It seems with all the drama that has happened the last 8 weeks that I have been out to the barn roughly 6 times each week. Most of those days I never made it to the saddle, instead I’ve been lunging, evaluating, icing, or now grazing. This is obviously not normal barn behavior, but still.
Lots of this. Lots and lots of this.
On the rare nights away from the barn, I generally take the opportunity to cook dinner and then plunk down in front of some familiar favorite (these generally being HP films or Sound of Music, yes I’m a child sometimes) with a glass of wine (ok maybe not fully a child). I try to convince myself that I should use that time to go to the gym but the little wino in me generally wins out.
Check out his massive bandage
For the next couple weeks I’ll be dashing out to the barn for Foster’s 15 minute grazing sessions, and then have the rest of the evening free. Or it would be free, until we decided to start up the next last house project (:cough: instagram :cough:).
But still I ask you all- what do you do on non-barn days? For longer periods away from the saddle, how do you spend your free time?
Red on the Right 
Free time? Who has that? Work, Master’s program and Riding. 🙂
As someone who owns the barn, there aren’t evenings away from the horses. 😉 But on the days where I just run out and verify that everyone still has four legs and water, I generally clean house, watch tv, organize things. Good luck on the kitchen cabinets. Dear lord I don’t miss that hahaha
Gym and “recovery”. I try to go to the barn three times a week during the work week, then the gym one night and then just straight home another. I’ve always wondered at those people who didn’t have intensive hobbies. Do their homes sparkle? Do they have a six pack? Can they cook really, really well?
(Totally support the wino during horse ailment!)
Cleaning house, crafting, writing, reading, walking the dogs, happy hour 😉
Gym, and HW lol
Last year when my mare had to be retired and I was so depressed I couldn’t move (mare was only 7 and I loved her beyond all measure), Mary put a stack of books on my tack trunk and never mentioned it again. I read them all. A couple of Jane Savoie books, The Talent Code, Denny Emerson’s book, and one other that I can’t remember now. Excellent use of my time out of the saddle.
Also I watched a lot of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I highly recommend it.
Since we self care, even when I can’t ride, I have always had to go to the barn anyway. When I have some free time, I read a lot more, take the dogs to the beach or hiking, do lots of crafts and DIY. At least you have the house to work on.
Right now… schoolwork.
This summer when I was interning and not riding though, some combination of bad TV, a lot of reading, random internet browsing, and social events around CH.
I sleep. So much. I’m a boring old square.
if you’re into sports it’s at least a good time of year for spectating. but yea outside of riding it’s mostly just relaxing or reading or socializing. or on sundays, brunch. all day long. haha. maybe my most missed aspect of normal non-barn life!
Usually I either swim or ride my bike or go to spin class, but sometimes I just need a day off to chill. Or run errands. Chilling usually turns into running errands…
I desperately need that motivation to hit up the gym, but errands (and house projects) are consuming my life. Does cabinet painting count for cardio?
Any other horses you can hack for friends? 🙂
Hopefully come October I’ll be riding a bit more 😉
I usually hang out with the DH when I’m not at the barn, or friends. Plus house-stuff has been taking up a lot of my time recently…
House projects.. Definitely where my time is going right now!!