How much does it really cost to own a horse?

[welsummerchicks]

I learned from a very strict old timer too.

I can hear her memorable phrases again every day, every time I do anything with my horses -

'No decent rider ever turns a horse out with dried sweat anywhere on him'

'Are you grooming that horse or catching butterflies? If you are grooming that horse you better be sweating!'

'Jesus, Mary and JOSEPH! Water them off, don't drown them!'

'No one goes to sleep tonight until every strap and buckle is clean!'

'No feed after work, and no work after feed!'

'For the love of Mike, reins on the neck! If you let that horse step on those reins I'll TAN YOUR HIDE!'

'Gee Christmus, can't you remember your diagonals? Rise and fall with the shoulder on the wall!'

'Do you think that'll look cute to the boys? STOP TILTING YOUR HEAD!'

'You look like a CRAZY CHICKEN! Get your elbows to your sides!'

'If you get the wrong lead again you'll feel my shelaighlah across your back!'

'What're you lookin' at that horse's ears for, you think they're gonna fall off?!!!?'

'Don't worry, I won't hit the horse, I'm aiming for YOU!'

And the very best, 'How stuck up can you be when you're riding LIVESTOCK in circles????'

And I also hear her when I warn people of the costs and responsibilities of horse ownership.

Because she taught us to be horsemen and horsewomen, not horse owners or horse riders.

 

[mama24]

Quote:
Thanks, that is helpful. We are not looking to buy right now. I think with housing prices so low, it's a good time, but my father-in-law thinks there's going to be a double dip, so we're waiting at least another year. The property we're looking at to rent costs less per month than our current house in the city, and has a heat pump where our current house has gas, no insulation, and runs about $350/mo for gas in the winter. Which is ridiculous, b/c I never had a heating bill that high when we lived up North where it actually gets COLD. It's rarely below freezing here, let alone below 0 like it often is back home. Anyway, the house we're looking at moving into has a total of about 16 acres (maybe more) broken up into 2 largish pastures, 1 about 8ac, 1 about 7, and the house and yard is on about an acre, and the paddock where the small barn, chicken coop, and goat shed are all located is probably half an acre. The one pasture looks really nice despite our drought, but the paddock and the smaller pasture are looking pretty rough and I *was* wondering how much it would cost to fertilize and reseed. What do you do to reseed? Plow first? Just seed over the weeds? Glyphosate all around? This is the stuff I need to know since I haven't had horses before. I don't need riding or grooming lessons. I've even trimmed hooves before. I just don't know how much feed and vet bills cost, and what kind of work you need to do in pastures.

We are NC, we definitely have mild winters here. Not like Florida, but definitely not cold like W PA or the Midwest, which is where we've lived in the past.

Btw, since we are moving out to the country, our rent will actually be about half of what we'd pay in the city for a house the same size in an equivalent school district, despite having 16ac vs. 1/4. Good schools, too. House is newer as well, built in the early 80's current place was built in the 30's!

 

[Orchid]

I have owned horses for 21 years and I can tell you that even just going with the bare necessities, horsekeeping can really add up in a hurry. It's not necessarily those little day to day expenses like dewormer and vaccinations - it's the big unexpected expenses, like if a horse colics on a Sunday and you need the vet out there RIGHT NOW. Or you come home from work to find your horse has somehow gashed himself a good one and needs stitches RIGHT NOW.

So, say you have your horses out on pasture for most of the year and don't need to buy a lot of hay, and say you are a pleasure rider and don't need to feed them any concentrates. You're still going to have to maintain that pasture (mowing, maybe fertilizing, maybe spraying for weeds) if you want your horses to get proper nutrition off of it, and that's going to require at minimum an ATV with attachments, or a tractor on bigger parcels. Let's look at a few other things.

If you want to ride the horses in the warm months, you are going to NEED fly spray and plenty of it.

Is the fencing safe for horses? If not, plan to spend A LOT of money on vet bills until you can fork out the cash to upgrade the fencing.

Is there a lighted place to look at/work on horses when it's dark at 5 p.m. in the winter? At some point, trust me, you will need one.

Did you know that in order to digest their feed efficiently and prevent bitting problems, horses need dental care too? Sedation, floating, extractions if necessary...all add up fast, even on just two horses.

Then there is tack...and dewormer...and vaccinations...and hoofpicks...brushes....leather care supplies....leadropes that need replacing....water tanks....vet wrap....wheelbarrows...manure pickers....oh the list goes on and on and ON.

I love having horses and I am not trying to discourage you from owning them. I just cringe when I see people go, Oh, I'm moving to the country, I should have horses! Because horses cost a LOT more than you may think they do, even with the most basic of care. And I believe everyone who owns horses should have a minimum of $1000 put away or for use on a medical credit card (like CareCredit) for emergencies, because sooner or later you will need it.

 

[Going Quackers]

I think there are many variables. Feed costs vary, so do farrier and vet fees. We have two but there miniature so don't eat as much as full size. At this point i'd say the farrier was the most expensive. It costs us 75$ every time for both to be done. Our hay is from a local guy, a grass mix 4$ a bale.. we use squares. Our grains are under 20$ a bag, a mix from the feed supply.

