[LivLou]

Hey

Has anyone taken their horse to Uni? I'm looking to go to Harper Adams, and i've found stables very near them. I love my boy and would love to take him with me, has anyone managed this? What with time management etc?

Thanks very much

[kpwxx]

(Original post by LivLou)
Hey

Has anyone taken their horse to Uni? I'm looking to go to Harper Adams, and i've found stables very near them. I love my boy and would love to take him with me, has anyone managed this? What with time management etc?

Thanks very much

I think I've seen a thread on this before. A lot of interesting things to consider were raised:

Holidays/travel home. Will you be visiting home? How often? If so what will happen while you're away? You may have to come home for months at a time over summer so don't forget to plan for that, and consider the journey time etc and whether this would be fair for him.

Time. You've already mentioned this, but you will be studying, and on top of that trying to forge new friendships/develop a social life in a new place. You will be very busy so you'll need to make sacrifices in other areas if you take him with you- this is fine as long as you are aware of it.

Money. I'm guessing you're fairly sorted on this or you wouldn't be considering it, but thought I'd state it anyway. Most people struggle with money while at uni, so make sure you'll have enough to care for him properly.

xxx

[Loucornall]

I'd say go for it if you can afford it and will have the time, I'm joining the equine society at uni so I don't miss riding. It could be a good thing to take him with you so you have a distraction and don't go out drinking too much


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[jblackmoustache]

(Original post by Loucornall)
Any need?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Yes, some people need to get their priorities straight. A horse is simply an expensive luxury.

[Loucornall]

(Original post by jblackmoustache)
Yes, some people need to get their priorities straight. A horse is simply an expensive luxury.

Sorry to burst your bubble but horses aren't as expensive to keep as people think and alot less than hobbies other friends have. They are also fantastic therapy and my autistic son is a much happier person having them in his life


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Gallabay]

(Original post by LivLou)
Hey

Has anyone taken their horse to Uni? I'm looking to go to Harper Adams, and i've found stables very near them. I love my boy and would love to take him with me, has anyone managed this? What with time management etc?

Thanks very much

Im actually from around there - which yard is it? And personally, I wouldn't bring a horse for at least the first half of first year - to be perfectly honest, the move will be hard work anyway, and its fairly crucial to socialise and integrate with Uni life. The alternative is that you're essentially tied down, unless mummy and daddy are paying for full livery, and it will severely limit your availability for socialising, which is terribly important. On top of that, if you're only part liv/DIY, you lose massive chunks of your day and if you're on a tough course (i have no idea about harper adams courses other than they involve tractors, and people in checkered shirts and hunter wellies) it will make studying, riding and socialising an absolute pain, and will exhaust you in the long run.

If anything I would wait for the dust to settle at Uni and then revisit it, you'll be able to judge it better then.

Lastly, look forward to spending huge amounts of time shopping in Newport Waitrose, drinking in the Tav, Barley and staggering to Mainstreet, possibly the scummiest club on the face of the earth, at 2am, then raja's for cheesy chips. Standard.

[Loucornall]

Oh and I'm not middle class I'm a single parent (working) who would rather have a horse for my children than smoke, drink and spend tons of money on clothes


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[clad in armour]

I genuinely remember a previous thread like this some time back

[PVisitors]

Always found people who live in urban areas or are on low wages owning a horse rather strange. Maybe it's because the people who fit this criteria I've met always try and act as if they are a middle class person living in the heart of Oxfordshire when the reality is quite far from the truth.

[mimile]

i'd take my horse with me. i cant take her to school so i'm propably taking her with me to uni once i finished school. i just love my girl to damn much to be without her longer than i have to,but on the other hand i'll propably would have to move my friends horse with her or buy it. wouldn'tbe that muhc money since she bought it for around 800,but i highly doubt she would sell it, though she doesn't seem to spend that much time with him and it would still be her horse in a way only that it would be with me and my love

[PhoenixFortune]

This is a very déjà vu-like moment: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show...t=horse+at+uni

[StarsAreFixed]

Wow I got a total flashback to one of the Enid Blyton Malory Towers books, when Bill (Wilhemina, what a gross name) sneaks her horse to school. But then, they had stables as part of the school and probably weren't paying extra fees for the privelege. I kind of think it's insane to bring a horse to uni- the expense of it! And you just wouldn't have time, and the horse would surely be pretty miffed for a while at being uprooted. How far is your commute to your home? Just go home weekends and see it, probably cheaper too. But try to keep a balance so that you're able to socialise too.

[Pandabär]

I imagine it could be a bit of a 'mare.

*ahem*

But in all seriousness...if you find a stables and can afford it then nothing is stopping you. Might take up valuable solialising time, though.

