Hobby farm - Can one woman do it alone?

[saultgirl]

Well, can a single woman run a small hobby farm alone? For say, two or three horses, and if she has a fulltime job?

Are there any gals here who do it?

Are there women here who do it with their husband's help, who could not do it alone?

[RacetrackReject]

It is hard, but yes. I have 3 horses and while my mother visits more often now, I run the whole thing. I work 8-5 M-F, so my weekends are pretty much booked and I can never take a vacation or be sick, but it's workable =),

[monstrpony]

Yup, it can be done. Sometimes the mowing gets a little shaggy, and you may have to give up riding "seriously" in favor of "farming", and perhaps resign yourself to a winter hiatus from riding due to daylight. But it can be done.

I have been doing it for 14+ years, two horses and two mini-donkeys (herd numbers w/o the expense of big horses). Had three horses (one retired) for a while.

When I get ill, it doesn't last long as I just work it out. I also went thru chemo for breast cancer last summer, and had a college student to help for two afternoons after each infusion, but did the rest myself (lots of shaggy lawns last summer).

I don't take vacations; I always said my ideal vacation is a cabin in the mountains with a good porch for reading; I live there, so why travel? When I do have to be gone, I have college students (I advise the equestrian club) who can feed for me--it's pretty streamlined, that's crucial. The last couple of years, I've been lucky to have a fairly close neighbor who also is single and has horses, I've helped him alot with advice and care issues since he's a newby; that's really handy to have someone to trade off crises with.

I've tried having a boarder to be able to trade off help. I've never had good luck with it, but I suppose it can work. You have to know your customer, make very clear what your ground rules/expectations are, and be tolerant of the periodic invasion of your privacy.

But, yes, it can be done.

[jherold]

I do it. You have to be willing to let somethings slide in order to still have time to ride. Also, it helps if you can afford to hire people do some of the more mundane chores. For example, my brother mows my lawn for me. (He likes to do it and I have a very nice John Deere riding mower). Also, my horses are low maintenance and my fencing is low maintnenace. I have a run in shed that opens to a paddock and the pasture gates are all attached to the paddock. So, no leading in and out, no worries about several troughs, no worries about whether the horses are getting rained on etc. And if the shed doesn't get mucked every day, it's not a big deal.

I could not do it if my horse required more than 10 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening on a regular basis.

I only work 4 days a week, but I have a long commute. So, my 4 days are very long!

[rainechyldes]

Well, can a single woman run a small hobby farm alone? For say, two or three horses, and if she has a fulltime job?

Are there any gals here who do it?

Are there women here who do it with their husband's help, who could not do it alone?

My husband lives/works in the US, I live in canada. (not seperated or anythng, just.. howwe do things right now

So I'm basically alone (he's been home a week since last summer)

14 horses/20 acres/3 kids. full time job

it can be done.

[asb_own_me]

Absolutely. I have a 6 acre property and have 2-3 horses (2 from April - September, 3 from October - March) and 2 mini donks. The 3 dogs and one cat are indoor pets. I am married, but could run the place myself no problem.

It's key, as others have mentioned, to have a streamlined and efficient setup. Doing all sorts of work and chasing your tail will NOT be worth it if you don't have any time left over to enjoy the horses.

[tle]

I have wanted a farm for a long time and after seeing what others do, i decided that I could NOT do it on my own and be happy overall. I think it takes a certain kind of person to do it on their own and while I would be ok for a while, I knew I wouldn't be happy in the long run so I waited. CAN it be done? Sure. But don't forget to ask if you SHOULD do it. ;)

[MunchkinsMom]

Yes it can be done, but it helps if you have some good neighbors and friends to help out if a farm chore is a team effort type of thing, and to have a good list of folks you can hire for anything that is too big/time consuming.

The friends/neighbors are also helpful if you have a horse emergency. So a good network is essential to making it work.

It also helps if you live in a "horse friendly" area of the country, so that you do have access to the resources that you will need (fence installers, repair, mowers, backhoes, barn repair, trailer service, etc.).

I live in an equine community, so all my neighbors have horses. Also, Ocala is a great place for anything equine service related.

I am married, and my husband and his parents and my daughter all live on the farm, but I do all the day to day chores myself (feeding, grooming, cleaning, etc). My husband can help with repairs as needed, but I only ask if I really need it. He has made it abundantly clear that the horses are MY hobby, and therefore my expense and time and responsibility.

I do get help occasionally from my daughter and/or my mother in law, they can feed and clean when I have to take the occasional business trip.

It does help that I work from home.

[KellyS]

My husband and I have a 9-acre farm with 7 equines--1 retired horse, 2 driving ponies, 1 yearling, and 3 miniature donkeys. We share the workload, but the times he's been gone on week-long trips, I've been able to set up an efficient, very-doable schedule (and this is typically in the winter with single digits to teens temps<I swear the only time it gets that cold is when he is away!> when he flies to Florida to help a friend at horse shows).

However, if I were to do it long-term (I try to think about what would happen if it were only me) there are some things I would do differently:
- Sell all our "antique" farm equipment and get one really good tractor and manure spreader. He can get all the damn things to start, but I can't. ;)
- Pay to have hay delivered and stacked in the big barn.
- Make sure I had a good "handy man" friend on call that could help me when things that require a bit more work than I can handle need to be addressed.
- In the winter, have all the troughs and water buckets heated (we currently just have the outside troughs heated).
- Pay to have the driveway/barn area plowed; we have a truck with a plow, but there are some things are worth paying others to do.

It's not that I couldn't do the above, but when you work full time during the week, you can't do everything. And weekends (spring/summer/fall) should leave you time to get things done like mowing, riding (!), and barn puttering. Oh, and maybe some nonhorsey things too!

An example of my winter schedule when I'm on my own:
- Up at 6 am to feed everyone
- While they eat, I put hay out in the paddocks and check water troughs
- Back to the barns (we have 2) and change blankets if needed
- Turn out
- Clean stalls, dump muck tubs in spreader, & dump buckets (I fill them at night so they don't freeze)
- Sweep up

This puts me in the house at 7:15 with plenty of time to get a shower and on the road to work by 8 am. Our guys stay outside all day (plenty of hay). When I get home between 5 and 5:30 pm I bring in, feed, and fill water buckets. Then bedcheck at 9 pm. I've finally accepted that during the darkest days of winter I am not going to be riding after work and that the crew much prefer to keep their blankets on versus being groomed. :)

Weekends are for grooming/riding (boy, took me a long time to be okay with this schedule coming off being a 7-day-a-week competition rider). This is also when I stack hay in the barns and make a run to the feedstore for grain/shavings.

Summer is a little easier on a working woman's schedule. :D They come in from turnout in the morning at 6 am and I feed/load them up on hay for the day. When I get home from work I throw hay, pick stalls, top off water, and feed grain. Come back out an hour later and ride/groom as needed. They all get turned out at 9 pm and it takes me an hour to turnout, clean stalls, dump and refill buckets.

