[EventingTrainer]

Ok trainer friends.. I am a busy trainer who has her horse at another barn so that I can separate time from the program to myself...
I know a lot of people do this but how do you find time to make sure your own horse is schooled the way you need him/her to be?
Ultimately, does having your horse at another barn make sense? The barn I am at is wonderful and I know he is well taken care of when I am not around..but the stress is killing me!
Any suggestions or feedback on how you cope?

[Camstock]

I ride my own competition horse first.

[Heinz 57]

I ride my own competition horse first.

This sounds like a good idea. The few trainers I know that actually have personal horses tend to put them at the end of the list, sometimes resulting in a lower quality ride or at times, no ride at all.

[FlightCheck]

I have done both, and have found out that you are always pulled in the "wrong" direction if your horse is at another barn.

A wise, very busy trainer once told me, "Ride your own first. You will always ride the ones for pay, but if you wait until the end of the day, your horse will continually be on the back burner".

[quiet girl]

What Flight Check said.

[ThirdCharm]

I can't imagine the time sink of having my horse at another barn. It is hard enough to make time to ride when they are 100 ft from my back door..... Main thing is don't teach and ride the paying horses first, then think you can take a break and ride yours.... You'll grow roots whether you mean to or not! Schedule the time, preferably first part of the day.

I find students like to watch their instructor ride, too.

Jennifer

[shea'smom]

True, Jennifer. People will hang around to watch me school my greenie. And the early part of the day works best for me. However, sometimes I can schedule my ride in the day's lessons and that works too.

[retreadeventer]

When I rode for others, and had my own, I gave every ride no matter who owned it the same attention and focus, and controlled my schedule so the horses got what they needed -- rather than let the schedule control me. But it took a lot of years to get the experience to do that, too.