Capturing compassion. A Day in the life
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 28
A Day in the Life: Emily Hants, Stable Hand with Heart
The sun is barely up when we pull into the cobbled yard, but Emily is already there, steam rising from her mug of tea as she leans against a stable door. At 26, she’s been mucking out, grooming and riding at this family-run livery yard in the heart of Hampshire for the past six years. Dressed in well-worn boots, breeches and a fleece that’s seen better days, Emily greets us with the easy smile of someone who genuinely loves where she works.
“Come on then,” she laughs, “let’s do this properly – from the very beginning.”
5:30am – Rise and shine
“My alarm goes off at half five every weekday,” Emily says, pouring us both another cuppa from her battered flask. “I live in the little cottage just up the lane with my mum and dad – they’ve been here on the farm forever. Dad still helps with the haylage, and Mum keeps the veg patch going so I’ve always got fresh carrots for the horses. I grab porridge, throw on my kit and I’m out the door by quarter to six. The yard is only five minutes away, but that first walk down the track with the rooks cawing overhead… there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
6:00am – Morning feed and muck-out
First job is breakfast for the twenty-two horses in her care. “I know every single one of their little quirks,” she says, leading us into the warm, hay-scented barn. “Old Monty likes his mash with a splash of molasses; young Rosie won’t touch hers unless it’s slightly warm. While they’re eating I start mucking out. There’s something really satisfying about forking out the beds and laying fresh shavings – it’s like making the beds for your mates. By seven the yard is full of that lovely horsey smell and the sound of happy munching.”
7:30am – Turn-out and grooming
Once the horses are turned out into the dew-covered paddocks, Emily moves on to grooming. “I could brush manes and tails all day,” she grins, running a soft brush down the neck of a glossy chestnut. “It’s my favourite bit – you get to have a proper chat with them. They tell you everything with their ears and their eyes. Then it’s time to tack up the ones that need exercise. I ride three or four a morning, usually out on the bridle paths through the bluebell woods. Nothing beats cantering along the ridge at sunrise.”
11:00am – Coffee break and yard jobs
Mid-morning means a quick coffee in the tack room and then the endless list of jobs: cleaning saddles, sweeping the aisle, filling water troughs, checking rugs. “The yard never stops,” Emily shrugs. “But I love the rhythm of it. You’re never staring at a screen; you’re outside, moving, helping animals that depend on you.”
1:00pm – Lunch and a natter
Lunch is usually a doorstep sandwich eaten on the bench outside the feed room. “My best mate Jess works at the yard next door – she’s a groom too. We’ve been thick as thieves since pony-club days. She’ll pop over and we’ll sit here putting the world to rights. My boyfriend Tom’s a farrier; he’s often shoeing horses on the yard so sometimes he joins us. He’s brilliant – always tells me I work too hard, but he’s the one who built the new hay store for us last winter.”
2:00pm – Afternoon lessons and more riding
The afternoons are busier with clients arriving for lessons. Emily helps the riding-school instructor, leads ponies for the little ones, and rides the liveries that need schooling. “Watching a nervous rider gain confidence is the best feeling,” she says. “I remember being that kid once.”
5:30pm – Home time (but not really)
By half five the horses are back in for the evening feed and the yard is swept. Emily clocks off – but her day isn’t over.
This is the part she lights up about most.
Evenings and weekends – Giving back
“Most evenings I’m home by six-thirty,” she says. “Mum’s got dinner on and Dad’s usually telling me about the new calves. But I’ve always tried to give some of my free time to causes I care about. I absolutely love it. Every other weekend I organise little fundraisers – sponsored rides, cake sales in the village hall, or I’ll help at the local equine rescue centre. Last month we did a ‘muck-out marathon’ and raised over £800 for the British Horse Society’s welfare fund. I’ve also been doing regular collections for The British Heart Foundation because my nan went through it a few years back. My friends and family are brilliant – Jess bakes the cakes, Tom puts up the jump course for the sponsored rides, and Mum and Dad man the tombola. It’s proper community stuff.
“People think stable work is hard graft – and it is – but it gives you so much. The horses keep me grounded, and knowing I can use my spare hours to help others… it just feels right. I wouldn’t change a single thing.”
As the sun dips behind the beech trees and the yard falls quiet except for the soft crunch of hay, Emily gives one last pat to the old grey horse peering over his door.
“Best job in the world,” she says simply. “And the best people in it.”
We couldn’t agree more.
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