Just need to get this off my chest

[KanoasDestiny]

I think I might have made a big mistake!!! But it will literally kill me if I don't follow through. Ok, I usually keep all my problems to myself or discuss them with my husband. But my husband is being a jerk right now and I have nobody else to talk to. I just need to get this off my chest now, before I begin crying.

As anyone who has read any of my other posts knows, I am 25 years old and have always wanted a horse. I mean DESPARATELY wants a horse, any horse!!! All of my aunts and neighbors have horses, so I have grown up around them. But I always lived in an apartment with my family, on a very limited budget. So a horse was never an option for me. I am now married to a wonderful man (most of the time anyways!), and although I don't work, he has a very good job where he makes darn good money. We still live in an apartment, right next to the one I grew up in. We are waiting to move because we hope to purchase my best friend's parents home in the next couple of years.

In the past couple of years, I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and gallstones. Let's just say that although these are not life devastating illnesses, it has opened my eyes that life can be very fragile and should never be taken for granted. I finally decided that I "need" a horse because it just breaks my heart being around other people's horses and not having one of my own. Besides, out of everything in life to dream for, my dream has never been of anything other than to have a horse. Things start going through your mind like what if I die before I get the one thing that I've always wanted? Anyways, I talked it over with my husband and he agreed that I should get a horse since I am home by myself all the time, but he was unsure of where I would keep it.

My immediate neighbor had always had horses but after her husband passed away, she shipped his remaining horse off to Nebraska and the corrals have been empty since. I ended up asking her if I could board a horse over at her place and surprisingly she said yes. My plan had been set into motion. Next, I got online and started looking for the perfect horse. I found her really easily....a mini-filly that is not yet weaned (will be early June). I have put a deposit down on her and already signed a contract. Everything sounds like a dream come true, right?

HA!!! I went over to look at my neighbor's corrals and everyone of them is in BAD shape. There is barb wire and tin metal panels in one, and the shelter is falling down on the other, along with bad fencing. I decided that I could build my own little removable corral in the arena but my neighbor isn't thrilled about that, nor was she estatic that I wanted to remove the barb wire and tin. I REFUSE TO PUT MY HORSE IN A DANGER ZONE!!! So now, I am seriously thinking that I don't want to use her property afterall. But I can't think of any other option for housing her. The only other thing to do would be to not get her. And I swear that would just break my heart. But it would be better than putting her in such a bad environment where it just isn't safe for her. I just don't know what to do! I am going over any and all possibilities in my head and nothing seems like it is going to work. I feel lost.

I think I jumped into this with both feet before actually having a back up plan. Things never seem to go so perfectly for me, so I guess I should have been leery to begin with. I still have a little over two months to figure out what my next move will be, I just hope that it will include Zoey as well. Thank you listening, I just needed to get out my frustration.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I am sure it will all work out give it some time and try to find other solutions. I am sure with a plan and approaching the neighbor perhaps with drawings or pics of what type of things you want to do it will all work out.

 

[Aggravation Acres]

If I was you. I would start looking into if there is a horse boarding place near you. One that is able to handle mini's. A lot of places around where I live don't take mini's because they don't have the right size fences for them and do not want them getting out or hurt.

Take a few days to think things out.

I know it feels overwellming right now. It is not like your horse will be comming in the next few days.

I am sure a lot of people will come on and give you some ideas.

Deb

And good luck.... It took me about 40 years to get my first real horse.

:

 

[RAPfrosty]

I would say search Google, your local feed or petstore, or any place that sells horsey things for boarding stables. Your sure to find a nice stable that will accept a mini, although all do not accept them for variouse reasons, I know you'll find atleast one. I board my miniature at a local stable and they are very accepting of him, they have adjusted variouse things to fit his size. I wish you the best, don't give up!

 

[Jill]

Is there a way you can fix up a corral, like w/ t-posts and cattle panels? That's pretty easy to do and pretty inexpensive. Maybe this would help get you your horse and have her close by to you!

Hang in there. I wanted a horse so bad growing up, oh my God, it felt like I could die of wanting one so bad. I did not get a horse until I was 26 or so and actually, I think I appreciate them all the more for remembering they are a big luxury to own. And, you don't even wanna know how many I have now!!! Two biggies and a lot of minis, and I love each and every one of them

:

 

[nassaunellie]

Is there a way you can fix up a corral, like w/ t-posts and cattle panels? That's pretty easy to do and pretty inexpensive. Maybe this would help get you your horse and have her close by to you!

Hang in there. I wanted a horse so bad growing up, oh my God, it felt like I could die of wanting one so bad. I did not get a horse until I was 26 or so and actually, I think I appreciate them all the more for remembering they are a big luxury to own. And, you don't even wanna know how many I have now!!! Two biggies and a lot of minis, and I love each and every one of them

:

...and I wanted one soooo bad for so many years but couldn't get one until I was 45!! Hang in there. Maybe boarding isn't such a bad idea if you find a suitable place. I would think she would be lonely by herself at the neighbors place.

