So my daughter owns a horse boarding facility on a couple hundred acres.  She is 28 and has really worked hard to get where she is.  The equestrian life is not easy.  She’s been riding since she was 4 and competing since she was in high school.  She competes in eventing, dressage, cross country and jumping.  She ran the equestrian program at her high school.  She worked at a barn when she was in college that bred and was devoted to saving the Turkmen Akhal-Teke breed.  In her current situation, she boards and cares for 26 horses, most of which are retired thoroughbreds.  A few are still ridden.  She currently has 6 of her own that she buys, trains and sells.  Long story short, she needs a break every so often and I guess that’s what parents are for.  She has barn employees but she does a lot on her own. She had the opportunity to go to Spain with some friends for a couple of weeks so my wife and I stepped up to help.  To say I am exhausted is an understatement.  I decided to tackle some of the things she never has time for.  I limbed up some trees that had branches laying on one of the barn roofs, trimmed back all of the landscaping (trees, bushes, plantings) away from the house, cleared a stone patio and walkway that had become overgrown and sprayed it with ground clear hopefully to keep it cleared, hours on the line trimmer and finally taking care of all the animals, horses that have to be turned out and fed with a few of the older ones brought in during the day to escape the heat, 3 dogs that have to be fed and exercised, outdoor water troughs that have to be filled in 6 pastures and finally her barn cats and indoor cats need to be fed and cleaned up after.  This in addition to fixing a long laundry list of “to-do’s” both in the house and in the barns. The wife and I are trading off staying out on the farm and coming home to take care of our cats.  At least we get to do some old style charcoal grilling of beef that was raised right there.  It’s been 4 days and I can say with authority, farm life ain’t easy.  I come from a long line of farmers and it feels like I have touched some of my ancestral roots but man am I torched.  

When I met my wife she had three horses at her mom’s house and I volunteered to help with the daily chores and yes it is a ton of work. It never fails either, hay would always show up when it was 90* and super humid. We never did round bales so carrying 300-400 square bales in 90* was always an adventure.

35 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

When I met my wife she had three horses at her mom’s house and I volunteered to help with the daily chores and yes it is a ton of work. It never fails either, hay would always show up when it was 90* and super humid. We never did round bales so carrying 300-400 square bales in 90* was always an adventure.

I'll never throw another round bale again. My hay spear is a wonderful implement.

Geez, I had to take a nap after just reading that 

She’s got round bales for the fields but she uses square bales for the barn.  I was unlucky enough to be here when the flatbed came loaded with square bales.  Had to throw them off the truck to the loft and then stack them in the loft.  I forgot, she also competes western style with team penning and shooting from horseback. 

Really nice and thoughtful of you to help @TOXIC.  I didn't grow up on a farm but my Father did and I had a couple summer gigs many years ago at a dairy.  Farms do not have operational hours; they operate 24/7, 365 days/year.  Animals need to be fed and cared for; land needs to be maintained, and a multitude of other chores that come with it.

Keep your head on a swivel.

 

 

 

Wow @TOXIC, good on you for helping out!!

 

I grew up in the city, Dad was a finish carpenter. We would help him unload lumber at times, and helped move big projects here and there. Not hard work...and not very often. 

 

Uncle had a farm (no livestock), and another Uncle had a Ranch in the Sandhills. As a kid we LOVED going to the farm and the ranch! Great times! But we never had to "work" per say. 

 

Having livestock is a 24/7/365 gig for sure! 

 

Buddy is a service manager for local GM dealer...has been for 30 years. Got his son in the door...but he hated it. Always wanted to head west and work a ranch in the Sandhills (he grew up in the city as well). He finally pulled the trigger...and is a ranch-hand on a 20,000 acre set up about 5 hours west of here. Loves it!! 

 

Again, good on you for helping out! Hang in there!!

Horses and farms have been in my family for decades, I guess that’s where she gets the desire.  My wife had a horse growing up in Kansas City, I trained thoroughbreds for a few years, my mother grew up on a farm in Iowa and had Tennessee Walker horses, my grandparents, great grandparents and all of their families had farms.  It’s in our DNA. 

20 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Wow @TOXIC, good on you for helping out!!

 

I grew up in the city, Dad was a finish carpenter. We would help him unload lumber at times, and helped move big projects here and there. Not hard work...and not very often. 

 

Uncle had a farm (no livestock), and another Uncle had a Ranch in the Sandhills. As a kid we LOVED going to the farm and the ranch! Great times! But we never had to "work" per say. 

 

Having livestock is a 24/7/365 gig for sure! 

 

Buddy is a service manager for local GM dealer...has been for 30 years. Got his son in the door...but he hated it. Always wanted to head west and work a ranch in the Sandhills (he grew up in the city as well). He finally pulled the trigger...and is a ranch-hand on a 20,000 acre set up about 5 hours west of here. Loves it!! 

 

Again, good on you for helping out! Hang in there!!

I hunted a 30,000 acre buffalo ranch in Chadron for a few years. A whole different world out there. Beautiful country too!