Horses at home - best advice you have?

[asb_own_me]

My husband and I are in the process of trying to get our house sold and buying an acreage. Neither of us have ever had horses at home. We plan to have 2-4 horses at any given time, and eventually to breed and raise our own, likely only one foal every other year.

What is some of the best advice you could give, based on your own experiences of keeping horses at home?

[roadpony]

I will be interested in replies too. My hubby and I plan to have our own mini-farm within the next couple of years... we'll be doing exactly as asb_own_me has described.

[smorrow923]

The biggest thing I can suggest is make sure you have the TIME! Having horses at home will require so much more of your attention between feeding, vet care, farrier care, training, conditioning, etc. I've had horses at home since I was 11 so I'm used to it by now. But you've got to realize that your Christmas's, Christmas eves and Thanksgivings are all going to have to revolve around the horses. 2-4 is a good number, however. I've got 6 and there are times when I have to re-work my schedule but I like it.

I also suggest getting a schedule laid out. Figure out when you'll need shavings/feed, make spreadsheets in excel, etc. Figure out what your pastures will be like(dry lot, grass?) Do you want to use round bales to supplement forage? Can you properly care for a pasture to be sure it produces the most it can? Will you be able to do rotational pastures? All stuff thats nice to be able to plan before you purchase than having to work with what you've got.

[asb_own_me]

Good idea about getting the schedule set so that you don't run out of anything major. I am an organized person so that will come easy to me :)

[AlbertaSaddler]

If you plan on having foals, make sure you have a suitable pasture for them. ie: enough strands of wire/planking that the little squirt won't end up on the other side from it's momma.

I've lived on a farm my entire life, but when my parents built their new place with the arena, Dad was finally able to build a jingle pen, which is a little pen that has access from all the paddocks, and we can run the horses in and catch them in a much smaller space. After running the back 40 about 40 times, and the horse is satisfied he's irritated you enough and he stops, well, the jingle pen just makes it that much easier. It's about a 50' X 50' pen FYI. This pen is also good for seperating a sick or new horse out, or riding a colt in on his first ride outside.

Make sure you have a large enough area to turn the truck and trailer around. This is huge! I sold a horse to an acerage lady, and when we dropped the horse off, it took us and hour to back out around the tight corners. There was no room to turn around until we got back out to the road.

If I think of something else, I'll let you know!

[SmartAlex]

#1. Treat anyone who will deliver to you like GOLD. This includes the sawdust guy, the hay guy and the feed guy. We make sure that our driveway is always clear and passable, and that storage areas are easily accesible. This means that in the middle of winter, we get priority over people who make their lives difficult.

#2. Make sure you include plenty of accessible storage areas which hold an excess of supplies for the above reason. We stockpile sawdust all summer when it is easy to get.

#3. Befriend at least one neighborhood horse owner or horse crazy teen to do chores when you really must be away, and make sure they are used to the routine at ALL TIMES.\

#4. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on drainage and gravel. You will never regret it.

[snowfool]

I don't think I can mention one thing without mentioned at least another 10 things that are important. I've grown up with horses on a farm and I am used to it but even now, I get burned out at times. However, the advantages IMO, far outweigh the disadvantages. Now I don't have to wonder if my horses really were dewormed like it states on a board bill. I know exactly how much feed each horse is getting and don't have to get approval from a barn manager to raise them up if needed. I also don't have to share wash racks/cross tie areas with anyone anymore and no one borrows my things and doesn't put them back.

I guess my top priority would be to have someone totally capable that would be available to care for my horses when I am sick, out of town or even just need a day to take care of personal things. You cannot be there for your horses 24/7/365 a year. We have had employees for years now and you can't be too careful in assuming they understand instructions given to them. Even when they work here every day, they still get things wrong on occasion - it's only human. But if you need to rely on people who aren't caring for your horses daily, have a rigid schedule that is not too difficult to follow. Too many details will bog even the most conscientious people down. Make sure they can recognize colic symptoms (horses invariably decide to get stomach aches with the hired help:( ) and know how to reach your vet. Make sure you let your vet know you will be gone for an extended amount of time (unless you have vets like mine who will come out no matter who calls them about my horses). Also make sure they understand they can call you on your cell phone for instructions no matter what it concerns. I had an incident a few years back where the woman decided to guess about something and she guessed so wrong that it caused one of our horses to colic. All she had to do was call.

It can get aggravating and totally time consuming to care for them yourself - just know that ahead of time and plan for it. I can't tell you the number of times I've had my plans changed due to an injured horse, sick horse, help cancelling on me at the last minute, etc. But all in all, I would feel so insecure in boarding again that I doubt if I could do it. Just keep in mind that taking on the care of your horses means that you will now have "children" that can only play for short periods without adult care.:D

Oh and one other thing, just as we reward grooms working for training barns, treat the people who will take care of your horses like they are really special. I try to always bring my employees a little gift of some sort even though I pay them well. I wasn't able to get anything when we took out most recent trip to Tattersalls so I gave "Wendi" a paid day off. She sure didn't argue about that one LOL.

Susan

[kaitsmom]

Make sure your farrier will come to your house to only do a couple horses. We have had trouble finding a really good one that only wants to do 3 horses with pads and our hunt horse - and that's even with 7 other horses in the barn to trim.

[ny_asb]

really take time to design your barn. Get all of your goals together as far as what you want this facility to accomplish for you... foaling stalls, an indoor riding area, what do you want to store in the barn, etc. A "goal list" can help you stay on track and not loose sight of how you want your building to work for you. Dealing with builders, excavators, your real life and real job can get :eek: !!!!

[asb_own_me]

I know I didn't post details about the property - it already has a barn, three separate turnout areas, and a run-in that services two of those areas. There is an outdoor "arena" that consists of a gravel "track" around a grassy center that I think we would eventually make into an indoor. The setup is great as far as ease of in/out, turning, deliveries, etc.

Thanks for all of the tips so far. Keep them coming!

[Skyduck]

I've had horses at home for 52 years and also run a training barn for part of that time. Now that I'm back to being an amateur I found that taking the time to teach a young gal, sharing my horses with her and now helping her train her own in exchange for her help has been a Godsend.

First it has brought another Saddlebred owner into the fold. Second it has given me much needed help as I get older and there is nothing like having someone there that shares the love of these horses. I'm also lucky that my husband has been my assistant trainer all these years and can take over for me or just plain be an experienced set hands hitching a colt or whatever.

