I own 26 horses, many of them old or aging. I have horses that should have homes where they are happily used, but there is a very limited buying group at this time, which means the world is their candy store. So they are all my responsibility. I saw this coming, so I stopped breeding my own mares, but I don't think I knew how bad it would get. I need to buy all of my hay and we are in our second year of very dry weather, making hay more scarce and therefore more expensive, as well as the added cost of fuel increasing the cost.
So, it makes me wonder, what are we going to do if this doesn't stop? My farrier has had clients put down older horses, horses they probably would not have euthanized two years ago, but decided it was best now. I am managing, but if there isn't some relief down the road I'll need to look at further ways to cut expenses. What I have done already is return to using bulk bedding. I have used pelleted bedding for four years but it is expensive and I couldn't justify the cost anymore. I don't have pregnant/lactating mares and foals anymore so my grain bill is much less, as well as my vet bill. I am doing much more of my own vet care, things I would normally have called a vet for, I manage to deal with myself. I have always been very generous with hay and I am trying to be less so, but old habits are hard to break. I still have part time barn help and I still have some horses worked by an on-site trainer, so if it becomes necessary.........
I just wonder how other people are doing and if there is a sense of hope in general. I have to have the belief that things will turn around, but sometimes I lose faith. In the meantime, my life has become very expensive.
10 comments:
Hi,
It's me Ashley again. I wish my two cents were shiny, lucky pennies, but I am concerned with the 'way things are going' as well. I don't think that I mentioned that we live in Brazil because my husband is a financial analyst at a VERY big firm and he is dealing with the South American end of things right now. He has been working 12-17 hours a day the last month, plus weekends because the 'big guys' are SUPER STRESSED about the next 10 year outlook for their business and the US economy. I only mentioned it was VERY big company to let you know that it is a household name kind of company and if they are worried, so am I!! : ) Well, I am not sure what could turn things around, they sure aren't very optimistic at my husband's company. Maybe the election??
Well, now that I am an 'almost' regular commenter, just let me know if you would like an invite to my blog. It is honestly a sort of 'for grandparents' kind of blog but I hate to keep visiting you without offering an invite, just doesn't seem neighborly : )
Bye for now,
Ash
Hi Ashley,
First, how interesting to be living in Brazil. There are lots of Arabian horses there!
It isn't comforting to know a large, international corp. is so concerned, but I'm not surprised. It does lend credence to our worry, though.
I used to have cash-flow from my horse business, although I never made a profit I made enough to make it reasonable to do. I have been without an income from the business for the past year and it is scary.
All we really have to pin our hopes on is the election. I don't know how we will be able to get along if things continue down the same road.
I would love to be able to come to your site!
Hi Sandra,
I will weigh in here.
I am glad that I didn't follow the realtor's guidance 12 years ago when we bought our house. We bought below our means. We also paid ahead and refinanced at a lower rate a number of years ago and are poised to be mortgage-free in 8 years.
My employer said "no raises this year" so as my costs increase, my income isn't. However, I have been asked to work extra hours due to a colleague's maternity leave.
These things, plus an inheritance from my grandmother this spring which allowed me to pay off my truck, are what sustains me in this economy. I have always been frugal to a fault, so there is not much room for belt-tightening.
Some of my horsey activities are tax-deductions due to mounted patrol, so that helps too!
Ever the optimist but critical of fools,
Jean
Jean, you are a very smart woman. You have positioned yourself to be able weather a longer bad period. If I didn't own so many horses it wouldn't be nearly as worrisome, yet. This stuff has a trickle down effect though and would hit me eventually, even without the eating machines.
I see it in my own life. I have increased the length of time between farrier visits, therefore helping to decrease my farriers income. I changed my bedding provider, therefore decreasing my old providers business. I buy less grain, I'm more aware of how much hay I feed. I still vaccinate, but only for what I know will kill them. I still consider their teeth, but I'm slower to get the floater out, as 26 are a lot to do.
I have only used my AC for one week this summer. We are considering closing off half of our house this winter, as we don't really use part of it and it is so expensive to keep it all warm and propane is so high. I'm trying to look to the future incase things don't get better and we have a long haul. I think I need to make more changes now while I still feel I'm OK, rather than waiting and getting caught short. I can't do anything about all of those horses because I won't dump them, so I need to look at what I can do along the way. A big sacrifice has been the evening wine with dinner. About $400/month, so I let it go! Helps pay for the trainer.
Don't be too critical of me, I'm a fool and an optimist.
Hello everyone!
The economy and price of gas is hitting us especially hard after Nathan's accident and a change of jobs for both of us. I may be one of those fools Jean is talking about as we refinanced to build our garage (I caved in to his requests). I am glad though I sold my stallion and the broodmares when I did as I don't know what we'd be doing now. It's going to be a long winter.
Hi and welcome! Let's hope the winter is mild. I have come up with the bright spot in closing off half of my house, less cleaning!
I know you have been struggling and trying hard to catch up, so I know how frustrating it must be that it hasn't really been possible. And yes, you were the smart one to let go of the breeding horses when you did. I hung on to my young horses hoping the economy would improve and I was very wrong. For someone supposedly cynical and skeptical I sure can be pollyanna in my view! What's up with that?
But - I let go of the breeding business for a different reason, actually 2 reasons - THE BOYS - it just wound up being excellent timing!
If you didn't say anything about why, we would have been left with the notion that you are prescient, as well as wise! Now we know you are practical.
No no no I wasn't referring to you as fools.
But I am fed up with the mortgage crisis and how greed affects us all.
Furious sometimes,
Jean
I referred to myself as a fool! Don't get me started on the rest of that, you know no one likes a soapbox as much as me!!
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