Owning minis & having a baby...

[MindyLee]

Looking for any advice... Dont know who to ask...

Well my husband is at the point of his life where he wants a little one running around. I'm scared out of my mind to doing it. Plus I just got my herd togather that I spent many years putting togather.

I was wondering how difficult it is owning minis and raising a baby?

I own 7 minis total with 2 of them being stallions (good boys). I also breed each year and also do a few shows in the summer. I know that if I decide to have a baby, the showing will come to a end for a few years but not sure about breeding my mares. What I'm also worried about is that with both of us working, we dont struggle with bills BUT it gets hard at times. I do farrier work off the side to pay for ALL horses related issues as my part time job dont cover them. Also I really love my minis and dont want to sell.

Have any of you had this happen? How well dose this work out, & did it work for you?

Thanks for any helpful advice.

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

Being a multitasker helps,lol. I think it's very possible if you want both.It's not always easy but can be done. Will your husband help? Mine isn't into horses but helps if I need him,which is hardly ever.I work part time so that helped.You find ways to get it all done,playpen in the barn,lol. I even had a baby swing,whatever helps to keep the kids and horses happy

.

 

[Miniv]

Bless you! And yes it can be done....errr...at least WE did it?

When Brianna was born (almost 13 years ago), we were at our highest number with our herd -- approx. 120 horses. My husband was very busy transporting horses, donkeys, llamas and was gone 2 to 3 weeks at a time. We had a decent income coming in, so I was able to hire a person to help with cleaning the barn and paddocks, etc...

I ended up hiring ANOTHER NEW MOM and horse woman to help me! (Her son was only 6 weeks older.) The barn had an insulated and heated tack room and we would put our babies in a play pen with the door to the room left open while we did our chores. I remember we'd take turns running back to check on them every 5 minutes.

For warm days, we had power washed one of the 12x12 rubber matted stalls and put the kids in there with their quilts and toys. By then they were crawling. We were also able to do that the following year when they were toddling around on two legs! (BTW, although she is no longer working for us, we are still friends and she is now our daughter's 4-H Leader!)

I also bought a special stroller....It doubled as a bicycle trailer, you probably have seen it. It was my LIFE SAVER both on the farm and at horse shows! (It had extra big wheels and extra space for carrying "stuff". Plus I liked being able to ZIP her in!) I managed to be the coordinator for an AMHA sanctioned Show with Brianna in that stroller! (Yes we were active with Showing in both AMHA and AMHR too. Looking back I'm not sure how we did it.)

But yes, it IS possible.........Please PM me if you have questions.

 

[ShaunaL]

Oh, you are in for a whole new adventure

I have 4 kids (8 and 6 year old boys, 2 year old and 10 month old girls), 8 minis (and a foal coming anyday), show dogs and I run a vet hospital. As the above poster said, multitasking certainly helps.

Really, one baby will not be that difficult for you I bet. To be honest, the easiest time for me is when they are young babies and I can just have a playpen/swing/carseat/stroller with me wherever I am. Barn, pens, shows (dog shows so far, but horse shows this summer!). For me it's the 1.5 - 3 year old stage that's a bit harder but definitely do-able. After that it's smooth sailing I just throw myself into it and although we can't do quite as much horse-wise with my 2 year old around I can still feed, clean etc. Pretty much anything you could do before you will still be able to do it just takes a little longer and requires some forethought. Right now I have the two girls and yes, it's hard sometimes to get everything done but there's always naptime

I also have a central area with their toys where I can keep a close eye on them but still work with horses. When my boys were little we were showing dogs heavily and they came along to all the shows, worked out just fine My second son Gabriel went to his first dog event at 10 days old. I also showed dogs, cared for the horses, etc up until the end of 3 of my pregnancies.

I also do some of my clipping/grooming/training/working horses at night, after the girls are sleeping and my husband can stay in the house with them. My poor horses are quite used to being pulled out of stalls in the dark LOL

If you want it then go for it! Before you know it your baby will be all grown up and you will have plenty of time to do more with the horses. Any time lost with the horses will be more than made up for by the amazing experience of being a mother, there is nothing like it. It's scary to think about but really, there is no "good time" for a baby. They are expensive and they are work but they are wonderful. Just go for it if you both want it and throw yourself into it. I would caution though, make sure you have reliable childcare nearby that you trust and can afford if you plan on continuing to work. That has been our biggest headache by far.