I'm sure I'd get thrown out of a training barn for trying to tell them how I want my horses trained so I just need to do it myself. I only have 4 acres of land and at the moment all my horses are worked, not on pasture but I have it carefully layed out with a good outdoor work area. Enough pasture for me to turn horses out for a few hours in the off season and I have in the past raised a foal or two.

It's a ton of work training and showing your own but the rewards are outstanding.

[katie]

I take care of four horses - my two and my mother in law's two.

Keep two dry erase/chalkboards in your barn: one blank one and one that has a calendar grid on it. Make sure you can take these off & on the walls. :) On the blank one, make sure that you list all of your emergency & normal contacts (you & your husband, the vet, a secondary vet, farrier, shavings guy [If you decide to buy bulk], the feed guy [again, if you decide to buy bulk], your work numbers, and a few other people that you would be comfortable checking in one things). You can also write out a feed schedule, turn out schedule, farrier & vet schedule, etc, on it. That way, if you & your husband need to go out of town or someone's assisting you all, it's all right there. On your calendar, write out any and all important dates - vacations, farrier visits, etc. Every month, you'll just have to wipe it down and re-write, so your schedule stays intact.

Something that I LOOOOVE (and wish I had at the farm) are the little halter & lead rope boxes that some people keep next to their gates. When you turn your kiddos out, all you have to do is hang up your stuff and it's there. No trying to hunt down a halter in the middle of a pasture, or forgetting a lead rope - and a good place to keep extras that are easy to get to when you're trying to chase down a loose horse.

Gates are my best friend. We have three separate gates to the 'big' pasture that the horses hang out in, so no matter where they are in the pasture, I can get to them easily. Keep your gates well lubricated and check them every so often to make sure horses aren't leaning against them, etc, it's a pain in the butt to have to lift up a gate because someone put too much strain on it and the end's stuck down in the dirt.

If you're not going to do it yourself, find a GOOD bushhogger in your area. You want someone that has equipment to fit your needs and that can fit in your gates. It's also a good thing if you can find someone that also cuts hay, if you want to cut & bale your own. You also want someone that knows what to do if a horse escapes while s/he's out there mowing a field. (My dad bushhogs for people and he's had to catch a handful of unrulies in the past! Thankfully, he grew up with horses. My ex boyfriend did some bushhogging and a client's horse got loose and he didn't know what to do.)

Be prepared to set aside a day every two weeks/month to check routine maintenance. Check your lights, your stall doors, your bucket hooks, pastures, etc. It's easier to fix things as they're starting to wear down/break/get old rather than something going wrong.

If you decide to go bulk, MAKE SURE that you have the storage for it. It'll save you money in the long run, as long as you have someplace decent to keep it all - if not, you're just wasting money and you'd be better off buying bagged shavings or bagged feed instead of bulk.

Make up your morning feed buckets the night before, while you're already at the barn in the evening (if you feed twice a day). Label your buckets with what each horse gets (include any supplements, medications, etc) and have it all ready to go. It saves time in the mornings. * Wait and make up your meds when you get there, however, if it's a paste or something else along those lines.

Keep a stocked first aid kit for both humans and horses that's easily accessible.

I'm sure I'll think of some more. :)

[asb_own_me]

Katie, I love the dry erase calendars and the labeled buckets. I'm an organizational freak! I will definitely implement both of those suggestions :)

[katie]

No problem! You can always buy the little dry-erase/chalkboards, too, and add to the front of stalls. (Or, if you're handy and like to DIY, get some smooth sheets of wood, cut to size, paint with chalkboard paint, and nail them up to the stall door.)

The dry erase calendars are great for vaccination schedules, too - especially if you're comfortable with giving vaccines yourself. You can write yourself a note to talk to your vet a week or whatever before you KNOW you need to give the vaccines, pick them up, stick them in the fridge, and do them yourself. It saves the cost of a farm call.

Oh, and ALWAYS keep extra wormer around. :)

[Skyduck]

Katie, you are soooo organized! The gal that boards her horse with me actually labeled all my show trucks using one of those label makers and I still had to ask her where everything was. I guess I make out ok because I am one of those "overstock" kind of people that wants several hundred bags of shavings in the barn at all times. You should see my kitchen, I have friends that say if there is ever a famine they are coming to my house because we could eat for at least a year without buying anything new. lol

[snowfool]

Concerning the dry erase boards - plan to keep liquid cleaner on hand instead of relying on a regular eraser. The typical barn dust will take the slickness right off the boards after a couple of months and wiping it with something dry will stop working. I have a big dry erase board at the front of our barn and a schedule board for the employees on the tack room door. I get a lot of use out of them but I don't even try to clean them without the special liquid cleaner anymore.

Susan

[asb_own_me]

I actually have a quart of unused chalkboard paint. Maybe I can finally put that to good use on stall fronts!

[katie]

LOL, Skyduck, I try to be. I have everything labeled, from my grain bins to my feed buckets, to the shelves in the tack room. All because I know that when February comes and I can't go out to the barn, dear husband will need all the help he can get when it comes to putting things where they go and where things are.

[Skyduck]

That's probably a good idea since I'm always leaving my husband a list with who gets what for feed. But I've never been that orgainized. When my son was only 1 week old (25 years ago) the big hay truck arrived from Canada and there was no one home so I was out stacking 800 bales of hay. It's amazing what you can do when you have to.

[dalmatica]

Smart Alex's #3 suggestion is the most important as far as I am concerned. Having horses here along with the at the trainers for over 30 years has taught me many things but having a neighbor/friend that you can TRUST to feed and make sure everyone is well while you are out at a show is numero uno. Just about anyone can feed but to be able to look at your horse and tell if they aren't feeling well is priceless. Treat them very, very well!

[lastchancefarm]

I f you are starting from scratch, Plan where ever thing is going to go, even if its in the future. Tearing down and rebuilding is so expensive and time consuming. Have a different place to store feed and hay to keep the dust down and rodent population. Make every thing easy to get to with a tractor trailer. You never know when somebody will delivery. Gravel is very cheap compare to towtrucks to pull you out. The catch pen in every lot are wonderful.

julia

[Nice Rack On]

If you live in an area that is blessed(haha) with a hearty winter, and if you havent already, invest in hot water for the barn, as well as automatic waterers. They really are worth the price. Water buckets will freeze overnight, giving horses little or no water, plus, chipping ice out of buckets is a royal pain, and it leaves water that will turn into ice everywhere(holy safety hazard!). And hot water in the barn makes hoof soaking, applying liniment, and plenty of other things a lot easier. Even if its just a sink with warm water, it will do a world of good.

