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

[sweetsalute]

I’m fortunate in that I work from home basically full time (I try to go to the office once a week, and that’s only a 20min commute). I also have flexible hours, and the actual hours I do matters less than whether the work is actually getting done.

No kids (never will), one dog and live with my boyfriend, who runs his own business and usually has several hours free in the middle of the day, but starts early.

Most mornings I’ll get up, walk the dog and then start work. I’ll go to the gym in mid-late morning, come home, work until 3 or so, head out to ride and then if need be will squeeze some more work in when I get home around 6. Horses are only 20min away. I try to get out there 4 times a week (one day almost always being Saturday). Young one gets worked every time, old girl sporadically but she doesn’t need much.

I should mention I take my laptop to the gym with me and will check work between weights sets. I also have some work capability from my phone if needed.

Work from home (at least part time) is amazing if you can get it. I used to work 9-5:30 five days a week with an hour commute. If I wanted to ride, I had to be up at 5:30am and out the door in 5 mins, and no time for anything beyond what was absolutely necessary. I’m much less stressed now, and because I work from home, heaps of little chores can be done during the day. I also meal prep on weekends, so no weekday cooking is required.

[exvet]

LOL, I’m 58 and have lived such a schedule my entire riding career which started when I was 6 years old (earlier really but I didn’t start showing my ponies until 6).

I have scaled back in terms of no more breeding, sold off all the mares, the stallions were sold too and all the youngstock except one. My kids are grown and moved away. I have a total of 4 horses now with one fully retired. I still work a full-time job that is physically demanding, take care of my horse place (have horses at home) and all other critters here, take care of my elderly mother who requires assisted living, and am still training and competing. I backed another one last year and in two months will have had this one under saddle for a full year. Yes, I’m slower and tire more easily; but, I can still back/start/train 'em. I can still do just about everything on my own (I did give up on floating teeth on my own just this year and bartered with a colleague to do my 4). So what is your point? I am definitely not one foot in the grave. My kids grew up happy and are still into horses. I still have a passion for riding. I am looking forward to retirement from my PROFESSIONAL/REAL job…but anyone else in my shoes would be too. Burning the candles at both ends has likely shortened my lifespan but dying with my boots on?! I can’t think of a better way to go

[Faye]

I envy you, but chime in to say working from home does not necessarily mean your time is more flexible. If my work is project based and work alone, sure, i can do it while i’m horse showing, between classes. but when you have to be in zoom meetings all day long, not a chance

[S1969]

@Faye

I envy you, but chime in to say working from home does not necessarily mean your time is more flexible. If my work is project based and work alone, sure, i can do it while i’m horse showing, between classes. but when you have to be in zoom meetings all day long, not a chance

If I was in Zoom meetings all day I’d have to quit. LOL. Seriously, though, I’d much rather be in the office if that’s how my day looked. Obviously some jobs don’t meet with people in the office anyway, so perhaps being in the office doesn’t make it less tedious. When I work from home, I have a lot more flexibility, but my job does not require me to be in meetings all day.

@SharonA1

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

Ehh…age is only one factor. Maybe the most critical part of the schedule as you get older is making sure you get enough sleep - but I never functioned well without sleep even when I was in my 20s. I’m in way better shape now (52) and accomplish a lot more than I did then, too.

The biggest key to my scheduling - stop wasting time. Downtime is important, but it’s so easy to waste time in front of the computer or TV. I’m doing it right now.

It’s fine to schedule some down time in – I simply can’t get out of bed and go to the gym. So, it’s ok for me to have coffee and surf the internet. But I need to set a time when I’m back in training or 20 minutes turns into 45 very quickly.

[GoodTimes]

I’ll add that it’s also much easier to squeeze a ride in when the barn is quiet. I try to go early in the morning on the weekends and later in the evenings during the week when I’m really busy. That way I don’t need to try to ride around lessons and I don’t get sucked in to talking to people.
Funny how there’s a time vortex when you start talking to people. The barn is a big part of my social life, but sometimes I really do just need to put my head down, get in, ride, and get out.

[luvmyhackney]

That’s my current issue and why I’m tempted to leave project management and go back to a DevOps role. Very little meetings.

[NeedsAdvil]

My barn is 45 minutes away from both my home and work, which are about 15 minutes apart. In the summer months usually twice a week I get up before 5am and am on my horse by 6:30 for an hour which still gets me to the office by 8:45 at the latest if all goes well. I also rely on my husband for a lot, he does most of the dog walking, all the laundry, and a good share of the housekeeping. He works from home so it’s a little easier for him. I then have my weekly lesson in the evening or on one of those mornings depending on the weather. I generally ride Saturday and Sunday as well. Some weeks my horse gets ridden only twice, but he’s pretty easy about that which makes life a lot easier.

On competition weeks, it’s tricky as I may have to make several evening trips to the barn to ride, groom, clean tack, organize the trailer, etc. Now that hunting season has started and it’s too dark to ride before work, a friend of mine who is staff uses my horse during the weekday hunt and I hunt him most Sundays. I take about two lessons a month and scale back competing so hunting season is actually kind of our “slow” season.

I long for the day when I will have my horses and job in close proximity to where I live and can do more or at least spread out what I am doing a little more.

[DawgLady]

I live super close to the barn, and I pay for pro rides during the week. I also hire a maid and a landscaper. Otherwise it would be impossible. I have a demanding FT job w/ work travel, two kids, a husband, two dogs, and volunteer commitments.

[sweetsalute]

Yes it’s definitely job dependant! I’m lucky that mine is basically email based software support, half of which is configuration stuff that can be done at 1am if I so pleased. My boss also actively discourages meetings haha. My previous job was phone based, and even when COVID forced everyone to work from home (and boy did the big wigs at that company hate it) I had to be at my desk from 9-5:30 except during my lunch break. Zero flexibility. I left for a reason!

[SBrentnall]

I’m 54 and have followed this schedule since I was in my 20s.

[TheJenners]

I live on my farm, but my job just seems to take a lot out of me. I’m off at 4pm all week this week and I’m just dreading the thought of making myself ride…

[Jersey_Fresh]

I work from home but I do travel. My horses live at home, so I ride either first thing after my kids go to daycare (west coast team) or I ride at lunch. I get my event horse ridden 5-6 days a week most weeks and my western dressage horse maybe 1-3 times a week but Ive got girls who come ride him so he is lower priority. When I am gone on business, my horses get some time off but I do try to when possible pick late departures/early trips home so I can ride on travel days.

When I boarded and worked in an office, I would sometimes ride before work but most of the time I just got home late. I eventually swapped my hours to 6-3, and i would come home and ride before my husband and then baby got home. I don’t miss those days, I burned the candle at both ends to make it all work.

[eponacelt]

@TheJenners

I live on my farm, but my job just seems to take a lot out of me. I’m off at 4pm all week this week and I’m just dreading the thought of making myself ride…

I feel you! I meant to ride both of mine after work yesterday, since I was done working by 4. But after one ride, I was toast mentally and physically and called it a day. (ya, know, AFTER I fed, turned out, and mucked!)

[beowulf]

I’m with you on the mentally exhausting days at work. Those days I tend to just take a trail ride. I’ve learned one of my horses is way too sensitive emotionally for me to try to school him after a bad day at work. He just knows… So those are the days the bareback pad comes out.

Did I mention the bareback pad has a d-ring clip on it that is perfect for a leather bag? And that leather bag is the perfect size for two hard seltzers…? There’s a big hill here that is perfect for sunset viewing… That’s where we go on those days!

[lenapesadie]

@beowulf

two hard seltzers

Tried the High Noon ones? They are farm girl had a crap day in corporate America approved

[Janet]

Ride after work (often in the dark) (keep track of the phases of the moon)
Get back into the house about 10 PM
Sleep deficit
No housework (pay someone)
No cooking (just make a sandwich for supper) (husband gets his own meals)

[endlessclimb]

My barn is getting so crowded (small indoor, and people that don’t know how to ride with others) that I’m starting to ride at night outside. I’m wondering if I can get some rechargeable lights to put on the arena fence and call it good enough.

[PaddockWood]

Individual circumstances and individual GRIT are what separate those who have more barn time than those who don’t. When I met DH he coached competitive rowing and was gone a LOT. We saw each other a couple nights a week. No time for home repairs/renovations. I was at the barn many evenings right after work until 8pm. And it was heaven. The perfect marriage too. A girl misses a guy you don’t see much.

Then we bought a 20 acre property needing a ton of work inside and on the property and that was 9 years ago. Suddenly we were working A LOT and it has been frustrating. A marriage is strong that can endure 9 years of renovations.

Work FT - gone from the house from 7a -4:30p. Weekends become working from morning until early evening.

Some of us also need 8 hrs sleep a night - I can’t function without it. So definitely less grit than others.

If you have household responsibilities it really adds up into free time. Adulting stinks.

With all that said, I do have free time every night around 8:30 but by then I just want to sit on the COTH board and relax.

Saw this article and thought of this thread. I can definitely improve on having more horse time - just need to build better habits:

Icebreakers with...Habits Expert James Clear 

" The other one that has gone over well is what I call “identity-based habits.” Rather than worrying about the results you want, focus on becoming the type of person who could achieve those results. So instead of worrying about losing 40 pounds, focus on being the kind of person who doesn’t miss workouts. Or rather than worrying about finishing the novel, focus on being the kind of person who writes every day."

What I read into this is even if you just throw a leg bareback, do something with your horse most days of the week. That’s how to feel better and be more satisfied.

[TheJenners]

Ok today was my first day on my new schedule when I got home and RODE. It was also a lesson, after not riding due to schedule and weather, in three weeks or so… So anyway, I know I CAN.

[wsmoak]

@endlessclimb

I’m wondering if I can get some rechargeable lights to put on the arena fence and call it good enough.

We have these Milwaukee lights and I’ve used them to light up the paddock during the July 4th barrage. Haven’t tried them in an arena I’m not sure how far across they will reach.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Rocket-Dual-Power-Tower-Light-Tool-Only-2131-20/304984170

Maybe set up a couple of them on the edge of the arena closest to the barn (they easy to set up, but they are not light…) and see if that works.