I don’t regret having mine at home, but sometimes I regret the other 20. 
:lol: :winkgrin:
(Just kiddin’, I love my boarders)
I don’t regret it, but I am downsizing b/c I’m a bit spent. I’m not a social butterfly, so I really don’t miss barn drama AT ALL. Travel, if for long duration we try to have one of us home. For just a couple days - the horses won’t starve to death without grain 
- we’ll top of all the water, put in a nice big high quality round bale and let them be (neighbors will check in on them if we need) if we both have to travel, but I don’t like to be gone for more then a couple days.
Motivation - even when I boarded with a huge indoor - if I didn’t feel like riding I could find an excuse. It’s the same way now except I find myself more inclined to hop on one since they are in my backyard. It used to be the trip to the barn (or lack thereof) that kept me off the horse.
I don’t regret it, I love it 
I have my horses at home, and have for 25+ years. My husband has horses, too, and would be happy boarding them, but I would not. I hope to have horses at home until they cart me off to the nursing home, or better yet, the morgue!
I am a very serious rider/competitor, and having them at home has not kept me from riding every day - and on the weekends, several horses a day. You have time for what you put first. It is very easy to get distracted by “oh, I must sweep the barn/mow the field/etc etc” and not ride. but I don’t. My barn is never as tidy as I would like it - but I ride every day, and am riding and competing 3 horses and working full time. I really don’t care about travel - except for horse shows! - and that has not been a problem.
I do not miss the drama or the social life of boarding. For me, the people at the barn were distractions to riding more so than the chores when having them at home. I am a social person - but riding is very important to me and I take it very seriously, and work very hard at it.
It takes a certain kind of person to enjoy having horses at home. I am not antisocial, but I can go long periods of time without having to interact with humans as long as I have my horsess/cats for company. When my husband was working out of state, my dad would ask me if I ever got lonely and I thought it was an odd question. I said to him, who could be lonely with the constant entertainment of watching horses/cats?
It would be very difficult for me to go back to boarding,not only the turnout issues, but the unwanted ‘advice,’ the drama and the loss of control over care.
[QUOTE=NMK;4501202]
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[/QUOTE]
…I’ll bet you DON’T have a weight problem!..ha ha - unless that is if you are UNDER WEIGHT!!!
I call my normal farm ‘chores’ the poor girls aerobic program!
Nope.
I too am torn about the whole boarding vs. having them at home thing.
Pros:
- You get to be a control freak (feed and hay wise especially)
- Easy access (no driving!)
- No worries during bad weather (mostly blanketing issues)
- No barn drama or moody BOs
- Cheaper (for me)
- Get to keep a close eye on any potential health issues
- You can go outside whenever you want at any hour of the day and visit your ponies
Cons:
- A tie-down unless you have a very reliable horse-sitter with an open schedule
- Maintenance all falls on you
- Getting hay and buying feed gets a little old after a while
- Dealing with the bad weather (ice/mud/sometimes heat)
- Can be a little lonely riding solo
- Keeping your pasture managed, seeded, and happy
My set up is pretty basic. Big outdoor ring, 5ish acres of field, and a large run in with hay storage in the back. You can’t see the run-in in the picture:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/Randelle/n639861442_1774346_4469.jpg
The riding ring is essentially useless in the winter. It freezes solid, and is usually used as a back-up paddock in the spring when the mud stars to make its appearance. I put them in there to keep them off the soggy ground until it firms up a bit and won’t get quite as torn up. In the summer though, it’s perfect.
I actually just brought my mare home a few months ago after boarding her for 4 years while I was in school. Being a pretty social person, it’s been a little tough adjusting to solid feed schedules with my high-maintenance horse, but it’s working out alright. If I’m going to be out late, I will often mix feed for the evening and ask my very non-horsey but horse-loving (luckily) mother to dump feed for me. Same for weekend trips. Longer vacations I usually pass on to someone who knows their stuff. Old barn friends, mostly.
I don’t miss the moody BO’s, or crazy boarders one tiny bit. They used to kill my ambition when I went out to ride. Where I live is huge horse country, so I do have neighbors around to ride with if I chose to.
When it comes down to it, it’s costing me less to keep them at home than it was to board them. Not a lot less, but enough to make a difference. As someone in their early 20’s with crazy student loans, even a little bit of a difference helps. I don’t have extra bedding and blanketing costs, and no extra gas $$. Less wear and tear on my car. The maintenance on the property is very very minimal. Maybe $50 a year if I need to reconnect a fence or something. I buy exactly the feed and hay that I want in bulk. The vet and farrier fees are the same… and that’s about it.
