College & horses

[HeavensEast]

Graduation is rapidly approaching. I have only 8 weeks left of school, including weekends and holidays. So, I have been thinking about what I'm going to do with KC during my college years.
Originally, I wanted to leave Heaven at natisha's and take KC with me to college or leave KC at home with my parents. Unfortunately Heaven is no longer with me as you all know and I'm still not sure what I want to do with KC. Selling/leasing is not an option.
Does anyone have experience with boarding or keeping a horse through college? I'm wondering if I will even have time to ride if I take him with me. I would definitely need a car if I took KC, which I currently do not have. Natisha allows me to drive her vehicle currently, but that privilege will not carry over, and that is totally understandable. However, college is a 3.5 hour drive from home, so if I ever wanted to come home, I would like a car anyways. I suppose I could car pool with friends that live here and are going to UWL, but then I would have to rely on them.
Any input is welcome. I'm just thinking out loud here. :p

[CaddoCinnamon]

Not sure what you need to do.

[missyfritz]

I'm a freshman in college and I know quite a few girls who have their horses with them at school. They seem to have enough time to get school work done and ride on a regular basis. I also know girls who are in college and keep their horses at home. I think it just comes down to whatever works best for you. Good luck! :)

[HeavensEast]

I'm a freshman in college and I know quite a few girls who have their horses with them at school. They seem to have enough time to get school work done and ride on a regular basis. I also know girls who are in college and keep their horses at home. I think it just comes down to whatever works best for you. Good luck! :)
Yeah, but I'm not sure what my schedule is going to be like yet. I am hoping that I can fit riding in and be able to keep KC close by. I don't know what I would do without a horse around :( But I also don't want the added stress of having a job to pay for board. I'm majoring in Biochemistry, and I want the majority of my time to be devoted to studying.
Thanks.

[jeezitsjacki]

I go to college an hour and 15 minutes away from Ben. He is where my parents live and my town where I live when im not in school. Every Friday after my classes are done I drive home and stay there for the weekends. I ride Friday, Saturday and Sunday then go back to school. Its kind of a pain, but then during the winter break, spring break, and summer he is where I live so I can go see him all the time.

[NE_paint]

Does anyone have experience with boarding or keeping a horse through college? I'm wondering if I will even have time to ride if I take him with me.

Yes- I've did 5 years in college with my horse in tow. 3 years at an out-of-state University, and it is HARD. I'm not going to sugar coat it at all. Alot of late nights working and studying, and early mornings for barn chores. I worked full time, went to school full time and worked off part of my board at the stable cleaning stalls. It is tough and there were days I had to remind myself why I was working so hard. If you have a horse that truely means the world to you, I'd do it. I did not have any time to ride (maybe 3 times a month) and I didn't show at all. Good luck in which ever you choose. Sometimes I think that I wouldn't have had to work so hard if I'd sold my horse and might have been able to work less, but I still have him! :)

[3equines]

Are you committed to going to a university college? If not, maybe try getting your A.A./ transfer degree at a nearby community college so you can stay closer to home. Most people have no clue what they want to do with their college education in the first 2 years, and a community college degree can save you a lot of money in the long run while you find your direction. By then, you will also know if trying to keep a horse while completing a 4 or 6-year degree is something you can pull off.

[grandmadeb]

When my daughter went away I was more scared than she was. I realized that I would become the go to person for Al in her absence. I know NOTHING about the care of horses. I would go up to the barn every night and clean his feet and legs and check him over under his blanket. Thank goodness for the BO and the other boarders. They helped me and out in so many ways. She came home on weekends as she was only and hour away. Halfway through her Jr. year she moved home and commuted. She woked ot her class schedule so she only had a night class on Mon. classes all day Tues. and then classes on Thursday. She commuted with the BO's daughter and they were in the same classes so they did their projects together. It worked out well. There is no way she would have been happy leasing him out. She would have been way too picky about everything concerning Al. The contract for that would have been many pages long!!
Good luck in whatever you decide.