[Renae]

Lots of good advice! My piece of widom is to double check when considering buying a piece of land that a decent vet (one good at repro work if you are going to be breeding) services that area. Where the barn is at that I run now there is not a single veterinarian that does equine repro work that ill travel to this barn, I have to haul to the clinic for all my repro work and thats a big pain.

[sdlbredfan]

I am vicariously enjoying this venture of yours. (and hope for an invitation to come admire the set-up someday!)

A couple of things that could be important, IMO, are making sure you have both hot and cold running water easily accessible, all light fixtures enclosed in wire cages, and all electrical cord that a horse might encounter encased in conduit covering of some kind. A closed circuit security TV system would be a good investment, especially for future foal watch. Before Summer, having screens on the doors would be a good thing, so that (whatever format doors you have) you can have ventilation while cutting down on flies.

Last but not least, if you have a well, make sure the well is above the runoff level of/upstream from any barn waste, manure pile seepage, etc. (remembering that from my environmental and urban Geology class many eons ago) Money spent on having your well water analyzed would be well spent, in case you'd need to install some kind of filtration. I have read that it is not a good idea to have a water softener on water for the animals, too high a mineral content/could put your horses' electrolyte levels out of whack.

[asb_own_me]

I am vicariously enjoying this venture of yours. (and hope for an invitation to come admire the set-up someday!)


You don't have to hope when you already know that the answer is "Of course!" :D

[perk]

I did the exact same thing you are planning 10 years ago. Here are some things that came to me as I thought about my experience:

-If a horse can get hurt on something (especially curious babies), they will. Walk down every paddock, every stall and try to imagine how they could get hurt, and fix it. You will find that they can get into situations that you couldn't even imagine, but at least remove the obvious things like loose boards, nails, holes, wires, etc.
-Make sure you leave yourself enough time to enjoy your horses. The work associated with caring for the facility, the stock, scheduling, etc. is a big commitment. If not careful it is possible to become so overloaded with work that you do not have enough time to enjoy them. I loved doing all of this but as I worked full time and cared for up to 7, including foals, I found myself spending every spare moment cleaning, fixing, scheduling something with little time to ride.
-Adding one more horse (as in, I'll take on one more since I have the room) will add much more work. Be careful of filling up your available space with more horses. (reference item above).
-If you are going to breed, make sure you have an appropriate facility for the foaling process, private turnout of mare and foal, and a good situation for weaning. I would send my mare to a friends farm and had a nice, older caretaker gelding for companionship for the weanling.
-Your providers are most important. If you have a reliable vet, farrier and feed/hay supplier they will make your situation much more enjoyable.
-Drag or pick you pastures frequently.
-Have good friends nearby who can help in the case of an emergency. My husband traveled frequently and I was fortunate to have friends who could help at a moments notice.

I'm sure I'll think of a dozen things later.

I did love having my own place and found the breeding to be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. I would do it again and do miss it.

[asbbabydoll]

we moved into our barn back in August. it's a big change but you will LOVE it. it's nice to have your own place and do things fit to your liking. we also have a dry-erase board and we LOVE it. it's really great for keeping things in order. i also suggest the hot water. it is definately worth investing in. i think katie pretty much covered everything...mixing grain the night before definately helps and keeps the babies happy come morning. best of luck with your new barn...it's a lot of work but it's AWESOME!

[exodus farm]

Running your own barn can be very rewarding but like someone said in a previous post, make sure you have enough time to enjoy your horses. You can get burnt out very, very quickly.

[asb_own_me]

Thanks for all of the suggestions that are still coming in. I *am* nervous about having enough time to enjoy having the horse(s) at home, especially since I am looking at a career change that would require me to work a lot more during the week. I am thinking that my two lifesavers will be a dry-erase board and knowledgeable, friendly neighbors!

[saddlebred-lady]

Kim,

I've boarded horses out most of my life and that was right for those times in my life. But as you know, we just finished our new barn and I absolutely love, love, love having the horses at home. We have nine here, including two that belong to good friends. I charge them basically for feeding and bedding, and in turn they help me clean and take care of the barn on weekends. I'm not in the boarding business, per se, but these ladies are good friends and I know them well, they asked for space and I decided the labor was worth more than the money. Good call on my part! I also have help hired during the week ... this is absolutely critical for me, because I work full-time. I feed morning and night, but I have emergency backup. My help does the stalls, and she does a very, very good job. She turns the horses out for me during the week as well, so I feed in the morning before taking my son to school and going to work, and she comes later and turns them out and does the stalls.

I agree with everything that's been said, including about hot water in our climate especially, and heated automatic waterers. Truly worth every penny!

One thing that is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that I don't think anyone mentioned is manure management. For the first 18 months we owned our place, I was using an old dairy barn as a run-in for 3-5 horses. While it was plenty roomy, and they didn't spend a lot of time in there unless it was really hot or rainy or bone-chilling cold outside, I did clean it every day. I don't mind the scooping out -- it was the disposal that was a total bear. Keep in mind I was dealing with sporadic waste, and not 5 horses pooping and peeing in a stall 12 hours a day. I was hauling all this out in a manure bucket or cart, dumping it either in woods (in the summer) or in farm fields (in winter, when they were crop-free) and spreading by hand. Bah humbug! When we built our barn, I bit the bullet and bought a compact John Deere tractor and 50 bushel Frontier manure spreader. (I finally got my money's worth out of my USEF discount, I saved 23 percent on the tractor through USEF's buying program, which I had paid NO attention to previously, and I saved a lot of darn money! Ditto for the Sherwin Williams discount ... ) I am telling you that both pieces of equipment are worth their weight, I can empty a completely full spreader in about 5 minutes ... no kidding ... and I don't have a nasty manure pile to deal with. And, with 9 horses, we produce a LOT of waste. I would be dead by now (or my help would be) trying to take out the waste like we used to. Also, at the recommendation of my good friend who also happens to work selling tractors and such, I got a front-loader on the tractor. I kept asking, "What do I need it for? Will I use it?" Cam, my trainer-friend, told me I'd use it fo more things than I could imagine. He was 100 percent right. I use it to move hay from one barn to another, to push snow, to move pallets, and to smooth gravel. And I've only had this amazing machine for 6 weeks!!! In spring I will use it to move and dump mulch. I am getting too old to do some of the things by hand that I used to -- this is really saving my back and poor, old, sore arms and shoulders. Incidentally, the spreader I got is ground-driven -- you probably already know this -- but with just a few horses you don't need a big PTO-driven spreader, which is prone to loose chains and breakdowns. My ground-driven model has been trouble-free in even the worst weather. Of course I park both pieces of equipment inside.

