I’ve put my horse hunt on hold for much the same reason …
I think you need to be real with yourself and ask "how much extra time will i be sacrificing and what corners will i be cutting.
I don’t know about you, but i feel exhausted with just one. I love every second of course, but i cannot imagine having another! Your time will be shrunk and you will cut corners. Will your grooming session be 100%, will you cut your ride short because you are tight for time and need to hop on the other. Will you pick out every single poop out of the stall or just "leave it for tomorrow’?
Finances and time are the two biggest things.
Between my mom and I we have three.
A 17yo warmblood gelding who is primarily my moms horse, but I’ve showed him in the past. I’m responsible for him in the winter when my parents head south. On occasion he has done inbarn leases and part boarders through the winter, because I don’t always have the time to ride him.
My 11yo warmblood gelding. Very spooky with a big buck, not safe for the average jr/am. I ride or lunge him 4-5 days/wk and he lives out 24/7.
A coming 3yo warmblood mare. I predict that she isn’t going to be an easy baby.
The plan over the next two years is to be strapped for time. I head out to the barn late in the evenings, or early on the weekends so I don’t get caught up talking to barn friends. Rides are very focused. And I’m more open to paying my trainer to hop on them once in awhile to work through an issue or if I can’t make it out for a few days.
I know this isn’t something I’ll be able to keep up longterm. It isn’t fair for my SO, he has some of his own hobbies, but they certainly aren’t this time consuming.
We will re evaluate after the baby is going to decide if she’ll be for sale, or if herself or my gelding have mellowed enough to become my moms riding horse when the older guy needs to slow down.
Horses are time consuming. Full time jobs, commutes, other hobbies, significant others, children, etc close in on that time.
