Young Writers Society

Does anyone know anything about horse farming? Or a site that could inform me on such matters?

I'm looking to know things like:
-How many people generally work there
-How many horses they generally have
-How much space they use (and if it depends on the number of horses, what is the ratio?)
-What they feed them (what, when, how often)
-How they breed them
-What they do with them
-Is it good money?
-Is there a difference between a horse farm and those stables that specifically give people horse riding lessons?
-Are horses usually the only thing they raise?
-General informaiton about horses...?
-Anything else you might know

Thanks a bunch!

^_^ Keek!

EDIT: Since people have asked, I need this information because the main character in my novel gets kidnapped and held captive at a horse farm. But, knowing nothing about it and not wanting to be boring just because I'm clueless, I have run to YWS for help. ^_^ The character(s) will be exploring the farm, interacting with the animals as well as helping with daily tasks. There might also be some horse farming related discussions (though to my MC it will seem like gibberish), so the more I know the better I will be able to put myself in the shoes of someone who lives and works around horses.

Looks to me as if you're looking for general horse help. O.O

There's so much to cover, even with what you've narrowed down! I've lived with horses all my life, but it was never anything really big. I'll try to help, though--I've read a lot with/about horses and I know them pretty well...though I wouldn't claim to be an expert. ^^;

First Things First...

One of my mom's favorite sayings about horses (racehorses in partiular) is, "Start with $10 mil. to make $1 mil." Horses--especially in large numbers--are expensive. They need vaccinations; worming; everyday grooming and work (unless they're supposed to be lawn ornaments); grain (in large amounts if they're working everyday or in winter with less grass); and supplementary money for anything unexpected that might come up (say, a bout of colic, which is basically a badly--sometimes deadly--upset stomach or blocked intestinal tract) or something like accidentally tripping over a concealed groundhog hole in the pasture when they freak out at a stray balloon from your visiting little cousin. Generally, you can have a vet in the nearby town which takes care of them (usually a vet specificallizing in horse and other large-animal care, sometimes at a university clinic) and you plus three or four helpers, if you have a lot; if it's only three horses, you can probably manage all of them yourself if they're of good temperment. You also have to worry about farrier bills, especially if you don't or don't know how to trim their feet yourself and you like getting shoes on their feet (to protect against rock and sometimes provide traction).

Sorry this bit is so brief! I have to go about now, I'll add more later. If you could, explain exactly why you need this information so I don't have to go rambling every which way to get some of the information you need and still not have enough. ^^

Well, to start with, a "horse farm" is actually called a "stud farm". And yes, studs generally tend to breed horses only. And, for future reference, 'equine' and 'equestrian' are the adjectives (or something along those lines) used when talking about horses, ie. equestrian sports, equine websites, etc. (similar to 'canine' and 'feline').

-How many people generally work there
-How many horses they generally have

This all depends on the size of the business, really. The bigger the business, the more horses, and so, of course, the more people needed to work there.

-How much space they use (and if it depends on the number of horses, what is the ratio?)

I'm not entirely sure here, but I think that the ideal amount of space is something like a half to one acre per horse. Of course, the size of the horse needs to be taken into account, as well as various other factors - whether they're a good-doer (keep weight on easily), prone to laminitis (there's a list of articles on this page about laminitis (if you can't get to them for whatever reason, PM me and I'll PM you the articles), the richness of the grass, whether or not it's fertilised (it's generally best not to fertilise fields horses are running in as, unlike cattle, horses generally don't eat it down so quickly, so it's not necessary), etc.

-What they feed them (what, when, how often)

Again, this depends on the individual horse. There's another list of articles here on general feeding information.

-What they do with them

Again, this all depends on the stud farm, whether they focus on a specific breed/type of horse, which almost all of them do. Here's a site about British and Irish stud farms, and even if you don't live in Britain or Ireland, it contains links to many stud farm sites, which will give you more detailed information about individual stud farms, the way they work, and the differences between breeding different breeds.

-Is it good money?

Again, it depends on many things - where the stud is situated (the more wealthy areas will have more expensive stud farms, and so there's probably a lot of money to be made there, whereas the poorer areas/areas where riding is less common will not have as high a demand for stud farms, and so there will be less money to be made), the age/reputation of the stud, the breed the stud specialises in, etc.

In general, it is accepted that working with horses will not earn you a lot of money (which is why a lot of professional equestrian competitors tend to come from a reasonably wealthy background, or have another, well-paid job).

-Is there a difference between a horse farm and those stables that specifically give people horse riding lessons?

Yes - stud farms focus on breeding horses, whereas riding stables are there for customers to pay to learn to ride. However, there can be combinations of the two - a riding stable and stud farm can be part of each other (both be on the same premises, owned by the same person, etc.) though I expect that the two businesses would be kept separate, as they deal with different things.

