Moving to non-horsey area

[Arzny]

Needing advice on maintaining motivation and not feeling hopeless in a seemingly no win situation.

Due to my DH’s job, we have moved to an area that is completely depleted of horses. Our current herd (2 jumpers and a pregnant broodmare) are boarded 1hr+ away at a barrel horse facility. Travel to any decent lessons consists of crossing state lines and 3+ hour haul. We can’t even get the grain I used to feed out here!

For various reasons, purchasing our own land is currently out of the question, and rentals do not seem to exist here. This is a huge change from our old place in Lexington, and I am really struggling with the idea of continuing on like this. Has anyone successfully managed to keep their horses going in a situation like this? I appreciate any motivation or suggestions!

[Tini_Sea_Soldier1]

I had a tough time where we moved. There were barns but nothing was a fit and aside from a summer circuit of 7 weeks, I was in a deficit of horse shows.
Ended up moving horse to FL with a trainer down there and flying in for show circuits and training. We made it work. Was it ideal? No, but it gave them both the opportunity to be in a full program and the plan was for me to maximize my time there so that I could benefit from the training and progress in the short term.
We eventually ended up moving here. It was the right choice.

[clanter]

@Arzny

Due to my DH’s job, we have moved to an area that is completely depleted of horses.

I was transferred to Chatsworth CA after an acquisition , while not depleted of horses it was for me cost prohibited to move our herd to LA. My position in the company required travel so I arranged my worked from Fort Worth commuting to Burbank which turned out to be cheaper for my company than moving, I worked like that for about ten years

My concern in OP case is the lack of a horse support network, primarily veterinarians

[vxf111]

I think this is the answer when you really live in a horse free zone. Keep the horses in a good horsey area with a great program and travel there for the riding.

There are parts of the country where I simply would not keep horses. If I had to live in one of these areas I would keep my horses elsewhere with a full care program and regularly travel there for stints of riding and showing. Thankfully I’ve never had to do this, but I came close (Salt Lake City).

I’ve had a slightly different experience in areas that lacked a real show scene but were not without barns/horses (just a totally different discipline). I just sucked it up and didn’t show or lesson much, but I did continue to ride. I dabbled in some other disciplines and used books with exercises for what to do. Not ideal but if it’s a limited duration, you can make it through doing stuff like that.

[LilRanger]

That sounds really hard, but don’t lose hope!
You can focus on a lot without trainers in your discipline. Use the time to fill those ground work holes, go out hacking on trails, all of that helps. Get your horses rock solid riding alone. You can teach them to pony each other and get their fitness better at the same time! They can learn a lot from going to a barrel race, just the commotion and action, it’s a lot more raucus than you’re average h/j show.

[NoSuchPerson]

Right out of college, I moved to an area that was just horrible for horsekeeping. I took my horse with me and it was awful. I did keep her during those years, but it was a constant struggle with virtually no riding and keeping her in what was, to me, a substandard (and sub-substandard) environment.

I really regretted not just selling her when I moved. She would have been much better off and I would have been much less stressed.

[StormyDay]

Clearly the answer is to leave the husband.

I would find a nice full care facility further away and go once a week to ride. I’d also see if there’s a local equestrian page on Facebook (even if it’s just for your state) and ask if anyone in your area rides English/keeps horses/etc. You might be surprised to find out there are horses and H/J riders in your area.

When I was in Aiken I met a woman who lived in the middle of nowhere Montana. Her vet for the horses was literally a cow vet. I believe her and her husband farmed. Every October she would pack up her two horses and come down the Aiken until March. Her husband would fly in for a bit to enjoy some non-frozen weather. She made it work, even if it wasn’t ideal. You might find there are other equestrians hiding in your area. We are a plague, you know. Can’t get rid of us.

[Tini_Sea_Soldier1]

HAHA. My husband did the same. We called it the great “thawcation” when I trekked down here for winter circuit and he would join when he could.
I also met a woman near me that was doing the same thing over the summer (ie flying back and forth with horse staying here with trainer in a program).
It may not be ideal and the broodmare might be ok to just hang and do her thing, but the 2 that are in work and are current performance horses might thrive in program where you can fly in for a few days and have some consistency without being exhausted and the bonus of not dragging them around everywhere for long distances for showing.
If you share some of details of/near your current location, people may have better suggestions, as sometimes there are secret barn communities that no one speaks about (not all barn people are awesome about websites and facebook pages), so if they’re on the road showing a lot, it may just not be as well-known, but maybe they have an asst trainer/barn manager that hangs back and can help.