[lilahnurave]

I took my pony with me to uni because she was sick and it wasnt an option to leave her at home. But I did go to a college within a uni that was predominantly equine focussed, so a lot the other students had horses too. I genuinely wouldnt recommend it unless you're going to the same sort of establishment as I did. Takes up a LOT of time.

[Tory Dan]

Its quite funny people how people don't understand that at Harper this is quite normal...

At many agricultural universities this is quite common, when I was at Aberystwyth my flatmate had a horse at university and I knew about half a dozen other girls (some who did Equine Science others that did a variety of other subjects) who had a horse at some point at the university livery or private facilities. I would say its a hassle, my flatmate had to get up early in the morning and you need to check on the evening creating more hassle if you are about to go out etc.

Leave the horse, take a shotgun to uni and join the shooting team which is more practical.

[AndyJay123]

Laughing good at some of the earlier comments haha!

I don't own a horse or go to uni but I'd say it would depend on how many days you're actually in uni working? If it's a few days a week then you have plenty of time to be at the stables. If you're in uni 9-5 every day or whatever then I wouldn't really see the point? Idk though.. Good luck I guess?

[jblackmoustache]

(Original post by Loucornall)
Sorry to burst your bubble but horses aren't as expensive to keep as people think and alot less than hobbies other friends have. They are also fantastic therapy and my autistic son is a much happier person having them in his life


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Yes they are if you want to keep your horse happy and well. You need somewhere to keep them for a start if you don't have a massive back garden (not many people will have one in the city) so you'll have to pay rent, you have to pay for feed, bedding, vets bills if your horse is unlucky enough to be unwell (vet call out fees are huge), insurance, straw, hay, brushes, riding gear (unless you're confident enough to get on without protection (which is crazy), worming tablets, etc....

Getting drunk is cheaper than buying a horse round here BTW. It's great that your son is happy, but horses/ponies/etc are definetly still mainly a middle class luxury.

Back to the question: there is no point. University, when **** gets real will swallow your time and you'll most likely want to go out with friends.

[Loucornall]

(Original post by jblackmoustache)
Yes they are if you want to keep your horse happy and well. You need somewhere to keep them for a start if you don't have a massive back garden (not many people will have one in the city) so you'll have to pay rent, you have to pay for feed, bedding, vets bills if your horse is unlucky enough to be unwell (vet call out fees are huge), insurance, straw, hay, brushes, riding gear (unless you're confident enough to get on without protection (which is crazy), worming tablets, etc....

Getting drunk is cheaper than buying a horse round here BTW. It's great that your son is happy, but horses/ponies/etc are definetly still mainly a middle class luxury.

Back to the question: there is no point. University, when **** gets real will swallow your time and you'll most likely want to go out with friends.

For me a week for a horse :
£20 livery Inc straw and a fiver haylege
A month
£18 insurance
£12 feed
Every 6 weeks
£17 farier
Few times a year
£16 worming
Already have all his rugs etc and all my riding stuff, hats reflectives etc
And I loan him out twice a week to a girl I know for £10 a day

A night out for me costs me £40 in baby sitters, £20 in taxis before I've even had a drink lol, good job I don't go out very often!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[lilahnurave]

(Original post by Loucornall)
For me a week for a horse :
£20 livery Inc straw and a fiver haylege
A month
£18 insurance
£12 feed
Every 6 weeks
£17 farier
Few times a year
£16 worming
Already have all his rugs etc and all my riding stuff, hats reflectives etc
And I loan him out twice a week to a girl I know for £10 a day

A night out for me costs me £40 in baby sitters, £20 in taxis before I've even had a drink lol, good job I don't go out very often!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Sorry but unless your horse is barefoot there no way your farrier costs you £17. And you havent factored in one of the biggest costs, which is fuel to and from the yard. Then theres replacing equipment which I'm sure you will do quite regularly if you're anything like most horse people, vaccinations, dentist every 6months/year, new saddles for when he changes shape, rug washing, suppliments... And what do you do with your horse? Do you compete? You havent mentioned that. Having a horse is ridiculously expensive, you have outlined the bare bones but I'm sure if I checked your bank account I would find most of your monthly outgoing goes on your horse.

[mimile]

we keep our horses outside of town on a farm with really large paddocks. the farmer is not really one of the nicest people i've met and very stingy, ut we get along.
so i pay 150 per month for my pony(lives in a paddock with another pony)
my mum pays 350 for her horse(lives in a box)
they are full board and they're outside the whole day, so that might not be cheap,but it's healthier for them.
our insurance is around 140 per year
farier every 8 weeks(they're both barefeet,since that's a lot more healthy) would be around 60 for the both of them
worming(around 6 times a year) should not be more than 80,propably less.
so i do natural horsemanship,but i also ride my horse and go by carriage.
so my equipment in total is worth around 2000(including carriage and harness)
i have a lot of equipment and you propably have your stuff so you are not going to spend that much also i spend the 2000 spread over 7 years.