my daily commute is approx. 40 minutes (that’s driving 55mph, or faster, with little/no traffic). Luckily traffic isn’t usually a problem and while there have been days it took over an hour, 40 mins is the norm.
Works for me. I hate stop/go, but longer distance at speed isn’t that frustrating to me, so I’m fine with a slightly longer commute to live in an amazing farm that wouldn’t be affordable closer to work.
My commute is 45-60 min one way. I don’t ride as much as I used to but that doesn’t have anything to do with the commute. I have gotten a bit lazy since my heart horse is retired. I love my house and think I’d live here with or without horses.
When I moved here, I invested in a good fence that (knock wood) hasn’t required much upkeep besides replacing some t-post stand-offs. My horses live out 24/7 and I feed round bales (plus their nightly meal). My house is surrounded by trees so hardly any grass and what grass there is, I’ve hot taped the yard off and the horses mop it up. I have to weed eat in a few spots. That’s it. It helps that I live on the end of a dead end, one lane dirt road.
Honestly, if I don’t have time to devote I can get by on less than an hour a weekday (and that includes the chickens) and just a tad more on the weekend. But I like hanging out with the critters so I spend a bunch more time than that usually.
I do not work any longer, but when I did, my commute was 30 mins. Both DH and DD work and their commutes are 30 mins. But honestly for me I don’t know any different, I was born and raised to the farm life. I do enjoy the endless hours of manual labor. So does the rest of my family. It is more a lifestyle choice, than a choice made for financial reasons.
I work from home so I don’t have a commute, but do work “regular” office type hours. DH is self-employed and works wherever the work is - he doesn’t have a set schedule. 3 horses at home, they live out 24/7.
If I went back to commuting, I don’t think I could have the horses at home. I hate commuting though, it sucks energy from me, and I don’t think I would have the energy left to get things done at home.
OP your commute and property search just got a little worse, Boeing just announced they have selected Plano’s Legacy West to serve as the new headquarters for its global services division. They are to build a $3B headquarters campus
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/aerospace-giant-boeing-selects-plano-for-its-global-services-hq/428894648
I was thinking the same thing. “Top notch” facilities don’t really exist around here either. Or, none that I know of. Probably some private, hidden gems around that are private for a reason!
I agree that commutes are regional. I no longer work a regular job but our commutes were about 20 minutes when we bought this farm. There were exactly 2 farms for sale in the region we designated as “potential” because commuting was one of the important factors. There are rivers involved and higher traffic areas/directions, so we drew out a “no further north than this river, no further west than this hilltown, etc.” and then looked.
I will also agree that if you have a terrible commute, owning a farm will be far, far less enjoyable. Choose wisely, and do not be afraid to wait for a suitable property in the right area rather than go outside the good commuting zone. You are likely to regret it.
M/W/F my commute is to my kitchen (work remotely) BUT Tues and Thursdays I am 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.
There are many things to consider. I have a flexible job and a boss who just happens to own horses. So if the farrier changes his days- I can easily adjust my schedule. I am blessed with that (It took me 20 years to get a job like this). When my hours were more solid it was certainly a juggling act. I had a boarder who would stand in for me with vet and farrier if needed and great neighbors (retired) who would call me when- oh an example) my pony let everyone out of their stalls and free).
Keeping them at home, the most I’d want is 30 minutes. 45 if the pay was exceptional and I could afford to pay for someone to help out when needed. RIght now it is just me.
I have a PT job in town and it is 10 miles, or about 20 minutes. Mr. PoPo works from home so is always here. My work is amazing and pretty flexible if I have an emergency or appointment. For example, the vet’s earliest appointment is at 10 and so if I have three horses for a dental appointment, I might be a little late to work. I can make it up by coming in early another day and it is okay.
If I had to work FT and have a long commute, I don’t know that I’d want to keep them at home - too much work. It is a lifestyle, but I was calculating farm chore-to-riding time the other day and it was maybe around 4 to 1? Depends on the day. Some days chores are easy and routine. Other days I have to do a burn pile or weed eat or mow or do fence work or move rocks or or or …
It doesn’t matter whether a “top notch” barn is available in your area. It is a moot point. The point is, if you think you can save money, or save time, by building a farm yourself, you will be sorely disappointed. If you really sit down and calculate, you will find out that you are better off by boarding farther away, and paying a hefty price for the board.