[Arzny]

Thanks for the responses. I have exhausted Facebook, local feed type stores & tractor supply, and vets and farriers looking for options. The best option I got was to go to a barn in the closest metropolitan area to us (2 hours away). They, unfortunately, have no open stalls, and I, unfortunately, do not have the budget to send two horses to WEF for the entire circuit with them.

The closest equine vet is booking 6 months out, but luckily I found a livestock vet who took them on. That was my very first order of business upon arrival.

The barrel horse barn offers what I consider to be the best care in the area. They feed less hay than I want and do less turnout - but I can currently supplement hay and turn out when I am there. They don’t mind my jumps in the indoor, and they honestly have worked the footing to make it better for me. It is sounding like the best option may be sending them away. It is definitely something to consider, as this is a long term - potentially forever - move.

[Texarkana]

I grew up in such a horsey area that when I left home, I didn’t even comprehend that everywhere didn’t have the same level of access that I was accustomed to.

Not helpful, but when I moved to an area lacking horse resources, I left my horses behind in a better area with trusted caretakers. It was better to have to board a plane to visit them periodically than to try to make it work where I was living.

That period of my life only lasted a little over a year; I couldn’t take it.

[StormyDay]

If it really is a forever move I think you need to have a hard think about how important horses are to you.

Can you be happy in a life without horses? If the answer is yes, I’d sell them and find a new hobby.

If the answer is no, you should have a real talk with your husband about other options for where to live. Yeah, work is important. But your life should not revolve around work; yours or your spouses.

If the answer is we absolutely have to stay here, and I need my horses, you need to find a workaround. Maybe you can buy an RV and go down to Aiken or Ocala (or even somewhere closer but horsey) like that lady I knew did. Maybe you rent a little apartment near a good barn and travel 3 hours, ride, spend the night, ride and go home. Or maybe you buy land and make it what you want it to be. Put in the arena and the barn.

I don’t know what the best option is for you, but I hope you find the one that works the best.

[findeight]

Sounds like the Barrel Racing barn IS a good barn and, in the great sceme of things, an hour each way is not that bad when the barn is run by people you trust to do right by you and horse when you can’t be there most of the day every day.

Over decades of boarding, I’ve driven past many closer barns to reach barns I trust. One was even within walking distance.

Have you thought about a bit of cross training? There’s a ton of flatwork excercises you can create using Barrel patterns, forget the speed part. You got bending, stride control, leads, straightness etc. and you can combine that with low fences or poles.

You might even pick the brain of a Barrel trainer/coach, watch practice and competition might learn something, particularly body control and precise track. Good barrel folk perfect that before adding speed as well as schooling those skills away from the pattern. Try it.

You are in a MIW situation-Make it Work. You can live without a trainer in your desired discipline and can always learn from good horsemen.

[AAHunterGal]

I echo everything @StormyDay said. As soon as you mentioned, “potentially forever home,” I thought, “Uh Oh.” Is this someplace you can happily consider doing horses longterm? If not, is there a way that you can talk to your husband about the situation and transfer someplace where it’s better for both of you? Would you be wiling to stop doing horses?

You say that you can’t afford to send them to WEF for the whole winter, but that’s a pretty extreme example of horse snowbirding. Based on what you’re describing, I would guess you’re someplace in the west. Can you head down to Arizona or Texas for the winter instead? Could you rent some dry stalls and an apartment someplace in Ocala or Jacksonville and make that work?

There are some options for you, none of them easy. I’m sorry you’re going through this and I hope it all works out!

[Texarkana]

@findeight

Have you thought about a bit of cross training? There’s a ton of flatwork excercises you can create using Barrel patterns, forget the speed part. You got bending, stride control, leads, straightness etc. and you can combine that with low fences or poles.

