08/17/2025
So for us, the first paragraph is reality, but most of the rest of this article are noon issues at our barn. We have amazing boarders and even the horses all get along ;-)
In addition to some of the valid challenges listed, we also raise chickens, miniature goats and Livestock Guardian Dogs, so there are additional things going on as well, that take additional time and care.
Thankfully, we now have a dependable hand that is always willing to help and doesn't need to be supervised or prodded. (And no, you can't have him.)
Overall, I still can't think of a better place to be, in the country, enjoying life at any chance possible, helping and providing services and critters others need at affordable rates.
BARN OWNER REALITY CHECK 🏚️
Things They Don't Tell You About Running a Barn:
💰 "You will make lots of money from horse boarding"
REALITY: The money comes in, and then it immediately goes out. Hay prices are up. The farrier raised his rates. The vet bill for that one colic scare was astronomical. The tractor needs a new part. The fence line needs repairs again. Your profit margin is thinner than a horse's summer coat in July, and you're mostly just moving money around to keep the place from falling apart. By the time you account for all of the costs of running a farm such as bedding, insurance, workers, feed, hay, electricity, manure removal, pasture seeding, mowing, etc, the question is, is it really worth the little money you make ?! (If any at all!)
🐴 "Horses are easy to care for"
REALITY: They are delicate creatures designed to injure themselves in the most creative and expensive ways possible. One minute they're peacefully grazing; the next, they have a mysterious abscess, a swollen leg from a kick nobody saw, or have somehow lost a shoe in a perfectly padded stall. And that's not even counting the endless cycle of feeding, mucking, blanketing, and checking for new cuts and scrapes.
👥 "Boarders will follow the rules"
REALITY: You have a meticulously crafted 10-page rulebook, but it’s treated more like a suggestion list. Gates are left open. Lights are left on. People park in front of the hay delivery truck's path. They use the "owner's only" equipment and don't clean up after themselves. You spend more time being a friendly-but-firm enforcer than you do enjoying your own horses.
☀️ "Enjoy the peaceful country lifestyle"
REALITY: That peaceful country lifestyle is a fantasy you occasionally glimpse between 16-hour workdays. Your alarm goes off before the sun, and you don't stop until long after it's set. Your weekends are filled with chores, not leisure. That tranquil silence is often broken by the sound of a horse kicking its stall door, a frantic phone call about a loose horse, or the low hum of a broken water pump.
🤝 "Everyone will get along"
REALITY: The barn is a microcosm of society, complete with cliques, gossip, and petty rivalries. One boarder is convinced another is overfeeding their horse. Someone is always complaining about a stall being mucked improperly or a blanket being put on wrong. You're not just a barn owner; you're a therapist, a mediator, and a conflict resolution specialist, all while trying to remember which horse gets a scoop of what grain and a handful of which supplement.
BUT HERE'S THE TRUTH:
When you watch a rescue horse bloom, see a kid find confidence, or catch that perfect sunset over your pastures... you remember why you chose this financially questionable but soul-filling life.