Setting up originally was expensive.. we have a mini barn that was thousands, paddocks/fencing.. again $$$ and we bought a manure spreader lol again that was a few grand, plus can't forget our horses were not free.. however we already owned the farm, we bought a home w/acreage years ago with the intent of livestock ......... we already had 2 tractors, a snowblower(yeah we need that to actually get to the barn sometimes and mucking out lol)

I must say though if i want to own horses i wouldn't have it any other way, my mother boarded her horses for decades, the roller coaster that ride was is just beyond ultimately it killed her last horse.. poor barn management. Having horses is costly no matter how you do it BUT the peace of mind of knowing their fed properly and are safe is priceless imo

 

[ChickInDelight]

The more cold-blooded breeds are easy keepers and do not require so much feed. Some ponies about live on air - you cannot feed too much or their feet will founder.

The big expense with horses is always the unexpected vet bills - also more lkely with hot-blooded animals like Thoroughbreds. Some people learn to trim hooves themselves and do minor dentistry and vet work.

I personally love to keep a herd (minimum of 2 equine) in a pasture with run-in shed for optimum health and low maintenance cost.

Where there is a will, there is a way. I was a poor, working student when I last owned and cared for my own horse.

 

[jettgirl24]

I'll throw in my 2 cents... As you can see it varies greatly and depends on what your goals are for yourself. Are you planning on showing or just doing some trail riding? What is your current set up? Do you have adequate shelter and safe fencing? Those are all things you'll have to figure out yourself. It sounds like you're keeping them at home and well assume that you're just trail riding and won't be taking lessons. If you're planning to ride seriously and compete you're talking an entirely different ballgame as far as price is concerned.

Feed
Cost will depend on where you live, here hay runs between $300 and $350 per ton on average. My retired horse goes through about 3 tons per year. So hay is $900 - $1050 per year. So $75 - $87.50 per month.

Grain runs me about $150 per month for my retired guy. I feed senior, beet pulp, and rolled oats plus a calorie supplement. He goes through a bag of senior and rolled oats in just over a week. A bag of beet pulp usually lasts me about 3 weeks. The calorie supplement runs about $45 a tub but lasts two to three months. You may end up spending less than that for an easy keeper, but keep in mind that a horse that is an easy keeper now may not always be. When my retired horse was back in his prime he would put on 50lbs if you even showed him a horse cookie, and that was when he was in full work and competing in three day eventing. As he got older that changed dramatically and he is difficult to keep weight on even without the strenuous training.

Shavings
Here they are $13 a yard if I pick them up in my truck, $26 per yard delivered if you get 12 yards. I would say for the two stalls that I bed I go through the 12 yards in about a year but that varies. We'll estimate $156 if I pick them up, $312 if i have them delivered. That doesn't include gas if I go pick them up. So $13 - $26 per month.

Farrier
My retired horse is barefoot as I don't ride him much these days, so that's $40 every 8 weeks or so. My competition horse has a full set of shoes as he's in full work, that runs me $80 every 6 - 8 weeks. So we'll add $20 - $40 to the monthly tab.

Vet Expenses
Vet - here's where things get fun. Realistically you will have emergency vet bills and need to plan for that. I would have a minimum of $1,000 in cash set aside or at least a credit card with a credit line of at least that for emergencies, preferably both. Let's just talk routine care though.

You should have the vet out twice per year to do shots and check teeth at a minimum. My lasts visit for flu/rhino, west nile, and tetanus plus teeth floating and a sheath cleaning was $350. You may not have to do teeth every time and tetanus will be once per year but I would count on at least $300 per visit, $600 per year. That adds $50 to the monthly bill.

I think that covers the basics, so you're looking at something like $200 to $400 per horse for very basic proper care. This DOES NOT include building the facilities you need, land and pasture maintenance, fence repair, etc. It is just the absolute basic care of the horse itself. I can't speak to the other costs since I have no idea what your property looks like.

Here is where the danger lies... You get your horses and you decide you want to get serious about your riding. Your costs will absolutely skyrocket. For comparison my retired guy costs about $350 a month/$4200 a year to keep at home. My dressage horse costs me about $1,200 per month/$14,400 per year (board where I can keep him in full work year round, one lesson per week, farrier, vet). That does not include shows, which run at a minimum $500 per show if you count entry fees, stabling fees, coaching, and gas. Ouch

 

[Orchid]

Quote:
Sadly, I have seen folks who "think" they are doing a fine job on their own foot and (shudder) dental care on their horses....9 times out of 10, it ain't pretty. Unless you can devote a ton of time to learning from a true professional, your horse is better off in the long run if you let that true professional do the work.

There are any number of ways to cut corners in horsekeeping (as in anything else), but in the end if you cut the wrong corners, the horse is the one who pays.