Expanding, you may consider taking up barrel racing in the future. It might be a good way to balance riding + your sanity. When in Rome and all.

The best eventing instructor I ever had moved to cowboy country. For the first year she tried to maintain her event horses along side the western horses, but she eventually rehomed them, bought a QH, and never looked back.

[hillary_again]

If your horses have the right care, then yes, you can make this work. This is not a small if. Do you have a farrier that works or will learn to shoe your horses the way you want? What about vet care? If the equine vet doesn’t consider you as a client, you probably won’t get emergency care. Otoh, it sounds like the boarding barn wants you and us willing to work with you on footing, etc. That’s huge! Can you pay more or – to get the feed and turnout?

It’s tough to shift from Lexington to anywhere else, except maybe Ocala or somewhere similar. I met a rider at a clinic who had made that move, ended up in NW AZ. She told me that she had a farrier from CA and a vet in Phoenix, hours away. Rough. Stressful. Lots of time spent making arrangements for all kinds of things .

Good luck to you on the way forward. No simple answers.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

What are your plans for the pregnant broodmare? If you’re keeping the foal (and/pr keeping her to breed in future) it does sound like a challenging her to maintain for someone moving to a non-horsey area.

If you only had one horse or weren’t as serious as you sound you are, I might say try plotzing around with some Western lessons (not even necessarily barrel lessons) and continue with the jumping on your own with occasional lessons. But if the jumpers and competing, as well as bringing up a younger horse (or breeding) are your passions, that sounds very difficult in the long-term. Commuting an hour isn’t bad for a few months or a year, but over time it takes its toll even for a job, much less a hobby.

[Arzny]

Broodmare belongs to DH and it is a race baby, so leaves to be broken in as a yearling. It is ironically the easiest part of the whole mess!

[2bayboys]

Sounds like there are horses just not in the way you’re used to.

An hour commute to the barn is a reality for many, so that’s only a deal breaker if you allow it to be.

I would seriously consider changing or at least exploring other disciplines, especially if this move is permanent. If there’s barrel racing then most likely there are other western/ranch events and activities as well. Try it, you might like it!!

[mvp]

@hillary_again

If your horses have the right care, then yes, you can make this work. This is not a small if. Do you have a farrier that works or will learn to shoe your horses the way you want? What about vet care? If the equine vet doesn’t consider you as a client, you probably won’t get emergency care. Otoh, it sounds like the boarding barn wants you and us willing to work with you on footing, etc. That’s huge! Can you pay more or – to get the feed and turnout?

It’s tough to shift from Lexington to anywhere else, except maybe Ocala or somewhere similar. I met a rider at a clinic who had made that move, ended up in NW AZ. She told me that she had a farrier from CA and a vet in Phoenix, hours away. Rough. Stressful. Lots of time spent making arrangements for all kinds of things .

Good luck to you on the way forward. No simple answers.

This. OP, your barn sounds pretty good: that they are kind people trying to accommodate you. Do not look down your nose at that; it’s the opposite of what most people find in modern boarding barns.

Also, if you can find good care, the rest will sort itself out or be “good enough.” I have lived in markets like yours after having lived in higher-level ones. I made it work in terms of the care. I had less help from barn owners which were happy to keep doing things as they had always done them, never seen otherwise, and didn’t want to hear about that from me.

But if you have not yet had much chance to see how (good) Western folks do what they do, don’t miss the opportunity. I am very grateful for the eye-opening bits of horsemanship I got while I was in a mediocre market in western Oregon. It has improved my training and riding and I will never go back to the more English-centric ways of doing things.

I couldn’t do the Make It Work thing forever (and I paid alotta dues for a long time), but I know that I can do just about anything so long as there is an end in sight. I hope you guys have a plan to make this a time-limited move as I think that will help you tolerate its imperfections better.

Good luck and don’t miss the mind-opening learning opportunities that will be around you.

[Spudsmyguy]

@2bayboys

I would seriously consider changing or at least exploring other disciplines, especially if this move is permanent. If there’s barrel racing then most likely there are other western/ranch events and activities as well. Try it, you might like it!!

My friend does occasional cow sorting in a dressage saddle on her morgan mare. They have a blast!