Is it realistic to start a horse "ranch" from nothing?

My husband grew up on a ranch and wants to get back into it eventually. We are both in our early 20's and would like to know what we should start doing now to be able to accomplish this dream. He would love to live somewhere like Montana and have a horse-guide service type business. I know that with purchasing land and a house it would be very costly...along with all the horses and their needs. He is currently in the military and able to contribute to a TSP...if he can continue with a federal job when he is out in 2010, hopefully his TSP will be at $1 million (totally not sure if this # is right...just thinking it's something I heard). I'm going to school for nursing so hopefully I will be able to get a good job as well. Basically just wanting to know if this is a realistic goal and if there is something we should be doing now to prepare for this. Sorry this is so long and thanks for any advice! :)

Seeing as you both have good jobs and your husband can stay in federal employment, you need to start socking money away now. That's the mistake people make and they don't put enough away. I would talk to a financial planner such as Edward Jones (we use them and they are very good) and explain what you want to do, when you want to do it and what you can afford to contribute each month.
I would also re-evaluate the location. Montana is very expensive (have a friend in the horse business there) both in terms of property but also for the cost of living. Southern Colorado (south of the Springs) is a lot more affordable as is New Mexico and you still have the mountains and the snow. I am a firm believer in that anything is possible but you have to work for it and make it happen, it won't just come to you. Everyone has to start somewhere and so I do think it's a realistic goal provided you get some sound financial advice which you stick to and you tweek the idea a bit and consider alternatives that can make it work for you both.
Good luck!

start saving money and perhaps look at established ranches that are forsale you might be able to buy the livestock as well as the business. good luck

It is realistic as long as you save and make sure that you make wise decisions.

I grew up on a cattle ranch, and I always heard from other kids that they wanted to own a ranch when they grew up. I always just smiled and nodded, and thought to myself, "Keep dreaming." Not that I felt I was better than they were, or anything like that, but I realized how my parents had scrimped and saved and started forty-some years ago to build the ranch they had, and were still in debt for the land that they were purchasing. I got the impression that you either had to come by land by inheriting it or else marry into a family that owned it. Land is just so expensive, and the profits of ranching are so slim...your goal is to break even and survive, and that's working non-stop.

So I'm not trying to discourage you, but neither will I paint you an unrealistic picture of owning a ranch. I would also suggest that you try to raise cattle as your means of income, and own horses on the side. You can't make money raising horses unless you are going to have first-rate show stock and continue to show and improve to keep them earning money. Horses are useful on a ranch that raises cattle, and that way you still profit from them.

I'm sure a lot of horsey-loving kids will give me thumbs down...but they misunderstand me. I love horses along with everyone else, but I'm just trying to be realistic. Ranching is work, and it's a wonderful life, and you have to pour yourself into it and into debt before you can ever gain any ground. But I loved growing up on the ranch, and agree that it's a wonderful dream to have. My husband and I share that dream, but we're counting on winning the lottery first....then go ranch-shopping. Good luck.

Save!!!! I have 151 acres in WY with 7 acres river shore. 2 more creeks that run all year. Got it for 378,000.00$$ But had to build a home (still doing) which cost 150,000.00. So the best thing you can do is save!!!! Good luck!!!

Your property and equipment will be the first major expense.

The horse market in general is very soft at present, and unless people stop breeding so carelessly, that's not going to change in 3 years...so buying the horses will be minimal.

Their feed and such is entirely another matter...that's always costly even in a "good" year. So...I'd look for land that could be hayed as well as pastured.

Good luck to you! I live among an Old Order Amish community, and I have toyed with the idea of buying a bit more land and setting up cabins for a bed/breakfast type thing. Take people around to the craftsmen on tours...my only cause for hesitation is I don't want to turn my neighbors into a tourist attraction.

Find a place where the land may improve in dollar value. Then you can sit on your dollars invested for awhile. Research how much everything costs. Horses are not that much to maintain, if you are keeping them yourself. But, of course, the outbuildings and such, would add to the expense. If you and your husband love this type of life, then you should do what it would take to do it. Just look up everything you can, to see that it will work for you. Talk to people who have farms or ranches to get tips on what to look for and what to avoid. If he wants a working ranch, or a "dude" type ranch, then find people who are doing this, and ask advice of them, as they are the people who know the most, and may not be reading or responding to Y/A. Research will pay off. You can often come upon some nice horses for relatively small dollars. Horses are often found on rescue sites, people who can no longer afford to board them, or horses that seem neglected and need someone to bring them home and offer them a good home. I have also heard that the Girl Scout camps sell or auction their camp horses each season. Whether that is true, or not, I am not certain, but those would be very nice horses. Auctions offer some cheap horses if you take a knowledgeable person along with you. Other than auctions, always have a horse vet-checked prior to purchasing, and at an auction, take someone who knows horses to help you. Why don't you try doing a "theme" type business, where people get to dress up and do something they don't usually get to do?

I know there are a million and one things that are different among different parts of the country. I live in CA which is one of the most expensive places for land. One big option out here is a lease option. Since Real Estate is so soft right now, your going to find a lot of people trying to sell land and can't move it. Offer to lease with the option to buy. Just a tip for overcoming the LARGE cost of getting land. P.S. Check out "horse property" in your local area and hit them up first. You might find a place already fitted for ranching you can lease. Then grow hay on a few acres. Any dream can come true with a lot of planning and prayer. Best of luck!

What are you wanting to do with the horses? Just have them to own? Breed to sell? What are the plans? That will make a differance!!! Just accumulating horses won't make any money for you or bring in any income. It would make a ranch a stagnant pointless place. Horses are not a good collectable. The just eat up money. But if you did more like a cattle ranch and had horses to help run the ranch that might be more likely.

Another possability is if you are going to nursing school maybe you could double major and major in child psycology or something that would actually give a horse ranch a purpose. The purpose would be using equines as therapy for children in some way. This would of course take some wonderful gentle horses, schooling and such. But in going this way you can always put in for grants and such to help with the finances to get a place, get it started and get your buisness underway. This would of course not allow you to work outside the home and you would have to hire extra hands. So anyway you look at it, it will take money, time, and being open to options.

You both need to take your dream and decide on a direction that you would like it to go. A horse farm is pretty indirect and won't get you anywhere, if you decide exactly what you want to do with this broad dream and narrow it down you will have a better chance of that dream happening and will be able to research better how to make it happen.

go for it maybe you all can rescue horses

Yes, it is realistic. You might want to begin spending your vacations and spare time at DIFFERENT ranches of the type that you are considering purchasing...doing that will teach you a lot about the business, plus...you might even change your mind the more that you learn about the business. It sounds like you two really have your feet firmly planted on the ground and it seems that you will probably succeed at whatever you decide to do...good luck to you both.