-General informaiton about horses...?
-Anything else you might know

There's so much I could say on this, but I advise you to buy/borrow some equine information books on this, as you can get far more detailed information from there, and be sure of its accuracy. I'll give you some links to some helpful sites, though, which will give you information on different equestrian sports, products (I'll link to some shopping sites), breeds, etc. etc.

http://www.britisheventing.com/
http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/
http://www.bsja.co.uk/
http://www.pcuk.org/
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/
http://www.yourhorse.co.uk/
http://www.hoys.co.uk/
http://www.olympiashowjumping.com/
http://www.bhs.org.uk/
http://www.equine-world.co.uk/ <<This one has a lot of informative articles on various horse-related subjects
http://www.robinsons-uk.com/ <<Shopping site, to give you an idea of different products used, price, etc.
http://www.rideaway.co.uk/ <<Another shopping site
http://www.doversaddlery.com/ <<American shopping site
http://www.thorowgood.co.uk/ <<Saddlery site, with regional variations (ie. UK, USA, Australia, etc.) so should be good for wherever you live. Keep in mind that, traditionally, saddles are made of leather, whereas this site is for synthetic saddles.
http://www.worldofhorses.co.uk/ <<Horse trading website, to give you an idea of how much horses are bought/sold for

A lot of the above sites are British, but I think they should work. If you've got any more specific questions, don't hesitate to PM me!

~Kyle

This is right up my alley.

First, I'm not sure why Smurf assumed you were speaking of a stud farm - that's for breeding. Plenty of places don't breed, and we just call them horse farms. (Or stables, barns, etc. Whatever you like. )

Anyways, I could ramble all day on these, but I'll keep them short. Take out books from the library. Look online. This is actually pretty easy information to get for yourself.

I will just talk about my barn. You can adjust it for the size differences, and remember that all are different, and that mine is simply a lesson/boarding one. (And we have roughly 25 horses and 10 miniature goats at all times.)

-How many people generally work there
We usually have around five workers in the morning, but it varies all the time. We have a system where you work to ride, so kids show up randomly. It's usually Ro (the owner,) Chris, Lauren, and me. Then we have a few newer workers, and some kids who want to get ride time.

-How many horses they generally have

We have around 25 at all times who come and go constantly.

-How much space they use (and if it depends on the number of horses, what is the ratio?)

Hm... I forget. Easy to look up, though. Just make sure they have room to move around - otherwise, what's the point in putting them out?

-What they feed them (what, when, how often)

Hay: For our horses, we give two leaves (five pounds each) in the morning and at night. For the ponies, only one in the morning and night.

Grain: Our grain changes for every horse - you just need to play around with it. Horses who do more need a higher fat content. If they're losing weight, they need a higher fat grain or more of what they're currently getting. Opposite if they're gaining too much weight. Some of our ponies live just on hay and grass. A few types off the top of my head: Hay Stretcher, Senior Triple Crown, 14% Triple Crown, and Strider. (That's the only type we use - it's best to only have a few at a barn. Strider is very basic - we can put any horse on it. 14% has more fat. Senior is for the older ones. We use Hay Stretcher for the animals that can't eat hay well.) The average amount is two quarts at our barn, twice a day.

Grass: Obviously. Just check for poisonous plants. Oh, and this is why horses can get worms.

Supplements: For joint pains, weight gain, etc. There's an endless supply.

Horses are meant to graze. They should eat small meals consistently throughout the day. Some barns give more, smaller meals - a lunch, snacks, anything - just to keep this up.

They can't switch too quickly. You need to slowly adjust them. Here's an example.

Monday: 1 scoop strider.
Tuesday: 3/4 scoop strider, 1/4 scoop 14%.
Wednesday: 3/4 scoop strider, 1/4 scoop 14%.
Thursday: 1/2 scoop strider, 1/2 scoop 14%.
Friday: 1/2 scoop strider, 1/2 scoop 14%.
Saturday: 1/4 scoop strider, 3/4 scoop 14%.
Sunday: 1/4 scoop strider, 3/4 scoop 14%.
Monday: 1 scoop 14%.

You can even make it take longer. You do *not* want a horse to get colic. The vet bill is huge, and it can very easily be deadly.

-How they breed them

...Same way we make babies? Eh... go read a book. I'm not explaining that here.

But... the mare has to be in heat. (Otherwise she won't really let you... but you may be able to when she's not in heat... check on that. My instructor actually said this today, but I'm not positive.) And you need a stallion - no geldings.

-What they do with them

...With what? Horses? Ride them. Sell them. Train them. Breed them. Uh... don't really get this question.

-Is it good money?

Haha. You're kidding me, right?

Go to any store that sells horse stuff. Look at the prices.

Who could make good money off of that?

'Course, some people have to, but it tends to just go back to the horse. You earn $25 and, instead of buying that new shirt, your horse gets a new bucket.

-Is there a difference between a horse farm and those stables that specifically give people horse riding lessons?