Have faith! You can do it and I actually enjoy the times when I'm the sole caretaker--you get in your own little routine and it almost makes things easier because you don't have to say, "Honey, did you feed already", etc. But I am so lucky my husband and I do this together. :yes:

I do often say that if it were just me I might just go back to 1 horse and board again. No matter how you slice it, a farm is a lot of work and as others have said, you very rarely take vacations, and your life revolves around your horses' schedules. But you get used to it quickly and I find a lot of joy in walking out to the barn each morning and seeing their happy faces. :)

[AKB]

Be sure to design everything so it works with minimal effort. Having horses at home can be very time consuming if you don't have the right setup. For instance, if your pastures and your barn are far apart, you will spend a lot of time bringing horses in and out. It is more efficient to have your stalls open up to your pastures so the horses can come and go without your assistance. I do have my aisle and both outside and interior stall doors open so no horse can pin another horse in the stall.

Put a water spiquot in your barn and another right next to your trough so time and energy carrying water buckets and moving hoses is minimized. Put electric outlets near your water buckets and trough so you can use heated buckets and a trough heater in the wintertime. Make sure the barn is arranged so delivery people can bring hay and grain without needing your help. Get good lighting so it isn't a problem or safety hazard to feed at night. We put a switch for the barn lights in our house so that if we hear weird sounds we can turn on the barn lights.

Get plenty of storage in your barn so you don't have to buy grain and hay every week, and have room to store blankets in the barn. Plan to get a tractor so you are not doing all of the heavy jobs by hand.

I have been doing most of our barn chores for many years. My husband will feed dinner if I am working late, but otherwise does little of the work. Caring for 2 or 3 horses is not much work. When we have 5 at home, it is difficult.

[Foxtrot's]

Phew, you guys make me tired just reading about you. I couldn't do it, and definitely I'd have no energy for serious riding. Chores would always be staring me in the face.

Unless, that is, you are independently wealthy and can hire the help.:)

[hey101]

As usual, I agree with what KellyS said! (and other on here)

Definitely doable. But you will work hard, and as much as you do not want to, you will need to start letting some stuff slide. Each person will let different things slide according to their own priorities... for me it was tack cleaning, house cleaning (easily solved by getting a house keeper), and the due dates on my "projects" began to get pushed further and further out.

Most of the time my DH and I shared the workload, but now and then he'd be gone for 1-3 weeks on business trips and it was a one-woman show. I kept up just fine, if I do say so myself. Of course, at that point, we were still (human) childless. Now it might be a bit harder and require even MORE planning... but I still think it would be doable.

[LisaB]

At first I thought 'Hell no!' But we are in the middle of setting up shop with an old house. It came with no fencing and no barn.
I would think yes, if you have a new house, a decent barn and/or enought pasture with a run-in shed and a list of people you can count on. i.e. plumber, handyman, electrician, well/septic, hay, vet, house sitter.

[Saidapal]

I do it, and have been doing it for 7 years now. 5 acres, 3 horses, full time job.

Sometimes I love it, sometimes I seriously consider selling, most of the time I can't imagine living anywhere else. It is a ton of work that never stops and I am beginning to despise mowing and unloading hay. If I had the $$$ I would gladly turn those chores over to someone else.

But I have a big goofy gelding who's figured out I carry a small bag of treats in my truck and he (along with the others) greet me every afternoon when I pull in with big happy whinnies.....so I'll keep trudging along. (yeah, yeah, I know it's the food, but really, who could resist that kind of welcome home?)

[smilton]

400+ acres between 9-20 horses 4 dogs 3 cats + full time job. (Only 40 acres clear) It can be done. I hire out things I can't do.

[draftdriver]

Yes, as long as you don't get sick. Sick or well, you have to set priorities. Which is more important on the one day of the weekend which it isn't pouring rain: mowing the lawn over the septic bed, or riding? Not all of your horses will get groomed every day; it won't kill them. If they can live outside most of the time, you save all that time spent on mucking out.

Develop a list of good, honest tradespeople (plumber, electrician, mechanic, etc.). Join at least one community group (church, choir, euchre, etc.). This will be invaluable for developing a network of people who you can ask to recommend tradespeople who have done good work for them.

I buy my hay, and the price includes the hay man delivering it and stacking it in my barn. I have a snowplow contractor do the laneway in the winter. I always take the day off to be present for farrier or vet visits. I always pay all my bills on time. Never bounce a cheque to your farrier or your hay man!

There may be some government programs you can tap into for tax rebates, such as managed woodlots, drainage improvements, well upgrades, etc.

Take an interest in local municipal politics, and stay on top on zoning change applications in your area.

When I retire (soon), I'll have time to give the horses and the farm much more attention than they currently get. I'm looking forward to it!

[equineartworks]

Sure it can be done, I know lots of women who do it. :)

[tanderson]

I have a 2.5 acre farm that I bought a year and a half ago. It has a beautiful covered arena, but the rest was pretty run down, including the house! I have a full time job, plus 5 of my own horses, plus I board up to 4 other horses (in order to make my HUGE mortgage payments) and I have replaced all the fencing, put a suite in my shop, AND do the day to day maintenance! It is A LOT of work, but to me it is well worth it to be able to look out my window (although I'm not in the house often:lol:) and see my horses in my own back yard!
I do have a 16 yo horse crazy girl up the road that I pay to clean stalls for me 3 days a week so I can actually come home from work and ride my horses! Otherwise, there is no way I'd find the time. I'm up at 5am, out the door to my full time job by 6, home at 5pm and in bed by 9pm. Very busy days, but as I said before, WELL worth it! :yes:

[Tornado Run Farm]

Yep, can be done. I've done it for 10 years now - 6 horses, 2 dogs, 4 cats, full time job and I breed and do the inspections/breed shows, etc. I can't add much to everyone else's advice - all VERY good I might add.

It's more than just a life style, its a mind set. Sometimes all that gets me out of bed in the morning are the visions of the hungry faces waiting outside the gate. The best advice I can give is to know that not everything will get done within the time frame/budget/quality that you would like. Sometimes "pretty good" has to be "good enough."

[Wayside]

My mother and her neighbor are both single gals with hobby farms. Now, both of them have grown children living in the area, which probably helps some. I know when my mother wants to go out of town for a week she calls me to take care of things for her, but she could hire a house sitter if she needed to. And they do hire help for large jobs sometimes.

Anyhow, My mother has used some of the tools previous posters have mentioned to make things easier on herself. Spigot right next to the water trough. Horses have a large run-in shed, so they rarely go in stalls (huge cost and labor savings there), but if they need to, the stalls open right into the run-in, so no big deal to get them all in or out. No one wears blankets either, so that's a time saver.

She went ahead and had the ancient barbed wire fencing that was there when she bought the place replaced professionally all in one fell swoop, which was more expensive, but well worth it, if you ask me.

