College + horses

[Sakey]

hey! just looking for some advice and looking to see what other kids did in my situation.

I am off to college this fall and I own a horse right now. My college is about 1.5 hours away from my barn. there’s no possible way I am going to be able to sell him, so that is most likely not an option here, and yes I know, that’s what most people do when they go to college.

however, I would like to hear about what other students did with their horse if they are on their own for paying for them? I heard a lot of people kept their horse and worked full-time out of college, but I’m not sure how well that will go for me for my first year of college. The best thing that could happen is I find a full leaser and possibly half lease in the summer.

so, college students, what did you do with your horse?

[endlessclimb]

If he’s a decent horse, lease him out (or half lease).

If not, you’ll have to figure out how to pay for him.

[clanter]

when our younger daughter went to Texas A&M College Station she found a local boarding barn catering to the college students… it was cheaper to board her horse there than what it was costing to care for him in our backyard (and that included the transportation to get her horse there and back)

other daughter went to a private college back east were she could take Riding as a PE course (rode twice a week)… she was able to take that course each semester of the four years she was there… that was much cheaper than shipping her horse there and boarding at the school.

[Mercedes2]

Do you already have a job and have you crunched the numbers to see if you can afford your horse on your own working a realistic amount of hours?

[furlong47]

Really, your only options are to keep him and work to pay for his upkeep, lease, or sell.

If you’re going to keep him, you’ll need to figure out how much he costs you and whether you can work enough hours around your college schedule to accommodate that. You have somewhat of an advantage right now in that jobs are readily available and many of them are paying far more than they did in the past. If you aren’t already working, start now and sock away as much money as you can this spring/summer so you have an emergency fund.

If he costs too much, then consider what you can do to reduce that - for example, move to a cheaper barn or field board, allow him to be used for lessons if he’s a candidate, etc. You’ll also have to decide if you’re leaving him at his current barn or moving him with you to school - if the latter, I’d start looking into barns now so you can figure out a budget and possibly get on a waiting list if there is one.

Also be careful about falling into the trap of working off board at the barn - sometimes it’s a good deal, and for most horse people it’s more desirable than flipping burgers or stocking shelves, but often it ends up requiring more time than just getting a non-horsey job and using the money to pay.

Even if you decide to lease him out, things sometimes happen, and you may find that you have him back somewhat unexpectedly. You may still need to work, just possibly less, and build up a cushion so you’re prepared.

As far as that last option - you say you couldn’t possibly sell. Do you mean the horse is unmarketable, or just that you feel like emotionally you can’t sell? (And if the horse is unmarketable, does that also make him tough to lease?) You need to consider what you want out of your college experience - if you’re fine with doing nothing but class, studying, barn, and working then you may make horsekeeping work out. If you also want to try out clubs, have a busy social life, and be the stereotypical college student there just might not be enough hours in the day. Also, if you’re paying for college with loans, it’s really really in your best interest to make them as minimal as possible - working may be better directed toward tuition rather than keeping a horse.

[NC001]

Interested in following this because my kid goes off to school in a couple years and she has a horse. She wants to take the horse with her to college and I’m not sure if that will be possible or not. She may also go to college close enough for the horse to stay where it is.

Can your horse be used in a lesson program? If so, you could free lease to a lesson program potentially. Full or half lease either at school or at home is likely your best bet if the horse is not sellable.

We really do not want to sell my daughters horse and plan on keeping him but I am willing to cover his costs. Im sure we could lease him out pretty easily too.

Good luck!

[B-burg_Dressage]

I can tell you what I did, but it varies for every person and horse.

One horse was sold, he was younger athletic and had a promising future. Found him a good home and he left the summer before I went to college.

The other horse was a lifer–no way was he going to ever be sold. But was older and had some health issues. Found a reputable therapeutic riding program and did a free lease with them for 3 years. His health became enough of an issue in my last year of college that we put him at a friend’s place. We did pay board, but it wasn’t a huge amount. The plan was for me to take him and find a barn wherever I ended up after college. Unfortunately he was taken by colic about a month before I graduated. Thankfully, my parents were on board with him being a lifer and paid for him throughout my college years. Very lucky, but for the most part he earned his own keep at the therapeutic riding barn.

[Pokerface]

I’m curious why he cannot be sold? I know that can be a tough pill to swallow, but horses are expensive and time consuming. Leases sometimes fall through at the worst time (ask me how I know!). My observation is that, unless you are a very good student who is super organized, going to school full time, working a job to pay for board, and actually having the time to ride, will make for an extremely tight schedule, and not very fun.

If you can lease him to someone you trust, do that. But I would also consider selling him, it would certainly be the easiest way to make sure he is cared for and you aren’t burdened with an expense like that.

I also know what it was like to be a high school student heading off to college. I was lucky enough not to have to sell my horse, my parents have a small farm, so he lived there, and I was eventually able to bring him to school. That horse died on our farm at the age of 25. So I have absolutely no ground to stand on. I will just say that, as an adult paying my own way, a horse is a huge expense. As much as as I love it, and it keeps me sane, I know that it’s not a practical thing that I do. I am also in my 40s and have never had to deal with student dept.

