Reality

I feel that a lot of people really don't understand how much time and work it takes to run a farm. Everyone assumes that because you have your own place, it's soooo much easier to have horses and spend time with them, when in reality, the majority of your time is spent cleaning up after them.

I also have another job off the farm, which means that sometimes I have very little day light to do things that need being done. While I'm lucky in my job in that I sometimes finish work at noon, I'm also unlucky in that I don't know when I'm going to finish until I do. My hours are very sporadic, and some days I will finish at noon, while other days I go until 6 pm. This makes it hard to plan things, but I'm very lucky to have awesome, understanding clients.

This past Tuesday, I was lucky to have a day off from my off-farm job. Since I had competed at Will O'Wind horse trials on Sunday, where it poured rain all day, then worked all day Monday and taught lessons in the evening, my barn was quite messy by my standards: there were clothes, equipment and blankets hanging from every available spot, trying to dry them out from Sunday. I was looking forward to having a day to organize things again and get other small tasks done, and was hoping to squeeze in a ride or two at some point.

I also live about 30 min away from my farm, so commuting time is always a killer. I had some errands to run in the morning, so I arrived at the farm a little later then planned. All the horses live out, so I don't have to rush to be there to let them out in the morning, which makes things easier on me. When I arrived, I spent an hour or so organizing everything in the barn; cleaning what needed to be cleaned, making a pile of laundry, putting things back in my tack trunk that stays in the trailer. After that was finished, my dad and I washed the horse trailer, which was covered in mud from Sunday. My dad has rubbed off on me over the years and I like to keep things clean, especially the trailer. It keeps it smelling nice, the flies stay away, and it holds value for longer. By the time that was finished, two fields needed hay, so we fed everyone, and then went up for lunch.

I had the farrier coming at 1 to reset Lily's shoes and do a couple trims. I also had someone coming to see Eve, a 3 y/o OTTB filly that had arrived last week to be sold. Jon, the farrier, finished Lily's feet and one trim when the woman arrived to see Eve. I handed the next horse off to my dad to hold for Jon and went out to speak with the potential buyer. She LOVED Eve, and I mean, what's not to love? This filly is built like a brick house, has beautiful movement, and is a total cuddle bug. She is pending sale, and I've got my fingers crossed, as this would be a top notch home for her.

Eve

The farrier had finished up with the horses, so I had just enough time to get everyone fed before my first of two lessons arrived for the evening. 

In the meantime, my awesome mother had picked up my step-kids from school and brought them home, as their father was working late harvesting. I'm so so so lucky to have such great help and support from my parents to be able to do what I do.

Once lessons finished up, it was dark, so all I could do was tidy up the barn for the evening, and head to the house to have what was left over from dinner, then go home to get the kids to bed.

It's a great life, and I wouldn't change it for the world, but sometimes I wish I could hire some help, as I feel like a lot of the time my horses have to take a backseat to everything else. There is still so much to do before winter, but I have a couple weekends planned in November with my other half to get things finished. 

Vinnie in the sunset. PC Joanne Molesky