# Farm life burnout



## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

I am in the same age bracket and yes your complaint is not uncommon. Farm life is not for everyone. My horses are livestock and are treated as such, so no free loaders. I can say I did hire a part time farm had that works full time during breeding season. As we are. Collection station. I send my dog to the kennel and take 2 non horse vacations a year. His practice has kept me sane. Otherwise , I would have throttled someone by now


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Have you seen or heard of the show "trading spouses"? You basically change lifes for a week. They usually pair you up with someone who lives a complete opposite life. By the time the week is over, everyone is happy to be home again. 

Could you get someone to watch the farm while you go to live in a big city for a week?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Are you living so close to the financial line that you can't afford to hire someone periodically? This spring I had an older teen come for two hrs a week. I wasn't cheap with the pay because he gets a lot done in those two hours. When we had to fix fence, he did the bull work while I explained what needed doing and how. We/he got so much done in 6 hrs. I had free time and felt a bit aimless.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I know where you are coming from. At this point in my life, I am looking for less work, less stuff, more freedom. We built our house and landscaped, logged, everything from a thick forest, pretty much by ourselves. IT IS FINALLY ALL DONE, except for some maintenance here and there. So, we decided to buy more raw land and start again and sell this place as it's worth a bunch now. As the last minute, we decided we are too old to start working like slaves again, lets just enjoy this place, forget the profit. We did buy a couple of rental places as investments. I am always looking at ways to cut back on chores, and we always take vacations to tropical places to rest up. Life is too short to be burdened by non-stop back breaking chores. I have two horses, that is enough work for me, enough that I enjoy it still, enjoy yardwork that I enjoy it still, the minute it gets too much for me, I am selling the house, the acreage and boarding out the horses.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Mymrt, I'm with ya!

I work 24/7 at home and in town (an hour away), do all the farm work myself, grow and process most of our food, have a kid, and maintain the horses, who has time to enjoy it? 
I haven't ridden in months.

We have been on ONE vacation in ten years, that was last summer! Burn out is an understatement.

I am SO VERY thankful for what The Lord has provided, and understand that he never puts more on our plate than we can handle...
But there are times... OH THERE ARE TIMES when I just want to sell out, buy an apartment, and say to heck with it all!
But that would mean having neighbors... I'm not that desperate... yet!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I understand that 100% . Its a never ending chore. Always something to do, and its to hot, and I have not been able to ride in years from all the work. I hurt in places Constantly now. No vacation except maybe some one day trips, which we save for, or use the credit cards , which then just adds back to the stress. And with little water, drought, and unsure about hay prices, I have seriously considered taking some horses to the Vet to be euthanized. They are just pets, not rideable. I worry about the well going dry, being contaminated by the oil co.'s
Hubby losing job.., and I get insomnia and cannot sleep. I past 40 , wish i was 40 again, I cannot take the heat any longer.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

I'm 66 and still living your life. I dug this 26 acres out of the woods and brush 13 years ago, and it's STILL a lot of work. But a SMART woman doesn't get out there and cut, muck, and etc. in the heat of the day. Early mornings and evenings, and give yourself permission to take a day off regularly and enjoy friends. The work will wait for ya! Do what MUST be done and leave the rest for cooler weather.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Looking 57 squarely in the eye here, and we moved out from the UK to Canada 8 years ago. Dh was a farm manager for most his life, but for the lest couple of years was doing factory work and we lived in town.

Now we are on our farm, living the dream or the nightmare, depending when you ask me. It is only the thought of having to go back to doing an actual job that keeps me here, all that routine. Then I think about all that routine, evenings and weekends off, I could actually ride my horse, we could love in town, have mains water and proper waste removal, bin men, all that good stuff. We could have food delivered, mmmm that is both a blessing and a curse.

So yes I know how you feel, it is so tiring, unpredictable, and the battles against the weather, wildlife and annoying insects are never ending. Machinery and livestock both know when you are home alone, that is when stuff escapes, dies or breaks down. But then when you fix stuff you feel good, and when you have actually managed to complete something it is very satisfying, and the way of life is good.

I guess like everything else, we keep measuring the days, and if there are more good than bad, we keep doing it, more bad than good, time to choose another path.


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## mymrt (Jul 5, 2014)

What a good laugh and camaraderie I've had reading these replies!! Good to know I'm not alone, and I concur with each and every one of your responses. Depends on the day, my dream or nightmare. Yes, the thought of neighbors and 9-5 corporate crap will keep me fighting bugs and mucking crap. For now. God bless y'all!!! And THANKS for taking the time to remind me I'm not a selfish spoiled brat that doesn't appreciate my "dream."