In short, plan well and make your chores easier. As far as riding, I don't ride much in the winter anyway, I hate the weather. But when the indoor is built, I'll have winter riding options, too. In the summer, when I get home from work, I can ride because the days are longer and the weather is more cooperative. We still have more to do, but I LOVE having my horses home, despite the extra work ... though I have to say my house isn't as clean as it used to be!!!

[SmartAlex]

I hate disagree with a single thing saddlebred-lady said, but we are on our 3rd or 4th ground driven 'nure spreader, and are finally shopping for a PTO model. They are older, but were in good shape when we got them. The ground driven one is worthless in a snowy climate. They are just as much maintenance considering chains and the beater mechanisms. This last one required a pitchfork and a lot of luck to engage the gears and the predecessors weren't much better. The tires are currently bald, and chains or new tires were more than the darn thing is worth. It is too low slung to travel in deep snow, and the tires are slip sliding around in the mud. Sometimes the thing just won't engage and we end up unloading half of it by hand before we figure out where the troublesome blob is hiding in the gears.
Last winter we resorted to piling and in the spring used the front end loader and the big spreader from my uncle's to deal with the giant pile. Now we have left it a bit late, but are comparison shopping for a PTO model. I HATE HATE HATE the ground driven 'nure spreader. (Vent officially over :o ) I'm sure the PTO one will have it's issues. Maybe 'nure spreaders are like vaccum cleaners. It isn't so much the machine I hate as the act of vaccuming. :rolleyes:

[wstrngrl]

We have a ground-driven manure spreader for our 16 horse barn. The only 'problems' we've had with it, in the, ohhh, 5 years+ we've had it, involve modifying it so our silly horses don't hurt themselves on it when turned out in the ring while we're cleaning stalls (our stalls are in the ring). Which basically involved putting boards across the top of the fork so a horse can't step in there and hurt itself (*cough* Monty *cough*), and putting a metal pipe around the the back to keep the horses away from the spreading 'teeth'...

My dad also jerry-rigged a lever system so that we could engage and disengage the spreader without getting off the tractor... Though that doesn't always work LOL

During 'good weather' we just use a basic lawn mower tractor to haul it around. If it's real muddy or in deep snow we use our larger "tractor" tractor :p The reason is not a problem with the spreader, but with the thing hauling it. The smaller lawn tractor doesn't have enough power or traction to pull the spreader through mud and snow.

Earlier this year we got a used PTO-driven spreader, so we could pile the manure up during the summer instead of having to spread it on our path, which makes the path useless once the manure gets to a certain depth:rolleyes: . It broke on like the first or second 'spreading', and we haven't be able to get it working since.

[SmartAlex]

Spin-off... you can never have too much tractor. My family is over tractored. Everyone has one. My husband does not need to be asked twice to buy another tractor. Some people ask us what on earth we use two tractors for (we live in a suburban area and don't have the horses here yet) and I can't imagine life without one. My husband has a 40 horse Kubota with a loader and a back-hoe, and he bought me a 23 horse kubota (he really just wanted two tractors), my Dad, and now my step-dad also bought similar Kubotas from the same dealer. We do get a volume discount ;) . I cannot imagine not having a tractor with a front end loader. They are worth their weight in gold. In fact, today my husband had to drive his about 10 miles to bury a friend's horse (combination of old age and colic). I keep telling him he needs to start a horse undertaking business, but he still hates the whole ordeal (who doesn't?)
Moral of the story, buy as much tractor as you can afford. Front end loader always a plus. If the 'nure spreader doesn't work out, you can always move the pile with the loader.

[Skyduck]

We also have a Kubota with a front end loader, giant snowblower, york rake, post hole digger, gang mower. We have already worn out one Kubota after using it for 30 years. I just don't know what we would do without the tractor. Plus my husband would cry.

[katie]

I totally suggest a tractor, as well. My Daddy (and brother) are both in the bushhogging business and push John Deeres, as they have ... 5 ... between the two of them. Daddy has a JD 7220 and a JD 6425. They have all of the front end accessories, as well (hay spike, loader, etc).

I actually called my Daddy, explained what you're getting ready to undertake, and he suggests a John Deere 5325 or 5425. I'm unsure of where you're located, but here in Shelbyville (KY), the dealership (Shelby Supply) sells 5325s and 5425s that are slightly used (had been used at the fairgrounds for dragging the arena, pretty much) at a VERY nice discount.

[Airman]

:) Well then it sounds pretty much like you are set as far as the PLACE for the horses...just remember that as others have stated here..you life will revolve around feeding turnout...supplements..you name it...yes it is wonderful to know ecactly what your horse is being fed ..just remember it is YOU who are soley responsible for all care given, and with our friend the equine, many problems can arise from just waivering off of this very intense schedule even slightly. Best of luck to you. If all has been put into place then surely like many, you can say you wouldn't have them anywhere else but under your watchful eye.
As far as breeding goes...with happiness comes heartbreak, and all of us who have raised a horse or two are painfully aware of this fact. Having foals is one of the most rewarding and spiritual things I myself have ever experienced...but there is a responsibility to be certain that this baby will grow up well socialized...and that to us means never again will we breed only one mare for one baby. Horses really do better growing up together besides not having to be looked at by "Foalie" as his sparring partner also helps us!!!:D
Take care!!!

[Airman]

If you have any doubts asb owns me...they own us as well...go to our web site and have a look under the heading called For the love of horses! there you will see the Small investments we have had to make so far and we are never done!!! LOL
Thanks

[Hippy Skippy]

Kim,

... though I have to say my house isn't as clean as it used to be!!!

:o The plight of every horse-owner/mom/career woman! ;)

Ro

[NancyB]

One suggestion on the barn - put the water and the hay rack/grain bucket on opposite walls...keeps water cleaner. My dad always said put the doors in the middle so water on one side and hay on the other - we put the water on the front wall and the hay racks on the back where we drop it from the loft.

Just a thought. Having a "run" off each stall is a luxury and saves on bedding.

Just practical thoughts! Good luck!

[TrotAdmin]

So, I am half-heartedly looking at property. I looked at one last weekend that was ok, but I didn't love it.

I'm looking at three more on Monday. Each have their good and not-so-good points from what I can tell from the web and some drive by's. One thing that is probably going to come up on at least two of them is fencing.

Wood? Vinyl? Rope? There are so many options I'm not sure what the best thing to do would be, and what would be the safest and most cost effective. I think I would like one board on top with the no-climb wire fence because I am paranoid about wandering dogs and such, but I have no idea if that is a good idea or not.

