I want, need and plan to get an arena in the near future!!! There it is in black and white for the world to see.
Reasons why:
My horses' legs!
training without being a slave to the weather/footing
My Horses' legs!
Ability to jump on a regular basis.
My horses' legs!
Giving lessons. Trust me beginner lessons are always more interesting without an arena and interesting is NOT what you are going for with beginners.
I can reach my training goals more effectively
and lastly my horses' legs!
I had a realization a while back that my goals of getting to Training in the near future could not happen without an arena. I just could not do the required work for anything more than Novice without one. And at any level it is a serious challenge without one. And when I am 100% subject to ground that is too muddy, too hard and too frozen it is really quite difficult to get anywhere. I believe I have my spot picked out. Now I just need to get the money, the easy part right? (rolls eyes) But now it won't be as difficult as before since my girls are all in school it opens me up to find some work. I have applied for a substitute teaching position in the area schools. They made it clear that they were VERY happy to have me so just a couple more steps and I will be back working after nearly a decade of staying at home with my girls. I still am doing the food co-op but that ends with the produce season at the end of October. So I will work 2-3 days a week until then and then hopefully up to 4 after that. After 10 years of living off of one income now the extra income is not "needed" and my husband has given me the go ahead that he is happy to let me use the money I make for "extras" that I would like. He was actually the first to mention the word "arena" which got my mind going. I have done the math and by next spring I should have the money needed to get it done!
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| Yes please, thank you, I will take one of these! |
Great goal Amy! If your school district is like ours, you will get lots of sub work coming your way. I think you will do fine saving - when you have a set goal to work toward and determination - much easier.
ReplyDeleteIn the same boat Amy.
ReplyDeleteThree years of working in our all sand "arena" has made the sand so deep in the dry months that I fear for Val's tendons and suspensories. It's hard enough work for him to carry himself (and me!) as well as fight through super soft footing.
I need thousands in sand + crush and run as well as fencing materials. The tractor work may be covered, at least partly.
Maybe we can challenge and support each other in the saving department - not my strong suit. :D
ReplyDeleteKelly I love you, you are always SO encouraging.
Love this idea CFS. What about both of us adding a counter to our blogs that will keep the running total of amount we have saved? Then we can do a monthly check in post? How exciting! It makes it more real just doing this!
I don't know what it will cost me to get it done. I am guessing $4,000 does anyone have tips on where to start and how to get estimates. I also need starting ideas about what is best for what I can afford for footing/drainage. I will NOT be having it professionally done but will be hiring out the excavating parts of it but I already have a ball park for that part. Husband will be doing most of the fencing but I will hire my fence guy to do a few things. So the only things I am unsure about it types and costs of footing materials and I am not sure the best place to start in educating myself on them. Once I know what materials I will start to get estimates on them.
ReplyDeleteLove your ideas - a counter and check-in posts it is!
DeleteMy trainer recommended this USET publication about arena footing - lots of good info. SO far I've gathered that the requirements are very location dependent, and the sub-base is key.
Oh wow, $4000? Over here an arena like that you are looking at about $10,000. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteI need one too - but somehow I don't think we will be even close to buying property to put an arena on when the 4 acres we rent is up for sale for $1,090,000. We would be lucky to be approved for a mortgage of $500,000.
Ugh.
No idea on pricing, but hang in there. There are expensive ways and cheap ways to do everything. Ask around--I'm sure horse people in your area have done arena building. If you know of arenas you like that are nice and ride-able most of the time, talk to the owners/builders and find out what they did. You probably can't afford all weather footing and an immaculate base that would let you ride all year, but I'm betting if you could reduce the mud and even things out and ride 80-90% of the time, you'd be pretty dang happy.
ReplyDeleteStay focused!! You can do it.
That would be totally awesome! My suggestion is to make a separate bank account and put your paycheck directly into it, then you aren't allowed to touch it until it's time for the arena. :D If it's not in your main account it's a lot easier to forget about and leave it alone. :D
ReplyDelete