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Embracing ‘eau de horse’ and 8 other joys of working from home for amateur riders


  • The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in more people working from the comfort of their own homes and for riders, in particular, this can reap many benefits...

    Sticking to your riding attire

    When you have the luxury of working from home, you can literally stumble in from the yard straight to your desk, without changing out of your breeches all day. And when it comes to team calls on Zoom, who is ever going to know you’re actually sat there in your riding gear?

    That special scent

    Being in the comfort of your own home and not among colleagues, means that eau de horse is absolutely acceptable and a shower is not always a necessity (who has time for a wash in the morning anyway?). After all, the scent of not-so-fresh straw and the aroma of our equine friends is the norm for many of us.

    Snack attack

    When at home, you can literally eat what you like, when you like. There are no eagle-eyed colleagues secretly judging that it is your fifth visit to the vending machine in so many hours, or your 10th cup of strong black coffee that day.

    The perfect lunch break

    Not being office-based means that the golden hour that is your lunch break can be much more efficient – no more nibbling a stale sandwich on a park bench. Whether it is using your lunch hour to ride your horse or get those odd jobs done around the yard, this hour can add vital minutes to your day. For some, you might be able to enjoy a quick hack in the sunshine while getting away from the computer screen for 60 minutes.

    A perfect non-match

    When we get up in the morning to ride, the last thing we worry about is whether our socks match. The beauty of working at home, is that none of your colleagues can see your feet, so socks can be as unmatched and hole-infested as you like.

    The country air

    For many, hours spent in an busy office can result in moments dreaming of being in the great outdoors and not confined to the four office walls. A home office may mean you have the countryside on your doorstep, and simply sticking your head out the front door for a breath of fresh air can do wonders for your concentration levels.

    Embracing the top bun

    For the ladies especially, dry shampoo has always been a gift sent from God when it comes to transforming horsey hat hair. Now you’re not having to make the mad dash from the yard to office in the mornings, piling greasy hair into a top bun is now more acceptable than ever — dry shampooed or not.

    The best kind of cuddles

    Being at your own desk may mean that you’re missing human interaction, but it does increase the quantity of cuddles you can receive courtesy of your pooch, who will never turn down the opportunity for some affection. Also, who doesn’t love a Zoom call with dogs perched on colleagues’ laps to cheer everyone up?

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    Ssshhh…

    For any racing fans working from home (who can also multitask), home comforts do also mean you can sneakily have ITV Racing on in the background, while also productively churning out your work, of course. Just don’t forget to hit mute when your boss calls…

    Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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