Bluegrass build... one step at a time.

[Dadnatron]

After having grown up on a ranch in Southwest Colorado, I left to go to school, always with the intention of returning to the mountains and buying a farm. Skip 30years later, and... after school, career, 2 kids and a different state, I've gone and purchased 84ac of Prime Kentucky Bluegrass. The property is in the 'Beverly Hills' of horse country, although it would more aptly represent the rundown corner lot of a 90210 address, given its shape compared to the neighbors.

The land was part of an original land grant following the Revolutionary war. 1000ac was given to this, and several other families in the area with the push to go West and settle. Its funny, how at that time, KY was still a part of Virginia or only recently made a territory of its own, and was considered 'the Western Frontier'. This 1000ac was passed down within the family (split up into smaller parcels) but remained within that family until we made the first purchase. Yes... this land had never been 'sold or purchased before'. So, we are the interlopers, but, the folks and family around the area have welcomed us openly. Which is very nice for us.

Our goal is to turn this 84ac of soybeans, corn, and tobacco into a manageable thoroughbred horse farm. We have a few horses and realized that the cost of boarding them was equal to the cost of purchasing a place and putting them on our own land. So, after 2 years of searching for 'just the right place', we found it and made the jump. We took roughly half of the original offered property, in an 'L' shape with road frontage on two different lanes. The only structure on the property is an 80-90 year old 12bent tobacco barn. (More on that later)

My goal is to document the progress here on TBN. I'm going to try to do as much myself as is possible, however, I hope to insure that the farm and the building of it, is done well. So there will definitely be hired professionals involved. I live about 3 hours away, for my career, so I will only be on the property on weekends and vacations, but, I believe that will still be better for me than the suburban life I have had for the last 15yrs.

I will post pics, thoughts, etc here. I've read a few other threads who have documented their progress in building a house, barns, etc. I hope I can do as well as they and enjoy it every bit as much.

So for my first pic... a Sat view of the property. I'll refer to it often, I suspect.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Hope things go well for you, looks like it will be a pretty place. Ed

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Right... Starting a horse farm is a good financial decision?! Lol. I hope you didn't actually convince yourselves of that. Sounds like a TON of fun though with enough available funds. Very jealous.

 

[Dadnatron]

A good financial decision???... Well... lets just say it is a good 'LIFE' decision. Being on that tractor has done wonders for my outlook.

This property is beautiful to me. Perhaps it is so, because in my mind's eye, I can envision the future changes, even as I look out over weeds and broken fences. Currently, it is in short season soybeans. These should be off in about 10 days. My goal this fall is to have all the fence out of the interior and as much out around the periphery as possible.

The farmer is going to spray the entire plot and then reseed it with a horse pasture mix. There is fescue in the 'draws' which, while it holds the soil in place and is great for cattle, is not acceptable for horses. The endophyte in the grass which causes it to be such a good producing grass has also been implicated in early term abortions in horses. Thus... it HAS TO GO! The whole reason I'm building this farm is for my horses.

At this stage I have a few requirements and lots of wishes. My goal is to advance towards my end goal, but I understand this will be in stages. I have an old tobacco barn on the property which I think we will move to another location to make our main stable barn. I had a builder come take a look at it to see whether it was salvageable, and he said it was in excellent structural form, although the boxing (outside boards) and roof will have to be redone. He said it would likely be cheaper to move this barn than to build a new one. So, at least at this moment, that is our thought.

My 1 year goal is to have 'a barn', grass, and enough fence to move my horses to the property. My goal is to do this July 1 or thereabouts. The grass should be in and adequate for horses, at least on some of the property. I should have enough time to put in fence. And hopefully, I will have been able to move the barn and get it into 'Stable shape'. In order to do this, I will be focusing on the Southeast portion of the property. This is open and flat enough that there 'shouldn't' be too much to do other than utilities and barn moving. When I get horses on the property, hopefully $ will ease up a bit and allow for a few more things.

My own personal issue, is that I want to do it all at once. I know that I need to pace myself, and do what is necessary to meet my closest goal. You might need to remind me every now and then.

 

[rox]

Good Luck with your project, I'll be following along. Do you have to dig a well I would assume?
Horses need water.

 

[Dadnatron]

There is 'city' water on the 2 main roads. But at this moment, no water on the property. We will eventually tap into the water line. But I haven't gotten that far yet. A well is an option, but once again, we aren't there yet. For the early stages, I might just get a water tank and run water from a fill station. I'm looking at up front costs vs longer term.

 

[Dadnatron]

How can I post a pic via the Mobile app for TDN. Or the mobile web page? I've tried to find a thread, but they seem to be for computers rather than mobile.

iPhone 6S+

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

There is a TBN app in the app store produced by tapatalk.

 

[Dadnatron]

[


"Dinner for 7, large log by the pond"

 

[hawkeye08]

My advice, sometime soon, make sure the boundary is marked (was there a survey done?, keep the markers intact, protect them)... a few years down the road and memory starts fading and all of a sudden, 25 years down the road and the markers are not where you thought...

should be fun..

