Horse & Rider would like to know:

Withhorsekeeping costs on the rise, which answer best matches your intentions forthe number of horses you’re supporting in 2008?

* Iintend to downsize my horse numbers.

* Iintend to increase my horse numbers.

* Iintend to keep my horse numbers the same as last year.

Look for results to be published in a future issue.

 I just downsized so I intend to keep my horse numbers the same this year.

I plan on maintaining the herd I have and even cutting back on training outside horses.  Hopefully no more of relative's horses need a home.

We intend on keeping our horse numbers the same. We have no more room for more horses, and the two we have now cannot be seperated.

I am keeping  the one, but *may* increase by one if a rescue comes along :)

(my new mantra...I will *not* go to the local auction, I will *not* go to the local auction)

Currently we are in the process of selling our house and buying some land.  We don't any equine at this time, but plan to once we have the land to support them.  Soooo, if all goes as planned I will be increasing in 2008. 

 Only have one, pay board, so that's it for me. Plan to keep him forever, might part-lease if I get in a financial bind (hope not!).

Status quo unless my daughter decides to move her mare elsewhere.  (Why  would anyone leave from nearly free, though?)

Two reasons...I have promised my husband only *one* horse, and now I want another...and I used to do rabbit/guinea pig rescue, and know I will come home with more (I do have the space if I wanted to make it happen, for a total of 4), and second, because I'd rather get one from a rescue that has at least gone through quarantine...my neighbor on one side has 16 or so show horses, and my neighbor on the other a 20-year-old-plus pony, and I would not want to expose any of them (or Starlette) to any contagious diseases.  I am in touch with a rescue right now :), but would like to wait until spring to take on another (Michigan economy, too!). Of course, all the above reasons will go to the manure pile if a horse walked into my yard right now ...but I am trying to be mature about it !

I intend to keep my numbers the same. With only 8 acres to have them rotating on, its hard to not over graze what little pasture that I have, especially with they way that hay prices are trending. I am lucky to have contacts where I can get it at a lower price, but have heard some horror stories of prices people have had to pay.  I also only have one income to support my 3 horses, and with 2 of them being special needs, it puts a bit of a strain on the pocket book, however I wouldn't trade my 2 pasture potatoes for any thing!

I'm intending to keep my herd the same, although there's a slight chance that I might end up increasing it by one. 

Considering we just got another horse in December which was sort of a 'rescue', which brought the herd up to 6, I am going with: I intend to keep my horse numbers the same as last year.