I think the main thing I learned during my 50+ pound weight loss journey that began a year ago is that you can talk all you want but if you really want to make a change you just have to do it. If I set a goal and set out the steps I need to follow to complete it I have proven to myself that I can be successful. So here I find myself after years of wondering how you people set goals on your blogs. I’ve started thinking of my goals! I figured in that case I might as well share! These are goals for the next 6-9 months.
Rock House in Hocking Hills, Ohio earlier this month
Personal Goals
- Maintain my current weight
- Run in a 5k race – I run that far regularly but I’ve never done an official race and it sounds fun. Scheduled to do one on Thanksgiving!
- Start to add back in body weight exercises – push ups, planks, etc – I’ve gotten lazy with this
Such a handsome guy
Horse Goals
- Get the ball rolling on turning our property into a retirement home for Phoenix and Stampede (feel free to add thoughts if you think of other things I should consider!). This whole change is a bit overwhelming but it is the right move and I can’t wait to have my two boys right outside my door every day.
- Clean out the pole barn – so much random stuff to throw away and old stalls will need ripped out (they are 10′ x 10′)
- Plan out stalls and lighting, get quotes for stalls and electrical work
- Figure out getting water to the barn (the previous owners ran a hose in the summer and carried buckets in winter!)
- Map out how I want to do the fencing in the portion of the property that hasn’t been redone yet and get quotes for that work
- Research how to make metal siding on the barn safe for ponies to be outside near – maybe add wood to a certain height?
- Plan for things like manure disposal, hay suppliers, etc.
- Try to keep Stampede sound (we made it so long but currently having an issue, waiting on vet input on x-rays) and continue dressage lessons over the winter
- Enjoy Mr. P and his fabulous self
- Start considering more specifically what I’m looking for in my next horse
Furry trouble maker
Both
- Get a truck! I’m due for a new vehicle and a truck will be useful with horses at home and also opens up the option for a trailer later on
Maybe you?
Here’s a picture of part of our property – the area where the two barns are. I plan to use the white one for hay storage (it has a 2nd story hay loft) and the red one will have the stalls.
Someday ponies will be here
Here’s to having a plan and making it happen!
Keeping horses at home can be logistically complicated sometimes, but so worth it! Sounds like you have some solid, attainable goals.
Yes I definitely have some concerns but I really do think it will be worthwhile and ultimately better for my boys since they have limited turnout and grass where they are now. Hopefully I’ve got most of the potential issues on my mind already so I can be prepared. I need to do a few blog posts and pose some questions about what people do in certain situations to get a good gauge I think. 🙂
I’d love to hear your weight loss journey. I managed to gain 35 lbs in a year and want to be back to where I was. I’m going through similar stuff on the barn aspect. I’ve finally got Riesling sound by Pentosan injections. I have an ancient pole barn that is used for hay storage and we don’t own the property (yet..?) but if I bought it I’d build another small barn for stalls. It is such a pain in the ass to have horses in the barn when the center aisle is full of hay! Seriously there is about five feet between the stalls and the hay. I mean the horses think the all you can eat buffet is great lol
I’ve considered writing about it but don’t want to seem like I know it all or like I’m rubbing it in people’s faces. I have learned a lot and really have a passion for remaining fit and healthy now. I’m planning to use the white barn for storage (it has a big hay loft) and then red one for the ponies to live in. It needs a bit of work though to get ready! I don’t think any horse would complain about a hay buffet.
Exciting to have them in your back yard! I lived by my guys for 10 years and I miss it so much. Luckily where we live in town is less than 10 minutes from the barn so I can still get out there really easily. Just wish we weren’t paying property taxes on a farm and a property in town! haha
I’m a bit nervous about having them at home but mostly excited and happy I can give them a nice place to spend their later years. Plus I think it will be amazing to be able to see them out the window. I’m already jealous of my husband because he works from home and his office windows look out over the pastures.
Those barns are gorgeous! How exciting to be thinking of bringing the boys home, tho I totally get how overwhelming it might feel!! All around great goals tho – good lucking with continuing to make it happen!!
They are a bit less than gorgeous inside currently sadly but they will get cleaned up. Definitely a huge mix of emotions about bringing them home but I’m determined to focus on the positives!
Congrats lady! 50lbs is a feat but you did it! It’s so true, you just gotta do if you really want it.
Thank you! It really has been a great journey for me and I’ve learned so much.
Non-blogger here, but I came across this post when clicking out from another blog. I used to be a part of the h/j world in MI before I moved and obviously recognize a lot of the venues shown in your pictures. Not sure if we were ever riding at the same time, but funny if so! Anyway.. I’ve done a little bit of everything as far as having horses on full board, having them on self-board at a farm 30 minutes from my house, and now have had them at home for a year and a half. Thought I could share a few little tidbits that I have found helpful with having the horses at home. 1. If you are already redoing electrical, if it is an option, it in wonderful to have an outlet for each stall or a shared outlet for every two stalls. Makes fans in the summer and heated buckets in the winter much less of a chore. Also – a well lit area for farrier/vet is nice (whether it’s grooming stall or just a designated spot in barn to have better lighting) 2. If you have enough land outside of the pastures to spread, my small manure spreader was my first (and favorite) purchase. The 25 bushel size is perfect for a small farm. I have four horses and can typically make it 2 rounds of stall cleaning (so 4-8 stalls’ worth) before it has to be emptied (though I try to empty it each shift to minimize flies in summer). You can also rent containers to dump manure into and have hauled off for reasonable prices, but spreading has worked great at my place and it was a one-time fee up front. 3. When it comes to thinking about purchasing a truck.. I’d advise to think about your future trailer budget before splurging on the truck. If you want to find a cheaper used trailer, they tend to be at least steel framed and a bit heavier. If the trailer is going to be pretty heavy and you have bigger horses, you might prefer a 3 quarter ton truck. If you are going to have the budget (or patience) to find an aluminum 2 horse trailer, the half ton would be just fine and would be better on gas for daily driving.
I could go on and on, but these few things are sometimes easily overlooked. Feel free to disregard if it was unwanted advice or reach out if you ever have any questions on what I’ve come across since having them at home 🙂
Welcome to my blog! I welcome all the help I can get, new territory for me – I’ve done full board all my life but I have worked at barns. Outlets on the stalls is an amazing idea, we have that at my boarding barn and it makes life so much easier. I have probably 4 acres of pasture, an acre with our house on it, and a wooded portion of a couple acres. We have a path back into the woods and I was thinking of dumping the manure back there but I’m unsure how bad of a build up that will cause? That’s what the old owners used to do long ago but they also didn’t clean stalls as often as I would and used straw. Also concerned if that will cause issues with flies?
I think I have a fairly good trailer budget in the future and had planned to do aluminum 2 horse and I can certainly be patient – I don’t plan to buy one right away anyways. I find truck shopping to be very stressful though, seems quite difficult to figure out what’s what when looking used. I’m hoping that once I go look at some in person it will get easier but I may be calling on some friends for help!