Job Makes Time for Horse Play
For many equestrians, it is a vicious circle: You buy a horse because you love to ride, but unless you are wealthy you have to work to support your habit. As the bills roll in, you find yourself spending more time at work and less time with the horse. What is a person to do?
Some have turned to the services of Anne Hallsted, an Orange County horse owner who found herself in the same dilemma four years ago. When she bought a second horse, she suddenly had monthly bills of $1,000 for board, farrier and veterinary work.
“I needed a job, but I didn’t want to spend all day behind a desk,” she said. “I wanted to be with the horses.”
So she turned her problem into a business--Hallsted Horse Care & Horse Management--which caters to other horse owners who find that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to work and take care of a horse.
Based at the Orange County Fairground Equestrian Center, where she boards her own horse (she sold her other horse after starting the business), Hallsted serves about 25 clients. She offers a variety of plans, from complete horse care, grooming and management to individualized services. Fees run from 50 cents per visit for blanketing a horse to $150 and up per month for a full-care plan that includes nearly everything except riding.
In addition to her horse care work, Hallsted keeps detailed records for each client. Her management services include keeping track of dates of the horse’s inoculations, deworming, and his exercise and feed schedule.
“Hopper,” a paint horse, is typical of many of those in her care. His owner works in Los Angeles and can only come to the stable on weekends, so Hallsted has exclusive care of him during the week.
When the horse arrived six weeks ago from Connecticut, Hallsted said he had a winter coat that was 1 1/2 inches long. By adding a little corn oil to his feed--and applying a lot of “elbow grease” with grooming tools--Hallsted now has the horse completely shed out with a sleek, shiny summer coat.
While most of her clients have Hallsted care for their horses on a regular basis, some call upon her just when they are on vacation.
Although Hallsted is an accomplished dressage rider, she says she is not a trainer. She rides horses for some clients, but most ask her to exercise their horses on the longe line or on the hot-walker.
She is a firm believer in the importance of regular exercise for horses.
She also believes in obedience and expects horses to obey when she works with them. Her philosophy is “discipline tempered with kindness.”
Although her work is physically demanding, Hallsted said it is “a labor of love. I’d rather be here doing this than anyplace in the whole world.
“Even when I’m busy, at least my horse is here with me. How many people do you know who get to take their horse to work with them?”
For more information, call Hallsted Horse Care & Horse Management at (714) 557-0106 or (714) 964-4963.
Darlene Sordillo, an author of two books on horse training and competition, covers equestrian events for The Times. Her column appears every Saturday. Readers may send horse-related news to her at: Orange County Life, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.