Eh, there's lots of types of barns. Racing barns. Stud barns. Boarding barns. Lesson barns. They all pretty much do what they say. Some combine them. Typically stud barns and racing can go together (that's actually a guess from books I used to read ), and then my barn is boarding and lessons.

-Are horses usually the only thing they raise?

I know a lot of barns that have other animals. Miniature goats, goats, sheep, dogs, barn cats (almost everyone has these,) chicken, donkeys... lots of barn animals.

-General information about horses...?

Dude. I would be here my whole life. There's no way to even *begin* describing it all to you. Riding, anatomy, barn management, first aid... and that's just brushing the surface, and all of those are at least thirty pages worth of information. Easily - and just the basic stuff.

My suggestion? Join a camp that makes you clean the barn, listen to lectures, and ride. Pay attention, ask questions, and you'll learn a lot of the basics.

-Anything else you might know

Same as above.

-----

I see Smurf left you information links, and you can easily find more on your own, so I'll leave you links to the stores I trust the most. You can see what you need, you know? See what's required for barn management, eventing, dressage, etc. And the prices - see what we go through. There's a reason we all have cheap cars.

Dover Saddlery
Back In The Saddle
Wild Horsefeathers

Here are some magazines I trust for horses - there's lots of articles on the websites, and you can subscribe if you're dedicated enough.

Horse Illustrated
Young Rider (Not much info on the site, good magazine.)
Dressage Today

Here are some books that I found insanely useful before my mom allowed me to start riding, and that I continue to use to teach.

The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies
The Handbook of Horse Breeds
Riding for Kids

Okay, I think I'll stop here. If you have more questions (specific questions, hopefully. Like - what's anatomy?) then ASK! I will love you to death. I love talking about horses, and my family is sick of it. I just am unable to ramble about 'general information.' There's a reason my *basic* (insanely basic, not touching everything, or nearly everything,) is 384 pages long. And it's a big book - text book size. Small font.

So! PM me, please? I will love you.

And why do you need this information? Just curious.

Hope this helped a little bit?

~JFW1415

XD You guys are the best! This is all really helpful, the more I read the more I realize I know nothing about horses. For example I didn't know they could be startled by a stray balloon. It makes sense, but I just wouldn't have thought of it.

I will definitely PM you guys if I have any more questions. I probably will and it looks like you guys won't mind *coughJFW1415cough* helping me out.

As for why I need the information, it's actually for my romance novel. The first time I wrote it I didn't pay much attention to the setting, but I'd like to change that on this second draft. *edits first post so people will have an answer if they wonder*

Mostly, my MC will be dragged off to a horse farm, and, knowing nothing about them, probably be exploring as well as doing some stupid stuff since she doesn't know any better. She will later be helping out with simple tasks, and possibly riding the horses. Another two characters, who live on the farm, might have regular conversations about horse farming/horses. So the more I know, the better I can put myself in the characters shoes.

Thanks a bunch! *goes off to read links*

^_^ Keek!

JFW1415 wrote:First, I'm not sure why Smurf assumed you were speaking of a stud farm - that's for breeding. Plenty of places don't breed, and we just call them horse farms. (Or stables, barns, etc. Whatever you like. )

Well, because farming means to raise something (be it crops, cattle, sheep, etc.) for consumption in one form or another. If a horse "farm" does not raise/breed horses to be bought for one reason or another, then it cannot, under the meaning of "farm", be called a farm. Perhaps it's another one of those British/American things (though, just in case your interested, we tend to call non-studs stables or yards).

Just thought I'd clarify my reasoning there

Cpt. Smurf wrote:

JFW1415 wrote:First, I'm not sure why Smurf assumed you were speaking of a stud farm - that's for breeding. Plenty of places don't breed, and we just call them horse farms. (Or stables, barns, etc. Whatever you like. )

Well, because farming means to raise something (be it crops, cattle, sheep, etc.) for consumption in one form or another. If a horse "farm" does not raise/breed horses to be bought for one reason or another, then it cannot, under the meaning of "farm", be called a farm. Perhaps it's another one of those British/American things (though, just in case your interested, we tend to call non-studs stables or yards).

Just thought I'd clarify my reasoning there

*Nods* We just call it anything at all - we're not picky. *Is an American*

And Keek, do let me know if you have questions! I have a thousand stories to share, and a ton of information. I work with all kinds of horses. (I just don't know much about racing/breeding, and probably a few other things...) But yeah, PM me! I love PMs. And you can ask me about things for the story and I can check for accuracy. *Is way too in love with horses.* Oh - and go to a barn. Please. Don't write before you spend a day helping out. O.o

Research only gets you so far with horses. You need to experience everything - the good, like galloping through the trail and hearing them nicker when you enter the barn on a morning when the sun is just rising; and the bad, like cleaning sheaths and dealing with colic.

~JFW1415