Hey yall! So it's official... we are going to build a 24x144 Horse Barn and as soon as I get the pad in we will start setting posts.  Man is our timing awful... December.... and it will get cold and rain a lot... then snow... but if we can get it framed and the roof on, we can work under roof for the worst of it and hopefully ride by March inside and during the wet spring and actually have horses ready for the spring show versus the Mid Season show.

Having some young prospects is pretty exciting this year.  Both did well under halter with one being a WC and RWC as a yearling.  She won't go under saddle until late spring but the coming 3 yr old is already being ridden outside and in the woods and will go under "training" in January.  I want my horses BROKE first... so if they don't make the best of a show horse they are trail ready and anyone can ride them.  I see too many that are "barn broke" and are not easily handled and I want mine to be truly ground broke and then naturally taught to flex, stand still and be ridden without stress.

I love horses.  They are smarter than we give credit for and they are VERY trainable if you approach them the right way.  I will try to post photos of the mess once we start and get the posts in the ground... and pray for us.  This is a VERY big project for a husband and wife team!

Here is Amy on Cruz for his FIRST RIDE!  He has done VERY WELL and then below that is his last "at halter" show in October... very proud of him and of Amy for braving to get on his back as the first to sit on him....

Horse Trailer Dressing Room Conversion

 About 6 weeks ago I started on converting our "factory" dressing room to a "weekender" camper so we could trail ride and camp "self contained".  We looked at a lot of "Factory Finished" LQ trailers and decided they were all the same... some had more room some had more closets some had a bath... but they all "looked" the same.  We wanted a "cabin on wheels" so we went with wood and metal...

We first insulated the entire trailer front with foam board insulation taped in with aluminum tape to hold it while we framed it.  Next were firing strips screwed into the aluminum supports and wiring.  We elected to do a total 110v set up versus all of the 12v conversion items.  We put in 2 LED Overhead lights, 3 "puck" lights in the sleeping area and 4 plugs to a 30 amp service box on 4 breakers.  I kept the 12v light in the room and switch so we could see when we needed a light and were not plugged up.  We can also run it off a generator... we did not do an AC...

Total in is about $1500 including cabinets, flooring and all of the electrical.  We will add an "all refrigerator" that is about $200 and a DVD/TV Combo for about $170.  If we do an AC we will add a wall unit for $120 (110v).  We have an instant hot water heater for showering if needed but most places we go provide a nice bath house.

Here are a few photos of my progress... and I am not a carpenter... but I will give credit to Todd Hezeau (Todd Red Wrench) for all of his AWESOME information on his website.  Google his site if you ever do this.... he has already answered 99% of the questions and has great photos and shortcuts.

I am VERY grateful to Todd for sharing... it helped me avoid a lot of issues.  E Mail me if you have questions... I will try to hell but again, I am not a pro.  Mine just turned out decent!

Happy Trails!!

 We have a 9' wall and 5' Short wall. Cabinets were oak from a rehab store and we painted the frames black and Antiqued the doors with beige paint then rubbed them in walnut stain.

 

   The nose was done first to allow us to camp faster!  It has Cedar sides and faux tin down the center.  There are puck lights behind the short wood on top to add lighting to the metal and it looks awesome at night.

This B/W SHot shows the rustic look we wanted with the barn metal and wood. A 48" counter top is going to be added to leave a 21" "table" to eat at for 2.  I have 2 saddle stools that will go under and there is a full 60" boot box with a cushion and lid and a step up to the bed. 

 

There is a small "closet" to the left of the cabinet (more photos to come) for hanging clothes and dropping a bag in.  No door, just a wall to hide it. 

 

It is not a "self contained" LQ but for $1500 I have had more compliments on it than I have given to others on their factory look. The key is to make it YOURS and YOUR style.  We love wood and metal... rustic!  Can't wait to decorate and finish it!

 

tholden63@gmail.com

 

 

Rusted, Broke & Busted
Life on a Horse Farm

We are not alone here in Sumner County on the edge of the state line....meaning many of you can feel my pain.  Every month we sit and look at the "balance sheet" on what we had to spend for the horses and wonder "WHAT ARE WE THINKING" then we go trail ride, get a nudge of appreciation or just spend time in the stall with one of these beauties and it is all worth it.  Why we labor and toil like we do to have these 32 legs that take every minute and dollar we have I don't know... but we do.

We get up at 5 to feed the young ones and the elder... who need a little extra these days.  We make sure the water is clean and fresh while the other 5 come over to the door to see "just in case" we might invite them in also.  They know better, its morning feed time and its not their time... but they come to see if maybe there is a treat or anything for saying hey.  By 4:30 pm they are on their way to the front lot knowing its about "that time" and most days they routinely pick their stall and go in... patiently awaiting the mixing we do for each one who has a special supplement we "think" might help them.

We don't cut corners on feed or hay, but we buy generic waffles and syrup for us so they can have the best.  We drive a 99 Dodge but they ride in a 2014 Sundowner... and every precaution is taken with them all.  Yep, like many of you we wonder where the savings went because we ran out of hay and Bermuda is not cheap.  We wonder why we spend on the vet when we doctor ourselves over the counter.  We are true horse people and it shows. We started up this for fun to trail ride and it grew into showing again by buying a couple of young ones and now we are talking breeding mares. We wont get anymore (we said after we were at 4) but there's that horse that just needed a home as he had been tossed to and fro and he is sweet and needs a good place to stay... and now we have 8. 

The last 4 to come I take all the blame for.  It started with "Silver" who was about 5, a big Sabino TWH Gelding that had no papers... hmmmm... but was a little nervy.  I rode him and loved him.  He had that loosey goping backend I liked.  He was flashy and easy to ride.  Did not need him but he needed us.  He ended up getting a leg hung in a gate and 6 months of daily doctoring and $1500 of vet bills and surgery later he is back to himself... but he is down the riding list since we have others. Still love him.  Then came the "babies" we got so we had some "fou8ndation blood" Spotted Horses.  BOth are beautiful Bay/White and both are making a splash in the show ring.  We were done.  Well almost.  We ran across this 14 yr old Spotted Alen bred stallion that was tucked away in a barn and he needed a home.  We took him in.

His feet were way long, he had rain rot all over his feet but he was stunning.  Black and white, 15.2 and never ridden nor bred to a mare.  He was gentle under halter, smart and attentive.  Probably never had a bath as he was terrified of the hose and sprayer... we are working on it... and we will probably geld him but first he can settle in and learn to trust us.  He has a home for life and I think he likes it here.  SO that's it and no more until one has a foal next year. We do plan to breed our "unknown" mare to the father of our Stallion we bought this year.  After that, who knows?  Will we EVER be able to let one go?!?

That is why we are broke and busted?