When it comes down to it though, I would kill for a big cozy barn with an indoor arena. :winkgrin:
[QUOTE=Huntertwo;4498976]
I know many of you love having your horses at home, but my question is to the people who brought them home and now regret it.
Our house is on the market and our next step was to purchase a two acre lot for a small horse property/small house.
Now I am having second thoughts and honestly, are split 50/50 on the decision.
Here is a little background that may help. Both DH and I are 49 yrs old.
We want to sell our bigger home, build something small, not have a mortgage, and feel more financially secure.
He also loves to travel.
Although I enjoy riding alone, I love thecomradery of the barn life. I just moved into a new place which I love, and it is nice having people around to just talk to after riding.
I trust it enough to take a day or two off and not go to the barn.
My concerns are:
Not being able to keep up with the rising board costs in the future.
OTOH - the money we would save from building a barn, maintenance, extra taxes, fencing would probably equal out over the long run.
My mare has Uveitis and a Cataract in one eye and is almost blind in that particular eye.
The fear is: if the Uveitis spreads to the other eye and she becomes unridable, I cannot possibly afford to board two horses.
And I would never ever part with her.
Although a partial lease of another horse would be doable if I could not longer ride her.
DH is leaving it up to me as he will go along with whatever I decide.
Help?? Anyone wish you were back boarding again?
Thank you -[/QUOTE]
When I was married, I had my horses at home. I also had a lot of help with fence fixing, putting in hay etc.
Now I’m divorced and don’t have the same priorities. I board now and like that I don’t worry about keeping the property up, bad weather, etc. I trust my barn owner completely, otherwise I’d move my mare.
In addition to that I’m one of the 50+ crowd and somewhere in the last 30 years I’ve mislaid the Stoopid Courage I used to have. Being around others my age and those who are understanding of my issues has helped to keep me pushing my comfort zone. Without my barn owner I’m sure I’d have sold my mare and gotten back out of horses altogether. She and other barn members have helped me a lot.
I would never ride if I didn’t board. I’d have pasture ponies because of that fear mentioned above. Horses are a hobby not a passion with me and THAT makes a difference too.
Actually… PM me if you really do want to go to FL. My working student has taken up farm sitting and is fantastic. I come and go now as I please w/no worries
[QUOTE=cyndi;4501252]
I have my horses at home, and have for 25+ years. My husband has horses, too, and would be happy boarding them, but I would not. I hope to have horses at home until they cart me off to the nursing home, or better yet, the morgue!
I am a very serious rider/competitor, and having them at home has not kept me from riding every day - and on the weekends, several horses a day. You have time for what you put first. It is very easy to get distracted by “oh, I must sweep the barn/mow the field/etc etc” and not ride. but I don’t. My barn is never as tidy as I would like it - but I ride every day, and am riding and competing 3 horses and working full time. I really don’t care about travel - except for horse shows! - and that has not been a problem.
I do not miss the drama or the social life of boarding. For me, the people at the barn were distractions to riding more so than the chores when having them at home. I am a social person - but riding is very important to me and I take it very seriously, and work very hard at it.
It takes a certain kind of person to enjoy having horses at home. I am not antisocial, but I can go long periods of time without having to interact with humans as long as I have my horsess/cats for company. When my husband was working out of state, my dad would ask me if I ever got lonely and I thought it was an odd question. I said to him, who could be lonely with the constant entertainment of watching horses/cats?
It would be very difficult for me to go back to boarding,not only the turnout issues, but the unwanted ‘advice,’ the drama and the loss of control over care.[/QUOTE]
I am in the exact same shoes as this person. :yes: We moved to our current location last year and have bought 13 acres are building a house and barn so that we don’t have to board anymore. Where we were before, I had them home and it was wonderful. I did not miss seeing people - they just slow me down! Sure going away is tough but for people like me and my hubby who never leave, it’s not a problem.
Thank you everyone!! I just finished reading all the replies and appreciate it. Now - A LOT to think about.
At the moment, I’m in the ideal situation. Being foremost a trail rider, my new barn backs up to a State Park with plenty of trail riding.
I just moved in the end of October and so far no issues with blanketing, water, turnout etc.
