HORSES AT HOME
Originally published in Horse Directory, May 2015
By Tom Gumbrecht
Should I keep my
horse at home? Many horse owners have considered that question at some point in
their horsey lives.
To those expecting an
in-depth analysis of the financial and practical pros and cons of keeping
horses at home, I apologize. You won't find that here. I am a fairly practical
person in other areas of life, but when it comes to horses, practical is not
the first adjective that would come to the mind of most in describing me. This
is just a story about my very unlikely journey from a green-as-grass newbie to
a rider, horse owner and barn owner.
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| Dreamcatcher Farm.. before the bulldozers |
I experienced
probably all of the frustrations that an adult beginner experiences, sometimes
thinking that it would be prudent to just give up, but I never seriously
considered that. I investigated many
disciplines along the way in an effort to find my niche. I met jumpers,
hunters, trail riders, reiners, barrel racers, dressage riders and most seemed
to have found their way in the horse world. They were pleasure riders,
competitors, those seeking to experience their personal best with their equine
partner. Some no longer rode at all, and just enjoyed the social atmosphere of
the barn, and the bonding that takes place while hand grazing and grooming and
just being with their horsey friend. I could identify with all of them, but
since all of my acquaintances at that time were boarders at commercial barns, I
had never met many people who had the aspirations that I did: to have my own
barn and have horses at home.
Oddly, this wasn't a
dream that built up slowly over time. I
realized it as soon as it seemed that my interest in horses was more than a passing
fancy. It was reinforced when, several months into my training and to the shock
of my friends and family, it seemed quite sensible for me to lease my first
horse. Still, the idea of owning a horse property on Long Island seemed
unattainable. Then, something else happened.
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| Riding ring base going in. |
About a year and a
half after my arrival at the barn, it was announced that it would be closing in
a couple of months, being sold to a non-horsey purchaser, and the owners were
moving out of state. The owners, touting the climate and value of the area they were
moving to, sent me listings of horse properties in the area. While relocating was not a real possibility, my interest had been piqued, and at this time the real estate business
was beginning to have a big presence on the internet. Looking at properties,
once an arduous process of endless rides with agents on weekends, had now been
streamlined to the point where one could sift through a hundred or more
properties or more in a single evening on the couch. And so it was that I began
a “just for fun” search for horse properties on Long Island. After meeting an agent who was also a horseman,
the idea was planted to search for, rather than established horse facilities,
properties zoned for horses and properly laid out to accommodate a barn,
paddocks and riding ring that we would build ourselves.
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| Beginning to look like a barn.. |
Being in the
construction trades, the prospect of such a project was not daunting; rather it
was kind of exciting. We made a list of things we needed to have and things
that we wanted to have and within a couple of months found a place that met
just about all of our requirements. What started out as not much more than a
lark, ended up in the realization that by doing a large amount of the work
ourselves, we could actually have a horse property in western Suffolk County,
Long Island while still being within reasonable commuting of our jobs in Nassau
County. And we did buy it, and build it, and so was born Dreamcatcher Farm.
This summer will mark
the seventeenth year from the time that I rode my first horse, and this fall
the fifteenth year since we bought the property. There have been many
challenges that we have faced since then, but the underlying theme for our
experiences here has been, quoting from the movie Field of Dreams, “If
you build it, they will come.” Many incredible people have come into our lives
since we created our little farm, and I remain convinced that raising a family in
the company of horses is how I was meant to live my life.
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| Buddy, the first resident of Dreamcatcher Farm.. on his first day! |
In working with
horses, I have found my proper place. I'm no longer looking for the next
challenge because each horse presents a new challenge on each new day. I have been a farm hand, a student, a
competitor, a teacher, a groom, a physical therapist and a nurse. I have smiled
much and cried some. On the practical
side, it has allowed me to keep three horses at once, which I could not do in a
commercial boarding situation. Why three, non-horse people seem to always ask? Simple:
the up and coming youngster, the dependable and confident middle-aged guy, and
the one who has done it all and is now mostly retired. I love being able to
jump on a horse and ride, having the flexibility to work with a young horse and
having the ability to care for a senior. I love them all for some of the same reasons
and some different reasons.
Is keeping horses at
home for everyone? I’m sure it isn't. I probably get to ride less than my
friends who board, but in my case it was the path that I was always drawn to
follow. It ended up being the right path for me. But, assuming that most people
who keep horses at home don't employ staff to provide the support and care for
them, it is a major lifestyle change, and commitment. Some can't provide that
level of commitment, other won't, but for me it just seemed to fit perfectly.
It can be a lot of work but as the saying goes, if you’re doing something you
love, you won't work a day in your life.
At this point, I have
amassed many thousands of days that begin and end with caring for horses. Since
the beginning, that has always been the best part of most
of those days…
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| "If you build it, they will come".. The author with Buddy, and a young Sam with Magic. |
