15 Things That Happen When You Take Your Horse To University

DIY owners… Some of these apply to full livery, but not all. Essentially you have responsibilities and have to sort- of act like a proper grown- up. Whatever that is…

1. Your car is a mess. It’s full of bits of hay and shavings, muddy wellies and bits of tack that you need to clean. The back seat is covered in odd pieces of clothing and there’s a distinct aroma of horse.
2. Clothes. You have oversized trousers to wear over your clean clothes and have got used to slobber down your front and shaking hay out of your hair.
3. Early mornings. They are so beautiful, but sometimes a lie- in would be nice.
4. Weather. You’re out and about in the frost, the pouring rain, fog etc etc. When its -5˚C outside you grit your teeth and get out of bed.
5. Social life. A big night means arranging morning cover. Late nights mean about three hours sleep, putting you in exactly the right mood to deal with a grumpy gelding.
6. Daily routine. Everyone is structured around your horse. Lectures that clash with feeding time are a nightmare.
7. Friends. You meet people in other years, on other courses. In terms of getting to know a range of people, it’s the best place ever. And there’s no bonding like catching a naughty horse/ walking a colic case/ stumbling around with the world’s worst hangover.
8. Escape. Ag college can be incredibly claustrophobic, therefore there’s nothing better than getting off campus, out of your student house, and onto your horse.
9. Navigation. Hacking around the local area means that you know every shortcut… And the location of every pub.
10. Group hacks. No better place to catch up and gossip.
11. Planning. Your week is a carefully choreographed pattern of early mornings, lectures and social events, with spaces outlined for schooling sessions, farrier visits and long hacks.
12. Budgeting. You know how much your livery costs and you plan around it. You can live off Heinz tomato soup, but there’s no way that your horse can swap Spillers Conditioning Mix for an own- brand equivalent.
13. Hands. Oh gosh your hands are chapped. You take out shares in Nivea.
14. Showers. Only someone who got up at 6, scraped ice off their car, smashed ice off buckets and then went for a 10 mile hack in sub- zero conditions can really appreciate the bliss of a hot shower.
15. Your horse. Secretly you prefer him/her to any of your new friends, and when bad things happen, you can be found in the stable. Ponies make things better, even when they buck you off, make you smell and take an opportunistic bite as you brush their stomach.