I have been thinking a lot about how all of us horse people live in varying parts of the country (or world) and all have different horses and plans. With our different lives we all have different schedules…
This led me into thinking about how often everyone goes out to the barn. I know some people that ride almost every day… Others ride 3-4 days a week and seem just has successful.
When I was in school I was going to the barn almost everyday. As I moved into the land of adult working ammie I learned that it’s not always feasible to get out to the barn daily. It literally blows my mind how some of you manage to get out to the barn and ride everyday while still getting all of the things done. I guess my time management skills just aren’t as well honed!
How do you decide how often you ride? How often do you go out just go out to go out/ check on your horse? I’m really interested to see how this varies and if its related to commute, discipline etc. 🙂 Any tips for your fellow adult ammies?
This has been a moving target for me! With the lameness issues in the last year my schedule has been jumbled up constantly. In the ideal version of my life I’m at the barn every day and ride about 4 times a week. In reality I’m at the barn 5 days a week and ride 2 or 3.
I need to figure out a better plan because eventually I’ll have three horses going under saddle… 🙂
Riding one horse is a challenge enough. I can’t imagine 3! 😜
I try to do a 3 days on, one day off schedule but usually between life or the weather that doesn’t actually happen. I probably average about 5 days a week though.
5 days Is pretty good IMO!
I actually don’t riding every day. For me, I need down time and house time and dog time in order to maintain some kind of life balance (husband time was formerly in there too). I like my 3-5 day a week schedule and think that works really well for both me and my horse.
3-5 is a good range IMO. Ideally I would get in 2-3days in the week and Sat/Sun. For 4-5 days. Ideal and reality are not the same though 👎🏼
Currently I’m riding 4x per week since he’s kind of slow growing and living in pasture. He lives at his breeders (for like another month maybe) so I don’t feel the need to check in on him, although I will stop in to feed him sometimes. Once as he is moved, his riding schedule will depend on where he lives. If he’s in a smaller paddock, he’ll be out every day for at least an hour of something in addition to turnout, probably riding 4-5x per week and additional turnout the other days. I’m probably going to be crazy and worried about him so that will lead me to the barn more often 🙂
That’s understandable.
Adult Ammie, I ride 2-4 days a week. Typically take 2 lessons a week but that doesn’t always happen. I try to hit up every other day. And usually one of the days I work from home. When I go to the barn my horse works, I never go to the barn and not do anything because it is TOO far from my house and work to do that. I like having Sunday as a do nothing day myself. Otherwise I feel like I’m always on the road and doing something. Am I successful? I don’t know but regardless of whether or not my schedule works for my horse, it has to work for me because this is all I got.
It’s definitely interesting to me to see how the commutes vary between parts of the country.
I go 4-5 times a week, depending on what else is going on or what the weather is like. For me, my work schedule is a huge part of why I have time to ride- I work 10 AM-6 PM, which means I can go ride before work.
I’d probably go every day (or 5-6 days) if the barn wasn’t 30 miles and 45-60 minutes away.
I would love to be able to ride before work. It’s not really feasible with my current schedule though 🙁 I’m jealous of your set up!
I’m an adult Ammie, or would be if I were showing. I was with an eventing barn and my trainer moved 2 hours away, which was not a workable solution for me, because then I would only be able to ride 1 or 2 days a week. I moved my horse close to me with the idea that I would ride 5-6 days a week, with my trainer coming in 2x a week for lessons. The thought was great, then out of the blue I got engaged, my fiance moved to town, and I started the process to buying a house. Right now I’m getting in 3-4 rides a week, but still seem to be getting further faster than I did when riding once a week!
I can totally understand all of those things as I just recently got engaged, married, and bought a house. 3-4 is still good in my book!
Super jealous of everyone’s 4-5 times a week! With the barn move adding an extra 30 minutes (especially in traffic!!!) I’ve been cutting back to 1 ride during the workweek (usually at 8am) and rides on Sat/ Sun. I feel lucky if I can squeeze in a 4th! Luckily our lessons have been super productive so I don’t feel as though I’m missing out.
I used to visit Ellie almost every day as the old barn was a few extra miles tacked on to my drive. Now Ellie and Wilbur live down the road from one another so I can quickly check in on both if I need to!
Atleast they are closer to each other so you can see each of them more 🙂
I’d like to throw my riding schedule into the ring. Spring/summer/part of fall, I ride 3 times a week. 2 dressage rides, and 1 trail ride. Winter-one lesson per week. Sometimes a trail ride, sometimes a training ride can make up 2 rides a week, but it depends on the weather. I keep my riding horse and my 30 year old retired horse at home. No arena, barn and pasture only, so I must trailer to ride. 3 rides a week would be my max, work, home, and health maintain no more. Hope this helps other people who ride less than what most riders advertise.
That sounds like a reasonable schedule. It’s nice that you can keep your horses at home. I imagine it’s hard to keep consistent when you have to haul out to ride though!
I try to ride 5-6 days per week and generally ride around 7:30pm (except for the weekends).
That’s impressive.
I go 4-5 times per week. Normally one of those is a bareback hack and a turnout, not a “real” ride.
Bareback rides are the best!
i used to shoot for the same schedule always, but am finding that these days it has to vary with my competition schedule. when we’re gearing up or actively competing, i like 4-6 days/wk. otherwise 3-5 (with maybe the occasional longer stretch of time off). that said tho, my work day consistently ends at 5pm and the barn is relatively close to home. that definitely helps!
Either way you’re making a good weekly avg 🙂
I would actually love to be in a situation where I rode 6 days a week and had a barn free day, but with 2 horses of my own plus a third in my care it’s every day with 2 horses each day on the weekend. When everything shakes out, including my trainer riding the extra horse that isn’t mine once a week, each horse is getting ridden at least 4 times a week.
I figure I’m so lucky to have two horses in the first place (and lucky to get to play with the third) that I need to take advantage. Plus time at the barn really helps me decompress from the rest of life’s stresses.
I’m always impressed by your schedule!
I would just love to ride four to five times a week… Unfortunately, with three children under four – that’s just not going to happen.
The best I get is three times a week and that will vary from week to week. It’s hard sometimes, but I’m not competing either, so I just roll with the season, and stay grateful that I get to own my own horse at all!
bonita of A Riding Habit
You have your hands full!
I get up to the barn, which in good traffic is 45 minutes from my home, 4 days a week. Two rides are lessons and the other two flat rides on my own. I also have a friend ride him in her lesson once a week. I wish that I could get up everyday but life.
Life does put a damper on pony time sometimes.
A rideable horse that’s sane even without a rigid schedule is an Ammies dream 🙂
I wish I could get out to the barn every day, and if I didn’t have a husband who doesn’t get the horses, I would probably be crazy enough to try it. As it is, I’m a true weekend warrior – Fri thru Sun only, and trainer rides the pony one day in there as well. Barn is a solid 30 mins without traffic, which doesn’t make it much easier. Oh well!