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned - a lot of us “do our time” establishing ourselves in our career for a few years and making our career the priority. Then once you succeed there, and start to gain seniority, you can also shift your focus. Usually as you gain seniority you also gain flexibility - not only are your skills more in demand but your work hours or benefits are more flexible. I still work a standard 8 hr shift, so I don’t have the full flexibility some WFH employees do. But I also have a company phone, so I can continue to work as I do things like take my dog on a walk or head to the barn.

I definitely work in order to afford my life - but my focus is on what I do in the off hours rather than my work hours. That’s what makes me happy, but it took several years of establishing myself in my career before I took up riding again. I didn’t start riding again until my late 20s.

[Tini_Sea_Soldier1]

Ugh… this was essentially my 30’s… and with the exception of a few weekend warrior attempts, I had to go on hiatus. I finally got fed up and left the NYC area and did a full 180 on my lifestyle. For many reasons, it worked out, but it was a HUGE leap of faith.
I’ve been used to driving up to a little over an hour when I was in college and had to drive clear across NJ to ride, but there’s a lot more pressure and times are very different when you’re trying to swing it after working in NYC. It is hard to find trainers that understand that subways and trains are a nightmare and that as much as you’d love to make it there before 730pm, it’s usually not plausible. I understand that they’re up early, so I just gave up and accepted that life needed to change if I was going to “have it all”.
Fast forward 10+ years and things are better, but I do feel your pain and echo the sentiments of trying something different if it means more time in the tack.

[outside_leg]

Absolutely prioritize work first. That makes complete sense. But if you also want to ride, you have to get creative.

In my twenties, I worked about 80-90 hours a week. The worst of it was when I was living in Maryland. I had an hour commute to work in DC and a forty commute in the opposite direction to the barn (so two hours from work plus another hour to get home if I went at the end of the day). That was not a tenable solution most days, so I ended up riding at 5 AM on weekdays (with the barn owner’s permission). It was a grueling schedule to be up at 4 every morning, ride the horse, then go to the Hill for a work day that could stretch into the night. But riding is what keeps me sane and keeps me going, so I did it. I had an inexpensive OTTB at that time and found barns that catered to working ammys so I could ride around my work schedule.

I also made sacrifices elsewhere. I didn’t have much of a social life. Beyond paying my bills, I didn’t have much money. It all went to the horse. Not everyone would have made that choice, but it worked for me. And putting in those kind of hours in my twenties has gotten me to a place in my 30s where I have a flexible schedule, can ride at normal hours, and have a really nice young jumper that I can do about 5-6 big A shows a year with. So the sacrifices and long hours and early mornings paid off for me. If a schedule like that can work for you, it’s something to consider.

[mfglickman]

I got my daughter a 2019 Crosstrek; it has all the safety bells and whistles, Subaru AWD, heated seats and wiper wells/mirrors, and yet she gets 29 mpg driving mostly small country and in town roads. Better on the highway. Higher up than the Impreza, which she wanted so as not to feel too short next to all the pickups around here.

[hillary_again]

@HunterJumper8983, I feel your dilemma.
Get back to riding and do it in any discipline that you can.
At your age, priority needs to be career, so that you can, as others state, move career-wise into positions that may give you more flexibility or the option to move to other employers with better locations.
I took 15 years off of riding and 25 off of horse owning to focus on my career. I don’t regret that, even though yes, that would have been a ton of fun. I got to retire early and have plenty of time and $ for riding.
I’ve compromised in the discipline at barns twice in order to find a location that would work for me. At one, a h/j trainer moved in right after I started taking lessons. Perfect! At another, I was boarding, and again, new trainer shows up, and even though hj is not her current focus, she had background in hj and could help me with jumping.
Best wishes! It’s a tough call.

[QHEventer]

@LilyandBaron

I would definitely get more saddle time with local western options, then make the drive occasionally for h/j lessons. You could likely do some ground poles on western horses and even may get to throw on English tack. At your level, saddle time at wtc (or wjl- walk, jog, lope) will still be helpful. And many QH folks value having all-around horses. Practice two point on the flat, and keep your eye, or help develop an eye, with the ground poles. When you go to a h/j lesson, ask for exercises you can do on a western horse to help you. Good luck!

At your level of riding, I think this is a great plan. You can still get a lot out of lessons at a western barn that will cross over to your h/j barn. Could you schedule one lesson a week at the hunter barn and try to ride a couple of days a week after work at the western barn?

If you find the right lease horse, you may be able to do some HUS stuff with him, a lot of the horses that show AQHA do both disciplines. There are big differences between the way they move vs a USEF hunter, but at least you can work on balance, two-point, eq, in an english saddle!