Of horses and College...

[shoeboxstables]

Hi everyone-

I really need some advice. As a senior in high school- I find that all my top picks for college are far far away. I have 7 horses, and come from a non-horsey family. I'm really unsure what I should do about them while I'm at college.

What have you done???

My mom says she doesn't mind taking care of the horses- except for the mini stallion- she doesn't like him. So she wants me to sell him. Or get a full scholorship- and she'll pay to board him where ever I go.

But I don't want to burden my parents with my horses- even though they'd still have all the alpacas to feed every day.

We have:

A 32 y/o morgan mare- she isn't going anywhere

A 19 y/o saddlebred gelding- he's staying until the day Arianna goes- and then he *might* be sold. Until then, he's staying.

A 3 y/o mini dwarf- she's staying forever

A 6 y/o mini mare- she drives, and could be a great all around-er, with some fine tuning.

A 1 y/o mini gelding- he's a pasture pet right now

A 9 y/o mini mare- she's my all around show horse, drives

A 2 y/o mini stallion- who hopefully will be driving this winter. Otherwise he has no job right now.

So.... what would you do? There really aren't many mini people around here. I've toyed with the idea of free leasing the driving mare to a therapeutic driving center (but really need to look into that option further). But I don't know what to do with Vic (the stallion). I could geld him- and that would make it easier on my parents day-to-day, but I bought him for breeding. I could lease him- but I'm not sure to who. I could board him- but thats a lot of $$ I'm not sure I'll have. I could send him to a trainer- but again, $$. I could sell him, but after four years of searching for the perfect horse- I hate the idea of giving him up.

What would you do??

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[shoeboxstables]

Thanks for your advice Karla! And for the complement- I made it myself :bgrin

I'm looking to go Pre-Vet, so finding the right undergrad school's really imnportant. I really want to concentrate on the reproduction, so I looovvveee Colorado State. But Rutgers is also on my list- and they're only about an hour away.

I think that the lease is the way to go with the stallion if I can't take him with me. But I'm not sure how to go about that, and how to find the perfect home.

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[MiniHGal]

Well....its a tough choice, and one I just recently went through. Fortunately, however, my mom is very horsey (and works her horses when she has time) so there were no problems with the horses staying home.

For Vic, I would not take him to college unless you really want to, I would pick a horse that is already finished--ie: driving, in hand. As you know, training has to be a very consistent process, and in college, there are some weeks that my mare just gets to see me for the amount of time it takes to clean her pen and maybe groom her. Other weeks she gets driven nearly every day. College makes for a very inconsistent amount of free time. However, since he is very important to you, don't geld him yet...try and find a good free lease home or something. Ask around!

Also, as far as boarding, you can find cheap places, or places that allow you to exchange board for work. Where my mare is, they need help more than money, so I feed/muck/etc for them 3X a week (6 hrs) for board. I don't have to pay anything but time. There are situations like this to be found anywhere; you just have to look.

Incidentally, you could always come to UC Davis... :saludando: We do lots and lots of equine repro, and I am currently applying to vet school here as well.

As I am several hours away from home, as well as feeding horses where I live for the whole school year(meaning I have to be there for most holidays, etc), I rarely see my family. But I don't really have a problem with it, as I am surrounded by horses, as well as having my own up here. For shows and such, I get to see my family, so its good enough. I technically come home twice a year(half of christmas break and spring break), although with horse shows I see the family more often. So kind of the other side of the coin. Would I like to be home more? Sure! Do I have the time and freedom to do so? Nope.

 

[rhea]

I'm sort of just finishing this situation, what I ended up having to do was sell all but two, then I'm going to free lease one out and my mother will take care of the last one. She's 'horsey' but I didn't want to risk anything happening and my having to sell them quickly, without finding the right homes. Two is a reasonable number and I'm not sure if I could have sold these two.

: I would agree look into free-leasing the stallion and any others. If you feel it's right, put some up for sale but don't sell them unless you find the perfect home.

 

[SHANA]

Hi,

I had the same dilemna as you. I had 6 horses, all were arabians, no minis at that time. Most of my family is non-horsey except for my dad but he has a bad knee so hard for him to lead the horses, etc. Anyway my dad and older brother(terrified of the large horses) would feed the horses and would open the stall doors one at a time and let them out into the barnyard which is fenced in, then herd them into their pasture, except for Pasos, my first arabian as she was blind, he would lead her out to her pasture. Then at night they would go get Pasos and lead her to her stall and then after open the gate into the barnyard and other horses would go into the barn door and go to their stalls. I told anyone who was horsey as well as the left a ad at the feed store that if they knew someone who wanted to play with the horses, ride, etc to come see me. A girl I use to babysit came and asked if she could ride and play with the horses. She would come with her dad or mom and she came 3 days during the week. I came home on weekends and it worked out well for everyone. I was a hour away at college. Right now my 2 arabians are at my parents as the pasture is much larger. They have a run in shed and right now stay outside 24/7. I try to go every day but Saturday and Sunday to see them as I work all weekend. My older brother feeds them grain and hay. They have a automatic watering bowl there. They will come back here in November so only a few more weeks. Once we build another larger pasture they will stay here all year round. Just hard when you move to a new place and start with no pagewire fence and just a barn and electric fence. My arabian mare, Phancy will run through that like nothing and I have a few minis who will too. So now I have 2 large pagewire pastures, 2 small pagewire pastures and one electric. One small pagewire pasture I use only in the winter months when the cows are in the barn as teh cows have to go through that pasture to get in the barn. My 2 arabians go there in the winter when they come home until spring when the cows go back out, then my arabians go back to my parents place until June, then they are leased to a riding school until September. Wish I could keep them home all year round but fence costs money. Just think in April 2003 I had no minis then in May 2003 got my first mini, and now I have 16 minis and 2 arabians.

 

[billiethekid40]

I would let your mom look after the horses while you are away, but another option is to keep your eyes open for a place to rent that you could also keep your horses with you. For the price of board on a few horses and the cost of residence at university you could have a house with a bit of land to keep at least a few minis on and still split the rent (and probably transportation to classes) with a room mate. Finding a place to rent that you could keep your horses at is probably a long shot, but it may be worth keeping your eyes open for... I mean, you ARE going to be away for more than a year or two for university, you might as well feel at home there right?

 

[Jess P]

WE SHOULD GO TO OSU TOGETHER!!!! :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033:

Go Buckeyes!!!!

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

When I came to that I just went with the horses. Instead of going to college, I decided just to keep working a job and stay in showing the minis. I might go to college sometime and take a couple of classes nearby but I plan to keep learning and showing for now.

 

[shoeboxstables]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm really going to start looking into leasing the stallion. I was really freaked out- thinking my only option was to sell!!

Jess-

This is crazy- isn't it?? I think CSU is my top choice this week though

:. Have you been to OSU? :bgrin

 

[Jess P]

Jess-

This is crazy- isn't it?? I think CSU is my top choice this week though

:. Have you been to OSU? :bgrin

I haven't done any visits, unfortunately. I know its bad. But its hard when I live so far away

 

[dangerranger]

Im going to take the other side of this and say sell sell sell. vet school [ and med school] are a long process. what will these horses be like by the time you are done and ready to devote time to them again. the old ones Id leave with mom and the others Id sell to homes where the will be used often. in a home where they are used daily they will be groomed daily, get vetted , get concistant ferrier care , etc.... that said Ive bought several great horses from kids going away to collage. I always said Id sell them back when they return but Ive never had one go back. by the time you are out you will have many other responcibilitys . think about what they will be like after 7 years in a pasture. good luck DR.