How much does it really cost to own a horse?

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Yep, and you also see a lot of abandoned or strayed horses, because people who can't feed their horses and can't give them away, can't afford to hire a vet and a bulldozer to put them down. I know folks who take in any horse they can, but they can't afford vet and farrier care for a dozen horses. (Not to mention that wandering horses are a dandy traffic hazard...)

Anyway, to relate it to the subject - anybody buying a large animal needs to sock away a good chunk for final disposal.

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Not going to flame, I totally agree. The closing of slaughter mills along with the down economic is why horses are so cheap to free and there are just too many for too little money. If slaughter was still available for ancient 100% broken down horses there would be more money to put back into the younger healthier horses to provide them a better quality of life.

With mine I've been able to find homes for them as they got tons and tons of training. But even at that, it was at a great financial loss - I basically 'gave them away', and my riding went on 'hold' for the 18 months to 2 years it took to find them a perfect home.

One, who I just was really sure people would 'take advantage of' if I placed him in any home. He had a lot of really advanced training and a ligament injury that he could NOT do his advanced work on any more - but ironically, it did not cause an obvious lameness. In fact it is a lameness I think most people wouldn't be able to see. But if he's made to do the advanced work, his leg will start to deteriorate. I want him to stay comfortable.

I knew if he got out of my sight, some money grubber would find him and try to make money off him - teach a jillian lessons off him or lease him, he just was not ever the type to complain or show pain.

So he has to stay with us for his own protection, and he will til the day he dies. We bought this farm for him to live out his days at, in peace and quiet. We take him for a walk every day, and he just eats and sleeps and enjoys himself - a horse's idea of paradise. But after all he did for me, he doesn't owe me nothin'. I owe him.

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With any differences we may have in opinions, I am so happy to hear how much you care for your horses. I really admire how you talk about him as if he is a human being that you respect.

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I have GOT to move out of Cali! Alfalfa $17.00 for an 80lb bale, Grass hay 15.00, I don't grain my horse unless they are a rescue that need building up. Trim, $65.00

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I have GOT to move out of Cali! Alfalfa $17.00 for an 80lb bale, Grass hay 15.00, I don't grain my horse unless they are a rescue that need building up. Trim, $65.00

Trims $65 I would start learning how to do them myself.

I just bought some real nice orchard grass hay for $3 a bale.

They're extremely expensive to tell you the truth. There is no such thing as an inexpensive horse. Usually when you pay just a couple hundred dollars for the horse it winds up needing a TON of extra expenses because there was a reason it was being sold so cheap.

We bought a cheap mare for my boyfriend. She was really pretty and looked to be in good health. Turns out she was pregnant, not that big a deal except now she won't hold her weight worth a crap and she also had an unknown stifle problem in BOTH hind legs which pretty much means she's useless to us. We bought her for $350 and now we can't sell her for $100.

Granted we do have a great looking colt now but I really don't have time for it. We're now feeding her more feed and hay than we would normally feed because she's just not gaining weight and yes we've wormed her. We're trimming her feet but we're not able to ride her because we can't train her without her being in pain.

Horses are expensive. expensive expensive expensive....

Just an FYI for those seeking comparisons in hay prices.
I am now purchasing large square bales of 1st and 3rd crop hay, grassy/alfalfa mix, @1000 lb = to 20-21 small bales locally made.
I could not fine hay, no one is selling rounds or small squares. I got a series of numbers from my barn owner ( I self care now), and one local who has ALWAYS
sold small squares said, " What I have is earmarked/spoken for OR I need it for my cows. I am getting 3.00 a bale OR 7.00 for corn ( I assume a bushel)."
That is the case for most places that used to sell hay.
There was one place that had round bales but you had to load and haul.. kind of hard to drive a tractor 30 miles to get hay that way. Another local hay seller had theirs for only 5 more than what I bought for and closer.
Any place advertising is further than 30 miles...and no one is selling sml squares.
The same farmer that usually sold, said the University barn called him for small squares, they can't seem to find any for less than 4 dollars a bale, which is SUPER high with 3rd cutting not done yet for small bales or round bales.