 

[Avalon1984]

Quote:
Thanks, that is helpful. We are not looking to buy right now. I think with housing prices so low, it's a good time, but my father-in-law thinks there's going to be a double dip, so we're waiting at least another year. The property we're looking at to rent costs less per month than our current house in the city, and has a heat pump where our current house has gas, no insulation, and runs about $350/mo for gas in the winter. Which is ridiculous, b/c I never had a heating bill that high when we lived up North where it actually gets COLD. It's rarely below freezing here, let alone below 0 like it often is back home. Anyway, the house we're looking at moving into has a total of about 16 acres (maybe more) broken up into 2 largish pastures, 1 about 8ac, 1 about 7, and the house and yard is on about an acre, and the paddock where the small barn, chicken coop, and goat shed are all located is probably half an acre. The one pasture looks really nice despite our drought, but the paddock and the smaller pasture are looking pretty rough and I *was* wondering how much it would cost to fertilize and reseed. What do you do to reseed? Plow first? Just seed over the weeds? Glyphosate all around? This is the stuff I need to know since I haven't had horses before. I don't need riding or grooming lessons. I've even trimmed hooves before. I just don't know how much feed and vet bills cost, and what kind of work you need to do in pastures.

We are NC, we definitely have mild winters here. Not like Florida, but definitely not cold like W PA or the Midwest, which is where we've lived in the past.

Btw, since we are moving out to the country, our rent will actually be about half of what we'd pay in the city for a house the same size in an equivalent school district, despite having 16ac vs. 1/4. Good schools, too. House is newer as well, built in the early 80's current place was built in the 30's!

Hey, that sounds great! Congratulations on your plan to move to the country. I love living in the country!

As far as our pastures go, that is really hubbys domain but I will try to sum it up. Here are the important points:

• We pick up all poo out of the pastures. Poo kills grass if left on there too long. Plus wild turkeys will come and scatter it all over kingdom come. I find that quite annoying. This is very time consuming but will significantly cut down on your flies and grass dying. And people LOVE composted poop without sawdust.

• Since you will have 2 large pastures, I would suggest ( and that is only my opinion and experience) to make them into many smaller ones. The key in keeping pastures alive is rotation. Too many people let their horses overgraze pastures. Once grass is stressed out and thinned out, it just takes so much longer to grow back and weeds will go nuts in no time. With proper rotating (they say you are supposed to change pastures when the grass is around 3in long) you have a better chance to keep grass healthy and weed in check. We let our horses graze a bit below 3in but then you also need to make sure that they don’t digest sand. We have sandy soil and always must be on the outlook for sand colics

• Pasture treatment- husband fertilizes the pastures each holiday. He uses Scotts which is very expensive. Some pastures are in high water table areas and also require lime to keep moss in check. Lime takes about 6month to be working. We will begin using the stuff that golf courses use but I don’t remember the name off the top of my head.

• We use weed killer where needed. We tend to get a lot of weeds in areas where the horses poop and eat. When you kill the weeds the grass will thicken up and choke out any new weed seedlings.

• If it is raining hard, the horses have to stay in, otherwise they tear our pastures apart. Big hoofies on mushy ground don’t work well together.

• I don’t till the ground but it is certainly something I am thinking about for our sacrifice paddocks. Problem is the area around our barn used to be cow paddocks and to firm the ground the guy put junk in there (roof tiles, cars, glass, quite the mess). We have been adding dirt and it is finally save for the horses but God knows what we may till up. Our ground however is like concrete and has bad drainage there so tilling, or at least aerating would always be a great idea in my opinion

• When you lay out your little pastures, make it easy for you and leave a path in the middle so that you can access each pasture, move horses and work without nosey horses. That is what I will be doing next year.

• I overseed where needed, which is mostly in high traffic areas around gates.

Hope you will find this info helpful. This is how we do it and we are the only farm up and down the road to have grass in our pastures, not weeds so we must be doing something right. This may not work for everybody but it works for us. If you do spray for weeds and after each fertilizing, give the pasture time to recover and let it rain on it a few times before using it. You should not be seeing any fertilizer after a couple of good rain storms. Some people have strong opinions about using fertilizer but I have not found any ill effect on our animals when given enough time to dissolve. With the lime we have found that lime pellets don’t dissolve well, we use the powder. Again, give it time to recover. If you need to treat certain areas and cannot change paddocks, just fence them off so that the horses cannot get to them.

Good luck.

 

[CMTSMWC]

Fortunately I live in an area where everything you see belongs to me. No neighbors except for my grandparents who live a half mile down the road. So I am lucky and I can keep my manure pile with no problems. This is all GREAT advice but I guess it just comes down to what you already have, what your horses are like, and where you live.

But everyone has given OP lots of info to go on! And sorry for the confusion in earlier posts all! No arguing here, everything is good

 

[Peaches Lee]

Quote:
I agree. Everyone can give you a quote about cost from where they live, but it is all kind of irrelevant unless someone lives just down the road from you (or in your area), where they could give you the bare bones average of yearly cost of horses (meaning farrier, vet, feed, shavings) specific to where you live. For example, it is far more costly to keep horses in TX than PA. A bale of timothy hay ran at $25 a bale when I was there, here in PA the price rose to $2.50. Big difference.

Check out local papers/CL to see hay suppliers and their prices. You can call vets for costs. Farriers as well. After that, it will come down to the horse you have, if it needs anything special. Good luck and I hope you get your horses and have much fun with them.