Do you regret having your horses at home?

[Cindyg]

I’ve had my horse at home for 12 years. Let me comment on some of the problems people are commenting on:

Socialization: This has not been a problem for me, but it was for my horse. I eventually had to get him a buddy. I don’t mind being alone. In fact, I rather like it. I like privacy (and I don’t like “advice”) when I work.

Travel: This has not been a deal-breaker for me. I am away from home maybe three weeks a year; and, it is stressful. Frankly, I’d rather not go. But nothing has ever gone wrong due to my being away.

Barn chores: This has not been a huge problem for me either. Happily my husband is willing to do the barest minimum of field maintenance – and I do mean that he does the barest minimum. And he hauls and totes hay for me. The horses are on pasture (so we don’t need a lot of hay) with a lovely run-in barn. They have an automatic grain feeder, and automatic waterer, and a slow-feed hay net. They don’t poop in the barn.

Facilities: I would gladly and gleefully kill for an indoor arena. That, right now, tops my list of drawbacks.

Motivation to ride: This comes and goes. There’s no question that there are “seasons” in which I make make do with a visit rather than a ride. This is largely because I don’t have an indoor arena. (See above.) But I do ride and I have done so for 12 years. I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.

Has anybody mentioned emergencies? It is something to think about. I have a neighbor (whose husband travels) whose land is not visible from the road or the other neighbors. She is afraid that if she is injured by a horse, she could lay unconscious in her field for days. It is something to think about. The one time I had a serious horse accident I was home alone. Happily I was able to get to a phone.

Something to think about.

All in all, I love having my horse at home. I do wish I could board him maybe two months of the year (when the weather is the worst). I would enjoy access to real horse facilities, and it would give my grass a rest.

[DiscoMom]

Well, just do what I did. I don’t have my horse at home, but my neighbors (who breed QHs and Paints) built a small covered arena a little while ago. At the time I had my horse boarded about 20 minutes away and once the arena started going up, I went over and asked if they would consider taking on a boarder. They graciously agreed and now I can see my horse from my house but I don’t have to do all of the farm upkeep. I do watch the place for them and feed all of the horses when they are out of town (which they compensate me for), but I feel like I have the best of both worlds! And, to top it off, the owner is finished with her horses by the time I get off work so I get the arena to myself as well! I certainly couldn’t ask for a better arrangement!

[saddleup]

Speaking of emergencies, my trainer fell while climbing the fence out of her arena and broke her leg in a couple of places. No one was around, and she was down and semi-conscious for several hours in 35 degree temperatures.

Fortunately her next door neighbor was a horsewoman, because when she looked across the pasture and saw eight mares all standing in a circle around something on the ground she knew something was wrong. When my trainer didn’t answer the phone, she came over to investigate and called 911.

It was on a Monday, and the barn was closed on Monday mornings, so it would have been hours before anyone came out. Something to consider if you’ve got your horses at home. I try to remember to carry my cell phone, and hope if there is an accident I’m able to call for help, but it is a concern.

[ljc]

It’s been fascinating reading all these comments. I find myself agreeing with ALL of them (both pros and cons) because like most people with horses at home, there are times I hate it and times I love it. My husband hates it probably 99 percent of the time, by the way, because we no longer have a “non-horse life” (I vaguely remember things like trips to Africa and the Virgin Islands). In the six years we’ve had the horses at home, we’ve gone away ONCE and even then, I cut the trip short because a wildfire was approaching our town (my worst nightmare coming true while on vacation).

For what it’s worth, in my opinion, even with the negatives, having horses at home is fabulous & I hope to have equines here until I’m taken away to the nursing home. Our horses have made this property a home. They give it life and joy and occasional heart break. All my siblings suffer from depression - I don’t have time to be depressed!

It’s crucial to have people you can call on in an emergency. And, it’s also nice to have occasional/part time help with cleaning stalls. And, to keep your marriage happy, you might need to skip the occasional chore (I mean, really, the barn doesn’t need to be swept every single day) to go play with your spouse.

But I firmly believe that my dying thoughts will include the wonderful moments I’ve had with my horses here. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

[jeano]

I have never boarded, and feel so strongly about not boarding that I was horseless for SEVEN years while Mr Jeano was getting it in gear to put up some fencing and lay pipe for water to the pasture. And I live NEXT DOOR to a nice boarding facility.

Which is nice, because if I need horses looked after the neighbor is more than happy to do it. I could travel if I wanted to, and might at some point, but I have been many places and I love home. As previous posters have said, the horses are the least problematic of my critters to leave alone, since they are out 24/7 and the total pasture area is about 10 acres, subdivided into paddocks (and we have a very long grazing season here.)