[shewasmyshadow]

I go to college an hour and 15 minutes away from Ben. He is where my parents live and my town where I live when im not in school. Every Friday after my classes are done I drive home and stay there for the weekends. I ride Friday, Saturday and Sunday then go back to school. Its kind of a pain, but then during the winter break, spring break, and summer he is where I live so I can go see him all the time.

This is what I did too. :) It worked great. I had 2 horses, though and that was too hard. I didn't have enough time for them. My parents had a place and they kept them for me. Didn't really cost me anything, so that was nice.

If I were you I'd plan not to take him with for the first semester. Leave him where you KNOW he's safe and happy. Go start school, get your bearings and spend some time checking out local stables. Then have him join you for the second semester. That's just what I'd probably plan to do.

[HeavensEast]

Are you committed to going to a university college? If not, maybe try getting your A.A./ transfer degree at a nearby community college so you can stay closer to home. Most people have no clue what they want to do with their college education in the first 2 years, and a community college degree can save you a lot of money in the long run while you find your direction. By then, you will also know if trying to keep a horse while completing a 4 or 6-year degree is something you can pull off.
I'm going 4 years at a university, then another 4 years after that at a vet school.

[HeavensEast]

This is what I did too. :) It worked great. I had 2 horses, though and that was too hard. I didn't have enough time for them. My parents had a place and they kept them for me. Didn't really cost me anything, so that was nice.

If I were you I'd plan not to take him with for the first semester. Leave him where you KNOW he's safe and happy. Go start school, get your bearings and spend some time checking out local stables. Then have him join you for the second semester. That's just what I'd probably plan to do.
I like your plan. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

[CaddoCinnamon]

Excellent plan.

[MyMia]

SWMS has a really good idea. You can scout out barns and places you'd like to keep him, and figure out your course load and whether you'd be able to work and give him the time he needs. If you can swing it all for the second semester and beyond, great! Just don't overdo it. College is a lot harder than high school, and if you add a job and horse care to it, you may be stretched pretty thin.

[JackieB]

Since you have a place for KC at Natisha's, I'd leave him there at least for the first year and visit when you can. College is a huge adjustment, you're taking on a very challenging curriculum, and he'll be just fine for you to visit on holidays, vacations, etc.

If you had to consider letting him go, it would be different. But since you don't, I'd leave him at home for at least a year. He'll be perfectly happy and you can not only focus on your studies, but enjoy experiencing life as a young adult without too, too much responsibility just yet.

[natisha]

I think the advice to leave him where he is would be your best bet, at least until you know what the heck you're in for.
Your BO will probably keep him there- for free. She may even put some new buttons on him-for free!
Maybe your parents will buy you a car:hysterical:
I think when you're in college that should be your only job, besides partying.

Aren't you supposed to be in school learning something?

[HeavensEast]

I think the advice to leave him where he is would be your best bet, at least until you know what the heck you're in for.
Your BO will probably keep him there- for free. She may even put some new buttons on him-for free!

Well, I wasn't sure it was an option. I was kind of afraid to ask for something so.. well.. amazing.

Maybe your parents will buy you a car:hysterical:
Haha, very funny. :doh:

[natisha]

Well, I wasn't sure it was an option. I was kind of afraid to ask for something .


And since when are you afraid to ask me anything? The worst I could say is no. (so smart & yet so stupid ;)) :)

[Equine_Woman]

I had Sterling with me all through college. It was the only way to keep my sanity. I went to college to be a vet as well. I majored in Biomedical Science but switched 2 years in to Animal Science, science option (which is just adding a more animal influenced program instead of a human medicine slant. I had plenty of time to spend with my horse and truthfully she kept me sane. When it all seemed like too much to take and the stress was killing me an hour spent with my horse mucking stall and feeding made it all seem better. I would suggest you try to take your horse with you if it's at all possible. I was lucky in the fact that my parents helped me with board. They viewed it as therapy bills. . .

On edit I was lucky enough to have a Natisha though for a barn owner so it's nice you have that option!