She buys her hay from a neighbor, doesn't make her own, but she's a compulsive pasture mower and does a fantastic job keeping the fence line clean all on her own, though she initially called us for some help getting a few of the larger shrubs out. Has enough hay storage to buy enough for a whole year, neighbor delivers and helps stack hay.

She used to take time off for vet and farrier visits, generally a whole day off since nothing ever goes as planned with horses, but my schedule's pretty flexible, so these days I've been doing that for her.

So I'd say it's totally doable, but the more efficiently things are arranged, the better. And if you have friends/neighbors/family that you can call on in an emergency that's a big help.

[Lori T]

I lease a farm that is 30 minutes from my home...better than boarding and until we finally buy our own, it is the best situation for me. I leave home every morning at 6 (or 5 sometimes) to feed and bring in (summer schedule...feed and turnout in winter). I then drive 45 minutes to work a full time job, and then go back after work where I feed, turn out, clean 5 stalls, try to ride, etc, etc.
Yes, it can be done. I do get burned out sometimes. Right now, my oldest daughter is home from college and is a big help, but I am dreading when she leaves next month. She will take one of her horses with her, hopefully a rescue will be adopted, and I will just have 5 then (right now I have 7...1 boarder, 2 rescues and the rest mine). I am really over my limit right now...4 or 5 is a much better number to deal with.
(and then I drive home...1 teenager, a husband, an aviary, 2 dogs, rabbits, cat and a house..I really cannot wait til we buy a farm)

[Remy 3 Star]

I did it on my own,3 Horse's, 8 acres,a young child,and a full time job,winters were the hard part,but I managed.
But one caution, Beware of any help you hire,I found myself with a "psychotic" hired hand,who would turn up any time of the day /night,luckily when I fired him he stayed away, but it could have been worse...try and get as much info as possible on anyone you hire.Good luck.

[Boomer]

I have 22 acres, work 9.5-10 hour days M-F. I also have 1 show horse, 2 retirees, and 3 horse boarders.

It can be done, but it is a tremendous amount of work. My favorite expressions have become:

"Do what you can and let the rough edge drag until next time"

or

"You eat an elephant one bite at a time"

My boyfriend is very helpful for things like weedwacking and helping figure out what's wrong with various pieces of equipment that always seem to breakdown right during the heavy mowing season. My parents come to MS a couple times a year to help with odds and ends.

I don't go on vacation. I can sneak out for a weekend horseshow, but it takes a lot of work - have to have farmsitters lined up for twice/day, the farm dogs need fed....

But it is satisfying to have my own place. It's stressful/lots of work at times, but most things that are worth having are.

[sid]

I'm not sure why one would differentiate between a "hobby farm" vs. a "business farm". If the owner is a sole woman, the issues are the same.

Yes, it can be done. But you have to be organized, lay out your farm so that you can do things in a time effective manner, etc. And be prepared for back up if you became seriously injured.

Things like pneumonia, the flu, broken foot...things like that don't count as serious..:lol:

[Boomer]

Summer is a little easier on a working woman's schedule.....
:)

Wow. For me just the opposite. Winter is MUCH easier. I actually have days off. All the equipment has been preped for winter and is sitting in it's location until spring (for the most part).

I use winter to piddle with inside the house/barn repairs that got put aside during the other months.

There's no mowing/weedwacking/spraying, which takes phenomenal amount of time starting in April and lasting to Mid-October.

I didn't look to see where you are - maybe up north? I bet winter is a drag, used to live up there.

[pintopiaffe]

I don't have a hobby farm, I have a breeding business. Shedule F and everything. ;)

If you are doing it alone, the things to consider are turnout/run-ins so horse won't be stuck out in bad weather or stuck in should you get held over at work or some such. Free choice hay (round bales for me) is ideal.

I designed everything from scratch, and have it all set up for minimal care & maintenence. It isn't easy always, but it works.

Things I would LOVE: a tractor. A real riding ring. A tractor. Reliable farm sitter. A tractor. ;)

[saultgirl]

Thanks for all the replies. My fiancee, who is VERY supportive of my horsey habit, has told me that if I want a farm in the future, I will need to do the work. I've been wondering lately if that is at all possible.

But I'm also wondering if I would ever be able to give up riding 6 days per week, which I know I probably wouldn't do if I had my own place.

I'm at a full-care boarding facility now, which is nice, but I miss doing my chores every day and doing everything the way *I* want, the way it was when I was at a self-care facility. I like doing morning feeds (honestly, I found it MUCH easier to get up early when I knew the horses were waiting for me!) and I have no problems with not going away on vacation, etc... We haven't gone anywhere for the last 10 years and don't feel like we're missing anything ...

There have been a few farms that have come up for sale in my area lately, so I;ve been dreaming a little...

Keep the stories coming, they are very inspirational!

[2DogsFarm]

Well, can a single woman run a small hobby farm alone? For say, two or three horses, and if she has a fulltime job?

Yup - former BigCity {ahem} girl here. Farm has been up & running for 5 years next month.
2 horses, 5ac.
It isn't a showplace, but it is neat and workable.
Setup for my convenience and the horses'.
Stalls are open 24/7 to the sacrifice paddock that in turn opens on either side to a pasture. Access to any or all by gates.

I work 4 days a week and volunteer on the 5th.
Fortunately work is 10min from the farm. Volunteer job is back in Chgo but it gets me back to the City for a day so I don't totally lose my kul-chur & swah-vay. ;)

Are there any gals here who do it?

See above :D
And I DO take vacations - I leave tomorrow for a week visiting my Dad in CA.
I used to have neighbors who horse-sat but now I have a young girl who comes 2X day to feed horses & barncat for $20/day. Well worht it for the peace of mind.
This time she'll also look after my recently-acquired chickens and look in on the housecat.

Are there women here who do it with their husband's help, who could not do it alone?

I'm a widow, so this does not apply to me.
I wish DH had been able to join me here and do those "manly" things I used to delegate to him. I still hate & fear electricity, but am getting very handy with small machinery.
It is amazing how much you can learn to do when you have to.
Good neighbors (with equipment I can't afford) are very helpful here.
My drives get plowed, fields get bush-hogged & one neighbor even cut & baled the 1/2ac in front of my pasture - got 27 nice bales off it that I let him keep for his ponies.

I am finding it all very do-able - even including nasty Midwest Winters and broiling Summers.
There's always Spring & Fall to look forward to and many nice days to enjoy in between.

[saultgirl]

I'm not sure why one would differentiate between a "hobby farm" vs. a "business farm". If the owner is a sole woman, the issues are the same.

I'm thinking a barn with 2-3 of my own horses vs having boarders... I don't think the issues are the same! I don't want any of the stress of having boarders!

[hossluva]

4 acres, 3 horses, 2 + dogs, random chickens, 2-20 cats on any given day (an iguana rehab. at the moment) and a full time job at an animal shelter. I'm insane, but it's totally doable, not all that hard and I still have time to ride. Go for it, you only live once ~ if you do it right, once is enough!

