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I think this is the best piece of advice you have been given.
I know you're excited, but excitement can lead to biting off more than you can chew - as the saying goes.
Horses, even if you pay NO board, are expensive.
Feed right now is super high due to corn prices and increased fuel costs.
Veterinarians are not cheap. Regular maintenance is not cheap.
Look at prices.....
Feed - decent feed - can run anywhere from $11 to $18 a 50# bag.
I feed my horses a 12% grain that is made locally to me. It costs $10.75 a bag. I also add in alfalfa pellets $10 per 50# and calf manna $24.99 per 50#. Granted, I have 3 horses eating grain 2x a day, but my feed bill runs about $250 a month. So divide that by 3.....roughly $85 a month.
Straw here is roughly $5 a bale. I use a bale a day...... $150 a month. I only stall one of my horses. If you put your horse in a stall, you'll have to pay for bedding.
Hay is roughly $4.50 for a brome here. Alfalfa is higher as would be a timothy. In my area even getting alfalfa or timothy is near impossible.. So we feed brome. About a bale every other day........$70 give or take a month. If you stall your horse, you will need to feed hay. Also in the winter, you will probably triple that amount. Or if there is a drought and the fields turn to dirt. Or if the field has too many horses to support it or if the field is just plain old crap, you'll have to feed hay.
I rent a place that I can keep the horses here. If I had to pay board it would range in price. I used to pay board. It was self care. The horses had a run in shed. It was $150 a month and I had to do everything. So you also have to include drive time and gas in to your equation. If you were looking for full care, it can run anywhere from $250 for crap care to $18 a day($540) for top of the line care.
Then there are vaccinations.... I do mine myself.....if you do a full panel it can run up to $500 a year. If you do bare minimum you could slide by with about $75, but then you run the risk of disease and vet bills.
Worming monthly - around $15 a month.
Farrier, for just a trim can run anywhere from $25 to $35 a month to 6 weeks. TB feet are notorious for problems. If you shoe, well then you're looking at $75 to $125 depending on shoe type, bare minimum every month to 6 weeks.
If your horse gets injured or colics....well, the cost is exponential. I have an accident prone horse. If I called the vet out every time to fix her, I'd be thousands in a year to the vet. My vet here charges $50 just to come out and LOOK at her. I have, I guarantee round $2000 worth of medical and first aid supplies in my barn. Just so I don't have to call the vet. But then I've worked in horses on and off for 20+ years and I've worked at two large animal hospitals.
Oh and if you're gonna ride, there is tack and training and other fees associated.
A basic saddle can be probably acquired for around $200. Bridle, reins, saddle pad, wraps. You could easily run yourself $500 for used equipment before you even know it. And sure, I'll bet you're friend is willing to let you use her stuff. Til she's bored or irritated that you didn't clean something or put something back right or something gets broken or goes missing. Trust me, you will need your own gear.
Grooming equipment, brushes, combs, shampoos, hoof care...all cost money. And same deal, it's all well and good the "share" until someone's feelings get hurt or a skin condition gets passed on. Just buying a basic groom kit and cheap shampoo at
TSC will run about $100. And that stuff breaks and gets used up and will have to be replaced.
Don't forget transport. Coggins tests have to be kept up to date. If you have to ship your horse to the vet or to go trail ridding, transport costs can be HUGE! To ship my horse from my house to the nearest vet will cost a minimum of $150. And with fuel costs going up, that price will change too.
Get a part time job on a horse farm. Take riding lessons. Maybe even lease a horse FIRST before you take on this VERY VERY expensive idea.
No horse is free. Nothing about horses is free.
