advice on getting a horse

[aniabania]

Ok, I'm a long time reader but I never really post much on equestrian or on my own LJ (swear i'm not a troll!), but after reading for a long time i'm confident i can get some good advice here

Comments

[stolen_valkyrie]

As an undergrad horse owner, I just want to point out that horses, no matter what, will always be more time/money than you expect. Things can and will go wrong - something might not work out with a boarding facility, the horse will become unexpectedly lame, etc. Also, school tends to be that way, too. In my experience, horse owning has been a source of worry for me throughout the last few years, though my case is a bit different than it sounds like yours will be

[aniabania]

thanks for the advice. i've been talking to all of my friends about it. my sister did this, albeit with a slightly lesser financially responsibility, while in law school but she isn't giving me much advice beyond saying "i think you can do this." the other thing is that if for some reason i can't care for him or something happens, i can send him back. i don't want to plan on that- but it was something that came up when one of my friends said "what happens if in 4yrs when you graduate you can't find a job" i realize he'll cost more than what i plan on, but... i'd like to think that if i know that i only need to work say 20hrs/week, that it wouldn't be hard to add on some more hours. at least i hope- it's a lot of guesswork for me right now it seems like.

[miladyelizabeth]

I got my first horse the summer before starting a PhD program at Yale. In my experience, it depends on the horse. For me, my first horse wasn't the sort I could just hop on and enjoy. He needed daily work to stay sane, and even with a half-lease it wasn't working out. After I sold him and got something that was a better match, a Morgan that was lovely in part-time work, things were fine. I found that the escape of the barn really helped me stay sane, particularly while I was writing my dissertation.

[aniabania]

ok yea, i'm thinking that the sanity aspect is what i'll need. i think i'd take him in the spring so if i get into a law program i'd have a few months before school starts to get him ready and feel him out. he's basically hanging out in a pasture now and doing random trail rides, so i think he won't mind not being in a daily routine. i feel that it becomes a question of going out with friends to get a mental break from school or having a horse, and i think that the horse would offer less drama ;)

[squidypoo]

*nods* That's a really good point. You need to go and ride this horse, maybe lease him for a while, and make sure he's a good fit. I know that you will get emotionally involved but you really need to make sure, when you're making this kind of committment, that the horse is right for you. Having studied law myself, I can tell you right now that it is VERY full on and a lot of work outside of class time. Working part time, studying full time (or is it part time?) and having a horse will basically eliminate any social life that you wanted to have. I had the luxury of being able to go to my Dad's breeding farm and ride whenever I wanted. Perhaps a better solution would be to find a good barn where you can take lessons for stress relief

[aniabania]

thanks for the reply. i didn't mean that i would just barely be able to afford him, but that i could afford him with the low estimates of hourly wage and time at work. it would be pt work, pt school. right now i'm actually paying off anything on my credit card and setting aside money to have just in case of an emergency if i do take him. i really don't want to pull the provision that lets me return him, so i want to make sure that i'm set up (financially, and know i'm OK to do it timewise, even if that's only 3x/week and not more) before i get him.

[lurath]

Law school is about the toughest graduate school you can do, and not at all comparable to workloads in undergrad even if you are going part time. I'd be hesitant to take on a horse of your own with such big plans on the horizon. There are quite a few costs it's hard to anticipate if you haven't owned a horse before (or at least that's what I found

[aniabania]

good idea-- i'm going to talk to some more lawyers and ask for their experience regarding time during law school. the horse isn't young, just hasn't gotten a lot beyond the w/t/c, from what i understand. the only reason he's being offered to me is because the owner doesn't have time for him (she has a primary horse). i'm not so sure about having money to buy one once i get out of school b/c i'm going to be paying for my undergrad and law school until the day i retire ;) i'll have to do some research about the time. i know a girl who just finished her first year p/t and she worked full time. i know it was crazy for her, but i feel that the time will sort of equal out between me working pt, school pt, and then maybe a little bit of time for the horse?

[penella22]

I think this is a situation where it is really really really hard to offer advice. Only you really know what your personal preferences and habits are you know? Some people need a certain amount of downtime, no ifs ands or buts. Other people can go go go like the Energizer bunny - as long as they get to see their horse

[greyskyridge]

My experience with the workload in law school was opposite to what you describe. Most law school classes are a professor standing at the front of the room randomly questioning students about whatever cases they were supposed to read for class. Actual preparation for the exam involves immersing oneself in the applicable Examples and Explanations for two weeks

[beasulike]

i don't have much to say except that in my experience, i had a lot more spare time when i was at law school (and worked throughout to finance that whole adventure) than i ever had in my first few years of practice as a lawyer.

although i would advocate getting a horse that's happy to be worked a few times a week rather than every day.

good luck!

[redokapi]

I own horses, and am in graduate school, although not in a program quite as intensive as law (I'm guessing, having never studied law). It's rough sometimes, but I really do enjoy having them. There are times were the horses are more stressful than stress-relief tho (injuries mostly), but other times it's great to be able to go out and ride/muck/hang out with the ponies and get away from school. I don't have much of a social life outside school and the barn, but I'm ok with this.

I think the important things are to decide what's really important to you. Is the horse the best form of stress relief for you? Is the stable he's at taking care of his basic needs, so if you can't get out there for awhile you won't worry about him? Will you feel like the horse is taking time away from other aspects of your life (social life, movies, whatever else you might do for fun)? Do you enjoy riding, or do you NEED to ride?

I'm pretty sure it can be done, it's just a matter of if it's the right thing for you.