Just… consider all the options.

[endlessclimb]

My lease fell through at the worst time, but due to unsoundness from the horse.

Surgical arthrodesis of the hocks later…

I ate Ramen for months. It sucked. But I made it work.

I agree that the best option is to sell, if there are ANY financial concerns should the lease not work.

[Mercedes2]

I’ll also chime in and agree that leases do tend to fall through at the most inconvenient times so if you really cannot afford to have the horse during the time you’re in college I would not recommend a lease.

[EVneo]

Leasing might be ideal, but you need to be financially ready for a fallback if that doesn’t pan out. Another thing to consider if you’d need to work to pay for him - are you bringing a car and responsible for paying for that, too? Gas, insurance, repairs, campus parking add up quickly. As someone past college and working full-time, I couldn’t imagine working ~40/hours/ week, carrying a full course load, and still having time to ride. College is a weird/fun time where you get to have adult freedom without adult worries. Horse girl hot take - it’s not the end of the world to take a break from horse ownership/ riding through college. There are so many other experiences to take advantage of during those years that you just won’t get again. I was fortunate enough to have a horsey mom willing to continue paying board while I was at school, and we found a teenager to lease her, and pay for vet/farrier, which did alleviate some bills.

[anon15718925]

I was a community college student, kept my horse (side note: I also rode at the same barn from childhood 'til my early 20s and they were kinda sketchy, not the best horsemanship and hadn’t so much as charged me for a lesson since I was 14 so I never once paid board and uh…vet visits weren’t the most routine thing at this barn. Yeah I’ve learned and grown since then and will say my experience was far from typical) and he died from colic when I was 20 - I briefly had another horse that the crazy barn I rode at until my early 20s kind of pushed at me when my first horse died - tried to sell him but they dug their heels in and as far as I know he’s still there (tried my best to get him away but…).

I got an associates then transferred to a four-year college as an online student for my BA (by this point I’d also figured out the barn I’d been riding at was full of it, and had gotten out of htere) worked part-time at Walmart, didn’t own a horse, lived at home and paid for my lessons out of what I was earning as a cashier. Again, waaay not typical.

Now - I’m late 20s, horseless, trying to get this whole adult career thing moving and don’t get me wrong, I still miss actually riding but having started my writing career in the equine world - believe me taking a break from horses is NOT the end of the world, I’ve seen tons of horse people whose entire lives are just horses-horses-horses (not just pro riders/trainers, either, but in some cases people in more hands-off roles e.g. marketing, writing, etc.) and it seems like they almost have lost sight of there being a whole big world out there that doesn’t revolve around or even care about equestrian sports.

Nowadays I get my horse fix volunteering at a therapeutic riding barn when my schedule allows.

I’m seconding and echoing @EVneo not having horses around is not the end of the world. Be prepared financially for it all and consider leasing him out. I also can’t blame you wanting to keep yours - the one I had who died would be in his late teens by now had he lived (he was 9 when he died) and I still wonder what could’ve been if I’d known better, been at a better barn, etc. etc. (ultimately I think that motivated me, though, to become a better horse person)

All I paid for, for the latter part of college, were lessons at like $30/lesson (this was a few years ago) and I’d usually pay for a couple weeks ahead of time when I could. Heck, I’m out of school and an adult and I can’t imagine affording board at the moment. Horses will be there when you’re ready to come back to them, generally.

EDIT: I’m also absurdly lucky, as a millennial to not have student debt. Keep that in mind - many people will have that to some degree.

[findeight]

One thing to consider, after 4 years of college, the horse will be 4 years older and may not be able to return to the same levels its at now. Depending on age and soundness, you may be slaving and scraping to support what will be a pasture pet instead of resuming the former career as you remember.

Seen that happen several times, disappointed young adult rider now with a less marketable horse and few options. You cant count on picking up where you left off 4 years earlier. Sometimes it makes more sense to let the horse go with another and move on.

Hope you get what Im trying to say here.

[Mango20]

I had a horse at college. It’s all about time management. In most cases, I scheduled my classes before noon or in the evenings, would do horse things from noon-3, crew practice 3:30-dinner time, then evenings for any studying or homework I needed to do. It worked out just fine, but my parents also paid the board for me (which was cheaper than barns near home).

[Ponygirlmom]

I think you may have trouble finding a full lease just for the school year that converts to a half lease in the summer. It’s a big ask to find someone who wants the horse full-time (or even two half-time leases) for the school year but then doesn’t want it during the summer, often the most in-demand time because of weather and/or showing. At least at our barn you would not find many (any) takers.

The college students who have horses there generally sell or full lease their horses when they go to college. Lessors are gracious and let the college students ride their horses occasionally when home on breaks (maybe twice over the summer, once at Christmas). If owners are advanced riders, the barn owner will often work with them to get additional ride time on horses in need of workouts, a mutually beneficial arrangement during holidays when many owners are out of town and a lot of horses need to get a workout. (Note - this is with owners’ permission, but everyone I’ve met trusts barn owner’s judgement and it has never been an issue).