Sorry for the novel, just wanted to share my experience

 

[LC Farm]

I did it with great help from my mom, you probably seen me at shows last year showing pregnant and having a 2 year old. We have 16 horses at home Percheron and mini's and my husband is a over the road truck driver and I worked 40 hours a week last year. It can be done sometimes a little stressful but well worth it to have the kids and I would be heartbroken to give up the horses. So we have the best of both worlds, but with a lot of help from my parents.

 

[~Lisa~]

Very much doable!

I had Raven when we started in minis- would bring her swing out to the horses and clean stalls and work horses as well as feed. She grew up out there and was showing as soon as she was able to toddle into the ring.

She went to a co-op preschool so I worked there 6-8 times a month- ran a business as well as had her and a child 7 years older. Was a bit trying sometimes I will admit. THe worst was when Raven who had watched us breed horses since she could sit up decided she would tell the kids at preschool they were wrong the stork had nothing to do with babies it was all about the sperm and the egg LOL.. but hey it was funny

It took a bit more patience and a great sense of humor but I think you can do it yes.

 

[ruffian]

Yep, been there done that. Plus worked full time, had cows, pigs, goats and built a house and barn. 30 years later, with ONE grandchild and retired finding it hard to find time for the horses!!

. Maybe I'm just too exhausted (AND OLD!) but it was so worth it. It's funny, but I don't get any cards or calls from the horses, even on holidays and my birthday. The horses don't seem to get much out of shopping or visiting family either.

We built our herd and showed, put on shows (heck free labor!) with 2 kids, so I say go for it!

 

[Tab]

This is one of my passions, so be prepared for a long-winded post!

You cannot have any expectations. You will have a lot of advice, but it is so extremely different for everyone. What is my experience will not be yours. Of course it can be done but you will need to prioritize, and sometimes you need help. Sometimes you also need to downsize your herd. I was asking the same question on here about 4 years ago when I had a young baby and was overwhelmed. I am still by no means an expert!

However, after having two babies I feel as if I'm finally waking up and my youngest will be 3 in August. My Grandmother had 10 children. I've asked her how she did it and she says emphatically, "I don't remember"

I don't think she set foot outside the house much when her children were little.

Mine were different circumstances than a lot of mommies, though. I had 2 high risk pregnancies. I won't go into details because it's not necessary to scare you lol. If things went normally from the start I'd probably say with full confidence that you can do it all with simplicity. Kids are exhausting, but the very nature of birth makes you a force to be reckoned with.

Babies change things so much. I loved to hold mine while they napped, especially for the first 6 months, and sometimes longer. Those are precious times that you don't get back. If you can put them on a schedule by 6 months you can do so much more as far as chores are concerned. If you can utilize a front carrier then backpack (wisely) it's amazing how much you can get done!!! You can also burn yourself out taking care of your child/nursing then still having to do chores when your body needs to rest.

My horses have had much less attention than they did before babies. Conditioning is something that I'm starting to be able to make time for now. Sometimes they have gotten the bare minimum, especially in the Winter time. (We live up north and sometimes Winter is 6 months from the first to the last snow.)

When I had my first baby I had 4 minis and a large Morgan gelding (that accounts for about 3 minis lol). I also had one mare due. She foaled 3 months after I gave birth, and by some miracle I was in attendance for that birth. I had help pulling the foal because I was still healing... most moms by that time wouldn't have any trouble.

I did make it through. Around the time that my first was 2 (and being potty trained) and my second was 18 mos I came crying to the forum to ask advice about what I should do with my horses. A few people recommended I place the Morgan, a childhood friend. He wasn't a horse I would want a 2-year-old little boy playing near. Made me ex-treme-ly nervous. I found a wonderful home for him and I don't regret placing him one bit after the initial hesitation then decision.

