Hello from South Central Pennsylvania

[journey11]

Welcome, Dolores!

 

[DoloresCPhifer]

Hi Dolores! Sounds like you have a lot of plans. Do you have a garden now? There are several people on this forum who have horses; you will find lots to talk about.

Hello, back at ya. No garden as I have only been renting. I used to have lots of herbs years ago and grew tomatoes. I have ordered a few heirloom seed catalogs and will start containers first, so that I can take them with me. Thanks for telling me about the horse people. I will be picking their brains to see what plants that the horses love to eat, besides hay and forage.

 

[Nyboy]

You might want to check out sister sites back yard herds and sufficient self links to them bottom of page. many members post in all 3 sites.

 

[bobm]

Hello from South Central Pennsylvania. Thank you for the add. I always wanted a farm and now that I have retired due to physical reasons, I am finally looking for my forever farm. My goal is to be Clean and Green, to be self sufficient as much as possible, to rebuild the woodlands, remove the invasives as much as possible, and to raise a few critters, grow my own food, and to have a horse rescue especially for the drafts and other working horses and mules. There appears to be a growing need for working horses on farms and hopefully, I will be able to help the horses become useful again after their needed time for healing. If not, they can stay and just be a horse. I want to build paddock paradise tracts where they can meander around in and out of the woods, self medicate as needed, and heal in their own timing. They will be provided of course with proper Vet, dental, and farrier care as needed. I will be planting lots of pollinator gardens, bird gardens, hummingbird gardens, good beetle and bug gardens, wildlife habitat and feed gardens, herb gardens, and stormwater gardens along the way... but will be cautious about not having any plants toxic to the horses, goats, sheep, milking cows, poultry, and other fowl... like a few Guineas that love ticks and make excellent watchdogs... oops, I mean watchbirds.

Dolores Welcome to this forum . I have been in the horse breeding business for over 3 decades. Ever since the bleeding hearts stopped horse slaughter in the US, the value of horses now is less than $0.02 on the dollar. This fiasco caused us as well as thousands of people out of the horse business. There are more feral horses now than ever before due to people turning their unwanted horses loose. You can buy any one of the feral horses for $25 from the BLM. I had someone turn loose a 2 year old colt on my property and I tried to call every horse rescue for over 100 miles around and got turned down by one and all. After spending several thousand dollars on it for medical , feed, as well as legal + court expenses I finally gave it away. Running a horse rescue ( not to mention the dog and cat rescues ) in this day and age may be a noble venture, however it is also the fastest way to go broke. Example : A couple just 17 miles from my ranch in Cal. Started a horse rescue on their 8 acres that they purchased 2 years prior to doing so. they had 15 rescues when their uncle died and left his 7 18-23 year old former prize winning Shire horses. They tried to adopt the horses out but couldn't place a single one, and NOT a single horse rescue would take any to help out. Then in less than 2 years their farm was foreclosed upon as they spent their mortgage money on horse feed, vet. bills, medication, etc. . Five years ago , a young couple near a small town about 10 miles from here tried to do the green, self sustaining, old way of farming method using draft horses to plow and harvest their crops on 20 acres. They had the press out and they had a full page and a half story on their venture. Today, they are no longer in the farm business due to too much time spent in physical labor for the return on their crops, horse feed, income taxes ( one HAS to show a profit in 3 out of 5 years [ they didn't show any profit ] )so it is considered a hobby, and mortgage costs. No outside income. Their farm is in foreclosure. I would highly recommend that you hire a very knowledgable CPA that specializes in agriculture before you enter any further in this venture. Good luck in realizing your dreams !

 

[journey11]

A warm welcome from Bob.

 

[ninnymary]

I know he means well. But sometimes I wish bobm wasn't such a negative nancy.

Mary

 

[bobm]

I know he means well. But sometimes I wish bobm wasn't such a negative nancy.

Mary

A warm welcome from Bob.

Just the facts ... nothing but the facts , ma' am ! Does anyone want to hear the real story or just an encouragement of a dream that takes so much money to reach and more often than not loose everything ? I hope that showing the real facts of life will make someone to really think things through again and again with a sharp pencil.

 

[Nyboy]

TEG own Ralph Nader !!!!!! LOL

 

[thistlebloom]

I guess I missed the part where Dolores asked for advice?

 

[ducks4you]

First, Delores, !!
I lived for 5 years in West Chester, not all that far from you.
Despite the above, I believe that Bob means well, and the market IS in terrible shape from the same bleeding hearts that shut down IL horse slaughter. I have not been a horse breeder, but I've been a horse owner/trainer for 30 years now. Despite the Depression, I haven't lost my shirt bc I've kept my costs very low. I own two geldings and one mare and they are all three Apgar score 6 this winter, even though I count their flakes. Sometime if you want some advice about horses in the back yard, PM me.
The rule of thumb for livestock is to avoid all trees with purple leaves, which tend to be toxic. My horses have access to pine trees and maples and I think, hickory. Believe it of not, they can eat poison ivy.
Besides that, contact your local University Ag school Extension office. They will talk your ear off about native plants and recommendations. I live in the same county as the University of Illinois. I once called about testing water and talked to a large animal Vet for nearly an hour, while we told me about his Father's Prize Shires and how we wintered them on just oat straw. (I found it fascinating.)
I always loved camping bc of being outdoors. Now that I live on 5 rural acres, I never HAVE to go camping, just walk outside. You will absolutely love living in the country!