They get fed a tiny, token amount of sweet feed or pellets ONCE a day. In our short winters, a couple flakes of hay twice a day. They wouldnt die if they didnt get ANYTHING for a couple of days.

I can ride almost every day of the year, and since I work from home I actually DO ride anywhere from 3 to 6 days a week. My horsekeeping is just as minimal as it can be. No stalls, no bedding, no manure picking, no shoes, no arena (I can borrow the neighbor’s) and I basically buy hay from her because she’s buying a barnful. And yes, she is the world’s best neighbor. When Mr Jeano had heart surgery last spring she even got the dogs out for me and got the chickens in at night and checked in on my mother. Just out of Christian charity and neighborliness.

Pick good neighbors, dont obsess about stalls and blankets and expensive infrastructure and see if you like it. I kept horses on 2 and a half acres before and it didnt work me to death then, either.

[juanbadcat]

I agree with everyone, but I think the benefits far outweigh the negatives. I love seeing my horses (3) and they know me which is the best feeling. I feed twice per day, it takes about 15 minutes b/c they’re out 24/7 unless the weather is horrid. I can ride to my neighbor’s ring, just across a field, and we have 10 miles of trails for those quiet morning rides. I admit, my husband likes to travel and it’s tough b/c I tend to worry. However, so far we’ve managed to get to Hawaii and Florida each year for the past 4 yrs and all is quiet at home. We also save $$ by having them at home, no board, etc…and no drama as in most boarding stables. Overall, I think having them at home is the best. I know if they’re ok when they come in for grain and I can see them from my house, which is why we bought our property. They’re treated like pets at home, I’d have it no other way!

[Catalina]

[QUOTE=Huntertwo;4498976]
Help?? Anyone wish you were back boarding again? [/QUOTE]

No.

[chai]

I’ve just come through a week of H1N1 while dragging myself out to the barn to take care of the horses, so I can speak to the ‘down’ side. Even though it was tough, I would not trade having the horses at home for anything.
I always know if they’re on feed, and I can catch any change in their behavior before it becomes huge. Riding does take a back seat to horse care and farm maintenance, but I am ok with that because I just enjoy having my horses here, taking care of them and having them as part of our family, rather than for pure recreation.
Sometimes I miss the camaraderie of the co op barn which was really fun, but I don’t miss boarding at all, even on the most difficult days of caring for my horses.
But I also know that boarding can be really fun if you have a good group and a BM you can really trust who is good at his/her job and really cares about the horses. I guess it’s all about what fits your reason for owning horses and your lifestyle.

[Trevelyan96]

I love having them at home from a care and companionship perspective, but it has been a fatal blow to my riding. If I only had one I would probably board him with my trainer at least until I can stop working full time.

I don’t regret it, but I do look forward to the time when I don’t have to work in barn chores, training, and riding around a 50/hr week job and 1 hour commute. I’m just looking at it as short term pain, long term gain.

DH is getting sick of the work as well. I had an opportunity to get down to 1 horse and board him, but caved and bought horse #2 for DD when Trav died.

But my barn chore time is my ‘down time’, and I really enjoy that.

[ljc]

I forgot to mention earlier that I did miss riding with other people and the camradarie and friendships from barns so I actually board one of my horses at a public stables. He hated living here (he is my retired hunter; used to busy show barns and there wasn’t enough activity) so it worked out beautifully. For me, it’s essential to be “forced” to leave here to go ride elsewhere. Otherwise, I’d probably forget how to talk to people!

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I plan to do both

Right now my pregnant broodmare and my riding gelding are both boarded. I plan to board and keep horses at home in an ideal world. I want a small farm for the broodmare(s) weenies and to keep boarding my competition horse(s). I think a small horse property is easier to sell for fmv too if you decide to get out of it.

Where I board we have a well lit indoor and a small outdoor; climate controlled wash stall, tie stalls, and tack room; and acres to ride on. Trainers come to us. I know I won’t ride enough if I have this horse at home. My goal is competition. I am allowed to micro manage as long as I take on the work. The cost of buying a similar property (75 acres) maintaining it and the equipment, and building a comparable facility would be staggering.

My broodie is a super easy keeper and eats grain in a bucket on the fence as easily as in her stall. Any horse living at home would need to fit that requirement–basically pasture board except for terrible weather. I would like to have a place to retire horses to though, if necessary. That is a problem with boarding “special needs” individuals.

