Cost of horse ownership?

[chickenzoo]

Find a good Vet or learn to give your own shots, but you'll still need a vet sooner or later, get acquainted now. A good vet can make the difference in a $100 emergency or a $1000 emergency.

Cost also depends on the horse, is it a big lazy butterball that gains weight on air, or the thin slender nervous horse that burns calories faster than a race car burns gas. I have the laid back butter balls, so my grain costs are only a few bags of feed a month for a few horses. Here in Fl everything turns to sand, so a great deal of my cost is in hay. I go through 2-3 rolls of hay a month at $58. each. I do my own trims, but average around here is $30 a horse. Then you have wormers, anywhere from $3-$15 typically that need to be done depending on your climate and Sand Clear additive, anywhere from $15 up for a small tub. My Vet is the best & Cheap. Trip fee is like $30, shots are almost cheaper than what I could buy them from at TSC. Mine have not yet needed any major dental work, what the vet does as far as filing is in with the trip or a slight charge.
Your main costs with horses are:
What they tear up..........
All the goodies and extras..........
Tack....... Get into showing ... Can you say KA-CHING $$$$$$$
And when one gets really, really sick.... -I've been blessed with only one late night Vet visit in 15 years, for colic and my vet, (the best vet ever) only charged me $160 at 11:30 at night, in the pouring cold rain (that's when it always happens) to drive an hour to my house,on a Sunday. I now keep Banamine on hand.
But horses are fun, just find the right horse...

 

[patandchickens]

When you're pricing board, remember that there is a big difference between 'a place that boards horses' and 'a place you would want to board YOUR horse'. My experience is that it is really, sometimes extremely, difficult to find a good SAFE SENSIBLE boarding barn. Lots of them have dangerous fencing, radically insufficient turnout, moronically restrictive or dangerous policies, or are run by refugees from the nuthouse. So you can't call around, detect that board in your area runs from $200-500 a month, and just say "Ah, well, I shall select a $2-300 place for my horse".

Mind you, there is not all that good a relationship between board price and quality of care, some really expensive places are also really sucky places to be a horse; my point is, there may well be only one or a few places in your area where you'd WANT to put a horse, in which case you may not have as much choice about price as you think you would.

I suggest finding a good boarding barn FIRST. THEN get the horse. That may sound weird, but trust me, it will simplify your life. Among other things, you may discover that there are certain peculiarities you must have in mind when shopping -- a good small private barn may only take geldings for example, or only mares; a good barn offering 24/7 pasture board (which, if well done and safe, should be snapped up without delay, it's the best way for most horses to live) may mean you're best off with a horse that does not require corrective, or perhaps *any*, shoeing; some barns won't take cribbers; etc etc.

Also, I'd strongly suggest socking away at least $1000 for emergency vet care. And you will probably want a prepurchase vet exam done (*at least* eyes/heart/lungs, probably at least a cursory lameness screening as well, maybe more for a pricier horse), which should be budgeted into your purchase price.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[farrier!]

Go for it!....

Board can run from 75 to 300 a month. At the lower end you will be supplying some grain.
Vet fees depend on if you can do routine shots or not. Figure 75 to 100 a year.

 

[georgialee]

It really is expensive. I was boarding a horse for awhile and the boarding alone was around $275 a month (for pasture) plus shoes every 6 weeks (around $60 I think), worming/vet stuff at least ever couple of months. It added up fast.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I suggest buying some land. Boarding can be as expensive as purchasing enough land to house your horses.

We don't board, we are lucky enough to own a good bit of land. I do my own training, hoof care, most vet care, and shots/worming/etc...

I have seen people with outrageous horse bills but mine has never been too much, I think. My big cost mainly goes into showing/competing with the gas, hotels, entry fees, horse stalls, etc...

As far as feed I can feed 2 horses on a little less than $75/month. That includes the works, not just feed. We have fields too so some of our feed is our own grass. Fencing will be an added cost to think of...get a good one, some horses are magic

and can get out of anything. I do not stall my horses because if something happend (fire, tornado or such) caused an accident I do not want my horses locked up in some stall. They have shelter if they choose to want to use it.

Horses are great! Go for it!

 

[kinnip]

I'm in W. GA. My full board on two horses, one a thoroughbred-eat-machine and one an Arab, is $600/mo. The farrier is about $40/6 wks. I feed about $50/month in supplements, etc. I buy wormer anytime it's on sale, so I spend no more than $10/yr. Assorted b.s. costs more. I find break-away halters to be a good investment. It costs much less to replace a crown band than to fix a hurt horse. Vaccines are definitely are good place to save money.

 

[Appytaz]

OK - here is a breakdown I have from when I was boarding to when I brought him home:

Boarding-
Monthly
Partial ( I provide all feed & clean stalls) $125/month
Grain - @ $40.00
Hay - @ $70.00
gas to go out there - @ $25.00 (month)
$260.00

Bi Monthly
Farrier - every 8 weeks - $35.oo
Worming - $10.00

BiYearly -
Vet Farm call for Shots and Coggins - $125.00

Now that we are at home:
Boarding - $0

Grain - $48 ( prices have gone up in the last 2 years)
Hay - $80 ( I get a big roll delievered)
Gas - $0

$128/ month (that is a savings of $132.)

Bi-Montly
Farrier - every 6 weeks - $20.00
Worming - $10.00

BiYearly -
Vet Visit for coggins & WNV - $50.00 ( I trailer to the vet now)
Give own vaccs - $20.00

The feeling of seeing your horses face each morning and evening - PRICELESS!!

There are other expenses that come up - but I am lucky so far (knock on wood) to have healthy safe critters.

 

[EweSheep]

I've been on both side of the fence and having your horse at home on pasture is the best money saving investiments I had for my mini horses and Paso Finos. When we moved into the city, no boarding stable will take on my mini horse herd consisted of one stallion, one gelding, three mares and two foals so I leased them out. Zero price on feeding them. Boarding my Paso gelding, it was expensive and not the way to go and he was unhappy being in a stall. He has been raised on pasture most of his life after his show career was over.

I had another hobby and sold off all my horses. I sure do missed them but not the expenses. I do all my shots and worming and only have the vet out for serious injuries or sickness that I can not treat. My college days as a pre-vet did help out alot for minor things, giving shots, twisting, trimming hooves, worming, floating teeth and burns and scrapes.

So all in all, I agree boarding your horse at your own farm would be the best way OR you can find some barn/land lease out there that does not cost as much as boarding but have to pay for gas to and from there and be mindful of bad weather as well.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Our horse is currently at the trainers, she's been there 2months now and I MISS her Terribly!! I miss the chores, I miss feeding her twice a day, I miss seeing her out in the pasture grazing or coming to the fence when she sees us. She would also do this prancing dance when we'd come home in the evening when we were driving in the driveway. This weekend we were given an additional horse and it's just the best feeling having a horse out there again!! Here's a picture of the granddaughter brushing the new horse Skipper...

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
LOL -- yes, as long as you don't count the cost of the land or the fencing

I totally profoundly agree with you though (with abovementioned accounting caveat

). What I pay for feed (almost entirely hay) and twice-yearly vacation horsesitting to keep my guys at home 12 months a year would cover only 1.5 months' board (at local rates). Furthermore I have less vet bills and they (especially older, very arthritic, slightly heavey TB) are SO much sounder than back when I was boarding them.

I realize that keeping them pastured at home, or even pasture-boarded elsewhere, is not always an option; but if it *is*, it's usually by far the best.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat