People with full time jobs - tell me how you manage your riding

[WavyRider]

I have a full-time job that requires 3 days a week in the office. I work remote Mondays and Fridays. I have one green 7 year old horse who is delightful, but definitely green. My typical week looks something like this:

M: work remote 8-4, barn 4-7 (including commute, tacking up, riding, putting horse away)
T: training ride for horse
W: no barn, horse has a day off
Th: work 8-5, barn 5-8 for a lesson
F: work remote 8-4, hack
Sa: hack
Su: hack, barn chores (clean tack, prepare supplements, laundry)

It can be a lot. If I have any additional social commitments, it can get really tough. One day a week is going to become a groundwork day, but I will probably play that by ear. I TRY to get him out six days a week, including the training ride, but it usually ends up being five. It might mean a slightly longer timeline to achieve my long-term goals but really, those goals would just be the cherry on top. I’m here to have fun, take great care of my horse, and make gradual progress

Edit to add! I meal prep on the weekends, so I usually only have to cook once a week. Other chores get done when I have time. But my horse is my priority over things like dusting and vacuuming

[Xanthoria]

I feel like we need some sort of Marie Kondo life reassessment person who can come in, look at every minute of your day, and your budget, and slice and dice until it works.

For example:
You spend 2 hours total per week cleaning over x days. And 30 mins total complaining about it. Hire a cleaner for one hour per week who is better at it than you, and sell the antiques that take forever to dust (and you hate anyway) to pay for that. With the leftover money you buy a new saddle that improves your position and your trainer starts to get excited about you. With the extra 2.5 hours per week you ride more. At your next show you win all the blues.

[S1969]

@shadesofbay3

definitely not a morning person either

This is part of the problem. If you can’t do things after work, you’ll need to do them before work.

I hardly ride at all anymore (and horses in my backyard) but participate in another sport that eats up my time. And with the changing daylight and changing school/work schedules - I am rewriting my “how to manage it” plan this weekend as well.

The key is to schedule and manage your time - not just wing it every day. Because the time is gone before you know it. So you need to be intentional with what you’re doing all day long - morning, mid-day, evening, and weekends.

To plan my workouts, my coach had us write a weekly schedule Sunday-Saturday, and block off when we were NOT available - and that meant when we were commuting to or at work, sleeping, and any other actual hard commitment (e.g. church, standing meetings/groups outside work).

What is left is the time you can schedule the important things (riding, workouts)

If you don’t want to ride in the morning - you can still block out time to do other things that will free up your evenings for riding – food prep, laundry, other workouts, etc. My “new” schedule will add in workouts to the mornings instead of the evenings, and that will cut into my internet scrolling time. Also, my evenings need to be more productive after 7:00pm – meaning prep meals, choose clothes, etc. Not plop on the couch and watch mindless TV.

[lenapesadie]

@Xanthoria

You spend 2 hours total per week cleaning over x days. And 30 mins total complaining about it. Hire a cleaner for one hour per week who is better at it than you, and sell the antiques that take forever to dust (and you hate anyway) to pay for that. With the leftover money you buy a new saddle that improves your position and your trainer starts to get excited about you. With the extra 2.5 hours per week you ride more. At your next show you win all the blues.

I love this

[eightpondfarm]

When I boarded i had a stall in the park in the city, so it was close…about a 15min drive. My horse was in a stall with ZERO turnout. Only way out of the 12x12 box was through me. I took him out before work, sometimes for a quick ride, often, just a walk around the polo field or a turnout in an arena. I got to the office around 10. Then, I came back after work, after dark…and rode, sometimes going back into the office if there was a big project going on. I worked about 60-80hrs a week. And my boss, who was a fairly pretentious man, occasionally kinda bragged that i rode before work. And how could he mind…i got my work done, was around enough hours during the day to interface with the people who reported to me. And i put in so many hours on nights and weekends …

[tabula_rashah]

Here is my typical day-
Get up 4:30, take of the cats, the dog, do household chore stuff, pack DH and my’s lunch (we work at the same place)
Out the door by 6:30
30 mins to the barn (self care, 5 horses on 24/7 turnout)
Takes about 30 mins to do barn chores- then off to work (25 min drive)
Work from 8:00 until 4-5ish
Then either back to the barn if I’m riding or home to go running/ workout
If I ride home around 7-7:30, DH makes dinner, I do dishes
usually get about 15-30 mins to sit down and read, then head to bed

I try to get a longer ride or two in on the weekends. I ride endurance though and riding 2-3 times a week is much better than 5 or 6 as far as conditioning goes

I pretty much DGAF about house keeping- if I vacuum once a month that’s fine. Dishes are done, laundry is done, yard is mowed- that’s good enough for me.

[mep0726]

@beowulf

I found that while I’m not a morning person, the days I rode before work I had so much more mental clarity and much better rides. Bad days at work, horrible traffic during commutes, and general life stressors sometimes made it so that I would get to the barn and know I need to ride, but would go for a trail ride or a quick spin around the property instead.

^^100% this. I’ve had two horses for several years and used to always ride after work, so first horse in/grooming by 5:30pm or so and then finishing up/leaving the barn around 9pm. However, I moved to a barn a few years ago that did not have a lighted ring. Therefore, I had to begin waking up early to ride before work to either 1) beat the heat in our hot humid summers or 2) have enough daylight to ride in the winter (and usually would ride one before work and one after work). I had such better rides that I’ve switched over to early AM rides year-round because they keep more motivated and I feel like I get more accomplished.

I work a fairly busy job, with hours that can vary from 40-60 hours/week (and sometimes involve very early mornings or very late evenings). However, I do have quite a bit of control over my schedule so I can schedule calls for earlier or later to fit my rides in. I also have some calls I can take from the back of a horse while cooling them out. I am usually up by 5AM on weekdays with a goal of getting both horses ridden and leaving the barn by 8:30AM.

As far as other areas of life, I try to run 2-3 times/week on my lunch break (we’re talking short 30 minute, 3 mile runs here, nothing very long). SO and I usually meal prep on Sundays for the week so all we have to do is grab and go for lunches and dinners. House cleaning usually gets done on the weekends or in the evenings during the week as well as mowing the grass, though SO is a big contributor to helping get those done.

My recommendation (and what I think helped me the most) was waking up early to ride, as well as getting a semi-flex schedule. Good luck!

[eponacelt]

Like a lot of people have said, you have to set your priorities and stick to them.

My stats: Married, with 3 horses at home, 10 acres, plus 2 dogs, a cat and 3 chickens. I work full time from home, but with plenty of travel, so some days I leave the house at 7am and get home at 7pm. Other days have more normal work hours. DH is a firefighter, and works 24 hour shifts. Our schedules are…irregular.

My priorities:
1 - Making sure everyone is fed.
2 - Riding (2 horses in work with each ridden 5x/week)
2a - Work
3 - Working out (Run 3 days a week, lift weighs or yoga 3x/week)
4 - All other chores including gardening, cleaning, and generally making my house look nice.

We manage in a few ways. One is that I have cleaning service every other week. Best money I’ve ever spent. I also do SunBasket so that is 3 easy dinners each week, which really helps.

Other than that, I’m very lucky to have a partner with an equally obsessive hobby (vintage car racing). And when we bought the far 11 years ago, I was really clear on the terms - riding, not maintenance, was my priority. He had to help out as this farm wasn’t just so I could pursue my hobby, it was for him too (he wanted more space for his garages and cars). So the deal was that he needed to help with all the animals.

Its not always easy and there are plenty of weeks where I don’t get all the things done. Maybe the horses are only ridden 3 days each, or I don’t get out for a run. But I do try to plan my weeks on Sunday as far as who I think I’ll be able to ride each day, when I’ll workout, and can usually figure out a way to eat dinner with my husband on a few nights that he’s actually home.

And then there are some weeks that I’m just exhausted. And say fuckitall, and nothing happens. But I’m an amateur and that’s my prerogative!

[joiedevie99]

I ride before work. I picked a house, job, and barn that are all relatively close. This is the key for me. Too much commute time kills all. My groom has my horse tacked and waiting in the ring when I arrive. If my lesson runs exceedingly long, our working student can hop on to cool horse out. I go straight to the office, check email, triage emergencies, and then head down to the basement where we have a small gym and shower there.

[GoodTimes]

I do it by prioritizing it.

I’m also in my thirties with an SO, no kids, a dog, chickens, honeybees, a full time job (40-50 hrs/wk), and two horses in work.
SO is not only supportive, but he’s equally as busy. He owns his own electrical business and has been swamped the last couple years. He has his own time consuming hobbies (hunting and fishing). We’re both very understanding of each others schedules.

My schedule on any given day usually looks like this
5am - wake up and go for a run/walk the dog, tend to the chickens and gardens (or clear snow in the winter)
7:15 am - leave for work
8-4:30pm - work
*if I’m lucky and SO is home early or has come home at some point to let the dog out then I can go straight to the barn and ride both horses - home by 8ish to eat and shower
**If I need to go home to take the dog out then I usually make dinner and go to the barn later, usually I only have time for one horse on those nights
9:30 pm bed time

I’m usually at the barn 5-6 days/wk. Each horse gets ridden at least three times/wk.

I run errands on the weekend, or squeeze them into my 30 minute lunch.

My house only gets cleaned when we know someone is coming over.

[exvet]

My children are grown; but, I have ridden my entire life. Riding has always been my priority. I have taken jobs that gave me the flexibility to fit riding in along with juggling all the rest. I will ride in the wee hours of the morning, late at night, really whatever it takes. I am a queen at efficiency when it comes to getting barn chores done, dogs taken care of, house cleaned, meals cooked, laundry done, etc. This includes running errands. I will say that the one key factor for me, however, is having the horses at home. I have a lighted arena and am able to adjust my schedule to accommodate my goals.

I recognize that the drive time and initiative to get to the barn can be a speed bump in the road; but, when I lived in an area where I had to haul my horses to an indoor arena in order to get the saddle time I needed for specific goals I simply did it. I would arrange my schedule ahead of time and tell my friend I was coming in x, y, z nights with my trailer and horses. Having someone expecting me helped me keep to my intentions. Juggling the rest was no easy feat and being an insomniac made it easier to get more things done.

Being flexible, efficient and creative are often skills we riders develop if we don’t already have them. I think many of us, too, will have a shorter lifespan in the end due to the burning the candle at both ends; but, if I die with my boots on…well, I choose that end to all others.

[Live_Wire]

Early 30’s, full time job (45-50 hours a week), help on the backend with my boyfriend’s excavating company (about 10 hours a week), no kids, 4 dogs, 5 cats, 2 horses at home (retired), 1 offsite (10 min commute). While boyfriend is very independent, he’s not self sufficient. I am the magic behind the madness. Aside from the boyfriend letting the dogs out and sometimes turning out the horses, I run the show. My schedule:

4:30 am - wake up before the alarm goes off, turn of coffee, let out dogs, let out horses
5 am - wake up the boyfriend, make lunch/shakes for the day while he’s showering, meds (we have two elderly’s who need a little extra attention), run the vacuum quickly <-- very important part of my day lol
5:30 am - see boyfriend off, enjoy a cup of coffee outside with the dogs
6 am - hit the shower and throw myself together
6:45 am - on the road
7 am - 3:30/4pm - work.

Life after work gets chaotic. I do all the grocery shopping, cleaning, etc. Generally I try to run any errands directly after work. The goal is always to be home no later than 6 pm. If boyfriend is working out of state or had a long day, I go home and let the dogs of first before running any errands.

6 pm - dogs out, make dinner (i’m the queen of 30 minute meals)
6:30 pm - dogs in & fed, run down, do barn chores. PM feed (sometimes they just get fed outside in their pans), usually boyfriend is home and lets dogs out while he cuts grass or works on his car
7 pm - barn #2
7:30 pm - tacked and on
8:15-8:30 pm - untacked, “midnight snack”, turn out
9 pm - home, eat dinner, spend time with boyfriend
9:30 pm - boyfriend is generally asleep. I vacuum again and try to tackle one big cleaning chore. Filter through work e-mails. Make a plan for the following day.
11:00-11:30 pm - bed

Rinse & repeat.

On Saturdays boyfriend is generally working, so I use that morning time to clean the house really well, laundry, etc.

It’s not a rigid schedule, but that’s how I try to run my days. When something goes wrong, and it inevitably does, I move quickly to reroute and I don’t spend too much time panicking. I like lists and plans. If I’m organized I feel like I have a better shot at being able to accomplish everything I need to.

Curbside is crucial to my success and I have adopted the mantra “you sleep when you’re dead.”

[S1969]

@Live_Wire

4:30 am - wake up before the alarm goes off, turn of coffee, let out dogs, let out horses
5 am - wake up the boyfriend, make lunch/shakes for the day while he’s showering, meds (we have two elderly’s who need a little extra attention), run the vacuum quickly <-- very important part of my day lol
9:30 pm - boyfriend is generally asleep. I vacuum again and try to tackle one big cleaning chore. Filter through work e-mails. Make a plan for the following day.
11:00-11:30 pm - bed

Have you ever considered buying a Roomba? (Serious question, no snark. I bought one this year after reading the thread here on COTH and it’s a life changer!!)

Also - I appreciate that some people can sleep when they are dead…but I absolutely need more sleep than you get, especially when I’m in training because the workouts require recovery. Everyone is different, of course. You’re very efficient with your schedule - but seriously…Roomba! (Unless you find vacuuming to be a form of meditation, I know some people do.)

[Live_Wire]

we do have a roomba! his name is mr. carson. he helps me with the living room & dining room that is closed off to all critters. our kitchen and family room/breezeway (which is right off our garage) are our common rooms and the rooms we spend our most amount of time in. We have three German Shepherds and two dedicated indoor cats (and one kitten who doesn’t seem to want to be an indoor/outdoor cat) - they’re not too keen on the roomba and even when I have tried to run it in those rooms, it’s hardly far to expect it to keep out with the amount of tumbleweeds that come off the shepherds…

it’s a lot. sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough, but writing it all out really puts it into perspective.

[Live_Wire]

I should note, too, that my goal is for the house to always be drop in ready and presentable… but I can’t say that you could eat off our floors. If you’re worried about eating off my floors, we probably can’t be friends.

[S1969]

@Live_Wire

I should note, too, that my goal is for the house to always be drop in ready and presentable… but I can’t say that you could eat off our floors. If you’re worried about eating off my floors, we probably can’t be friends.

LOL I would never expect to eat off of anyone’s floors, including my own. I have dogs as well.

My dogs, and my one cat, are totally uninterested in the Roomba and the dogs will actually let it bounce off of them rather than move. LOL. Lazy bums!

I love that yours is named Mr. Carson. That’s awesome! I have tried giving mine a name but it doesn’t stick (Roger, Rhoda, etc.) . Maybe I wasn’t creative enough!

[Vyce]

When I leased for several months I rode 4-5 times a week, just trail riding or spending ground time with my mare. I work full time and am in school part time. No kids or S.O. just 3 cats. Housework definitely suffered, laundry was sometimes left in the dryer to wrinkle, and dishes got done late at night or not at all on barn nights. Work, study, ride were my top priorities. Especially riding since it was a temporary lease so I worked my study time around ride time and let housework go by the way side. (I sound like a slob lol. Tbh I am a little bit and when I buy my first horse I easily see myself letting the household chores go quite a bit. Because honey moon phase of first horse☺)

[Faye]

So many suggestions here, and I agree with everyone. I agree, prioritization is important, that means even if you are not a morning person, you will have to get up early and get to the barn, or do your workouts /chores in the morning, or sacrifice your chill time/tv time in the evening for other chores.

We have no human kids, but demanding job, there is no way for me to ride in the morning before work, and i work from home! Zoom meetings with europe can start at 6 or 7 some days.
The key for me, is to find a barn that has shorter commute. For a 30 min commute, 1hr lesson/ride, and those without grooms to tack/untack, that’s 3hrs a day. My commute was 45 min at one point to barn, and i couldn’t deal with that anymore.

[Live_Wire]

His name came from a night off involving a Downton Abbey binge and a lot of wine!

[SharonA1]

All these amazing, packed, well-organized schedules… but one day, you’ll turn 50.