So the young whippersnapper teenagers -P) get their own forum, and the mature folk over 40 get their own thread so I thought I'd make one for us 20-somethings.
So how goes the 20-somethings on this here Horse Forum?
I guess I should introduce myself as I'm a serial ninja member just reading and not posting. The name is Jess, I live in Australia and have dressage lessons once a week. I study psychology and have been riding "properly" since I was 19. One day, preferably before pension age, I hope to own my own horse. Alas, it's not the right time now.
Discuss dreams, vent, celebrate achievements and all things in between!
Well, I have to go 40 minutes by bus and then 40 minutes by feet to Snickers, that is, if there is nobody that day who could give me a lift, so I can't visit him every day, but sometimes it is really worth some sacrifice to provide the best care for a horse.
Nyx, there is always the possibility to make something like that yourself - over time, of course. I'd love to start this type of facility myself someday, so that there are more such places. 99% of boarding facilities in Latvia include obligatory stalling (you can't choose to leave your horse pasture boarded) and there are many setbacks regarding the mindset of the BOs' and other aspects for example, you can be frowned upon for not blanketing in winter or shoeing your horse, or for doing trail riding not dressage, or for believing your horse has real emotions and is not just a senseless, although beautiful beast, or for not feeding him commercial feeds and supplements only, etc., etc., etc.
its def not easy. i am currently working 2 jobs at roughly 60 hours a week and saving like crazy so i can provide enough cushion for hunny and i. the only reason i currently can afford her is because most of my college expenses are paid for by scholarships and government grants (and very loving grandparents), but my horse is all my responsibility
Once I am able to afford land that is definatley one of my dreams!
Id love to start up a boarding facility offer lessons and have a few nice stud stallions.
if only I could win the lotto
running a boarding facility would be kinda fun would you be able to reject people you didnt like though? or would it give your barn a bad name? ive always wondered that...
We (the boarders) have a part in our boarding contract where it is aggreed that the BO is not responsible for a horse or a person hurting himself, but only if it isn't because of the BO's neglect in any aspects of the upkeep of the facility, or because of direct maltreatment.
If I had a barn it would be very private and new horses would be boarded only if I received recommendations about their owners from people I know. In all other cases, I'd say that the barn is full.
Well thats good that way there is not as much liability as long as you keep a good barn.
Thats true, you would have to be careful who you allow in as like for example if someone neglects their horse at your barn it could give you a bad name.
True... But I have understood that I'd very much enjoy being a barn manager/owner and own at least 2 horses of my own. Snickers as the first one, and for the second one I'd look for an Arab or a Welsh Cob (section D) gelding. I love these breeds!
I love Arabs and Arab crosses they are just so pretty and smart.
if I could I would have an Arab an appaloosa and a warmblood and of course nyx.
3 totally different breeds but just so awesome in their own way.
I keep Sam at home. We have about 2 acres behind the house that I fenced off and we have a small run-in for him. He doesn't like being stalled, he gets too sweaty/hot because he's a full draft. So that the run-in works for us. He is on drylot though because he ate all teh grass we had and we don't have room to make rotating pastures. He does well on hay and his beet pulp/oil/supplement (EPSM/PSSM Diet) and it's cheap because a bag of beet pulp lasts forever.
We are moving soon, in the next week or so, and he'll have grass pasture (weaned onto it slowly) so my hay bill will go down and he'll probably get less feed as well... We have to be so careful with his sugar intake... Wouldn't keep him anywhere but home though.
i wish i could keep gypsy at home !! too bad i live in an apartment !! but my boyfriend is trying to buy a house right now [he almost just bought one but the people accepted a LOWER offer from someone they knew instead of him !] he wants a place in the country with some land, and then gypsy could live at home =]
Our horses are at home. It's wonderful having them right outside my door, but it has its disadvantages too... I'd LOVE to have access to an indoor arena. Or arena of any kind, lol. We have a 1-1.5 acre dry lot with a run-in shed, and a 3 acre grass pasture that also has a run-in. I don't have stalls at all, but we're hoping to build a shed (half of it will be Kevin's workshop, the other half will have a small tack space and two stalls) sometime in the future.
It's very aggravating for me because right where we are, it's all VERY valuable agricultural land. We wanted to buy a small field so we could grow our own hay but the price of land is astronomical. Every possible useable inch of land is planted with valuable cash crops, and if I were to crush even one plant by riding on the edge of the field the miserly farmers around here (who are mostly not very nice people, I'm afraid) would NOT be happy. It also means that not very many people 'waste' the land by growing hay, so we have to pay a lot to transport it in. If I want to ride anywhere but my own pasture, I have to ride on the road. The drivers around here are mostly very inconsiderate, refusing to slow down or move to the side. So... yeah. It makes me very frustrated.
There are some nice parks with horse trails about an hour's drive from here - at the moment we don't own a trailer, but that's the next big item on the list. We're hoping maybe later this fall we can get one.
There is some aspect of having my horse at home that is appealing. But I love boarding. Someone will always be there to feed and water. I can take vacations, sleep in, and not worry about having to be home at a certain time.
There's always someone to ride with and I don't have to own more than one horse. I have no upkeep of property, or maintainance of barn.
So I really have no desire to ever keep my horses at home. I live so close and will never move farther away from my current barn.