The neighbor gives noon hay (BO works), so I don’t have to go everyday unlike my last barn, where I had to go to give lunch hay.
I also enjoy ring riding and we also have an indoor.
Although I enjoy riding alone, which usually happens as I ride during the day, but it was nice to go down this weekend to hang out with the other boarders and talk. It is a nice group of people.
I work at a barn and am the sole caretaker, so no socializing there.
OTOH, the barn is leased so who knows when the BO decides she no longer wants the responsibility of running a facility.
Perhaps purchasing the 2 acre lot when we eventually sell would be an option and build a barn whenever it suits us. We already have copies of the engineering plans and a small barn would fit nicely.
Plus this land is right down the road from a huge State Forest with hours of trails.
I suppose the main concern is vacationing and finding someone to help out. As another poster mentioned, find another back up in case the planned caretaker suddenly has to cancel.
Thank you again…
Not in the least:)
I have it both ways. I currently board the show horse and the broodmare during the weaning process. Right now it is so calm and easy with just two fillies at home. HOWEVER, there is nothing like the freedom that you can just take your horses home and deal with them yourself. Get away from barn politics, bossy BO’s, etc. Really look for a good horse sitter. It took me years to find one, but now that I do, it’s great. I still like my option of boarding the show horse and keeping him in pro training, but whenever I need a break, he comes home to me.
I haven’t regretted it one bit since I moved here.
I trailer to my friend’s barn for lessons once a week, and to use the arena a couple of other times a week so get socialization with other horsie people.
I used my friend’s young adult (community-college age) riding students as house sitters the first couple of years. They were great and inexpensive but I got tired of having to find a new one every year when the current one went off to four-year school so connected with a fabulous local professional house/pet sitter who is a vet tech and reasonably priced. I’ve gone on several trips since moving out here.
Had boarders the first year I was here, an informal arrangement - stall/paddock in exchange for chore help. It didn’t work out but I did find that I can do the barn chores and work full-time and it’s very manageable.
I could not afford my second horse (just retired my horse last year and bought a second to ride) if I were paying board on two and a mortgage on a house - because if I didn’t have horses I’d probably live closer to the City and pay as much for a house in a development as I did for my house/barn/shop/ 5+ acres. The reason I bought the place was planning ahead for retirement of my horse. Plus, honestly, I’d rather have a plain old house on acreage then a nicer place with close neighbors.
I’m quite happy. Do it!
[QUOTE=EqTrainer;4501543]
Actually… PM me if you really do want to go to FL. My working student has taken up farm sitting and is fantastic. I come and go now as I please w/no worries :)[/QUOTE]
PM sent.
Done both - what’s your goal?
I’ve sort of done both - boarded and done self care - I was in the military and the base had individual ranchettes for horse owners, but you had to do all the care. So, why not partial or self care board? I think that is the best option if you want to know your horses better yet have the freedom to travel or whatever. I did find that balancing family, work and horses meant that I sometimes sacrificed riding to do barn upkeep - not just mucking, but keeping up with a horse property is a huge task. I did enjoy my downtime with my horses - they are momma’s little helpers, but I didn’t see a change in my riding and now that I’m boarding they still love me just as much. And if I want more time with them, I just go on the weekend and have picnics with them or just hang out.
As my husband says, time is money, so accounting for that, I find boarding cheaper - as long as I’m at a reasonable barn, not a fancy barn! I think the number one thing is that you only have one horse currently. My mare was alone on that ranchette, but next to horses, and she was NOT happy even then, so I now have two. You could still get land, and maybe build a run-in shed and a paddock, and bring the horse home for “sleepovers.” But partial or self care boarding let’s you balance the best of all worlds at a reduced cost. There are also co-op barns - sharing care among the owners to help out when someone is hurt or unable to do the work. Be open on disciplines - just don’t negotiate good horse care. And if you want lessons or training - do they have an open trainer policy or can you trailer to other barns? I have been the only dressage/h/j at reining barns and even Saddlebred barns (they were great people with horses they would actually turn out!). They had what I needed - an arena, jumps, and people to talk to and be safe riding. They drag the arenas, wake up when they have the flu, whatever - and I helped out and hung out as time allowed, but I had the freedom of knowing if I couldn’t make it, my horses were/are fine.
Bring Them Home!
I have 2 at home and a third at a boarding stable.