[Ozone]

We had a boarder that had 3 horses with us and built her own farm thinking it would be less costly. To this day he is kicking his self in the arse because it costs him more to have them home then board.

He cannot vacation or anything.

There is no people socialization. Does not ride much because of the other things that need to be done.

But this is coming from someone else, not me who is a happy boarder

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

[QUOTE=Trevelyan96;4500909]
I love having them at home from a care and companionship perspective, but it has been a fatal blow to my riding. [/QUOTE]

We did self care boarding for a few years, and the same thing was true. Full care boarders ride their horses, but those on s/c never did, or maybe a couple of times a year.

They started out thinking that it would be easy to do their horses stalls/meals when they were there to ride, but soon after, it became a place for chores they had to do, not their relaxing/special/fun place.

[Dramapony_misty]

My parents and I have boarded our horses at home since before I was born. They started off with 2, then 3 with the addition of my first pony (which was sold and I bought my horse), and then we doubled to 6. 6 is ALOT!

It is nice to be able to look out my bedroom window and see them roaming around, laying down, playing, etc…but the commitment and everyday work makes me question often whether it wouldn’t be nicer to board. Let someone else go out at 9 at night in the pouring rain (we feed late, and well…everyone knows that this summer has been like), or blizzard.

I’m too much of a control-freak to let my horses in someone else’s care so boarding will probably never happen.

My biggest handicap is facilities. I have a nice 75’x100’ grass arena which is ok for flatting but a bit tight when jumping. Also, with it being grass, I’m SOL if it has rained in the past 2 days. No lights and a full-time job mean at this time of year I am limited to riding weekends. Once the snow and ice come, I’m done until late spring when the ground thaws out and firms up again. That may not be a problem with retired horses or occasional trail riders, but for competition riding, it sucks! Local shows start up in March, but usually I still have snow or a swampy mess for a riding arena at that time so my show season is dramatically shorter that some who boards at a place with an indoor. I’ve actually been considering boarding my one competition horse over the winter for this reason, but I’m still building up the courage to take that leap of faith.

With only 2 acres, you probably won’t be able to fit a riding ring. I don’t know what kind of riding you do, but this may be an issue.

I agree with those saying to buy the place, keep boarding, and slowing build up a nice little place so it is done when you bring the horse home. My father built the barn over 20 years ago and there is still siding and doors that were never finished. Horse came home, new projects arose, and there simply aren’t enough hours in a day.

[JSwan]

What I truly miss about boarding was all the fun we had. Don’t underestimate the social aspect of boarding. We used to have a blast.

The great thing about boarding is that if you’re sick, injured, want to take a break or go on vacation there is someone to care for your horse and do chores.

Also - God forbid you are injured there is usually someone around to scrape you off the ground or call 911.

Having had surgery, bouts of the Martian Death Crud - and been injured and left for dead… I can tell you life really sucks if you’re on your own.

Especially if you have to care for other animals besides horses, if you have the bad luck to be sidelined in the middle of winter when you need to hay or change blankets, etc.

If you show or take lessons - plan on trailering out a lot (generally) You have to go where the action is - because the back yard gets mighty lonely.

However… I wouldn’t change anything. Not for the world.

“Live the life you have imagined.”

Good luck.

[Trevelyan96]

I think its just a matter of choosing a lifestyle and looking at the pros and cons. Even though my riding has suffered, I would still choose to have them at home if I have more than one.

Pros:

1. Care is under your control.
2. The pleasure of your horse’s companionship whenever you’re around.
3. Barn chores help keep me fit and outdoors!
4. NO BARN DRAMA! (Except when you fight with spouse/kids over chores, LOL)

Cons:

1. Less socializing, fewer riding companions.
2. Freedom to travel, etc., takes more planning.
3. Supplier challenges. It can sometimes be challenging to find hay / bedding / farrier, etc. that are willing to come out for fewer horses or deliver smaller loads. I’ve only picked up 100 bales of my 250 bale winter load of hay due to weather. Too muddy to get trucks/trailers to the barn. I’ve once went an entire year without being able to get bulk sawdust because I lost my delivery guy.

All in all, the only thing I actually consider a headache is item #3.

My number one piece of advice if you build your own place… carefully plan your barn location and storage for hay and bedding! That can be a lot harder for a smaller property. We had almost no choices on where to place the barn because of well/septic perks on the property, so its not in a location that makes it easily accessible during very wet weather unless I were willing to build a gravel road through my best pasture.