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> Looking 57 squarely in the eye here, and we moved out from the UK to Canada 8 years ago. Dh was a farm manager for most his life, but for the lest couple of years was doing factory work and we lived in town.
> 
> Now we are on our farm, living the dream or the nightmare, depending when you ask me. It is only the thought of having to go back to doing an actual job that keeps me here, all that routine. Then I think about all that routine, have mains water and proper evenings and weekends off, I could actually ride my horse,* we could love in town*,waste removal, bin men, all that good stuff. We could have food delivered, mmmm that is both a blessing and a curse.
> 
> ...


GH, tell me why you can't love on the farm? Doncha know what a hayloft is for?:wink:


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

We love to help! :smile:


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

waresbear said:


> GH, tell me why you can't love on the farm? Doncha know what a hayloft is for?:wink:


Just to darn tired from all the work that has to be done....however this weekend we are going to sneak away for a few days :wink:


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

HA HA HA Wares!
I thought the same thing too!!

(DH and I did "sneak off" in the woods Sunday, can't do THAT in town, LOL!!!)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I have not been without a horse since 1985 and they've always been on my own property. Current head count is 12 and like others have said I'm so tired & achy (I'm also in my 50's) by the time the chores are done that saddling up and riding is not the least bit appealing most days. Hubby is good about doing the special project chores so the day in and day out chores of horse & house care fall on me and yes I do get burnt out on it. 

When it gets especially bad it's time to call my mom & sisters and say I'm ready for a ladies trip. A couple of times a year we take off for 2 or 3 days, usually to a casino (about the only thing we can all agree we like to do because while the rest of them are shoppers I HATE it). Believe you me, after 3 days with my mom I'm ready to get back to the farm. LOL


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Oh and hubby has to do the daily grind while I'm gone.


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## mymrt (Jul 5, 2014)

I just had a girls night away for a concert and what a refresher! That's one thing I need to do more of, get away. Even for the day. Find the balance. Thanks ladies. I appear to be in good company! 

(oh, and as for the hay loft, OUCH!!! that hay is pretty irritating!!! lol!)


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

mymrt said:


> (oh, and as for the hay loft, OUCH!!! that hay is pretty irritating!!! lol!)


They never seem to have trouble in the romantic novels, that and the beach, sand gets everywhere....


So I hear


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I know the feeling! I'm only 27 but I feel like I am in my 60's. I have tendonitis in both wrists, and a trigger finger in my right hand. I can't jog anymore. I tried it and my joints started hurting. 

Mucking paddocks is definitely not ideal. 

I also have 2 horses who are out of commission. My old mare who has been with me most of my life, is now retired. My young horse who was supposed to be my riding horse has had one problem after another. She has a yet undiagnosed lameness issue which 2 vets can't solve, and this summer she was diagnosed with heaves.:-( 

I definitely get depressed, as I put so much work into the horses and am getting nothing out of it.

It is not like I can sell either of them with their health problems. The vet wants to scope my mare next for $350... I wanted to try antibiotics first, but he is insistent on scoping to determine what is causing her cough.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Heya! Husband and I are in our early 40s and currently have "building burnout" after 3 years owner building a house and 4.5 years since our last real vacation. That leaden, low-energy feeling? That's because the batteries need to be recharged. We drew on them too much and the lack of energy that results after a few years like that is unbelievable...and highly annoying, dispiriting, etc. The only way through it, we found, is to let work slide for a while, reschedule, watch movies, read books, go on walks, do nothing. This is very hard to do if you're a driven sort of person who hates to have stacks of work left lying around - but whether you're on a building site, or farm, or both, that's a reality you have to learn to live with, and relax guilt-free regardless...

We basically, since buying our piece of paradise 4 years ago, have experienced a repeating pattern of hitting the wall *before* acknowledging we need down time, and are hoping to finally learn to schedule enough down time to *avoid* hitting the wall!


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## 2BigReds (Oct 7, 2011)

SueC said:


> We basically, since buying our piece of paradise 4 years ago, have experienced a repeating pattern of hitting the wall *before* acknowledging we need down time, and are hoping to finally learn to schedule enough down time to *avoid* hitting the wall!


This is sooooo true... As a 20-something with autoimmune and arthritis issues and still trying to make ends meet (and then some, if I'm lucky and nothing unexpected happens for awhile), if I don't plan short, cheap trips away from home relatively often I stress out terribly and things get worse on all ends. I also like taking trips like that because I don't have to freak out about catching up at work when I get back, losing pay etc. Though I do have a small amount of paid vacation time (new concept for me! :shock, I would prefer to save it up and take a full week at some point than to take just a day or two at a time because it doesn't really make the weekend feel that much longer, IMO. I have the luxury of boarding so that I don't have to worry about the "kid" and my lizard is fine with his pelleted food for a few days at a time so that's nice too.

It's all in finding a routine that works best for you! Best of luck, as I know it's not easy!


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