Showing? I have always wanted to but I haven't ever been able to (show my own). My mom and sister were involved in showing dogs and I wished they hadn't been. I'm 5 years younger than my sister, and I wish I hadn't been stuck at home OR dragged to shows. I was a good kid but I was bored. I'd sit outside the ring and hold people's dogs for them. Dogs were never my thing. Horses definitely are! No thank you. Unless the kid is actually involved in showing the animals it's a generally boring place to be for a kid. (but I learned patience.)

Funny thing my boys show very little interest in the horses. My littlest adores dogs!!!!

However, if the child is young enough and you have a Grandma willing to entertain them while you show, that could probably be arranged!

In closing, I wish people realized that having babies isn't the end. They wait and wait out of fear of having children to find out that having babies was the best thing they have EVER done. Having children is NOT for everyone, but if you and your husband know that the time is right, and you are able to have children, it is not something to fear but to embrace!

Family is one of God's most precious gifts to us. It is SWEET indeed! Besides, we like perfect timing for everything, but is there really such a thing?

 

[MindyLee]

Thanks to all of you who responed. Your stories have made me feel a lot better about this whole ordeal. Im still pretty scared but at least it sounds like it wont be as bad as I picture it. Not going to jump right in and have a baby as I dont have medical insurance and still something I really need to think long and hard about BUT at least I know there's still a chance where I maybe able to still have both horses and a kid without fearing the "sell" word right off the bat. THANKS AGAIN everyone!

 

[mydaddysjag]

I cant comment on actually having children and horses, because my little one hasn't come yet, but I can tell you about being pregnant and having horses. Ive had a pretty high risk pregnancy, and have had to put the horses on the back burner mostly. We hadn't planned my pregnancy, but If we would have had a plan, I think I would have tried to plan it so that I wasn't due right in the middle of show season. I kind of wish that the end of my pregnancy would have been in winter, so that my first few months with the baby I could have just turned the horses out over the winter, and had 6 months of not having to worry about more than their basic care.

As far as shows, I leased my national champion show horse out to a family for their daughter to use for driving in 4H, then if she decides she would like to do open shows or rated shows she can do that too. This way he's not just standing wasting away, someone can enjoy him, and the girl has a pretty nice mini to show for the season without the expense of buying and caring for another horse. One stipulation is that he had to stay at the barn where I have him boarded, as I pay his board, and needed to keep his stall there. Im still there 3 days a week roughly, so we know what condition he is in etc. In return, they are teaching my husband to drive. I really think its a win-win situation.

 

[GrandmaC]

You've gotten some wonderful advice and information.

I think you're in a wonderful situation because you are in fact NOT pregnant yet and can plan.

My suggestion would be to sit down and talk with your husband and let him know you too want to hear

pitter patter of little feet and to be able to do so with as little stress as possible and with planning so you can be a great mom and yet not give up part of who you are (the horsewoman)

Go over your bills and figure out what payments you'd like to be done with before you work on having the little one.

Ask him to try to work a little extra and you do the same before you get pregnant. (Not after as until you are you won't know if you're one of those ladies who never gets ill or one who gets awful morning sickness.)

Pay off what you can and try to save up a little nest egg for emergencies and the unexpected.

Have a best friend? a wonderful sister or sister-in-law? Mom?

Let them know what you're planning and that again you'd like to be a wonderful mom without giving up who you are and what

makes you happy and ask them if they can count on their emotional help as well as occasional babysitting help.

(breeding and foaling seasons)

Baby playpens and baby swings are great for being able to get work done with baby near by but not under foot.

And one last thing? One never knows if they'll get preggers immediately or if it will take a while. But there is no reason not to plan when the baby might could be born.

I'd get those ovulation prediction kits when you're ready to start trying and plan to have the baby and be able to give yourself a good 6 weeks after the baby is born during a time that won't be during a busy time such as show and /or foaling season.

Best wishes, kids are great and such a blessing. I regret not having more but thankful for my two. And now I am blessed with three wonderful grandchildren.

I believe all children should be raised on a farm and around critters and gardening.

Planning will make things easier so

Plan, pay off bills or as many as possible, have a small savings and then plan.

Then sit back and enjoy your babies both 2 and 4 legged.

 

[shadowsmystictopaz]

http://www.flyingafarm.com/index.html contact this woman she has 2 kids and used to show alot I meet her in 2006 she was pregnate about ready to have her first I belive.