December 2019/January 2020 Issue

Page 18 December 2019/January 2020 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Go ahead...Ask da Mare By Malorie de la Mare Dear Mal… My wife and I just pur- chased a small, four-acre farm. There’s a little barn in the back and we’ve been thinking about getting a couple of horses. We both love horses, and we used to ride. There are trails nearby, and we actually have a trail from our farm to a network of trails. All good, right? But here is our dilemma: does it make sense for us to try this? We’re both nearing retirement, physically fit and strong enough to ride and care for horses. I just want to make sure that, if we do this, we do it right. There are probably some things that we will need to do to Starting from Scratch the barn, and the area that would be our pasture needs work. Our goal is to purchase horses from a rescue. So, that’s another thing: maybe they’ll need some training. How do you think we should proceed? -Hopeful Farmer Dear Hopeful… Congratulations! Your questions are so hopeful and full of optimism; so, I’m going to stoke those happy angels, okay? I’m guessing from several things you said that you’re pretty convinced that horses are in your near future. Right? Let’s then get down to the questions you and your wife need to answer. You won’t need any special horse sense to answer these questions. But you may need a calculator and some paper, as these are all budget items. The big things you need to ensure are safety, quality food, routine care. You should take a hard look at the barn, and make sure it’s safe. Is it ready for horses? Are there two stalls with sturdy walls and gates? Are all the walls that the horses might interact with smooth and free of protruding nails? Are the stalls roomy enough? Are the ceilings high enough? Think about the 12x12x10 concept. The stall should be 12 ft. x 12 ft. and have enough headroom for a tall horse. Will you need to invest some money into making the barn horse-ready? Do you have a separate space for hay and grain storage? You need to have a manure management plan. There should be a place where manure can be deposited as stalls are cleaned. The object is to ensure that runoff from the manure pile cannot run off into nearby streams. You can get great advice from Penn State’s extension services about how to handle and dispose of manure. You’ve already noted that your pasture will need work. How much will that cost? How long will it take? As for quality food, you need to estimate how much it costs to feed two horses—and to provide adequate hay for them—monthly. Check with local feed dealers. The price of hay varies as a result of weather conditions, delivery distance, etc. Finally, you’ll need to make sure you’ve budgeted enough money to take care of routine veterinary and farrier care. Horses vary in how quickly they grow out of—or lose—their shoes. They need vaccina- tions, dental care, etc. Set up an appointment with a local veterinarian to determine his or her recommendations for basic care—then build more into the budget for emergencies. I don’t want you to think that it’s always all about the money. But once you’ve created a realistic budget, you’ll be able to move forward with confidence. Maybe this won’t happen in year one. But you’ll get there! And kudos to you for committing to support equine rescues. Dear Mal… I’ve been thinking about a special gift for my boyfriend for Christmas. He’s a fitness nut, and always looking for a new challenge. I’ve been riding horses and taking lessons for years and find horseback riding to be a great fitness regime. He has always sort of poo-poo-ed my riding, explaining to me that it’s not really a fitness activity. So, here’s my plan: I’m going to get him a gift certificate for six months of riding lessons from my instructor. First, I think it will prove to him that riding is truly a great path to fitness; second, he’ll learn that it’s hard work, and it requires a lot of guts. Finally, I think that after six months he’ll become as pas- sionate about horses as I am. Do you think this is a good plan? -Christmas Elf Dear Elf… Let me just say this: STOP! NOW! Let’s unwrap this gift together, shall we? To begin, what is the purpose of a gift? To show someone how much you care? To surprise some- one with something they never expected—but always wanted? To give someone something that speaks from your heart to the heart of the receiver of the gift? Christmas is so romantic, so full of thwarted plans and dreams… But please, think about the gift you’re planning in relation to why you would consider such a gift. You say your boyfriend doesn’t think that horseback riding is consequential, yes? You’re planning to use your gift—an extravagant gift—to prove a point. And that point has nothing to do with care or love or other stuff one would normally associate with Christ- mas gifting. You want to prove to your boyfriend your favorite pastime is worthy of his respect. You want to see if he has enough guts to try riding. Think about those sweet holiday movies where lovers sacrifice to give each other spe- cial, unique, precious gifts. I’m trying to fit your holiday plans into one of those movies and it’s not working. I’m thinking that, instead of splurging on a gift that your boyfriend is unlikely to ap- preciate—or even use!—you may wish to consider whether you actually have a solid, mutually affectionate, built-to-last rela- tionship. It’s never a good idea to give someone a gift that is aimed at proving one has guts. Think about all this. And please, do not force your boyfriend to make a decision about whether to accept your gift with gratitude, or to throw it away—along with your relationship. Have a question for Mal? Email her at PAEquest@aol. com.