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

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

One big detriment I find with long commutes, especially as I age, is the wear and tear on my body being in the car for substantial lengths of time. 2 hours out of a busy day to commute is also 2 hours of not stretching, working out, making a healthy meal, and so forth.

If your lessons are only a half hour, I’d see if your could do an hour private to secure more time and more productive time riding. But if there’s a Western option closer by, go for that. I’d disagree a little about trying to ride in a Western saddle in two-point. Your center of balance is totally different. Instead, learn what you can from the discipline. A friend who is a fellow dressage rider really credited her time riding Western with giving her a fantastic, relaxed seat and more confidence in the tack.

[OverandOnward]

@Impractical_Horsewoman

I’d disagree a little about trying to ride in a Western saddle in two-point. Your center of balance is totally different. Instead, learn what you can from the discipline. A friend who is a fellow dressage rider really credited her time riding Western with giving her a fantastic, relaxed seat and more confidence in the tack.

Agreed on all points.

I was also going to mention that Western riding needs to be thought of in context. It is a very good thing to be comfortable in different styles of riding, aids and tack. But Western saddles place the rider’s seat and balance completely differently than hunt seat. Depending on the style of Western you do, of course.

Western saddles commonly place the girth and the stirrups differently from hunt seat. In a way that will have the rider tilted back, ‘sitting on your pockets’, as it were. With the stirrups more in front of you, it is a secure balance in the seat, but it is not hunt seat balance. (Stirrups a bit more forward encouraging ‘chair seat’, girth a bit more back re-centering the rider on the horse’s back. Not made to shorten stirrups for an effective two-point.)

Some people have an adjustment to go from Western to hunt seat that isn’t easy for them. But of course if you are mindful not just of the differences, but why they are different (stirrup and girth position as well as shape of the seat), it can be a good thing to be able to do fluidly. Many many riders do, of course, even in the course of one show day. But sometimes a rider focusing on one discipline is not expecting that and find it hard to re-adjust their balance.

[c0608524]

I live in an area where most reputable lesson barns (and programs) are an hour commute away.

The best decision for my budget and lifestyle was to buy a truck and trailer (over the course of a few years), board at a local, quiet boarding barn and trailer out for lessons when needed

When I was younger I would trailer out a lot. Now, my goals have changed and I’m enjoying riding with just small, personal goals in mind. Occasionally when we hit a hiccup or busy part of life I will send my horse for a 30 day boot camp.

It does suck at times. I know I’d progress significantly more if I had an in-house coach, but realistically having an hour commute just isn’t for me.

[RAyers]

For me, it was easier to move to the place where the horses are and then have the long commute to work. So, I live a few miles from where my horse is boarded and commute 40 miles one way to work. This way I can always ride. Yes, it makes long days (at work by 6-7am and home sometime around 7-8pm). The next step is buying a small farm of my own and then having the horses home. I still haul all over to get my weekly lessons and to practice at various courses. It leads to busy weekends.

I think at this point in your riding career, any saddle time is beneficial, regardless of discipline. Right now you need to develop the musculature and instincts for just being on a horse.

Without knowing more of your own life and situation/goals in and out of riding it is difficult to say more. In my case, I want to play at the upper levels of eventing and even in the jumpers. So, horses become the second priority to my career. Things like social life and such take the tertiary priority unless they are intimately involved with work or riding. And I work hard to make sure that I don’t let one thing become the only dominant activity (I draw boundaries at work and with riding).

[modifiedequitation]

I live about 50 minutes from my horse, and when I decided to goto my current farm, there were a lot of questions I had to ask myself.

• How much do you want to ride? Do you want to take riding seriously, or just recreationally?
  If you just want to ride recreationally or for fun, then a closer barn may be better for you. But if you want to start advancing in your riding, then a farther option might be better for you.
• Can you afford it?
  If it’s going to make you financially insecure, it’s not worth it to spend money on the very high price of gas.
• How bad do you want it?
  If you’re willing to find time and put the work in, then a farther option may be better if you want to advance.
  Good luck in your decision!

[OverandOnward]

@RAyers

(I draw boundaries at work and with riding).

This is one of the keys to making it all work. Don’t try to evaluate day by day. Think about it thoroughly and rationally, make some boundary decisions as your own personal policy, and do your best to stick with them.

I did not do this well, and I should have. I also should have informed some people of what my personal boundaries were, And why if that would help. In hindsight I really should have had a productive private talk with a snarky trainer.

If something regularly challenges your boundaries and makes it hard to keep life on the track you intend - a boss, a trainer, a problem horse, etc. - time to consider a change to either change your ‘personal boundary policy’ or change the roadblock (boss, trainer, horse, etc.).

[Peggy]

I have done the long commute a few times and sworn never again. Yet, here I am again with my horse ~60 miles away with commute options that include the 405 and 101 freeways, and I have to pass through the 10-405 interchange unless I go way out of my way. Those freeway numbers–if you know, you know.

I’m retired which helps immensely. Going home to barn to work to home via, at one time, a 120 mile triangle and being gone from 8 am to after 10 pm most days and going to work without showering after the barn. Not fun. The only thing that made that work was the night teaching schedule.

Audio books and podcasts help immensely. You just have to give in to the fact that there is going to be the book here and there that is not very enjoyable to listen to because it’s the type of book where you’d be flipping back and forth to get details or writing down characters’ names. Either that or you have to give up knowing exactly who that character is when they make a reappearance several hours later.

The fact that I have a sound and happy horse to ride when I get there is the biggest factor.

I drive a hybrid car which helps.

I part lease a horse at a barn that is closer to me to get in some additional riding time.