Also… keep in mind… when you keep them at home, its all on you. If you’re not confident in your ability to identify major or minor illnesses / injuries and make decisions for their care on your own, having that extra set of eyes at the boarding barn can be very comforting. So be sure you’re comfortable knowing how to care for little nicks and cuts and making the right decision on when or not to call the vet, and even what to do in an emergency while you’re waiting for the vet! You have to be comfortable with your ability to do basic first aid, vital checks, etc.

So, before you decide to take your horses home, buy some vet manuals, training books and videos, etc. and read them.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

[QUOTE=Trevelyan96;4501129]
I think its just a matter of choosing a lifestyle and looking at the pros and cons. Even though my riding has suffered, I would still choose to have them at home if I have more than one.

Pros:

1. Care is under your control.
2. The pleasure of your horse’s companionship whenever you’re around.
3. Barn chores help keep me fit and outdoors!
4. NO BARN DRAMA! (Except when you fight with spouse/kids over chores, LOL)

Cons:

1. Less socializing, fewer riding companions.
2. Freedom to travel, etc., takes more planning.
3. Supplier challenges. It can sometimes be challenging to find hay / bedding / farrier, etc. that are willing to come out for fewer horses or deliver smaller loads. I’ve only picked up 100 bales of my 250 bale winter load of hay due to weather. Too muddy to get trucks/trailers to the barn. I’ve once went an entire year without being able to get bulk sawdust because I lost my delivery guy.

All in all, the only thing I actually consider a headache is item #3.

My number one piece of advice if you build your own place… carefully plan your barn location and storage for hay and bedding! That can be a lot harder for a smaller property. We had almost no choices on where to place the barn because of well/septic perks on the property, so its not in a location that makes it easily accessible during very wet weather unless I were willing to build a gravel road through my best pasture.

Also… keep in mind… when you keep them at home, its all on you. If you’re not confident in your ability to identify major or minor illnesses / injuries and make decisions for their care on your own, having that extra set of eyes at the boarding barn can be very comforting.[/QUOTE]

Can I add to your cons? Cost of facilities, cost of equipment, fencing, etc.

Labor and time involved. I hurt my back Thursday. I was very glad I didn’t have to go shovel sh#t cuz there was no way I possibly could.

8 hours of mowing

I thought of one more. Some of you have some really weird neighbor/loose animal issues. I guess that’s more just living in the country though?

[sissyfoo]

Bringing home Baby

I like the advice in here about getting your equine buddy a retirement home but holding off leaving boarding life until he needs it.

reading this thread because this topic has come up a lot recently with my Hubby.

He’s outdoorsy and was raised on a working farm. Surprisingly he misses a lot of that life (not the hours but oddly enough the labor-cutting down trees, mending fences, and in general “Wide Open Spaces”

My super hubby is willing to consider changing locations -from a quaint house in the burbs with an amazing view to Timbuktu where there is still more than 1/4 acre available at a reasonable price.
My/our discussions include things like:

*-3 words: indoor indoor indoor

*-My mother has her horses at home (not same state or this would definitely be a no-brainer) It really is a nightmare for her to try to go away-so that is a concern.
Really though…we talk about going here and there but never go anywhere… so that has become moot.

*+I have had reason to be concerned about my girl’s care and treatment boarding in the past so it is always on my mind.

*+I’m about as private and quiet as a boarder can be -so the socialization isn’t necessarily a draw. If I do find myself needing a kindred spirit or two I intend to have enough room to take on a couple of boarders.

I guess the decision is really made. Now we just have to find our little slice of heaven and bring baby home. :winkgrin:

Good luck with your decision.

[equusvilla]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned - I did not read every single reply…but if your horse is at home with you… will he/she be alone? Some horses cannot cope being alone…especially one that is going blind. That horse may need to have others around it. In today’s economy it would not be too difficult to find a free companion horse though…but in there lies another expense.

Just something to think about.

[NMK]

You also have to consider how much work is involved. Sample of last weekend…hubby and I installed 700 ft. of drainage pipe and 45 tons of gravel to create better drainage, all done with a ditch witch in just two days. Last weekend–Sat. feed, clean and load horse #1 for jumper show, four hours of hauling, one hour of fun with friends at show, unpack, clean trailer, clean five stalls, feed and pass out. Yesterday…feed and turn out, clean 5 stalls, scrub water buckets, cut grass --all before 8:30, have breakfast, fix pond pump, groom large dog, clean house, do laundry, hook up compressor and clean entire five stall barn and tack room, ceiling to floor (no cobwebs)!! take out trash, ride one horse (in dark) chase lost dog, pass out without dinner. This is a typical two weekends at our place. It’s a total lifestyle change and you will either embrace it or go nuts.

Nancy