Really this is a lifestyle choice, not a financial or “convenient” choice.
Clanter - I am pretty flexible on where…it needs to be a reasonable commute and within my price range.
I work at Parker and the Tollway so…yeah. There is no good way to get here 
Commuting both sucks and blows!
60-75minutes one way. We live on one end of a lake and have to funnel around the point to get to the city. It’s about a 40mile commute with horrible traffic and a large bridge that no one seems to know how to drive over without spinning out and shutting down the highway… but I really enjoy the job and love having the horses home, so sacrifices were made.
Your morning routine will never be the same. Deciding to risk haying in your office skirt and rubber boots is a real thing lol
I remember from another thread the area of DFW where you work as I questioned your name… one other important thing is be concerned about the soil. It is mostly gumbo black clay where you are now, if you shift over to west toward Pilot Point/Aubury you can find sandy soil.
The one place I would look at is Wolfe City… because I think the name is neat or Bonham might be within reach, the soil there for the most part is sand and its far enough away to not be affected by the expansion
I WAH which is a good thing commute-wise, but I make up for it by leasing property that I am pretty much 100% responsible for. My commute is 7 miles so either 15 minutes or 30+ depending on the time of day. I can tell you the commute isn’t what kills you (about 20 years ago it was more like 60+ minutes each way), it’s the List of Things You Need to Do Before Riding. It is never ending, and some days (especially when the weather is less than optimal) it is a real motivational struggle to add riding to the end of the list!
Which is not to say don’t get your own property, you’ve done your homework, you know if it is is something you want to do (and are smart enough to know it will not be easier or cheaper than boarding!) but just recognize that commuting won’t be the soul suck in your riding program, it will be chores.
To be fair, commuting/work hours eat into your riding time in winter (unless you have arena lights), but right now I am yet again freshly surprised at how daylight savings time hasn’t solved all my problems. All winter I use daylight savings as my excuse for not riding enough. Then daylight savings comes (along with spring) and I realize so do chores… all those projects I put off, fertilizing, seeding, weed killing, cleaning up branches from spring storms and a thousand other things I put off from winter. Guess what is taking my riding time now? And yet every year I am surprised…
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When I worked an 8-5 job 35 minutes away I had no time to ride except the weekends. And even if I managed to squeeze in time during the week I usually didn’t have the motivation to do so. The time and energy you would have spent riding will be spent doing everything else.
On the commute note, its not always how long the drive is but the type of drive. Driving on a highway for 60 minutes is pretty simple. Driving on a windy backroad for 60 minutes can be stressful. And for those of you familiar with the hudson valley region driving on the Taconic for 60 minutes is like playing russian roulette. My husband had a 70 minute drive on the taconic each way for about a year and I honestly think the stress took years of his life away. That drive is no joke
I’m having a similar dilemma now. Been hunting for property since last summer, but we have some specific needs that make it a tad challenging (need separate space in the house for my mother (totally independent but we need the separation for sanity), room for indoor arena, even if tiny, as we live in the arctic tundra). Right now, we commute 20 miles each way (husband and I work at the same place), and if I go to the barn after work, it’s a 60 mile round trip for the day. Outside of true rush hour, it’s a 30 minute drive. Max distance we are considering is 40 miles one way BUT that fully depends on location. From the north of the cities area, 40 miles can be as little as 45 minutes. From the south, especially south east, it would be more like 60 minutes on a good traffic day. Add in snow and all bets are off, but we both have the option to work from home in the event of a major snowstorm.
While I recognize that having a hobby farm won’t save us money, and will mean more manual labor and chores, what it will afford me is total control over the care and facility for my horse, and the ability to pop out and see her for ten minutes every day, on those days where I’m not able to ride and spend hours. Right now, I won’t go to the boarding barn for ten minutes, so I don’t go as frequently as I might like. My boarding care is very, very good, but it’s still a shared facility, and while that’s great for care and feeding and maintenance, it’s less so when I want to be alone and enjoy peace and quiet - no control over that! I think having horses at home is a very individual choice and you just have to figure out what works for you - that’s my hope for me, at least!