Anyway, I don't have a place yet , and I might get frustrated with the process and just stay here:) , but just in case would like your feedback to to help me plan for what I might I need to budget for that piece.

Thanks!

[DreamGirl]

The guy across the street from me have these two sheep type dogs. He said no fencing kept anything out until he got these dogs. He had boards and wire mess. He swares by these herd dogs to kill intruders. They are not old english sheep dogs. They are just "sheep dogs". Blond in color. But he raises everything. Lama's, sheep, goats, geese, rabbits, dogs, chickens... and swears by those dogs.

Hope this helps.

[D_BaldStockings]

The sheepdogs may be Anatolian Shepherds. In their native land they were bred as flock guards that live with the sheep and drive off wolves and stray dogs. If you use a dog bred for protection, be sure and research before you buy.

http://www.lgd.org/

http://www.stockdog.com/breeders/guardian.htm

http://people.unt.edu/~tlt0002/index.htm

These are wonderfully useful in theright hands, but can be problematic in the wrong environment. Many of the farm shepherd and herding ancestry dogs will stanchly guard your animals, too.

http://www.stockdog.com/hdbreeds.htm

A truly useful dog can give you peace of mind like nothing else.

Mary

[jshay]

Regarding fence, I have poplar board along front and sides of my property, with no climb wire on back side of property and around my house. Dogs can crawl under both types and get into my pasture unfortunately. I am thinking of switching to vinyl board fencing, but am a bit afraid, as I haved heard if a horse runs into it or kicks it, it shatters???

A really good fence website is www.rammfence.com
They have a planning section that I really like.

[walkinghorseowner]

Vinyl is great...we have a strand of electric on the inside top rail (thhey installed it when they put the fence up , we have a solar febce charger... keeps the horses away from it...

[walkinghorseowner]

PVC is great...we have a strand of electric on the inside top rail (they installed it when they put the fence up , we have a solar fence charger... keeps the horses away from it...

[racker5]

A good friend of mine put something on her blog about one of the best pieces of advice she can give.
Know how to take your horse's temperature.
Do it often so that you are good at it and know what his/her usual at rest temp is.

I cannot say it better than she so I will put the link to her blog here and you can visit it yourself.

It's just a little way down the first page titled PSA- Public Service Announcement.

http://www.villastables.com/blog/

I think it's great advice and I intend to listen to it.
This was a smart question!

[WhenPigsFly]

I actually have a quart of unused chalkboard paint. Maybe I can finally put that to good use on stall fronts!

There is a barn in my area that has chalkboard paint in the area where you enter. It is on 3 walls (chair rail level and above - I guess to keep little hands off) - anyway - they have all sorts of organized phone numbers, etc. on the chalkboard walls - plus barn rules, etc. I thought it was a really neat idea! Could work in a tack room or feed room also.

In our current boarding barn there was no organization and 9 horses. So I went to Lowe's and bought a big dry erase board (there are sheets of them for $10 in the paneling section). I had the guy at Lowe's cut it up (for free) and then went to the local auto store and bought some pinstripping. I laid out rows and columns with pencil marks on each board. We now have a Fabulous board for feeding schedule (the column are - horses name, am feed, pm feed, supplements/medicines, notes). Then we also have a board in the tack room that has 8 columns - horses name and then days of the week). This way we can keep track of when horses are worked and what was done with them.

[WhenPigsFly]

Regarding fence, I have poplar board along front and sides of my property, with no climb wire on back side of property and around my house. Dogs can crawl under both types and get into my pasture unfortunately. I am thinking of switching to vinyl board fencing, but am a bit afraid, as I haved heard if a horse runs into it or kicks it, it shatters???

A really good fence website is www.rammfence.com
They have a planning section that I really like.

You might want to check out cirecle5horsefence.com - We have had two farms now and have had the centaur fencing. It is FABULOUS! I have had horses run into it, get caught up in it because another horse chased them into it - NOT ONE VET BILL with these incidents - and looking at it while it was happening I could have sworn that the horse was going to have major surgery! I love it, love it, love it! My next place will have the centaur fencing.:wub:

[SmartAlex]

We are in the middle of months and months of serious winter weather. I have decided to post my newest list of must haves for the keep at home horse.

1. PTO driven 'nure spreader. We have had one for three weeks now, and oh what a difference it makes. :wub:
2. heated water buckets and outlets conveniently located outside each stall. We don't have those. What we do have is a pile of 5 gallon ice cubes.
3. stall mats. When we have to strip a stall, :001_9898: we know when to stop digging.
4. reliable bedding supply. What luxury! I think I need to go buy something else really nice for the sawdust delivery boy. He's awesome! :wub:
5. indoor exercise. We only have a 50x50, but when the driveway is a sheet of ice, and the paddock gate is buried in a 3 foot drift, it is worth every thousand dollar it cost.
6. Heat in the feed room. We don't have that either. What are we? Nuts? :confused1: It's -1 degrees out here, and we're chipping through frozen sweet feed. There is a ice stalgmite on the floor in front of the water hydrant. My horse has a new favorite treat... last nights frozen leftover beetpulp. I think he likes it better than the warm sloppy stuff. It's chewier. Ok, we're not nuts, he is.
7. Really good clippers. There really were ears under all that fuzz.

[asb_own_me]

We are closing and starting to move next Friday. Thanks again for all of the great tips!

[TrotAdmin]

SmartAlex - See, I knew that poopie smilie would come in handy here ;)

asb own me - Congrats - how exciting! What did you end up with? Starting from scratch? Existing structures?

We have been looking at places, and it has been an adventure to say the least. I think I need to blog about or something...haha

[asb_own_me]

Completely turnkey - for us and the horses - and the people who built it did a GREAT job of planning ahead and putting things when they really made sense. We can't wait to get in there!!!

[BMWgirl]

Hi Kim,

When I read the very first post on this, I laughed out loud because I wanted to say :

Go outside, get a gun, load it and shoot yourself in the foot! ha ha...

You know me though and I am just joking. The suggestions you have been given are really great - but I want to address something else. Think long and hard about what you will do if you have a baby that just does not pan out. The most I ever spent on a top stallion produced the foal with the least amount of motion. I got emotionally attached to this horse and ...well, I could not even come close to getting what I had in her (just the breeding!) and I still have her. She has not been ridden in 2 years.