Wow, after reading all the posts about budgeting and saving and everything, I see the benefit of being the oldest person in this thread. This is probably the reason that there aren't many 20-something people who are horse owners. Teens still get thier parents to pay for stuff, and people my age or older are more established and settled so money isn't as much of an issue. Don't get me wrong, I still have to budget since I live in town and will have to board my horse. Luckily it's a small town though, only a 12 minute drive from my house to the stable I'll be keeping her. It's a little pricey, but this barn is, in my opinion, the best in a 50 mile radius. I'll be paying $275/month for pasture boarding, but that includes hay in the winter (which are long in central wisconsin) grain, a very large indoor arena, a smaller indoor working area, two outdoor arenas, heated tack rooms, a horse trail that runs along the back of the property, and access to some great trainers who board/train there and are always willing to give tips.
My BO just went up from $60 per horse, to $75 for just MY horses, even though we've been boarding there for seven years. The $75 includes a 10 acre pasture for 24/7 turn-out, three stalls and a shed we built OURSELVES. And that's it. We maintain the pasture, we maintain the fence, we maintain everything. The BO said when we first started boarding there that the pasture would be mowed atleast once every year. That's yet to happen, so there are weeds in the back pasture taller than the horses. We have two horses there, my pony whose been there for seven years, and my paint who's been there for a month. My paint, and my new baby coming in, are the only horses she's upping rent on. Nevermind the fact that I've been paying the rent for that pony for the past year, and we've been there for seven years. She believes she can get $75 easy. She could, if she actually maintained the fence and the pasture herself. She had the gall to point out that a lot of trees were growing in the pasture. Hm, I don't know, maybe it's because you haven't mowed it in seven years? Needless to say, we're trying to find somewhere else to board. It's difficult finding a place with 24/7 turn-out and decent acreage. Which you think wouldn't be that difficult in coastal Texas. :/
If it only cost $75 a month we would have a second horse. That is extremely cheap for what you get. Renting land isn't cheap.
WIRider - $275 for your area seems quite steep. Around me that would get you stall board with indoor/outdoor arena. And I live in a very horse populated area. Around me board can go from 150-over 1,000 a month. And that is in the same town. I pay significantly less than most people here and I'm happy sacrificing arenas for price. They feed (hay provided) and water my horse and provide a safe fenced area with shelter. What more do you need? I blanket my horse in winter myself. And supply all extra feed. I also help with chores, so that helps.
Most trails are within walking distance, if your horse in in shape. My little rescue arab that needs weight and muscle can go farther, longer than a lot of "healthier" (read: fluffy) horses on property. Arenas are on adjacent property when there isn't a show or something going on.
The land is her property. She pays no taxes on it, so there's no cost of the land. Basically the only thing we pay for it the water, and dirt. I'm not saying it isn't cheap, it's just her attitude and how she went about upping the rent. She couldn't even tell me, which I pay the rent for the horses. She had to tell my dad. That in itself is disrespectful, and shows that she knows what she's doing is rude.
It's not so much that I need anything more. but the next cheapest place is a crap hole. There is one just north of town that is only $100 a month, but I went and checked it out and the guy that runs it full of S*&%. He claimed that it was stable board, but each stall had a door the led to the pasture that was opened every day. Which would have been great, but when I went to look at his facilities, it was obvious that the doors hadn't been opened in a long time. So if i can't trust him on that, I'm not going to trust him with the well-being of my horse. There are a lot of cheap stables around me, and by cheap, I mean crap. I'm very particular about my animals and the conditions they live in. And yes, it is a bit steep, but from what I've found, my options are cheap with crappy conditions and lying owners, or a little pricey with people who are up front and honest and have a good track record with phenominal facilities.
Kayella - Well then it's good you are looking for a new place. I wouldn't deal with that.
WIRider - If that's all you have then I understand. I think it helps that I'm very much involved with everything at the barn and I'm friends with the manager so I know how my horse is taken care of. She is treated like a princess lol. Literally, she's turned into the BM's dog, she gets to follow her everywhere, it's quite funny. So I know she is spoiled and she loves it.
Yeah, believe me if I could find a good place for cheaper, I would. Plus, I know people already boarding at heartland and i trust thier opinions. It's only a matter of time anyway before I move out of town and have my own barn for horses.
my board is $320 for scout to be in a stall and $155 for gypsy to be on pasture. its about to go up though.... i also pay $215 every 6 weeks for farrier. and i buy my own grain and supplements.... add up really quick !
I bought my horse when I was 13 and my parents paid for him so I never really understood the stress that came with owning a horse until I was 18. I had a job but it was amazing and terrifying how much money it cost and how fast my savings were disappearing. Now I'm financially stable but it took 3 years of working 4 jobs and making friends with someone who is teaching me how to trim my horse's feet while only charging me every few visits for his work, and a friend that does my routine vet work for free or insanely cheap. Now I only work 2 jobs but boarding is starting to be a hassle so I'm looking to get a house with some land.
gypsy, I think we'll end up paying somewhere close to the same for our pasture horses. Especially if you'rs is going up and you have to buy your own grain. Luckily grain is included in the 275. Heartland does a lot of shows, year round, so I wouldn't be surprised if you had been there. They're starting to do a lot of cattle roping now too. That's a lot of fun to watch.
my BO includes grain, but its all stock feed so i just give it to my girl if i need to give her bute. haha
BO also grows his own hay which is nice, except for right now ! he already had to go buy hay because the pasture got eaten down in JUNE. this crazy weather !
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