[173north]

@Impractical_Horsewoman

One big detriment I find with long commutes, especially as I age, is the wear and tear on my body being in the car for substantial lengths of time.

When I was doing a 3 hr round trip to the barn 2x or 3x per week - most of that in crazy city traffic, not cruising on the highway - I was going to PT for right knee pain. Now it’s 30 or 40 minutes round trip every day and the knee pain is gone! It still acts up on long drives but it really impacted my quality of life (and riding) and I never, ever put together that it was from all the driving until I moved and shortened the barn commute.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Yes, riding is a physical activity, and the human body wasn’t really designed to be sitting that much! I know for some people the tradeoff is necessary–if they have high competitive goals in a specific discipline, or a horse that needs very specific care–but the mileage on the body as well as the car is another significant factor to consider!

[sname1234]

So… I have a 2hr commute… each way. I only ride on the weekend. I work too much during the week to ride more anyway so it doesn’t bother me too much. It’s not ideal and hopefully temporary but my horse needs a very personalized program to compete at a high level, there isn’t anything that I could make work locally. The joy that I get from quality rides beats quantity of bad rides. I’m also in a phase of my riding where it’s not my whole world and I’m not moving up, just trying to maintain where I’m at. Starting out, I’d say more saddle time beats less but there’s something to be said for getting quality instruction, being aware of how to balance these will help you make informed decisions. Best of luck to you!

[mika0116]

I also just remembered something that isn’t likely helpful for the level that you are at now, OP.

But I did know a woman who worked at my first employer (a Big 4 Accting / Consulting firm) who worked very horrible (80hrs /week) job for 4-5 months of the year, but competed at the 1.20 -1.40 level in VA / NY and for 1 week at WEF.

She had 2 horses she owned and I think one retired when I knew her (granted her family was supporting her financially with the horses, she paid her own rent in the city and such) and she rode when she could and the rest of the time her trainers rode. She had been competing at 1.20+ since her teenage years so the muscle memory was there enough for her to be competitive with only 2 or so rides a week - typically 2 lessons on Sunday and a hack / flat on Saturdays.

So echoing @sname1234, the limited good rides made up for quantity of subpar rides for my friend / coworker. But she could only do it because someone else was footing the bills…

[Mocha0303]

I don’t know if anyone suggested this, but I have several practical suggestions that don’t make the commute shorter but might make it easier.

I bring my riding clothes and either change at work or at the barn. I never go home as going to change is never as fast as you think it will be

I eat in the car. That way I don’t have to spend time preparing some food prior to going.

I am lucky that I have a route that allows me to stop and run errands… grocery shopping etc… along the way. That means you don’t have to spend time going out twice.

There has been lots of great advice regarding disciplines. You have to update us on what you decide to do!

[findeight]

For OP, couple of positive thoughts to balance work, riding and your health ( physical and mental) for where you are in your life right now.

Pick 2 days a week to make the drive. That would get you 2 days a week, which is probably the minimum acceptable on the riding side and not run yourself ragged. Maybe every other week you pick up a third day? Maybe only once a month pick up that third day but that time will add up as you go.

If you have sone extra days off, schedule a sort of mini bootcamp, drive and lesson everyday for, like, 4-5 days. Always made huge progress doing that…not sustainable for more then that 4-5 stretch due to other demands on my time but well worth it.

Other thing is those close by Western barns. Disagree it will retard your future hunt seat progress. Yes there are differences but you are an Adult and can adapt. I rode Western for 15 years, was pretty good, especially in Trail, Western Riding ( pattern class with multiple lead changes) and a little bit of Reining.

Then had to take an almost 8 year break and ended up in the Northeast where there were no acceptable Western trainers within several hours but a good selection of quality H/J barns and educated trainers within 45 minutes. Yes, it felt awkward at first but Western taught me to feel where my horses feet were, feel the leads and manage strides. I got pretty good pretty quick. Even when traveling for a living and riding 3 days a week on average.

If you find an educated trainer, the Western option can mean more quality saddle time to allow you to develop as a thinking, competent rider.

Will say that for where you are right now. I would not recommend mixing the disciplines right now. True there are riders, including Pros who do both but they are already quite experienced. Pick one for now, you have many years ahead of you to experience and learn as much as you can about partnering with a horse and which discipline really works best for you and gives you the best access to quality programs,

Oh, Dressage barns might work too, if there are any nearby with legitimately educated trainers. Again though, you do not sit on and communicate with the horse the same way.

The trick is finding the right trainer with the right program centered in solid basics and sometimes you might need to compromise on discipline to find that unless you move,

Remember, bad, ignorant trainers running crap programs WILL retard your progress as a rider and can haunt your riding for life. For now, ride as often as you can whatever the best trainers near you teach. Good basics are good basics.

[SweetestDownfall]

I did 6 months driving 2 hrs round trip and it got really old. I was leasing at that time too so I really felt so much pressure to ride 4-5+ days a week even when I had a lot going on with work, etc to “get my moneys worth”

I think this is just such a personal decision about what’s tolerable for you so you are comfortable and not sacrificing other parts of your life that you truly don’t want to give up.

[clanter]

@sname1234

I have a 2hr commute… each way.

I will stop complaining about walking the 125 feet to the barn in the backyard in the 104F heat… it has been taking me 2 hours to build up the courage to step out to check on the horses

2hr commute… each way… while I know what that is as for several decades I covered a sales territory that ranged from the Rio Grande Valley to the Canadian border … I would be depressed on that two hour commute to an office

[sname1234]

Haha @mika0116 this sounds like me, only I have to cover the bills