 

[jclaudii]

Sounds interesting. Are you in a county/rural area where you can pretty much build what you want to, very minimum codes, etc?

Instead of moving a barn, leave it and just build a new barn/building that can also have an upstairs loft living quarters.

These are some lucky horses!

 

[Dadnatron]

We thought of that. but this barn is HUGE. Its well away tall enough to add a loft office. I don't want someone living and cooking in my horse barn. House fires are far more common than barn fires.

We will have an office and bathrooms

 

[Dadnatron]

My advice, sometime soon, make sure the boundary is marked (was there a survey done?, keep the markers intact, protect them)... a few years down the road and memory starts fading and all of a sudden, 25 years down the road and the markers are not where you thought...

should be fun..

That is a very good idea. It was surveyed and I know there are markers. I will be putting in a peripheral fence close to the line. I am the one who staked out where I wanted the line to be. The survey then came in and placed 'official' markers at my locations. But you are right... in 20yrs, I might be wondering where that corner actually is located.

 

[Dadnatron]

So, the current need for the farm is fuel. I'm spending way too much time running to the station filling 5gal cans, although my dogs tend to enjoy it.

So, I went out and purchased a couple 275gal tanks for $50, and brought them home.



I wasn't knowledgable about them, and George helped me with his thoughts. I found that my tanks DO have drains in the very bottom, one with a "plug" and one without. The one without looked as though a smooth pipe had been cut flush and left screwed in.


I looked on the other tank, and it had what appeared to be a plug.
But after taking it out, it was the oddest plug I'd ever seen. I replaced it, and low and behold, the "plug" turned into a cutoff pipe remover, ala 'stripped screw remover' type of thing. (See pic) well, I thought a second, took the remover to my other tank, and out came the torn pipe fragment. I had been about ready to call it a loss and just send these to scrap. I was looking at a lot of work doing things I didn't know how to do, on diesel tanks. I had actually walked towards the garage to sit down and find a scrap yard to take these tanks 'with the unplugable drains'. Now, given that the former owner had actually tried to use the pipe remover (I'm sure it has a name but I don't know it. ) I was able to remove the pipe fragments and buy some plugs. So, I'm back in business !

 

[cat fever]

This project of yours sounds like a ton of fun. I'm personally not into horses but "to each his own."
If I lived closer, I'd come help you get the place in the shape you want it to be. Looking forward to the progress and good luck.:thumbsup:

 

[QRTRHRS]

A couple of thoughts here. First off, when I have out of town folks visiting, I like to take them through that area to look at the farms. Anyway, there are endophyte free Fescue seeds available though you stands likely will pick up seeds from others not so much. As long as you are not breeding, I don't see an issue. If you do plan to breed, I suggest you consult the many resources at your disposal.

Don't be afraid to ask for help about anything and everything. Horse people are usually always glad to help, some perhaps too much, lol!

For fencing, do you plan on going board on board or have you looked at the encapsulated high tensile that resembles board on board, requires minimal maintenance, is relatively horse safe, can be purchased to conduct electricity, is available in white, black or brown but is pricey?

With only a few horses and all that land, you are going to want to maintain your own source of hay. A neighbor that will small bale for half is a godsend.

Fuel? For the tractor? Since you have purchased your own tanks, you have two choices. Delivery or load the tanks onto a truck and find a place that offers "red fuel" or "ag fuel" if it is only for off road. Typically, someone delivering will want tax paperwork (forget the proper name). I have a station close by that offers on road and off road fuel. They pump alot so the risk of bad fuel is minimal. You also want to treat your fuel. FTTP Total Power available at many tractor dealers or Power Service available at TSC and many other auto supply stores would be fine.

 

[Dadnatron]

QRTRHRS...

We are breeding. And I've developed a close relationship with UK Ag especially their 'Pasture development' people. I was planning on putting in Annual rye early this spring, but unfortunately, the purchase didn't go through for a variety of reasons, firstly, because the property had NEVER BEFORE been sold. Trying to get the survey was next to impossible, due to a gas line across the place, of which the GAS COMPANY had no record. The only reason I knew there was one, was because of a valve along Pisgah, on my property. They had to completely resurvey the pipeline before I could get a survey of the property for the purchase.

Anyway, the farmer who was previously farming the place put in short season beans, which are coming off this week. He is going to RoundUp the whole place, then is going to drill in pasture mix over the entire acreage.

I need to do some dirt work first, at least on part of it. But it is in the 'second+' phase of the property, so I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do. One part of the property is critical to my current 'phase 1' because it is the area I will need for my barn and initial fencing.

Speaking of fencing... I've looked at a lot of options. Again, looking to minimize 80yo work, I'm looking at the Centaur fencing, of which you spoke. I like the look, and decreased upkeep is key. I'm going to talk with the Darley Grounds manager and see what they think. They did the entire farm in it. I want to hear how it is in practice and whether they used an electric top 'board' which Centaur offers.

