02/07/2024
Wow so true I am so blessed to do what I love
Boarding horses is a labor of love...it will never be a profitable business for the vast majority of us...as a matter of fact, I make a total of $0 after we account for hay, grain, bedding, supplements, salt licks, fencing, electric, consumables (fans, water heaters, buckets, manure forks, wheelbarrows, water troughs, etc.), tractor/mower/drag/manure spreader fuel and maintenance, property taxes, and insurance. Have an event to attend? I’ll need to be home in time to feed. Want to go to a movie or out to dinner? I'll have to figure these activities around boarding chores. If I go on vacation or to a horse show, I'll need to hire someone to take care of the place (and all the horses). I have learned how to be comfortable with being uncofortable in extreme heat, cold, and other sometimes rapidly changing weather conditions. A reliable weather app is worth it's weight in gold....and I check it....I check it obsessively...So why do I do it? For me, it's my 'happy place'...what is more rewarding than spending your time with one good horse? Surrounding yourself with many! I am particular about who I welcome into my herd. My boarders must have a good disposition and get along well with others. In exchange, they are provided the same personal atention I afford my own horses...grooming, blanketing, wellness checks, quality feed, etc. They also get to spend their days in spacious padocks shared with a special friend. I try hard to make sure each boarder is perfectly matched with a friend for life. For the one exception I currently have who must be stalled due to unique feed and medicine requirements, even the turnout paddock on his stall is bordered on both sides with friends. Let's not forget the human factor. These horses are extremely important to their owners. While it is impossible to make everyone happy all the time, I hope that at the end of the day, they realize that my choices are always in the best interest of the horses according to my life experiences and with the input of treasured farriers and veterinarians.....and bottom line - their horses are extremely important to me, too. Spending time with happy horses makes me happy. It's just that simple.