I must run, I just watched one of my horses gallop in from the pasture looking rather lame - ugh!!! Forget what I just said, it's a big fat pain in the bum!! :winkgrin:

PS: I don't have two dimes to rub together either, no housekeepers for me. :lol:

[MistyBlue]

Things like pneumonia, the flu, broken foot...things like that don't count as serious..:lol:

Yup, too true. One does find out what is considered "serious" when they have livestock on a farm, LOL!

Thanks for all the replies. My fiancee, who is VERY supportive of my horsey habit, has told me that if I want a farm in the future, I will need to do the work. I've been wondering lately if that is at all possible.

But I'm also wondering if I would ever be able to give up riding 6 days per week, which I know I probably wouldn't do if I had my own place.

Of course it's possible. And don't forget, you've got Coth as back up. Quite a few posters on here and you can ask whatever you need and usually get great answers. (and some that make you shake your head, LOL) Kings Ransom moved out on her own in KS and did it all solo. And was a nervous wreck at first IIRC. But she was on here all the time asking questions and learning and over time was happily toodling around on her own first tractor and using her own new power tools and hooking up and unhooking her own generator, etc. It only *seems* scary before you do it. After you do it and keep learning...you end up feeling a huge sense of accomplishment. Yes, single females can change fuel filters and hook up generators and use a weed wacker and do repairs, etc. It's actually all quite simple once you start doing it.
I do have a husband and he's wonderful and loves the small farm and all the animals. His only chores on the property are cleaning the gutters. (I don't do heights) Other than that I do everything else. This week I refinished the deck and front porch, cleaned the house siding, did some fence repair, replaced some plumbing in the barn, replaced a gasket in the hydrant, changed the oil and filters in the tractor and greased it (actually just got out of the shower after that one, LOL) and did a tune up on the lawn mower and sharpened the blades. Oh, and normal chores such as weedwacking and mowing the lawn and grass paddock, trip to the transfer station, etc. Also just prepped the shutters for painting. All totally normal everyday type chores for me. In winter I swap the mowing for snow removal.
The biggest help: Getting the *right* tools and equipment for all the jobs you will be doing. Seriously...bringing horses home to a farm means long shopping trips to Home Depot and the nearest small engine shop. :D There's no such thing as too much stuff...or too many tools. With the right stuff you can can anything. :winkgrin:

[sunridge1]

I did it for 10 years when I was in my prime. 70 acres, several outbuildings, really cold house, 6-12 horses at various ages, 2 dogs, cats and chickens a flower garden and veggie garden. Huge lawn that I was OCD over, took 5 hours to mow.

Showed, horse camped, bred, and did ground training. Worked 4, 12 hour days swing shift, was gone 13+ hours. I did not have a tractor or ATV.

In the summer I worked from before sun up til after sun down. I had a couple burly male friends that helped me out with things I couldn't do myself. I became very good at "brains not braun". Everything was planned to the hour in advance. I made extraordinary lists. Learned how to do some electrical, and mechanical work,and could put anyone to shame constructing hot wire fences. I sucked at carpentry but could use all tools effectively.

I really wanted and needed to succeed at this, and I did, all the while producing some CH horses.

There would be days where I was DONE, literally would sleep 24 hours. My body is pretty wracked up now especially my back.

Could I do it alone now at 50? NO WAY!

[Guin]

I think I want to move to Cullowhee where MonstrPony lives. It looks wonderful!!

[msj]

Well, can a single woman run a small hobby farm alone? For say, two or three horses, and if she has a fulltime job?

Are there any gals here who do it?

Are there women here who do it with their husband's help, who could not do it alone?


It is very possible. I bought my farm, well, it was just a house and land initially. I had the 4-stall barn and indoor put up, post and rail fencing of the entire 5 acres (except the leach field)the first year and had an outdoor ring with lights done the 2nd yr. I worked a 55-60 hr week and I was 45 yrs old when I started this. I was able to prove that a middle-aged woman could certainly do it by herself. :)

BUT, if you are as anal about the care of your horses, you have to be willing to make other sacrifices. I started my day before 5 AM and rarely got to bed before 11PM. Of course I was generally asleep before my head hit the pillow. :) I rarely watched much TV beyond the local news and weather and any that I did try to watch, I'd fall asleep and miss the end. :lol: I never was a big movie or theater buff so that was no loss but sometimes it was hard finding time for friends. That is something you really do have to make yourself do or you'll go batty.

I also found that even though I had shown my entire life before the farm, I realized that buying a tractor was more important than 1/2 dozen shows. During the first yr while the barn was being built, selling my townhouse, taking care of 2 horses, working full time and settling my Mother's estate, I didn't have time to compete. After everyone left for the first show of the season, I realized I didn't miss the showing at all but I knew I was going to miss the socialization so I started to volunteer at some of our more local shows just to keep in contact with friends.

I did all the basic maintenance for horses, all gardening, mowing and shoveled snow from around the barn as needed and all the general housework. I did have the long driveway plowed though and anything that needed heavy equipment or fencing done by others. Fortunately though I did not have a job that required any significant travel.

I'm now 63, retired and really enjoying the farm much more than I could ever imagine. :D

Good luck if you do pursue this. It can be done. :) :yes: :yes:

A word of caution though, you really need to be very, very, very safety conscious for yourself and your horses. You cannot allow yourself the luxury of getting hurt. Also, carry a cell phone except when you take a shower.

Oh, and you have to make time for riding otherwise you might as well stick to boarding. I rode a minimum of 4 days and sometimes 6 days/wk unless it was brutally cold or a really muggy summer day.

[Weighaton]

It can be done as you can tell by all of the posters here and I have to add that although it is a tremendous amount of work it is so rewarding. When I walk through our property I look around and think - wow this belongs to us. It makes me feel like Julie Andrews at the beginning of Sound of Music where she is spinning around on top of the mountain. Of course, we don't live on a mountain we live in the swamp. :D

[sid]

Pintopiaffe...so what are you trying to say? You need a tractor...?:lol::lol::lol:

My tractor is my best friend. I've had her for 20 years (I bought "Miss K" new in the days of John Deere's and thought I'd be run out of town by my neighboring menfolk farmers...seeing what they thought was some blonde dizzy on a "jap" product.) We're talking the 80's.:winkgrin:

I love Miss K because when I had boarders I could climb on board and head to the pastures, deisel running loud and watch my boarders trying to flag me down because they wanted to talk about "Buffy" and if they should buy a white pad or something in teal...and I could pretend I didn't hear them.

Many, many good uses for a tractor like "Miss K" to make farm work easier (first and foremost) but they have many other cerebral uses as well...as well.;)

[birdsong]

I do it all myself..no extra money to hire any help these days...its killing me! Plus I work full time and am taking college classes and study every night....(went back to school after 40 years!)

Wouldn't dare have company over as the house only gets straightened once a week.

As someone said..it can be done...But that doesn't mean you will EVER have time for much else.

