Lori T
Oct. 1, 2009, 03:26 PM
So I have leased the farm I am at for almost 5 years...it will be 5 years in December. GREAT place..the owners live there and are pretty tolerant of whatever I do (pony club meetings, the rescues, have cats, etc). I love the location (in an equestrian community) and have great neighbors... I am closer to them than my "real" neighbors where I live! Our rescue co-founder lives across the street and our treasurer is next door.
The problem though, is I am maxed out for space. I have 5 stalls (really 4 but I converted my hayroom into a stall, which means the hay sits in the aisleway and my feed is in my small tackroom). That means I have reached the maximum amount for rescues I can take in as well as boarders...I have 1 boarder @ $525, which off-sets my $700 lease. The mini's live outside but have shelter (and come in at night when there is an empty stall) and I have an old QH mare who stays out (even if I had a stall for her, I prefer she live out).
I really, really, like it here. I have security and I love my neighbors.
The biggest problem? I live 30 minutes away. Not a huge problem when my oldest daughter was in highschool and could help, but now she is in college in Tampa, so I have no break unless I pay a pony clubber every now and then to help. I come to the barn in the morning between 5 and 6 am. I have to leave by 8 to get to work at 9am. Then back to the barn after work at 6ish and home between 8 and 9, depending on what needs to be done. I come home EXHAUSTED! I do have a husband and a 17 year old daughter at home who need me..thankfully tho, when I started working full time last year, my husband took over cooking, but there is still laundry, cleaning and being a mom and wife!
So I have an opportunity to lease a barn that is 10-15 minutes from my house. Also on 5 acres, but it is a new barn with 10 stalls. Which means I could board a few more horses and take in a few more rescues. But it costs $2200 a month, which is a big leap for me. I would have to have at least 3 boarders, which I think I have lined up. But I would be leaving a sure thing as far as security goes, to an unknown. I would hate to go to a farm where there are problems/bs, etc and find myself suddenly having to move a bunch of horses. And, I will be leaving my neighborhood support system. But, the thought of having a much shorter commute, which might mean I can actually ride Tucker more than a couple times a week, plus be home more, is really desirable! I am sooooo torn! What would you do?
The problem though, is I am maxed out for space. I have 5 stalls (really 4 but I converted my hayroom into a stall, which means the hay sits in the aisleway and my feed is in my small tackroom). That means I have reached the maximum amount for rescues I can take in as well as boarders...I have 1 boarder @ $525, which off-sets my $700 lease. The mini's live outside but have shelter (and come in at night when there is an empty stall) and I have an old QH mare who stays out (even if I had a stall for her, I prefer she live out).
I really, really, like it here. I have security and I love my neighbors.
The biggest problem? I live 30 minutes away. Not a huge problem when my oldest daughter was in highschool and could help, but now she is in college in Tampa, so I have no break unless I pay a pony clubber every now and then to help. I come to the barn in the morning between 5 and 6 am. I have to leave by 8 to get to work at 9am. Then back to the barn after work at 6ish and home between 8 and 9, depending on what needs to be done. I come home EXHAUSTED! I do have a husband and a 17 year old daughter at home who need me..thankfully tho, when I started working full time last year, my husband took over cooking, but there is still laundry, cleaning and being a mom and wife!
So I have an opportunity to lease a barn that is 10-15 minutes from my house. Also on 5 acres, but it is a new barn with 10 stalls. Which means I could board a few more horses and take in a few more rescues. But it costs $2200 a month, which is a big leap for me. I would have to have at least 3 boarders, which I think I have lined up. But I would be leaving a sure thing as far as security goes, to an unknown. I would hate to go to a farm where there are problems/bs, etc and find myself suddenly having to move a bunch of horses. And, I will be leaving my neighborhood support system. But, the thought of having a much shorter commute, which might mean I can actually ride Tucker more than a couple times a week, plus be home more, is really desirable! I am sooooo torn! What would you do?