My wife likes the wood, so we are going to put wood along the Roads. I like it as well, but the upkeep is not on my agenda at 80. Perhaps my colt will win the Derby and all this scrimping and penny pinching will be for naught, but until he does, I'm still in $ mode. Not bare bones, but it certainly does have meaning to me. I spent the $ on the property purchase... buying location, beauty, and feel. Now... I have to watch every ¢ and plan well, if I hope to get the final outcome I envision.

I'm thinking about that neighbor with hay equipment... you interested? heh... my neighbors tend to truck their hay in from Idaho.

And fuel... the farmer is great. He has been a big help. He gave me the names of a couple of delivery companies in the area. Southern States and H&R Oil or something like that. I contacted SS, and they were ready to bring me a new tank, for $600 plus delivery plus pump etc plus the fill. That's when I began thinking about finding my own tanks. (which is discussed on a thread in the Oil/lubrication forum).

If you are in the neighborhood, stop by. If you just happen to have your baler on the hitch around July of next year... I'll spring for the Iced Tea or West 6th.

 

[QRTRHRS]

QRTRHRS...

We are breeding. And I've developed a close relationship with UK Ag especially their 'Pasture development' people. I was planning on putting in Annual rye early this spring, but unfortunately, the purchase didn't go through for a variety of reasons, firstly, because the property had NEVER BEFORE been sold. Trying to get the survey was next to impossible, due to a gas line across the place, of which the GAS COMPANY had no record. The only reason I knew there was one, was because of a valve along Pisgah, on my property. They had to completely resurvey the pipeline before I could get a survey of the property for the purchase.

Anyway, the farmer who was previously farming the place put in short season beans, which are coming off this week. He is going to RoundUp the whole place, then is going to drill in pasture mix over the entire acreage.

I need to do some dirt work first, at least on part of it. But it is in the 'second+' phase of the property, so I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do. One part of the property is critical to my current 'phase 1' because it is the area I will need for my barn and initial fencing.

Speaking of fencing... I've looked at a lot of options. Again, looking to minimize 80yo work, I'm looking at the Centaur fencing, of which you spoke. I like the look, and decreased upkeep is key. I'm going to talk with the Darley Grounds manager and see what they think. They did the entire farm in it. I want to hear how it is in practice and whether they used an electric top 'board' which Centaur offers.

My wife likes the wood, so we are going to put wood along the Roads. I like it as well, but the upkeep is not on my agenda at 80. Perhaps my colt will win the Derby and all this scrimping and penny pinching will be for naught, but until he does, I'm still in $ mode. Not bare bones, but it certainly does have meaning to me. I spent the $ on the property purchase... buying location, beauty, and feel. Now... I have to watch every ¢ and plan well, if I hope to get the final outcome I envision.

I'm thinking about that neighbor with hay equipment... you interested? heh... my neighbors tend to truck their hay in from Idaho.

And fuel... the farmer is great. He has been a big help. He gave me the names of a couple of delivery companies in the area. Southern States and H&R Oil or something like that. I contacted SS, and they were ready to bring me a new tank, for $600 plus delivery plus pump etc plus the fill. That's when I began thinking about finding my own tanks. (which is discussed on a thread in the Oil/lubrication forum).

If you are in the neighborhood, stop by. If you just happen to have your baler on the hitch around July of next year... I'll spring for the Iced Tea or West 6th.

I had Centaur in the past. Mine was non conductive so I had a "hot wire" on top" mostly for my stallions. For my current place, I used coated high tensile. It is high tensile encapsulated in about 3/8 plastic but it has some kind of carbon that runs to the surface. If you cut it and look at the ends, it looks like a pie with four quadrants, each carrying voltage.

The same technology has been applied to the Centaur type of ribbon fencing. So, each row can carry a charge. What with no fence being totally horse safe, I feel that the plastic encapsulated fencing is very safe. Should a horse slam into it at a full gallop, it will give a bit then push them back. The wood posts will need paint but the plastic won't. I had the Centaur ten years and only had some discoloration on the post hardware. Around me, popular wood seems to be the choice for board on board and most seem to be in need of maintenance.

There are some other sources for this type of fencing. Ramm Fence would be one. I had sourced my Centaur from them then there was some kind of fall out and they either had their own brand or from some other maker. Another one is Kencove (kencove.com). Good company to deal with.

Good luck with the breeding program. Hope you have the next triple crown prospect.

Southern States are good people to deal with, at least in my neck of the woods. I had been using Purina and my seniors were not doing all that well. One day, a regional SS rep stopped by and extolled the vertues of Triple Crown feeds which SS sells. Motivated by a coupon, I introduced it into my feed program and have not looked back.

Sorry about the bailer but I am just a bit too far to be dragging it some eighty or so miles. The ice tea sounds good though, lol!

 

[MattN03]

Welcome! I'm just down the road in Harrodsburg!

 

[Dadnatron]

When I have a place to sit... Both of you will have to come on by.

Sethary - my colt is in his first race this Saturday. We will ALL see how quickly this farm is likely to progress... as we watch where he consistently places. But... here's to dreaming and work... in that order.

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