83 replies to this topic

[Hoofhaven]

Well folks... I might as well let the cat out of the bag...

I have made a very big decision. After the end of show season 2012, I will not longer be operating Hoof-Haven as my main source of income. I hope to finish this season with a bang and go out with style, but I plan to enter the less stressful more stable world and get a "real" job.

It is extremely bittersweet this decision... but there are a few reasons for it.

1. The financials...they just don't work out for me unless I want to kill myself working... There is simply not enough hours in a day to keep the business going and make enough money to save anything without going 24 -7 on my own. In a dual income family it would be fine, but its just not viable on my own without making too many sacrifices. This is a minor reason compared to the following two....

2. The stress ... Physical, Mental and Emotional. I know its hard for those who have never done this for a living to understand, as it seems to outsiders that I live a dream. But I am coming 30 with the body of an 80 year old, spending $400+ every month on physical therapy/massage/chiropractic/personal training to be able to keep doing what I am doing at this pace. I am tired but I can sleep, I have a bleeding ulcer and suffer from tension headaches and migraines on a regular basis. I fear trying to keep going is gonna kill me. I can no longer enjoy my own horses and the volume of client horses I need to keep and work to make money is preventing me from enjoying them as well. I do not make enough money to not love every minute of what I do.

3. I want a life... I have no time for my family, and I have lost my good friends because I have no time for them either...nevermind time to maybe some day (MAYBE) have a significant other and a family of my own. I would like these things to be options . I want to have hobbies, and a social life and most of all be able to spend time with my loved ones. They truly ARE what life is all about!!

NO FEAR to anyone who has horses here or horses in training. I will be taking no new horses into training or boarding from now forth, but show season will proceed as planned and all boarders will have lots of time to make other arrangements..this is why I am getting this out here right away. The decision has just been made to proceed forward in this direction, there are many many logistics to work out yet.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please to not hesitate to contact me. Thank you to everyone for all your great support over the last four years. I will not be disappearing, I will be keeping Dan , Khash and a couple mares. I plan to breed a couple , and still plan to show and compete but as a FUN HOBBY rather than a pressured obligation The farm WILL be for sale.... great set up for horsey people !

I REFUSE to compromise my standards of care, morlas and ethics just to make money. The horses have ALWAYS come first, and I need to LOVE what I do to do it well. I have NO regrets, I had to try...and I gave it all I had. It was my dream..but my dream has changed. Now the dream is to have work that I can leave at work, make enough to live comfortably, have DAYS OFF!!!! (what a novelty), see my family, see my friends, have hobbies and breed selectively on a small scale, train and show my stallion (I'll still be standing my Dan man) and raise and train and show his kidlets....and maybe some day have my own kidlets

I will also be selling almost all of my horses (NO, not dan and NO not Lego...so don't ask hahaha) and of course keeping Khash my riding gelding and friend of 15 years. I will be making more decisions after this years foals arrive on any other keepers

[ridetowin]

Wising you the very best of luck with your future endevours You will truly appreciate the time for yourself, friends, family and socializing. It's hard doing it on your own, I know from personal experience.

I have a regular job now, live comfortable, have one horse and a mini donkey and mini pony, that's it. I have time to have fun, travel, be social, and the best part, I have time for my horse, I don't work myself to death, and I have the funds to show.

I doubt you will regret your decision ............ Wishing you a very succuessful show year!

[Briska]

Keep your face to the Sunshine
and you will not see the Shadows.
- Helen Keller

Relief follows decisions, no matter how difficult. I admire your willingness to share and will pray for success as you make this transition. Balance is a universal law and only you know where that balance can be achieved in your own life. Good luck.

[KL Phoenix]

Already posted on FB hoofy, but once again kudos to you for making a hard decision.

[Lmequine]

I am 44 yrs old and been training various breeds and showing professionally since 1990. Due to health problems I had to stop "cold turkey" from training in January. Like you I had to have a large volume of equine in training to pay the bills, traveled over 12,000 miles a year to shows by myself and was lucky to make 25 cents a hour. I loved what I did but my body has paid a price.

I am still not used to being home for more than two weeks at a time but I have already found that I feel better, I have time to actually enjoy my own horses. I took my 18 yr old Arabian gelding to an open horse show and had FUN! No worries about getting points or a client horse getting sick, etc. I got to foal out my own mares this year! It was a forced change, but now I do realize how stressful my job really was on me.

It will be an odd in the beginning for you but the hardest part is now done, the decision.

Much success to you this show season and be ready to enjoy life as a normal person in the future!

[windridge]

I'm sure it was a very difficult decision but I think you will be happier in the end. As you acknowledged it is very difficult to make it as a full time trainer esp. if that is the sole household income. I also think you will enjoy the extra time you get to spend with your horses to bond and if you want to train a little on the side that may still be an option.

[BFF]

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[firecreekfarm]

So funny that you are announcing this. As I was reading your posts about Mexico while you were gone, I kept thinking you were going to come back and make some major changes. You went from dreading to get on that airplane to not wanting to leave Mexico and it really seemed like you were able to leave the farm at the farm. Alot of people leave and when they come back they state how they enjoyed their trip but there is really no place like home. It seemed that you were more overwhelmed and stressed when you got back, so I imagine you will be very relieved when all of this decision comes together for you.
I can kind of relate with you in a similar way, I also have a boarding stable, but I don't do any training. It is alot of hard work, and having a full time caretaker there is still alot of extra work for me. I used to be on the road transporting cars long haul when I was trying to fill the barn up as well as support my own little herd. I have not been doing this solo and it is still very overwhelming, and I too feel like I am falling apart with severe tendonitis in my whole upper body. I am blessed to have a very supportive husband who has been by my side through this whole venture, he works full time and we finally got to a place where I decided to come in off the highway and squeak it by with the help of his income. Finally our barn is at a comfortable place, but by no means are we getting rich off from it. And no matter how much I lighten my own physical work load, my body is already what feels like toast to me. Still a blast and worth every minute, but kudos to you because there is no way I could have done it on my own like you have.
I hope everything works out exactly how you have it in your head and you meet your dream man. Don't throw horses out completely though, and make sure you find someone that atleast supports the idea of horses or you will never stay happy with him! I had a 3 year relationship before my husband came into the picture, and that guy did not care anything about the horses, and I finally realized I wasted 3 years of my life with him because I cannot live without the ponies:)
My husband now is not really a horse nut, but he is very supportive and gets excited helping me choose which mares to breed and loves to come out and help take photos and such. He goes on a few trail rides a year, and potentially may try and show halter at some point, but all of that is just fine with me. He has hobbies of his own which really helps, he is very into hunting and fishing which I have taken an interest in as well, so we share our hobbies together. Not sure if we ever want kids for fear of losing what we have now, but we are trying to take that decision very seriously as we are coming up on 32 and 35 years old this summer.
Not to get off on myself, but I applaud you for all you have done, and you never know for sure until it's all done, but just follow your heart and do what feels right for you!! I will miss seeing all of the Dan foals every year, but I am sure you will find some outside mares to keep enough entertainment on the ground!!!!

[Kailicia'sGirl]

I am sure this was a very hard decision but i applaud you for going for your dream but also being willing to let it go when it isn't working for you. You lived it for awhile. I am sure you will cherish the positives of that. Good luck!

I have a good friend looking to move out that way, when your ready to sell your farm. Shoot me an email and I shall pass your info along.

[kathy s.]

This has got to have been a very soul searching and difficult decision for you. Although I hate to see another farm downsize it is a trend that continues, unfortunately. I don't have the operation that you do however, I have been going through the same dilemma. I wish you all the best in the future.