Just something to roll around in your brain...one of the harder sides of breeding horses.:sad:

Julie

[ANGELYNA]

A good tractor with a bucket loader on the front and a manure removal plan in place. The first few years we had our horses at home I had to do all the poop removal without the help of the tractor-that includes paddocks mind you-NOT FUN. I am closing in quickly on 40 and my back isn't what it used to be. We don't have enough acreage to spread the manure on fields so I have to rent a 15 yard dumpster to put it in that gets hauled away when it is full. Dumping the wheelbarrow into it isn't bad when the back is open and you can wheel up the planks into it. Heaving shovels full of manure and old wet hay up and over into it is the pits. The tractor makes life soooo much easier and saves lots of time which = more riding time.

[fiasco]

Lucky you, and good luck with the new place!!

[Ardy_fardy]

I live on a ranch with my fiance. we have a total of 10 horses and 2 on the way. We have 2studs which we keep seperate from everyone else and eachother because they will fight for dominance. Our mares and one gelding are all out down in the big field and our two yearlings are in a pen up by the house till we get the mares moved for the summer.
thats what we do...

if you have land to graze keep the horses on a rotation between pens to abvoid over grazing.

hope it helps
:)

[Samigator]

So Kim,

now that you've been there for a few years what advice would you have for people looking to move their horses home??

We are in the process of looking for a place, so this thread has been very helpful. We're planning on probably having the horses on pasture, and having stalls to use just as needed. My top concerns were- finding a hay supplier, tractors/implements- is there one tractor or machine that can move hay, spread manure, mow grass, plow a driveway, and drag a riding area or what is the most efficient way to get all of these functions? Managing manure- what do you do with all of the manure that builds up in a dry lot over the winter? Fencing, and having enough space- how many acres per horse do you need for grazing? Do you always wish you had more space?

Do you actually save money having horses at home vs boarding?

[SmartAlex]

Do you actually save money having horses at home vs boarding?

My husband and I have this conversation on a regular basis.

I don't believe I would see any return on investment for many many years. Now, you would have to clarify buying an existing horse facility, or building one from scratch, but still, it would be many years. Which is exactly why I DON'T move mine home. I leave the whole hay supplier/sawdust supplier/manure removal/pasture maintenance thing to my Mom and Step Dad. Yes, I do make financial contrbutions for things that I want that would exceed their needs (i.e. new footing, reseeding pasture) but the work and worry and lack of vacation time falls on them... much to my relief.

[3mares]

I brought my horses home 2 1/2 years ago. I built a 30x40 barn with 4 10x10 stalls. The barn cost me about $15,000 plus another $5000 roughly for the stalls, electric and water and excavating. I financed around $20,000 through Farm Credit Services and my payment is $388.14 a month and I owe $2000 at the end since it is set up like a lease. It is a 5 year lease.

I have split rail fencing because I did not want to waste any time painting a fence and it lasts forever and looks nice. It cost me $4500 for 750 feet of fence, so $6 a foot installed. I have a pasture for one horse that is 60 x 140 and I have a track around it that is my arena. The other pasture is about 80 x 90 and is fine for how often the horses are out. I also have a 30 x 120 off the back of the barn but that is for the goats mainly. My horses don't like to be outside much so they are only out about an hour a day and this is plenty of pasture for that. The arena footing is my manure. I just dump my wheelbarrows around the arena and by the time I make it all the way around it is ready to be started again because it breaks down so fast. I do have a pile too from the winter time but I am lucky and my neighbors take most of it for their very large garden.

Monthly expenses:
Hay - $120 a month, I get 20 bales every 2 weeks at $3 a bale
Grain - about $130-150 a month, depending on grain prices
Shavings - $50 a month. I get a truckload at $12/yard(it fits 2 yards) and I bank my stalls and it lasts two weeks, no need to store it anywhere.

Tractor - I do not have a front end loader and it is the one thing I wish I had. So, when shopping for a tractor I would make a 3 point hitch and a loader a priority. I have gotten by without it but I could do a whole lot more if I had one.

So, by this, yes, I save money by having them at home by about $200 a month. But, I would have them at home even if I didn't save money because I love being able to take care of them myself and go out there without any other boarders to worry about. No, I can't take vacations. I have one very difficult horse that I don't trust anybody to clean her stall when I am not here and I like them cleaned twice a day. But it is worth it to me because I love it and don't think I could ever go back to boarding. Also, once that barn is paid off it will really save me money, costing about $100 per horse per month.

Also, if I had it to do over again I would have built atleast 10 x 12 stalls or 12x12. At the time I only had two petite arabs and didn't realize a Saddlebred would grace my life so soon. Nor did I realize that she would be so big. I got my stalls from Woodstar products and I love them! I also have a clay floor without rubber mats. I do have some holes in the stalls but I really hate rubber mats so I prefer this. I hope some of this helps. Building this barn occupied my life for about a year so I know every little detail that went into it. I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have if I missed something. Good luck!

[asb_own_me]

If you can buy a place that already has the structures - including the fencing - that you need, then yes, you will save a lot of money. Plain old board around here (not training, just board) would set me back $500 per horse. I keep mine outside in all but the absolute worst weather (think negative howling wind chills) and they are on free access hay, oats, a diet balancer, and a free choice mineral block. I keep careful track of my expenditures with Rendaivu and using that several months ago, I calculated what it cost me to actually keep them, over a winter month, using an average over 5 winter months. Not shoeing, vet care, etc, because those costs would still be there if they were boarded at the $500 (or whatever) rate. Bu the actual "keeping" rate, or the vs $500 rate. It came out to less than $100 per horse per month.

And we can't count the 4-wheeler, because we use that for regular property maintenance, horses or no horses. There would still be lawn and garden stuff to move around, gravel to push, etc. We use it more for that stuff than for horse stuff. You get the idea.

The other question of space? YES. You ALWAYS need more space. ALWAYS. I wish we had quadruple the land we have (we only have 6 acres now). And we will :)

[Samigator]

3mares- how many horses are you feeding with your numbers? I'm kindof looking for $/horse/month value.

Kim, I'm surprised that boarding is so expensive by you! You can board for less than that here, 30 minutes from the cities, with an indoor!

We've been looking at places for a while, and found a 6 acre farm of interest- fenced, big barn, nice house that could just use some lipstick/style upgrades we can do ourselves. Good school district and a really nice area. A little longer commute to work though. We're trying to decide whether we'd regret not buying a 10+ acre place. But, it seems as though all of the 10+ acre homes that we're looking at/could afford are set up poorly (poor use of space)/heavily wooded/include a pond that eats into the acreage, and are in bad school districts. The 6 acre place we're looking at has as many useable acres as most of the 10 acre farms we've seen, but we're just questioning if it would be enough (3 horses). the one nice thing- less space, less to maintain!