 

[mininik]

I've had a similar situation in that I was raised in a big city apartment with non-horsey parents on a limited budget. As a teen, I saved up and purchased my own Miniatures (a dream come true), but my mother had to drive me one hour each way to the stabes where I could board... That was several years ago when I thought owning was the only way to go, but now I'm thinking it isn't too bad letting other people handle the ownership issues so I can enjoy their horses.

: That said, I do agree with those who said to keep dreaming, scheming and looking for other options. Best wishes!

:

 

[Cathy_H]

Find another place to keep her. Since you don't work outside the home you should have time to work off some of the board. Most boarding facilities always need an extra dependable hand. Plus I feel this newly weaned foal needs to be around another horse & not by its self................................ You have just experienced what may be the first of many surprises that come with horse ownership.

 

[CAbshear]

My motto is where there's a will, there's a way....just put signs in all of your feed stores that you need to board one mini...surely something will happen...also boarding would be a good option at first 'cause horse people can teach you so much.. Good Luck, I think things will work out for you.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I'm a little puzzled actually. When I posted this, it was on the back porch forum. Any clue to how it was moved over here? I had someone contact me about seeing it, and since I was upset when I wrote it, I went back to re-read exactly what I had written. But it wasn't there, it was here.

I actually have a plan! My neighbor knows that I was not impressed with the shape the corrals were in. So I talked it over with her and she said that we can do the repairs. So hopefully, it is still on. I want nothing more than to get Zoey, and if I end up having to board her at my aunts (five miles away), I would although that defeats my purpose of having a horse.

:

There is a stable about 15 minutes away from me but I have never seen minis there. It would be something I would definately have to check into, but again, I would rather have her close by. I feel the same way, "where there's a will, there's a way". I will definately be getting her, as my heart is already set on it. Thank you for your advice, kind words and personal experiences. What is it about these animals that melts our hearts as young girls/guys?

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

I'd just find another place to keep her

I know you mentioned illness but is there some other reason you cannot work part time? I too have medical issues and find that just getting out a few hours a day with other people lifts my spirits immensly. I work in a barn actually and enjoy it very much

Good luck in whatever you do!

Tammie

 

[woodnldy]

Maybe if you invited your neighbor to go look at the little one and she understood how small she is then she would be even more willing to have the corral fixed up. If her family only had large horses she wouldnt see the issues of safety as well. Just a thought. Good luck.. I understand the wanting from the heart.

 

[billiethekid40]

If you do end up looking at local boarding stables to board your mini at, you will probably have a hard time finding one that is already equipped to handle a mini. Go with plans in hand and when you go asking for baord make sure you let the barn manager know that you are willing to make the area safe for your mini on your own initiative. Its really not hard if the stable has a litle extra land off in the corner somewhere for you to fence off for your little one, and do the adjustments to a stall for her yourself (you'll want different sized stall doors etc). This is what i did when I wanted to board, but I lucked out and the barn manage actually said they'd love to have him, had a perfect stall and paddock and THEY made all the changes for his stall door etc to keep him safe and happy. All I did was rehang the buckets to his hight! BUT I was prepared to provide my own fencing and stall-remodeling if needed. In fact, if there were no suitable mini stalls we were prepared to build our own run-in in the paddock for him.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Hi guys,

I still have the high blood pressure and gallstones, although they both seem to be doing fine. I have been doing at-home-liver flushes and have had no problems with the gallstones what so ever. Also, I'm on medication for the HBP, so no problems there either. Neither of these prevent me from working. I was employed last year, as an office secretary, but due to really bad management and perverted guys (it was at a water well drilling company), I decided that I hated the job and quite. My passion is working with children (I've been working with them for the past 5 years except at the last job), and I am waiting to get back on with the school district, which will be for 3 hours a day. But with California's cutbacks, the school's aren't hiring as fast as they used to. I have to wait for a position to open up and I am next on the list. But with school almost out for summer, I can expect to have at least three months off, once I do get hired.

My husband makes plenty of money, so I find it is easier and less stressful to just stay at home right now and take care of the animals we have.

As for housing the filly - I am still debating whether or not I want to use my neighbor's corrals. She is elderly and is an extreme perfectionist. I have one of those feelings in the pit of my stomach. So I think that I just may ask my landlord (whom I've known for the past 20 years) if I can build a small pen behind my apartment, if I promise to keep the area up and do other maintenance on the grounds. She allows us to have LOTS of cats, dogs and a rooster, so perhaps she will be ok with a tiny horse as well. I look at it this way, it never hurts to ask. If she says no, I will just either use my neighbor's corrals as previously planned or I will board out at my aunt's house (she is about to open a boarding stable). I'm trying not to stress over it, because I know I will think of something. The boarding stable that I refered to earlier sits right next to a busy highway. The horses are literally 20 feet away from the road. I don't know if I really like that idea, as there are lots of accidents on that road. But I definatley don't mind doing work to make my horse's home a very safe one.