[snkstacres]

30 plus horses, 60 acres, 3 dogs, 3 cats, 3 foster kids. And what is now a part time job building barns, fences, farm care, hay sales and anything else that keeps me from punching a clock.

Coming to the farm is coming to a state of mind. I love the farm and worked all my life to be able to make a living in order to just farm. I dont ride any longer unless my friends really bug me to go for a trail ride. Still have my own horse of 18 years so she enjoys it when I do take her out. She is ridden by the kids the rest of the time.

I mow and mow and mow and mow. I clean fencelines all summer long and mow some more. I fix fences and mow some more. Summer is a lot more work than winter as it usually is in the south. Winter was harder in Canada.

It can be done if you want to do it. But, its a labor of love. Oh and what is sick?

Having reliable help is important. One day, I am gonna do that.

[Silvercrown90]

Yes -- 4 horses. I ditched the husband in 1996 since he was pretty worthless on the farm. I did everything myself back then, so doing it alone wasn't much of a change.

I do admit that I HATE it when my tools, mowers, etc. don't work. I am terrible at fixing things (I have a mental block against it I think). It is amazing to me that sometimes I spend as much time fixing the mower as I do mowing.

It's not that hard. As one of my old bosses used to say, "It's discipline my friend, just discipline". I tell myself this every morning. The work becomes a habit, and it hardly feels like work.

At least we don't have to go to the gym to get a workout! Seven days a week, no excuses.

[msj]

I consider myself really lucky in that my next door neighbor was a member of the county sheriff's dept so I felt incredibly safe. He also did remodeling and repair for me on a part time basis and would be over at a moment's notice if I had a serious problem. I've told him now that he's retired he is NOT ALLOWED TO MOVE until I sell the farm and that's not for another 10 yrs probably. :D

[Boomer]

........When I walk through our property I look around and think - wow this belongs to us. It makes me feel like Julie Andrews at the beginning of Sound of Music where she is spinning around on top of the mountain. Of course, we don't live on a mountain we live in the swamp. :D

Hee, hee :lol: :lol: Odd, my mountain looks like a swamp too!

[avezan]

yes, definitely possible. I'm in the married category but I do all the farm work. That's the way I want it anyway. My husband will help with repairs and feeding if I am out of town for work, but you can also hire people to do this. I think there is a definite distinction between hobby farm and business farm. Mine is a hobby farm. All for me. I dont' have to answer to anyone about whether the fields have been mowed, or the run ins cleaned out yet, or the if the tack room has been swept. I do it on my time. Your horse care requirements will make a big difference. If you want your hobby farm run like a boarding barn, with horses in stalls 12 hours a day, bedded deeply, nicely mowed yard, fields, landscaped, etc. This will be a LOT of work. I couldn't do it. If you don't mind your horses living out, you don't mind some weeds along the barn, you don't mind if your fields get a little overgrown.... it is definitely doable! Of course, I'm not talking about skimping on basic care. I have 10 horses, 40 acres, 2 small kids and 2 jobs where I work 40-60 hours a week. My horses look great. My farm looks ok. ;) I did finally invest in a real tractor and I'm loving it! My fields look great now. But it is making the rest look a little shabby. The small weeds growing up around the barn were not so noticeable next to the tall weeds in the field. Now that the fields are mowed...
Riding definitely takes a back seat. :( But, as the kids are getting older, I'm finding more time to ride. Love it. Wouldn't change it for the world!

By the way, once you get a farm, you wonder what you did with all your free time before the farm, sit around and eat bon-bons? :)

[Waterwitch]

I'm married with 2 kids but run a 10 acre farm on my own (husband is not horsey) and have had up to 8 horses of various ages here at one time (currently have 5 horses and a mini-donk, 2 dogs, 3 cats, plus 36 ducks and chickens that are SUPPOSED to be the kids responsibility). The key as others have mentioned is a time saving/low maintenance set up and routine.

Some suggestions:

1. 24-7 turnout with sheds - use turnout rugs to keep them clean - no stalls to pick, no or limited shavings to pay for, HUGE time savings.

2. Feed in the field when possible - nosebags may seem a bit "cowboy" but they are a great labor saving device when you have horses with different dietary requirements

3. Roundbales - if you have a source for horse quality rounds this is a HUGE labor saver. Either switch to squares in the summer or get a covered round bale feeder

4. Plan your water system - if you don't get auto waterers, you need to plan to get hoses and electricity for heaters to your tanks, and you need to plan a way to easily drain your hoses if you live in an area that freezes (don't underestimate what a pain in the ass frozen hoses are)

5. Spring for the tractor with mower, round bale spear, and bucket. I don't have a manure spreader yet (I have a really nice compost "mountain" instead :winkgrin:) but that would save additional time/labor.

Good luck.

[Serigraph]

I think so if it is small enough or you have it set up easy enough that everything flows. There are lots of ways people make it more difficult than it needs to be.

I'm not single and my husband does help a lot, but I think I could manage mine alone if I had too. I only have two horses, but could probably do 3. I think the key is to keep the number of horses low for one person.

I have not read all the posts, so this may have been said. Mine live out 24/7 with access to stalls. There is no leading and bringing in for feeding. They come up when they see me coming with buckets and go in their respective stalls. It's really not that difficult.

For me, pasture maintenance has been the most time consuming- although I put a lot of care into my pastures.

[MistyBlue]

By the way, once you get a farm, you wonder what you did with all your free time before the farm, sit around and eat bon-bons?

Too true! :yes: My husband and I were just running errands together and discussing this in the car; what would I do if I were a "lady of leisure." I hemmed and hawed and my only thoughts were, "If I didn't have all the property and livestock work, I'd have more time for the property and livestock work!" :lol:
I hate shopping and travelling and all that sort of stuff anyways.
Although a couple hours in a hammock in the sahde with a good book sounds nice. But the view would have to be of my woods and paddocks and horses. :winkgrin:

[msj]

By the way, once you get a farm, you wonder what you did with all your free time before the farm, sit around and eat bon-bons? :)


:lol: :lol: Actually, I've had my farm for 19 yrs and am 63 and plan to do just that (sit around and eat bon-bons) when I sell the farm!

What I'm still trying to figure out is how in the world I ever managed to work a 55-60 hr week and still keep the farm looking terrific. :confused: I've been retired 6 yrs now and even have a couple of chores farmed out - that of: 1.)weedwacking the 300+' ditch out front and under all the post and rail fences, and 2.) washing my windows on the outside!

PS. Actually I really do know the answer - the house got kinda forgotten about. I'd invite friends over for dinner so I had an excuse to clean up! :D I always made sure that the place looked picture-perfect from the road though. :yes:

[lawndart]

I could, but I'm glad I don't have to. :) I know that I could NOT make the amount of hay we do alone, even with a round baler. Its just too much for one person. Heck, some days its too much for two people!

I think if you streamline your operation as others have suggested, and be prepared to hire the grunt labor out, it can be done.