[3mares]

I am feeding 3 horses and two goats. The numbers are just under $100/per horse per month. Also, I never mentioned that I only have 3.34 acres. With my set up I still have a lot of unused land and haven't felt a real need to expand yet. But as I said earlier, my horses are only out about an hour a day. I think you will be very happy with the 6 acre farm, I don't think you will regret it. You do always want more but less to maintain is also a good thing. I think for me, the more acreage that I want in my head is for things like an indoor arena, you know, things I can't afford even if I did have the property!

Board here is roughly $300 per month so my savings of $200 per month was based on that. Also, once my barn is paid for in 2 more years my savings will go up by that $388.14 barn payment, making it a total savings of $588 per month. So, if the place already has a barn then you are already ahead! It sounds like a nice place. I couldn't find anything that already had buildings when I was looking or else I would have gone that route.

[SmartAlex]

Some help on your acerage figures, usually the rule of thumb is an acre per horse for pasture. Our paddock is half an acre. Grey is dry lotted most of the time on about a quarter acre, and has access to the half acre for half the day in dry weather. We did have to plow and fit it and re-seed it last year, but for grazing purposes it holds up fine. The big thing is managing your resource with some sort of rotation. With proper care and rotation, you can make a lot more out of your pasture space. And yes, you want to figure in space for a riding arena which can be part of your turnout rotation.

[WitchfulThinking]

SmartAlex I think your suggestion of investing in gravel is the best :) I was just telling my husband the other day that when we move I don't need a big fancy barn, but I want a lot of gravel/grading/industrial sized sponges because I freaking HATE MUD..haha

I'm also kind of intrigued with the whole "Pasture Paradise" idea. Some adaptation of that might make sense, especially on smaller acreage.

[SmartAlex]

Yeah, try having a white horse in New York clay mud. We've had the rainiest April on record. Grey wants to know where this supposed "dry" lot actually is.

Those grid systems look like they would be life savers. http://www.lazyrminis.com/hoofgrid_equine_footing_and_flooring_grids.htm

Like my husband says... we're always burying thousands of dollars in the ground that we will never see again.

[asb_own_me]

Kim, I'm surprised that boarding is so expensive by you! You can board for less than that here, 30 minutes from the cities, with an indoor!


I'm sure there is boarding available for less. I used this facility as an example because I have two horses in training there ($500 is the boarding only rate) and know the ins and outs of their care, feeding, turnout, etc. There's a huge indoor and it's never crowded, there's an outdoor, the turnout is ample, they feed the same as I do at home, the horses are never without hay in front of them, the barn help is exceptional, etc. I don't have any concerns about care and/or feeding, as I know you do in your current situation. So while I'm sure there is $300/mo boarding with an indoor somewhere nearby, I'm 100% confident that the facility I used as an example meets all of my needs, my expectations of care, plus is run by a trainer I respect and is close to where I live. Win/win.

In any case, my costs at home are still less than $100/horse/month, and that's in the winter months when I'm buying much more hay. Compared to $500 or $300, that's still a big savings.

[RedsLady]

3mares- how many horses are you feeding with your numbers? I'm kindof looking for $/horse/month value.

Kim, I'm surprised that boarding is so expensive by you! You can board for less than that here, 30 minutes from the cities, with an indoor!

We've been looking at places for a while, and found a 6 acre farm of interest- fenced, big barn, nice house that could just use some lipstick/style upgrades we can do ourselves. Good school district and a really nice area. A little longer commute to work though. We're trying to decide whether we'd regret not buying a 10+ acre place. But, it seems as though all of the 10+ acre homes that we're looking at/could afford are set up poorly (poor use of space)/heavily wooded/include a pond that eats into the acreage, and are in bad school districts. The 6 acre place we're looking at has as many useable acres as most of the 10 acre farms we've seen, but we're just questioning if it would be enough (3 horses). the one nice thing- less space, less to maintain!

This sounds fantastic. I hope this works out for you! I'd still love to have Louie live with Buster, but this is way more ideal for you.

[Samigator]

thanks Lisa, I'll keep you updated! :)

Kim- SO true. The only thing that makes me keep Louie where he is is the proximity to my house and the fact that they basically let me do whatever I want. :) Other than that, I'm sure I could find really good boarding for $500-600/month. But I'd have to drive a lot further. I think having the horses at home would be a win-win for somebody so picky as I am! ;) That is awesome to hear everyone's cost analysis and how much it has actually saved over boarding. Don't you miss the social interaction though? I suppose that's why we have Trot. That and the riding facilities, it's sure nice to have an indoor. . .

[3mares]

Well, I can say that I do not miss the social interaction at all. I suppose if I was in a barn full people with the same interest I might but the truth is that nobody ever did saddle seat anyway. Plus, I have made a lot of friends that have horses of all sorts and that fulfills my social need. I actually love going to the barn and being by myself. Also, I was a very picky boarder too and having them at home makes life so much better for those of us that are so picky. Yes, I do wish I had an indoor arena though.

[SmartAlex]

I don't really miss the social interaction that much either. Even the times we boarded, I never remember other people being around that much. All I need is someone home to dial 911 and catch my horse and I'm good to go. I do miss having my sister involved. I think if I had horses at home my husband would be more involved. He stopped coming to the barn completely because it was just another mother-in-law moment he can do without.

[coltmom]

Maybe for feed and hay only. I feed Progressive Diet Balancers, oats and high quality hay. But what about, heating the water, run in shelter investment/maintenance, fence investment/ maintenance, dragging and keeping pasture clean and mowed, over seeding, fertilizer, scraping dry lots, fixing frozen waterers, buying good quality hay feeders, electrical problems to fences or broken water lines that require trenching and repair? Never mind about the property tax on the acres, insurance, etc. Where I live pasture is taxed at a recreational rate, not ag. I charge $275.00 for outside board and only allow for few outside horses that are owned by good stall barn customers. I don’t see that I have any profit from the pasture board horses.

[asb_own_me]

Maybe for feed and hay only. I feed Progressive Diet Balancers, oats and high quality hay. But what about, heating the water, run in shelter investment/maintenance, fence investment/ maintenance, dragging and keeping pasture clean and mowed, over seeding, fertilizer, scraping dry lots, fixing frozen waterers, buying good quality hay feeders, electrical problems to fences or broken water lines that require trenching and repair? Never mind about the property tax on the acres, insurance, etc. Where I live pasture is taxed at a recreational rate, not ag. I charge $275.00 for outside board and only allow for few outside horses that are owned by good stall barn customers. I don’t see that I have any profit from the pasture board horses.

I'm guessing you didn't read this entire thread - which was started over three years ago.

