The horse business

[cowman]

I was talking to a young lady the other day who kept a horse. The farmer charges her $2/day in the summer for pasture. In the winter he charges her $1/day to feed him and provide an open faced shed, yardage etc. She has to pay for the hay etc. Said it worked out to about $5/day, just for the feed. Of course the farmer supplied the feed. I figure it costs her about $1500/yr. to keep this plug!
Now it would seem to me we should forget about growing pigs,beef, chickens, canola, wheat etc. and just concentrate on pony oats and hay. We could have a checkoff to put together a promotion to get more little girls to buy horses! Why we could clean up this glut of food real quick!

[nakodo]

BINGO! now you got ther secret!

[cowman]

The more I think about it the more I think this could be a meaningful solution. Forget growing food...no one wants it and no one will pay for it. More horses, golf courses, motorbike and quad riding. Let Brazil and New Zealand supply us with food!
I've basically decided to rent my pastures to a PMU horse guy. He pays better than a cow outfit. The way I see it horse pee must be worth more than steak! Go figure. If you'd ever told someone that 30 years ago they would have laughed themselves silly! This is a weird world, anymore.

[jensco]

Funny, I was talking to the local B&B owner this past week. She knew we had a horse and wondered if we ever considered having a few more and offering riding. She has had 2 clients over the last month asking if there was a place close by to ride. The closest place she had to direct them too was about a 45min. drive north. Not feasible based on the other plans the client's had during their stay. We would be a 10min drive tops.

Insurance is an obstacle but it is something we are considering more and more - moving into Agri-tourism. Keeping some of the animals and crops for "show" to those urbanites coming out to visit. Lot more dealing with the public, but I have previous experience here. It wasn't our original plan, but we need to provide what the demands are, so, I guess we will alter the plan.

After reading this, I think we have some more research and planning to do.

[cowman]

Another thing that might work is a fish pond. About ten years ago I stocked a good deep spring fed dam. Well before you knew it I had more people fishing than I ever wanted! It was right beside the road and all the locals figured it was free fishing for all! Of course I wasn't charging anyone and it was definitely a money loser. But if I'd charged people I could have done pretty good. Also the blue herons decided they preferred trout to frogs and soon moved in. I quit stocking this pond because the fish would live over and when they got up in that 7 to 8 lb. range they would eat up all the new trout.

[dalek]

Cowman there's a place about 15 miles from here that has acre after acre of pond, stocked with about 4 different kinds of fish. They rent rods and sell the fish you catch by the inch, also have staff you can pay to clean the fish. They make a killing, put pumps in most of the ponds so they can circulate enough water to keep them open all winter.

[dalek]

Cowman: www.puresprings.com
Check out the Public Fishing link too

[ValueChainFX]

Isn't diversification a wonderful thing

[Deb]

Jensco, you have the right idea. I would have loved to take my kids there when they were little, and if we still lived in town, we'd pay to visit a farm.
Good luck and have fun!

[Deb]

That $1500 per year for the "plug" as you call the horse, might be well worth it for the owner. A relationship with a horse is a wonderful, heartwarming, educational thing and is also good exercise (for horse and rider). She probably saves that much by not going to movies, our trips, etc.

[cowman]

Oh, I'm sure she does enjoy the horse. Why else would she pay that kind of money? All the power to her.
My father really liked horses so we always had a few around. He got a lot of enjoyment out of breaking a colt and training him. Personally I don't like them and never did. I used to keep a horse as they can be very useful on a cow operation, but thankfully Honda replaced her! Not quite as versatile but a lot more fun to ride! Doesn't eat, doesn't get out, doesn't get colic!