I think it takes a certain mind-set to be content on the farm. I have no desire to shop (in fact I have to be forced to do it) go to social outings, or get involved with the public in any way. Everyone else on my road has a camper that they drag to the local lake/state park every weekend. Sounds like hell to me :yes: Five foot away from the next person...yikes! My getting off the farm consists of trail rides in the State Forest for hours at a time.

I have a terrific view from anywhere on my farm, lots of amusement watching the critters that inhabit it, both domestic and wild. We just got a young bull this morning, and put him in with the seven cows. The cows were thrilled, the bull gave me a look of such desperation...I just slammed the gate, said good luck buddy! Last I saw him, he was running up the hill, with the hot to trot cows in hot pursuit. All the retirees were lined up on the fenceline to enjoy the drama of it all. Who needs tv?

I do occasionally go for a short vacation, which I enjoy. I'm always glad to get home.

So, to get back to the original question...it can be done, but you have to be mentally prepared for it, as well as physically. How much do you really want your own farm?

[MintHillFarm]

I am on 45 acres with 5 horses, mostly with no barn help. I work out of my home, no commute which really helps; a lot!

I have a tractor with a bucket, a manure wagon with hydraulics and 2 smaller tractors. I buy my hay...

I set up the turn out situation so the horses can come and go out of their stalls 24/7.
It makes life so much easier. In addition, when I have to travel for business or judging, my housesitter doesn't have to lead anyone out, much safer. I have 3 board fencing with a hot wire on top to keep the horses off the wood. I highly recommend this.

I mow the paddocks and my housesitter's boyfriend does the lawn...

It can be done...In fact I could do all the mowing but it would cut into riding and that I feel is not worth it. In addition, he mows the lawn much better than me.

Setting it up right at the start makes all the difference.

[3chunkymonkies]

Can one woman do it alone?

*sigh* There are times I wonder. I rented a house with pasture the last 4 years and did it alone. This year I moved into a place of my own. 25 acres, 3 horses, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 turtles. I started with an empty pasture and built (paid for) road/house/barn. It is rough right now and I don't ride as much as I'd like. I'm still arena-less with no crossfences. No one is volunteering to help build fence in triple digit heat! It is worth it, though. Gotta have a good tractor.

My biggest frustration is no horsie friends here to enjoy the fruits of my labors. And my boss doesn't understand why I don't want to give up my "free time". I keep getting volunteered for extracurricular activities. I'm single with no kids so what else would I do with my time? I gave up spending the night away years ago. I'm struggling right now but have long spurts where it is a breeze-this has been a lifelong dream. By next year I will have more fencing done and will have a MUCH more positive outlook. If I could've afforded to buy a place that was already built, I would have. However, I get to design the perfect place this way. The time/effort savers are a blessing.

Downside to owning: missing camaraderie and shared knowledge, no sick time. Upside: no drama, make your own decisions.

The answer to your question is YES.

[S1969]

By the way, once you get a farm, you wonder what you did with all your free time before the farm, sit around and eat bon-bons? :)

Isn't that the truth??

It might take some searching, but finding a good boarder can help tremendously. I have a boarder who I trade 100% board for work. She cleans all 3 stalls every day, picks the paddock & arena, cleans the aisle, feeds hay, poo-picks pastures, feeds when we are away (although I'm sure she'd do it anytime); I actually have to sneak into the barn to do some "stall cleaning therapy" from time to time and she'll get mad. She is grateful for the opportunity to have a place to board & ride, and I'm very happy for the help. Plus it's fun to have the company.

Believe me, I have no shortage of other things to do; mowing pastures, grooming arena, weedwacking, manure management, etc. etc. etc. but it's a very good tradeoff.

I do have a spouse but he is 100% non-horsey. His income is very helpful, though. We do hire out some things - I pay to have my hay unloaded and stacked (although having pasture 50% of the year helps a lot), and I pay to have various kids do odd jobs (weedwacking, sometimes mowing, random cleanup jobs around the place, etc.)

I definitely don't ride 6 days a week, though. With only an outdoor and lots of heavy rains this summer I'm only getting in 1-2 rides a week at the moment. :no:

[Piney Woods]

it's hard work.
I did it for about 25 years. 30 acres, 12-15 horses, competing up to three horses at a time, working full time. When it was good, it was very satisfying. I continued through broken bones, bronchitis, flu and various sprains and strains. When we had a monsoon, 3 months of drought, colder than normal winter or storms that damaged trees and buildings, sometimes I longed for a condo with a landlord I could yell at and a boarding barn so I could complain about the horse care.
Then I was in an accident and it all came crashing down because I was a one woman show. Fortunately, I found a retired neighbor who was able to do manual labor and learn about horses so we divided the labor and things are better than before because I am not so tired all the time. Now that I am 60, I could not do it alone and like
sunridge1, my body is pretty wrecked from all the hours of digging post holes, repairing roofs, plumbing and electrical, hours on the tractor etc and of course, the many horse accidents that are inevitible when you train horses. Since you are not really alone, maybe you could hire someone to buid fences and do building, plumbing and electrical repairs and avoid the broken body. All that being said, I would not trade the life I have led on my farm!!! It is so satisfying to sit on the porch after a day of working on the farm and see and hear my horses grazing just outside the yard. Good luck in making the right decision. If you have the constitution for it, nothing could be finer.

[hb]

Single female with 5 acres, 2 horses, 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a full-time job so I'm gone about 10.5 hours a day M-F including commute. It's really not that difficult. I get up in the morning and feed everybody, walk the dogs for 10 mins, get ready for work, get home and feed, walk the dogs, have dinner and chill for a bit, then either ride, do maintenance around the place, or goof off, time for bed get up and do it again.

On the weekends I do maintenance or extra chores, but I have time to go out or visit with friends if I want. I have a couple of awesome, inexpensive housesitters for when I go out of town, I don't feel trapped or tied to the place any more than I want to be.

It's not as hard as some people make it sound and it's a good life. Pick and choose what is important to do and what can wait, don't stress if you can't do everything, let some stuff go.

For instance, I didn't get my field mowed this spring - usually I mow it a couple of times a month from mid-April to October so I can ride at home rather than haul out to an arena every ride. This year I've just been hauling out; the spring was so wet I couldn't drive the tractor on the field until late May and I've just been too busy to get it all mowed since. However, since I haven't mowed I have enough grass to have cut and baled, so it worked out.

Oh, and when I'm sick I just do minimal chores, it's not too bad. If I every got seriously sick, like needing surgery, I'd have to depend on friends and family, or hire my housesitter to help out, but I'd be needing extra help in that case even if I didn't have a farm but still lived alone. And I definitely prefer living alone.

[hb]

Thanks for all the replies. My fiancee, who is VERY supportive of my horsey habit, has told me that if I want a farm in the future, I will need to do the work. I've been wondering lately if that is at all possible.


Okay, reading through more of the thread and just caught this.