[Pony Peep]

I can't help you...because i'm ur LIL 13 YEAR OLD SIS! I'm wise in OTHER areas..but not the college stuff. All i can say is that I don't want you to leave me for college! :( ;) And SWMS has a very smart suggestion....once you adjust to your college schedule,you can figure out what you want to do with KC, and where to keep him...I wouldn't mind taking care of him either..but its ur choice where to keep him

[Blue]

I'm a senior too, we only have 26 days left. I'm going to a community college down the road from my house. First, because it'll be free (scholarship). Second, because it's the first largest feeder school to UGA. Third, I'll still have time for a job and riding. I got my schedule for next semester already, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I'm there until 12 and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm there until 9:30. :) I signed up for early classes because I'm a morning person anyways, then I'll have the rest of the day to myself.

[HeavensEast]

I have decided to keep KC at natisha's for at least the first semester and scout out places to board. If I find that I have a lot of extra time and a nice place to board, I will try to bring him up for second semester. I will try to visit as much as possible during breaks and holidays.
I'm sure I will get a daily update on how he is doing and how much she loves training him ;):p

[HeavensEast]

I'm a senior too, we only have 26 days left. I'm going to a community college down the road from my house. First, because it'll be free (scholarship). Second, because it's the first largest feeder school to UGA. Third, I'll still have time for a job and riding. I got my schedule for next semester already, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I'm there until 12 and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm there until 9:30. :) I signed up for early classes because I'm a morning person anyways, then I'll have the rest of the day to myself.
Lucky! You've got it made girl.
The closest school that offers my major is an hour and 15 minutes away, but it's also more expensive and a huge school. The college I'm going to is 3 and a half hours away.
I hope that I can get a schedule similar to yours. I'm also a morning person.

[TacheteTreasures]

I'm in the same situation. I am going off to college in August and I have 2 horses at home that I have spent the last 4 years working hard to train and show.
I'm not too worried about Schatze. She will be perfectly content as long as she has food, and she probably wont forget a thing.
Ranger on the other hand I'd like to keep showing next summer, and he forgets things quickly, so I'm thinking of finding a small farm that will let me board him and work off most of the board.
I probably will go horseless while I'm getting into the swing of things, but I don't think I can go 4 years without my babies!

[gabhainn]

I took mine with me, simply wasnt an option not too. MY parents werent horsey people much (mom likes to feed them carrots, dad will fool around with them some). I was on the rodeo team and did all kinds of horsey things at school anyway, does your school have an equestrian team?
I also got lucky, I got a part time job ( that later became full time) as a wrangler at a nearby YMCA camp and I got to to keep my horses there as a benefit of the job, so after that 1st semester board wasnt an issue.............Kevin

[HeavensEast]

does your school have an equestrian team?

Yes, it was started a couple years ago I believe. However, it is a H/J equestrian team and they don't have a barn just for the team. They board at other farms, which are way out of my price range unfortunately. Plus, KC is going to be a western pony :cowboy:

[GrungeEquestrian]

I am also a senior and I only have 6 weeks left. Trouble is coming with me to IN, but unlike I a lot of college bound horse owners, my aunt lives 30 minutes away from campus and is allowing me to board Trouble there. I used to board at her farmet when she lived in Illinois and she knows what Trouble means. My dad is also allowing me to fix up one of his cars and take it with me so I can go and visit Trouble.

I like natisha's plan. I was going to leave Trouble at her current place until I decided on Valpo which is so close to my aunt's. Good luck on your decision.

[HeavensEast]

I am also a senior and I only have 6 weeks left. Trouble is coming with me to IN, but unlike I a lot of college bound horse owners, my aunt lives 30 minutes away from campus and is allowing me to board Trouble there. I used to board at her farmet when she lived in Illinois and she knows what Trouble means. My dad is also allowing me to fix up one of his cars and take it with me so I can go and visit Trouble.

I like natisha's plan. I was going to leave Trouble at her current place until I decided on Valpo which is so close to my aunt's. Good luck on your decision.
I'm glad you're able to keep Trouble close by. I wish I could have gone to college closer to natisha, but it wasn't an option. I like natisha's plan as well, I always do ;)
Thanks. :)