How long do horses take?

[Mike]

Well, Etta arrived on Wednesday. She seems to be settling in well but Audrey is beginning to regret her arrival.

She seems to spend about 4 hours a day mucking out the stable, collecting the droppings from the field, feeding them (Snowy and Etta) and changing Etta's rug. Then, on top of the 4 hours, there seem to be other jobs to do -- Snowy has to have his hoofs treated for white line disease; the muck heap needs moving; the tack room needs tidying; goodness knows what...and she hasn't had the time for a ride!

So she hasn't really managed any work for some days and is thinking that it would be better to give Etta to a retirement home.

Surely a horse and a donkey don't need to take so much time.

How much time do your horses take per day? Is it possible to have a horse and still lead a normal life?