I have an older horse, about 20 years old, and he can’t just live on pasture. He needs a lot of extra food, but deserves a retirement. This way he is out all day on a pasture (12+ hours a day) then comes in overnight for his old man food. I find that a lot of barns don’t accommodate hard keepers that are retired.
I rescued a horse to keep him company.
My third horse is at a boarding stable because I ride a lot. Also he is frequently overweight, and they have dry lot accommodations.
At one point, I got really tired and decided to move the rescue horse to a boarding stable to get him more trained and put my old guy at a group retirement.
It was horrible. My old horse lost tons of weight and kept loosing shoes in the mud (no dry stall to use, ,just sheds). My rescue horse got picked on in his turnout so bad.
It wasn’t less stressful to have someone taking care of them. I felt bad for them and I was so stressed taking care of their war wounds…and all to throw money out the door.
Now they are back home and so happy! I keep everything clean and perfect. The exercise of cleaning stalls is great for the metabolism. I just love it.
Im trying to find a way to get my third horse home. We are experimenting with grazing muzzles now.
There is a guy on my street that just does small farm work. I haven’t tried him. Right now I have a friend who takes care of them once a week in exchange for riding one.
I save so much money. At home they cost about $100/each. Where boarding them was costing me $500/each. The $100 is give and take with water bills and time of year.
You have to weigh the benefits. If you have a trailer and the social thing is important to you, you can always go to another stable to ride for a day…but you can come home to just the way you like it.
There are a lot of nice girls out there who will work for cheap or in exchange for riding. Put an ad up on Pony Club…those girls really know how to take care of horses, it’s drilled in their head.
[QUOTE=Huntertwo;4498976]
I know many of you love having your horses at home, but my question is to the people who brought them home and now regret it.
Our house is on the market and our next step was to purchase a two acre lot for a small horse property/small house.
Now I am having second thoughts and honestly, are split 50/50 on the decision.
Here is a little background that may help. Both DH and I are 49 yrs old.
We want to sell our bigger home, build something small, not have a mortgage, and feel more financially secure.
He also loves to travel.
Although I enjoy riding alone, I love thecomradery of the barn life. I just moved into a new place which I love, and it is nice having people around to just talk to after riding.
I trust it enough to take a day or two off and not go to the barn.
My concerns are:
Not being able to keep up with the rising board costs in the future.
OTOH - the money we would save from building a barn, maintenance, extra taxes, fencing would probably equal out over the long run.
My mare has Uveitis and a Cataract in one eye and is almost blind in that particular eye.
The fear is: if the Uveitis spreads to the other eye and she becomes unridable, I cannot possibly afford to board two horses.
And I would never ever part with her.
Although a partial lease of another horse would be doable if I could not longer ride her.
DH is leaving it up to me as he will go along with whatever I decide.
Help?? Anyone wish you were back boarding again?
Thank you -[/QUOTE]
This is a really old thread you resuscitated!
As we can see, there is no right answer to this question.
“It depends” comes closest, even all these years later.
It is a really old thread. If you asked me 5 years ago I would have said no, I don’t regret it. But now, I get tired of it at times. Like when the weather sucks or I would just like to go somewhere for overnight. I have some “special” horses that I don’t trust someone with little experience to handle, so finding someone to feed and water isn’t super easy. I have over a dozen at home. Now if I only had 2 or 3, maybe 4 it wouldn’t be so bad. We wouldn’t have to worry about getting enough hay in, could bring everybody in the barn in frigid weather and not have to bust ice on big tanks, etc.
Actually I think it would be nice to have 2 show horses at home, as well as one at the trainer’s. Then if I wanted to go to an away show, I could load them both up, take the dogs and DH, and not worry about the farm.
Never! BUT, I think if it’s not a lifelong dream you have had to have the horses at home, it certainly won’t become one once you do it.
2 acres is pretty small for two horses also, which will make things more difficult.
Old thread but I’ll answer anyway! I’ve had my horses at home for 10 years now and continue to love it. First and foremost they are my pets and so I want them around where I can see them and manage their care. Sure, having a farm requires a lot of work and maintenance, but it’s what I like to do with my free time so that’s okay. We have a great house sitter and are able to go on two vacations a year and a couple long weekends, too. I ride at home regularly and haul out for trail rides and lessons. I’m very active with my horses.
In fact, I love it so much that Mr. PoPo and I are looking to get a bigger property with trail access!