As stated in previous posts, my place was turnkey - for human AND horse. Which means there was no investment in a barn (already there), run-in shelter (already there) or fencing (already there). We would have chosen to live on an acreage with or without having horses. Most people out by us actually don't have horses, and many of those properties have nice outbuildings that could be barns but are not used as such.

As I also stated in a more recent post, I feed:
free access hay, oats, a diet balancer, and a free choice mineral block That is Progressive diet balancer, and excellent quality hay, some of which is grown and baled right here on my tiny but very well-laid-out acreage. Well laid out by the previous owners, as I mentioned three years ago ;) They were definitely horse people.

Yes, we bought a drag. It's not expensive. It's pulled by an ATV, that we bought used, which most folks with an acreage buy anyway for any type of yard work and for recreation. And it certainly doesn't use much fuel to run! So that's inexpensive. Seed, broadleaf, and urea aren't expensive either, for the relatively small area we need them for. Beats wasting money on all that Scott's four-step crap to keep a pointless green lawn looking "purty", doesn't it?

I haven't had any frozen waterers because I have simple drain plug heaters for my two 100-gallon Rubbermaid tanks (which are about $80 each). They keep the water palatable when it is -40 wind chill. They cost $38 apiece. Doesn't exactly break the bank, and when they last year after year, you're looking at pennies to add to a monthly cost.

My hay feeders are great, thanks, were $280 apiece and don't show a moment's wear. I think they will be fine for decades to come unless someone decides to run them down with a backhoe. Again....decades of use? How do you add that to a monthly cost?

No broken water lines, they were installed deep and properly, and the faucets are insulated and have worked beautifully though the aforementioned -40 wind chills. I'm sure it will happen someday, but you can't tack that on to a horse's monthly bill. It could be your house's water line that broke, just as easily.

The fencers came with the place, and anything we've replaced along the fencelines has been an upgrade by choice, not necessity. The fencers that we're using are the ones that were here, and work great. Anytime we've had an issue, we've fixed it. If you can't fix fence yourself, you should learn to. It usually costs nothing, besides some electrical tape and patience :margarita:

As for property taxes, that's a county by county issue. We are taxed at a residential rate as well. We're in a good county (Leah - check into that before you buy!) Living in the county just north of us would have quadrupled - literally - our property taxes. I'm not running a business here - I have no boarders - and Samigator isn't talking about taking boarders. No one is talking about profits or making money. Just asking about having one's own horses on one's own property.

Just a thought - the diet I feed at home - is also fed at my ASB show barn, as well as my dressage barn. Progressive diet balancer, oats, excellent hay. Simple and effective. My horses seem to think so :cheers:

[Samigator]

As for property taxes, that's a county by county issue. We are taxed at a residential rate as well. We're in a good county (Leah - check into that before you buy!) Living in the county just north of us would have quadrupled - literally - our property taxes. I'm not running a business here - I have no boarders - and Samigator isn't talking about taking boarders. No one is talking about profits or making money. Just asking about having one's own horses on one's own property.

Just a thought - the diet I feed at home - is also fed at my ASB show barn, as well as my dressage barn. Progressive diet balancer, oats, excellent hay. Simple and effective. My horses seem to think so :cheers:

Actually the property taxes on the place we're looking at are considerably less than we pay right now for our 0.3 acre single family home! :thumbup1:

I already provide (read: pay for) grain for all 3 of our horses on top of paying for board right now, so that cost won't change, just the hay, and maintenance of the property, which yes, will be somewhat more than what we pay for now, but for the property we're looking at, all of the structures are in place (except we might add a tiny bit more fencing to get a little better set up for pasture rotation).

What about tractors/ATV's? What all do you need and what is the best combination of vehicles/implements? I'm thinking we'd need a 4 wheeler and riding lawn mower for sure, but maybe a tractor would be better for a front end loader? When it comes to machines like that I'm pretty inexperienced. :blink:

thanks everyone, this thread has been very helpful! Thanks for starting it Kim! :)

[3mares]

Tractors - I am inexperienced as well but this is what I do know. I have a John Deere
X720 with a 62" deck. Most of my property is still lawn so it needs to be mowed and quickly. I would not get less than a 62" deck but I don't think you would need bigger either. If I had gone up to just a 2305 I would have been able to get a front end loader for about half of what it would cost for mine and it already comes with the 3 point hitch. And it isn't much more. As it is, I have gotten by without. I have a 54" blade to plow the snow with in the winter and with the chains it works more than sufficiently, even with the 20 inches we had last year. I do wish it was 4wd but it hasn't really been an issue. I think you can get one tractor that will mow and do all of the farm work. We did buy a new trim n mow this year to get around the fencing better but honestly we have gotten by with just the tractor. I do not have an ATV and don't see myself needing one. As for the drag, I have a pallet that is wrapped in chain link, it was free and it works just fine. I do love my tractor and the few things I have felt I need a loader for, I could just as easily pay to have somebody do it, like condensing a manure pile. It would probably cost me all of $50 to have somebody come move it. I live in a very rural area so it is easy to come by people willing to do this.

As for mowing and time, I have 3.34 acres mostly flat, only 750 feet of it is pasture. It takes my husband about an hour to mow, sometimes an hour and a half. Just in case you are curious about the time spent mowing.

[Rooty Tooty]

We have 6.25 acres. I originally wanted just 3. Now I wish we had 10.

Once we added the outdoor arena, and are planning for an indoor round pen, it just gobbles up the pasture.

We've been maintaining our 6 acres for 5 years with a riding John Deere lawn tractor. Not a great plan, but we've been getting by. When the pasture gets too high, we hire a local farmer to come cut it. Paying $75 a few times a year is cheaper than a tractor payment.

I think our ideal tractor setup would be a zero turn with at least a 61 inch deck and a JD gator or ATV to move poop and drag the arena. We made our ring drag out of chain link fence.

We have 3 horses and are paying about $150/horse/mo not including electric and water. But we pay mega bucks for hay since our barn is small and we only get 8-10 bales at a time.

Having horses at home is the best thing I ever did.

[Skyduck]

I have a Kubota tractor with a bucket loader, post hole digger, york rake, big snow blower, mower that is good enough to do the lawn and a tiller. We love our Kubota. Right now it's so swampy in my pasture I can't get to the manure pile but I will move it later when it drys out with that bucket loader. My horses have a couple of acres of pasture that I top seed in the spring but they still get hay and grain twice a day and come in at night. The pasture is more to keep them busy. We do use the ATV to drag the ring because we usually have the mower on the tractor and it's a pain switching. Love my Kubota, this is my second one as I wore the first one out.