It is definitely possible to do all the work yourself.

However, if your husband is not at all interested in the farm, then when you are doing the work it might be considered taking away from "his" time, it may be considered "being selfish".

I experienced this with a guy that WANTED to move to the country. It was his idea to shop for a farm but once we moved here he resented every minute I spent working on it. I'm not saying your guy will do that, my ex was a jerk in many other ways that I didn't quite "get" until we lived together. However, even if you are doing all the work, living on the farm will affect his lifestyle. I'd recommend you two talk this through. It won't be just like now, more of your time will be taken up by working the farm and you may not be available to spend as much time doing things with him as you do now. It will take much more planning to go out of town. Even day trips will need to be arranged around feeding time. If he's not involved with the farm that may be an issue.

I know several couples who are both into the farming even if only the wife is into horses. A LOT of guys love coming home and playing with tractors on the weekend, or working on projects around the place. Maybe your guy will warm up to that. Or maybe he has his own time-intensive hobby so he won't feel neglected while you are busy. But it's probably a good idea to discuss the impact living on a farm will have on your relationship and on him.

[LisaB]

Nice catch! I absolutely would not under any circumstances buy a farm with the hopes and dreams of a future hubby not into farming. Make for darn sure he's into mowing, weedeating, fixing, and cleaning. He doesn't necessarily need to be into the animals. But boy, are both of you going to be resentful people if you both come into this situation with different lifestyles.

[saultgirl]

My fiance and I know each other pretty well; we have been together for almost 10 years and we were best friends for a few years before that. We bought a small house together in 2006 and now we're starting to think about the 5 to 10 year plan as far as upgrading to a bigger house.

He is totally ok with my horsey habit and he has come out to help me at the farm when I needed it (like doing hay and shavings). He has his own time-consuming hobbies and has never resented my time spent at the barn.

I'm not trying to turn him into a cowboy or anything... lol... he loves animals, he's just not into doing a lot of hard labour.

I'm just starting to think about all this now.... for the longest time I thought I would only ever board because I ride almost every day... but it's kind of different lately because of care concerns at a few barns.

[msj]

I'm just starting to think about all this now.... for the longest time I thought I would only ever board because I ride almost every day... but it's kind of different lately because of care concerns at a few barns.

You can still ride just about every day because the time spent driving to and from the barn is spent doing mowing or gardening or fixing fence.

I rode ~5 days/wk and was alone. With your fiance willing to do some of the work, like mowing even, you should be able to ride 7 day/wk.

The only thing I ever missed from boarding was the socialization. If you want some, build a large enough barn to be able to add a boarder or 2 but keep in mind the cost of insurance, both Care, Custody, and Control as well as Commercial Liability. :)

[cindylouwho]

I am single, with 25 acres, 5 horses and a full time job. I do most of the farm work myself with the exception of bushhogging the big hill and cutting up trees. The same guy comes one Saturday in the Spring to assist in getting everything running and do the basic maintenance on my equipment. I can do most of it myself, but it involves blood.

I ride 3 horses a day and work very hard, but it is all worth it. My thoughts on it are as follows: How hard could it be if men do it?? I do have several guys that I call on to give me advise... my Dad being number 1.

I also use mostly electric fence! The hardest thing for me is heavy lifting or a stuck bolt. Oh, and also, killing of vermin, including snakes, possums and so forth.

Good luck.

[linquest]

Lots of superwomen on this thread. Rock on, Ladies!

[Altitude Rider]

I have 5.5 acres, 4 horses & 2 cats. I compete one horse (low level eventing) and the others are pasture ornaments though still require attention, grooming, supplements, etc.

It's a ton of work but I actually think it's easier now that I'm SINGLE and I don't have to worry about my (ex) husband who didn't do the work anyway. Four acres are in pasture, I have a new barn and a run-in shed. Everyone comes in at night to free choice stalls or shelter.

I do ride 4-6 times a week and haul out 3-5 times a month for lessons and/or for XC schooling. If I had to ride another horse it would be tough.

Hardest part is trying to keep a little bit of a social life b/c I don't feel like cleaning up to go to town after such a long day! I get up really early, feed, chores, ride, chores, work, feed, chores, bed check, sleep then start all over. Mowing, painting, hay storage, house cleaning, etc gets done on whatever day off I have, which tends to vary.

Things slide a bit when I'm competeing but it works since I have good venues close to home.

Winter is harder mainly b/c I lack the motivation to be out in the dark in the cold and I have to feed 4 times a day so I end up driving a lot back and forth to the farm some days (I run my own biz so have a flexible but full schedule).

It's the best life, I can't imagine any other way!

[KellyS]

Wow. For me just the opposite. Winter is MUCH easier. I actually have days off. All the equipment has been preped for winter and is sitting in it's location until spring (for the most part).

I use winter to piddle with inside the house/barn repairs that got put aside during the other months.

There's no mowing/weedwacking/spraying, which takes phenomenal amount of time starting in April and lasting to Mid-October.

I didn't look to see where you are - maybe up north? I bet winter is a drag, used to live up there.

Hmmm...well, as someone who is so not a morning person (haha...picked the wrong passion considering that :winkgrin:), I love the fact that summer means I only need to bring in from turnout and feed in the morning; then I can ride/putter outside when I get home from work (which is impossible during the winter months).

Hubby finally taught me how to drive our big mower with the 72" deck and, for example, last night we were able to get everything mowed and weedwhacked within a couple of hours. Leaves the rest of the week free for other projects. :)

I do love the fact that winter is our down time. It is nice to come home from work and just bring in and feed and then chill out in the house, and maybe work on some inside projects (I'm working on stripping wallpaper and painting walls in our old farmhouse).

You're right--all the equipment is stored in the big barn; the only tractor that gets used is the '48 John Deere B, which pulls the manure spreaders. No paddock picking because the ground is frozen or snow-covered. Only outside chores besides horse care are plowing snow and bringing in firewood.

I'm in SE Pennsylvania; I don't mind the winters at all. We probably only get a week or two of really cold temps (single digits); the rest of the time is hovers in the 20 to 40 degree range. I really don't agonize over temps--for me, they fall into 2 ranges--cold and really damn cold. Really damn cold is when you walk outside and your snot freezes in your nose. :lol:

Mornings are a drag though...alarm goes off and I'm snuggled in flannel sheets thinking how cold it is going to be getting out of bed. And wishing I'd been more motivated to get up at 3 am and put more wood in the furnace (we have a multifuel furnace that burns wood and oil). Getting dresssed in multiple layers is coldly painful, but that's the worst part. Once I'm outside feeding those hungry faces, I have no regrets about living on the farm. :)

[Miss Aria]

I lived on 150 acres and had a dozen horses, a dog, chickens and barn cats and I did quite well for myself. The key was getting good help, I had people come in to bush hog the fields in the fall, plow in the winter, help me hay in the summer and lots of friends who loved the work that volunteered around the barn and with the horses. Plus I worked full time on and off. It was a hard but very rewarding life and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[Boomer]

......I really don't agonize over temps--for me, they fall into 2 ranges--cold and really damn cold. Really damn cold is when you walk outside and your snot freezes in your nose. :lol:



I'm one of those annoying morning people - up and buzzing around by 5am, usually happily, so I get out there an beat the heat! For us, our temps vary from hot and really damn hot!