When we bought our farm, I had a 10 minute commute which is pretty unheard of around here because there are very few living wage jobs in the immediate area. I left work at 4 and could ride the few miles of trails at my house or hook up and make it to the big park in 25 mins. Two years ago, I left that job and started a job that has a 45 minute commute- that meant not being able to trailer anywhere once I got home (endurance rider w/ no ring). I ended up finding a self-care boarding situation that is 25 mins from where I work and I can ride right onto several thousand acres. So now my evening commute is leave work, 25 mins to the barn, ride/feed/etc, 25 mins home.
Husband and I have been looking for another place after a few years in the 'burbs fully understanding we won’t be saving money (more likely net net loss). And, if my prior experience holds I’ll have less time to ride (mowing, weeding, fence repair and all the endless other chores). My prior commute was 25minutes. Looking to keep it around that as I found that doable for 10+ years especially if boarded show horse(s) are between work and home.
I’m hung up worrying about my dogs being alone 10 hours. Both current dogs are new since our prior farm and are accustomed to me being stopping home during the day. Previous “farm” dogs did fine, puppy door, fenced yard with some help to feed dogs and horses for really long days. Good neighbors are priceless.
Exactly. I have two friends who both own their own properties and have their horses at home. I board mine nearby. One of these friends is retired and the other works part time (mostly from home), while I work full time and commute. Guess who rides most often? Yep, me. They are forever doing “farm chores” of some sort. Putting out round bales, MOWING, fixing broken things, seeding, the list is never-ending. Plus neither one has an arena to ride in (too expensive) while I have 2 outdoor arenas and an indoor to choose from.
Another problem they encounter a lot: because their farms are small, a lot of hay deliveries won’t come to this area to deliver only 50 or 100 bales. That means they have to devote a day or a weekend to going to get hay 5-6 times a year. Vets aren’t readily available, either, or else you pay a hefty farm call.
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Much will depend on location and what is available at an already developed property or what’s in your budget for putting into the place. I know a lot of people who own their own places make excuses for not riding. There’s always plenty that needs doing but you learn to prioritize things and knock them off your to-do list in whatever time frame is healthiest for you and your situation. I have a horrendous commute and my own farm plus a husband, daughter, a whole pack of dogs, elderly parents, and I still ride 4 or 5 times a week. Sure, sometimes less depending on obligations. Yes, it’s an awful lot of work, but I do like having control over my horses’ feed and hay and can adjust the quality and quantity any time I see fit. Fortunately, I’ve found good delivery sources in my area for hay without a steep surcharge for the service. Our property is perimeter fenced so the dogs can be out 24/7 with access to shelter. But a dedicated dog yard and a good weatherproof dog house or three, depending upon your numbers, also serves.
I’ve never done the pet door thing as my I have a little Eskimo girl who loves nothing better than rolling in manure and would then be in on all of the furniture; or another would be bringing in sticks or dead things, or not bothering to go outside to piddle, preferring the rugs. Same goes for the kitties. They would bring in live “presents” and some, despite spaying and neutering, still want to spray. So we said no to the pet door.
I love the peace and quiet of our property and not having to share the facilities or put up with any barn drama. No matter where I boarded, there was always some barn drama to a lesser or greater degree. Sometimes the atmosphere was a lot of fun for the most part, but it was always pretty transient. And there was always at least one or more difficult personalities to contend with. No thank you. If I ever go back to having just the one horse and there was an excellent facility in the area, maybe I’ll board again just to not have any of the upkeep and maintenance issues. But even with all of the work and expense, I still love having my own place where if I want to have this or that horse, or 3 Shetland sheep, or a potbelly pig, or chickens or a mini, I can do that as long as I don’t mind the work and the cost. I would much rather go clean stalls and be out in the fresh air, than clean my house. I mean, I do clean my house, but I’m never happy about it! :winkgrin:
