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s1120
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How much work IS a horse?
09/19/02 01:15 PM
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OK, reading RichZ's posts about the horses got me to thinking.[Ya, Ya,I know, thats not always a good thing  ] How much work IS a horse? Is it a everyday, for hours type of a thing? How do you go away on vacation? I can bring the dogs with me, but its hard to fit a horse in the car. So whats invalved on a daly bases? Food, water? Grooming? Whats the deal. Can you get by a week, by just having someone stop by to feed, and water? I don't want to sound dumb, but I got NO idea. Thanks.
Paul Bradway
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MikePA
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/19/02 01:41 PM
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Caring for a horse is work  , whether it's a lot of work is kind of subjective. It involves the following activities;
1. Feed and water twice a day, every day. Vacation? What's a vacation?  If we leave, we ask a relative to feed the horses for us. If we can't get a volunteer, someone stays home. How long this takes is a function of how many horses you have. Our three horses take 15-20 minutes to feed, twice a day. This counts the time it takes to walk to the barn.
2. Stalls should be cleaned out on a daily basis (my opinion) and bedding (straw, wood chips, etc.) added as needed. If you don't do it every day, it just builds up. For our three equine children, an hour a day.
3. The barn needs cleaned on a regular basis. Floor swept, tack room cleaned, etc. 3 hours a week
4. The horses should also be groomed (brushed, hooves cleaned, etc.) on a regular basis. Maybe not daily, but at least once per week. This is when you find things for the vet and farrier to do.  3 hours a week
5. Tack needs cleaned and maintained which is a function of how much you use it.
6. Water buckets, feed buckets, etc. needed cleaned on a regular basis.
7. Add in all the normal maintenance a barn needs.
8. Add in all the normal maintenance a horse trailer needs (assuming you have one).
9. Add in time spent on the phone arranging to be there for the farrier and vet. You don't always have to be there, but we prefer to be there.
10. Someone has to go the the feed store to get food, salt blocks, wood chips (what we use). One Saturday morning per month is dedicated to this trip and then unloading the supplies.
11. Unlike doc, we have to buy our hay from a local farmer. Pick the first nice weekend in April/May and the hottest weekend in July/August and guess what I am doing? The farmer calls and I go get hay.Sometimes he will bring a wagon full, but it needs unloaded right away if for no other reason than he needs it back to load more hay on it. Some people have hay delivered and stacked. Great if you can afford it.
Lotta work? Yep.
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s1120
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: MikePA]
09/19/02 01:48 PM
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OK, So if you are going away, you would have to get someone to devote an hour, or two every day to take care of the horses? Normaly that does not seem like TOO much work. I find you spend a lot of time just hanging around looking for something to do anyways. Thanks.
Paul Bradway
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MikePA
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/19/02 01:58 PM
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We are happy if we can find someone to just feed and water them, much less all the other daily activities. Someone in our area started a business that offers this service, but we haven't used them.
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RichZ
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/19/02 02:32 PM
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Mike did a great job of describing the work, but one man's work is another man's pleasure. I get up early every morning to clean Rosies' stall. I do it first thing before I take a shower. Believe it or not, I enjoy it! Then I groom her, and even play with her for a while, or else do some lead training, depending on how much time I have. To me, none of this stuff is work, but it is VERY TIME CONSUMING!!!
One thing you left out, Mike is brush hogging pastures and keeping the paddock in shape. And, oh yeah, I spend a lot of time mending fences, both wood fences and electric fences. Believe it or not, I love all of that.
Also, I'm trying my hand at growing my own hay. That takes a lot of time, but again, I love it. More tractor time!!!
Like anything else when it comes to animals, it's a committment!! And don't forget that horses can live over 30 years, so it's a long committment!!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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s1120
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: RichZ]
09/19/02 03:31 PM
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That takes a lot of time, but again, I love it
Rich, That says it all! Like anything, its not work unless you don't want to do it.
Paul Bradway
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LazyJ_Arabians
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/19/02 04:55 PM
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For the last four years I've made a notch in the gatepost to my garden for every wheelbarrow full of horse manure I've dumped in there. I recently had to move to a different post because the original max'ed out at a little over 3,000 notches. I grow big tomatoes!
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Ian
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S1120, I'm glad you started this thread. I am in the early stages of building my barn and run-in shelter(s). I currently have the cement foundation poured and back filled and have a rough outline of where a 150' x 200' pen will go. I have been reading some books and magazines on the subject of horse care and management, but, I am fully aware of "Theory v.s. Reality". Theory is all written stuff and reality is all the info you gleen from horse owners on ByNet.com.
You mentioned... what does a horse owner do on vacation? My wife asked that same question last week and luckily enough we have a neighbor down the road who offered to look after our horse/pony when we go away. So, for us, that solves one problem. I have always wanted a large animal like a horse...this will be a labor of love. 
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s1120
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: Ian]
09/20/02 06:32 AM
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I have some family down where I am moving, so I am sure I will have a neace, or nephew that would help out. But it is still a BIG step. Think we will hold off for awhile. My wife can go see other peoples horses.
Paul Bradway
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edt
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/20/02 07:52 AM
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Hi s1120 my two cents we have 5 horses and mike is right my only difrence is my horses only go in the barn stall in the winter so i clean up there padock's outside about once a week no bedding in the out side houses they tend not to mess them up.BUT too be able too ride them at any time is the best we ride the beach the woods during fall and i love the winter both me and my wife split the duties we have a person who loves horses who feeds and water when we go away she also takes care of my dogs and cats my daughter loves them my son well he knows we have them 
EDT
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lmassom
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/20/02 08:16 AM
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Yes, it takes some "work", but I wouldn't trade the joy I get from interacting with my horses every day for a year of vacation!
Larry
Larry
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RichZ
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: lmassom]
09/20/02 09:17 AM
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I agree, Larry! When we bought our farm, and started getting many animals, my wife and I agreed that the farm IS our vacation. We have no intention of going away for anything other than a family emergency. We'd rather have our animals than a vacation, any day!!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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farmhouse
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/20/02 02:11 PM
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My daughter wanted a horse so badly that we extracted a promise that she would take care of him. She kept her part of the bargain but I was willing to lend a hand when necessary. We had about 4 acres of native pasture for grazing and we supplemented with oats and some hay in the winter months. The grooming was a whenever schedule but with little girls and their horses this was usually on a pretty regular basis. We found that the horse could survive very well during a week-long absence in the summer. Winter, of course, required feeding each day. Ample water is essential no matter what the season. Owning a horse in the country is a great experience but it's like the boatowner once said, two of the greatest days of his life had to do with his boat-the day he bought it and the day he sold it! Good luck
Romans 8:28
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s1120
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/22/02 06:07 AM
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OK, Now for the REAL dumb question. Outher then riding it, any thing else a horse is good for?  Not that I NEED it to do anything. I got three dogs that the only thing they do is get in your way, just a thought.
Paul Bradway
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DUMBDOG
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/22/02 06:13 AM
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Some get to pull the bud wagon, but they have to be a Clydsdale.
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MikePA
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/22/02 06:20 AM
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I got three dogs that the only thing they do is get in your way, just a thought.
In the case of horses, you get in their way. But seriously, other than riding the horse, people use them for pulling carriages, some use them for farm work. There's at least one oufit in my area that has a thriving carriage business. The owner has a number of great looking black horses (I forget the breed), that are used to pull ornate carriages for the bride and groom at weddings and at other special events. She arrives with a big Ford pickup, pulling a gooseneck trailer that contains the horses, their tack and the carriage. I don't know what she charges, but given the work she puts in, it's not enough!
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s1120
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: MikePA]
09/22/02 06:33 AM
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, you get in their way
LOL, I think the dogs think that also. I never thought of pulling a cart. [duhhh, I'm a little slow sometimes] How hard is that on a horse? I'm just thinking, for me to ride a horse, it would have to be a BIG horse. I'm a big guy, and I would think riding would be hard on it.
Paul Bradway
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MikePA
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/22/02 06:43 AM
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I never thought of pulling a cart. How hard is that on a horse?
Not hard at all, however they have to be trained to do it.
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cowboydoc
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: DUMBDOG]
09/22/02 08:36 AM
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Actually Clydesdale isn't even the #1 breed for pulling. The #1 breed is Belgians. Then you have Percherons as well. They have several hitching and cart class competitions all across the country.
As far as what horses are used for they are used for ranching, rodeo, breeding, showing, and yes they are even used for eating in several countries.
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RichZ
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: s1120]
09/23/02 09:26 AM
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Paul, horses can also be used for farm and logging work, instead of tractors.
But to me the most important thing is that they're sweet animals. They can be pets, and like any other pet, you might not expect them to do anything except show their love. And they're REAL good at that. Our Belgian, Rosie, is incredibly affectionate, just like a huge dog! She loves to be rubbed and petted, and she loves to give kisses. She even plays like a dog, she has a ball with a handle on it that she plays with. She's just a lot of fun to be with and play with.
We are training her though. Right now we're lead training her. She already walks on a lead and responds to verbal commands. I just started training her on a long lead, on which you have less conrol, so your verbal commands are even more important.
Our farrier is aslo a trainer, and just last week, he gave her her first lesson with him laying on her back! He also trains horses at Saratoga Race Track, and he said she responded as well on her first lesson on her back, as some thoroughbreds he's been training at Saratoga for 5 months! If it sounds like I'm proud of Rosie, it's because I am!
We eventually want to train her to pull a wagon and to ride, but Belgians shouldn't be riden until they're about three years old. But that's OK, because training her is fun! She actually gets excited when she sees the lead, and knows we'll be working together. She just loves the attention. And when she learns something new, she loves showing it off for people!
Horses are fun! I think if you love dogs, you'll love horses, too!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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pbenven
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: cowboydoc]
09/23/02 09:30 AM
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The Belgians and Percherons are impressive animals. There's our annual fair where they have different classes, from under saddle up to the 8 horse hitch. It's quite something to see them riding around the arena - just barely enough room.
I'd love to own a horse too, but I'm a little intimidated. Them being a prey animal and all, I'm not sure how I should carry myself. With dogs, for example, it's easy - they live by similar rules as us. I can tell (most of the time) what a dog is telling me with body language, eye contact, etc. I haven't been around horses long enough to speak their language - one that seems much more complicated to me.
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RichZ
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: pbenven]
09/23/02 09:52 AM
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I'm new to horses, but learning fast, though very far from an expert. I started with a Belgian, because they're gentle giants, very mellow. Rosie is teaching me as much as I'm teaching her.
There are a lot of good books on horse care. You can learn their body language, just like you can any animal's. Also, their eyes are very expressive and tell you a lot. Do some research, and ask a lot of questions. Don't be intimidated, but do be careful, they're big animals, but they worth every minute you spend with them!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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pbenven
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: RichZ]
09/23/02 10:15 AM
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Rosie, eh - seems that's a popular name for Belgians. Am I wrong?
Man I'd love to own one. What made you decide on the Belgian specifically? Here, Percherons, Clydes, and Belgians are pretty equally represented. And in the next town there's a beautiful black and white Shire.
For hay, are we talking like half a bale a day? What about excercise? I know a guy nearby that would hook his pair up to an old tree stump/root ball and have them pull it around for an hour or so.
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RichZ
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Re: How much work IS a horse?
[re: pbenven]
09/23/02 10:51 AM
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I don't know if Rosie is a common name for Belgians. I never knew one with that name, but it could be common. When we got her, she just looked like a Rosie!
We got a Belgian because she's our first horse, and we wanted a very mellow breed. Draft horses are cold bloods, and as such are the most mellow. We might have gotten any draft horse, but we wanted to adopt a PMU foal. We requested a draft horse foal from the horse rescue group, and we got Rosie! We couldn't be happier. We got her at four months old, and she has been very easy to train and work with. And she's so loving!
Right now she grazes in the pasture, so I'm not sure how much hay she would eat, but I'll guess 1/2 to 1 bale a day. She also gets sweet feed every morning and night.
At this point I do lead training with her almost every day, but that's not much exercise. She loves to run in the pasture, so I guess that's her main exercise.
I highly reccommend adopting a PMU foal. You can get one for about $500, and they're purebred Belgians, or many other breeds. I'll tell you all about that if you like. I would reccommend a Belgian in a heartbeat!!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
Edited by RichZ (09/23/02 10:54 AM)
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RichZ
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Here's a picture of Rosie at about 7 months old. I'm going to take some pictures of her soon, and I'll post them. She's 16 months old now.
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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