Your farm is beautiful, BTW.

I used to live in Michigan and northern Ohio. I understand your cold temp scale :)

[LisaB]

Hmmm, well, hmmm. I would say that yes, you can definitely do it on your own but jeez, it's an entire lifestyle choice. And the SO isn't into hard labor. Hmmm, well, don't want to say anything about your relationship because it's yours but well, I can see a lot of resentment with farm life from both parties. SO doesn't want to help fix the broken frozen pipe and you're pissed because he doesn't want to go outside and hold something for you. That type of thing.
I just think it's an entire lifestyle thing and you have to both be into it.

[KellyS]

I'm one of those annoying morning people - up and buzzing around by 5am, usually happily, so I get out there an beat the heat! For us, our temps vary from hot and really damn hot!

Your farm is beautiful, BTW.

I used to live in Michigan and northern Ohio. I understand your cold temp scale :)

I hate you...not really. :D Dragging myself out of bed in the morning is not my favorite part of the day. Those 3 am mornings to go to horse shows...bleck. Not even coffee makes that better. ;)

But it works well for summer because while I'm still up at the same time, it's a more leisurely pace without stalls to clean. And then the evenings are the nice part of the day when I can ride, etc.

And thanks! I told Aaron 2 things when we started farm shopping--I wanted a bank barn and old farmhouse. Didn't think we'd ever find something we could afford but everything fell into place with this farm. I hope we are there for a very long time.

[Trevelyan96]

Married here with 3 acres, 2 horses. Full time job and commute, which keeps me gone 10 hours a day, sometimes longer, as I have one of those jobs where sudden OT can crop up with no notice. We got to design from scratch, so it's setup pretty effeciently for minimal work, although there are 1 or 2 things I'd do differenly after living on it for 10 years.

I 'could' do it myself if I had to. DH mostly just does the mowing, weed wacking, and fence repairs, and he helps with getting hay, etc. But I could do the 1st 3 myself and pay to have the hay delivered and stacked. It is nice to have him around for heavy lifting, as dumping a 50 lb feed bag is a struggle for me.

A few things that are a MUST HAVE and have make it possible for me to 'do it all'.

Tractor with mower and front load!
Chain drag for pasture maintenance.
Spreader
Hay elevator (we did the the no-no loft storage to keep the footprint down)
Farrier who will work on horses without me present! (Ahhh... I loff my farrier!)
Good power tools.
24/7 turnout with stall access.

Most importantly for low/easy maintenace is to have water and electric in convenient places (especially for winter). I have outlets behind the stall walls with a hole drilled through for heated buckets in winter, as well as the well head located under the stall overhang with electric access so I can just fill the 70 gal water trough right there and not worry about hoses freezing in winter. I keep the hose on a reel inside the barn, wheel it 2 feet to the pump to hook up for filling inside buckets. Either way, I never have to carry a filled bucket more than 30 feet, ever.

DH does resent the time/expense sometimes, but at least he knows that things are setup so that he can say 'do it yourself' and I can. Of course, then he'd have to let me drive his precious tractor and use his power tools, LOL!

[lorilu]

Yes, but there are some things you really need another hand for - maybe not always a man's hand (or strength), but having another person around certainly makes fixing a fence easier!

So, develop a good support group who can call on each other when the need arises.

And knowing a reliable handyman is vital (anyone know one in Ocala?)

Loretta

[hossluva]

A few things that are a MUST HAVE and have make it possible for me to 'do it all'.

Tractor with mower and front load!
Chain drag for pasture maintenance.
Spreader
Hay elevator (we did the the no-no loft storage to keep the footprint down)
Farrier who will work on horses without me present! (Ahhh... I loff my farrier!)
Good power tools.
24/7 turnout with stall access.

Most importantly for low/easy maintenace is to have water and electric in convenient places (especially for winter). I have outlets behind the stall walls with a hole drilled through for heated buckets in winter, as well as the well head located under the stall overhang with electric access so I can just fill the 70 gal water trough right there and not worry about hoses freezing in winter. I keep the hose on a reel inside the barn, wheel it 2 feet to the pump to hook up for filling inside buckets. Either way, I never have to carry a filled bucket more than 30 feet, ever.


Wow! All that for two horses!! You're spoiled... :winkgrin: My must haves are a wheelbarrow, pitchfork, in barn access to water & electric, lawn tractor, a farrier who doesn't need handholding - for sure, and I use a little harrow for pasture/ring maintenance.

Some sacrifices, and things that just aren't done anymore: Weeding the flower and veggie gardens, I usually give up around the end of June 'cuz it gets away from me by then - too much to keep up. Still pretty, just look at it from afar. I used some weed fabric in the veggies this year so it's not so bad. Clean floors - seriously, what's the point? Vacations... Being sick; well, you can be sick, but you still have to do your chores. I also have fond memories of being a perfectionist and I find myself thinking "good enough" a lot now. New cars, just keep the truck running by all means! Any assemblence of a social life.

Things I wouldn't trade for anything: The quiet of early dawn, right before the birds start up, foggy mist on the pasture with low nickers coming out of it before you can even see the horses - that's hand in hand with end of the day, chores are done, just got back from the trails and everyone's cooled off and munching hay. I love that sound... Making my own decisions and not being second guessed. Having room for over flow from the shelter. Watching my horse eat grass freely - she didn't get a whole lot of that at the boarding barns. Watching the horses interact from the house when they don't know I'm watching. Saying good bye to my boarders and walking 20' into my house. The novelty of looking out the kitchen window while doing dishes and seeing your horse just right over there; I don't think it'll ever wear off.

My husband does help a bit, if begrudgingly. He was raised with no animals ever, not even a gold fish. He deals for the most part, helps to support my habit financially and gets a little jealous at times. He knows it's my lifelong dream to do exactly this and loves me, so there you go. It'd definitely be more fun if he rode, but it works.

If you have the opportunity, go for it. It's awesome!!

[Boomer]

You definately need to work smarter, not harder, to get somethings done.

I had to fetch 100 bales out of the field, load it in the horse trailer, bring it home and restack it last summer by myself as the BF couldn't get time off to help.

So... I brought plenty of cold water and a heavy furniture dolly. Granted, all the men who were there loading their trailers probably snickered while I took the dolly, loaded two bales and rolled it to the trailer and stacked it. But by gosh I got 'er done.

As far as fencing, I have Gallagher electric rope. I like it because it pops hot, looks good and it's a one-woman show to work with it. I did need help to set corner posts, but I drove T-posts, strung the lines and tensioned it. And if a repair is needed, it is oh so simple.