HORSE QUESTIONS FROM A BEGINNER !

[Purelychicks]

1. What is the cheapest option for fencing?

2. How much (roughly) does food cost per year if it has a field to graze?

3. IYO what’s the best horse breeds for beginners?

4. Do they HAVE to have a stall? Or can they just be in a pasture 24/7? Also, blanket on cold days, or no? (Ik everyone has different opinions.)

5. What age horse typically has the best temperament? (I do not want an horse older than 15 since I plan on keeping it forever.)

6. The age old question, mare, gelding, or stallion? People say mares are always moody. Is that true?

7. Which is better? Mule or horse? (IYO)

8. Is a little more than 1/2 an acre a good amount for one horse?

Thanks !

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I know nothing about horses. You might be able to get more help here:

• BackYardHerds.com

 

[Peaches Lee]

1. What is the cheapest option for fencing?

Probably keeping your horse at a boarding stable would be the cheapest option! I put in a 100x200 paddock in 2020 and it was about $3,500 in cost.

2. How much (roughly) does food cost per year if it has a field to graze?

This is highly dependent on the area you live, the horse and its nutritional needs, and the quality and amount of the grazing pasture.

3. IYO what’s the best horse breeds for beginners?

There really are no "beginner" horse breeds, it comes down to the individual horse.

4. Do they HAVE to have a stall? Or can they just be in a pasture 24/7? Also, blanket on cold days, or no? (Ik everyone has different opinions.)

Many horses are happy to be out 24/7 and thrive in that environment as long as they are provided with shelter to protect them from sun, wind, rain/snow and (depending on your area) biting insects. Blankets are totally dependent on the horse.

5. What age horse typically has the best temperament? (I do not want an horse older than 15 since I plan on keeping it forever.)

Temperament really doesn't have to do with age IME. As you are a beginner, I would not hesitate to buy the right horse even if it is older than 15.

6. The age old question, mare, gelding, or stallion? People say mares are always moody. Is that true?

There is nothing wrong with mares, they are great mounts. Do not get a stallion!

7. Which is better? Mule or horse? (IYO)

I have zero experience with mules, I would probably vote horse though.

8. Is a little more than 1/2 an acre a good amount for one horse?

It would take a lot of management.

Thanks !

You haven't given much info about your experience other than "beginner" and I never want to dash anyone's dreams, but my advice, before you buy a horse, would be to find a reputable trainer/instructor in your area and start taking lessons.

This way you gain experience without having to worry about fencing, vet care, farrier care, feed bills, acquiring hay, turnout, rotating pastures etc.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

1. What is the cheapest option for fencing?

Probably electric

2. How much (roughly) does food cost per year if it has a field to graze?

No one can really tell you that, it all depends on feed prices in your area, pasture quality, length of grazing season, and how much the horse eats.

3. IYO what’s the best horse breeds for beginners?

It doesn’t have anything to do with breed, it’s how the horse was raised and trained and the level of training the horse has.

4. Do they HAVE to have a stall? Or can they just be in a pasture 24/7? Also, blanket on cold days, or no? (Ik everyone has different opinions.)

No, horses do not need stalls. Horses should have as much turnout as possible, living out full time is best in my opinion. They do always need access to shelter though. Whether you blanket or not just depends on the needs of the individual horse. If your horse is at a healthy weight, grows a good winter coat, and is otherwise healthy they might never need a blanket.

5. What age horse typically has the best temperament? (I do not want an horse older than 15 since I plan on keeping it forever.)

An older, more experienced horse is usually best for a beginner, but it just depends.

6. The age old question, mare, gelding, or stallion? People say mares are always moody. Is that true?

A beginner should never get a stallion. Between mare and gelding it doesn’t matter at all, it just depends on the individual horse. Mares are often stereotyped as moody, sassy, and ‘mareish.’ This is usually because the horse is suffering from some hidden pain or illness and it is easy for people to blame their hormones, or them just being ‘mareish.’

7. Which is better? Mule or horse? (IYO)

Again, it’s more about the level and quality of training they’ve had. Mules do have different dietary requirements than horses so make sure you’re educated on that.

8. Is a little more than 1/2 an acre a good amount for one horse?

That’s pretty small, I’m not sure about that though, hopefully someone else does.

Have you been taking riding lessons? I would recommend that you take lessons for at least 2 years before you buy a horse, and also lease a horse before you commit to buying. Leasing a horse is a great way to get an idea of what horse ownership will be like, without fully committing.
Also, make sure that you are fully aware of how expensive keeping a horse is, accounting for vet bills, farrier, feed, fence repairs, emergency vet bills, possible training etc.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Probably keeping your horse at a boarding stable would be the cheapest option! I put in a 100x200 paddock in 2020 and it was about $3,500 in cost.

This is highly dependent on the area you live, the horse and its nutritional needs, and the quality and amount of the grazing pasture.

There really are no "beginner" horse breeds, it comes down to the individual horse.

Many horses are happy to be out 24/7 and thrive in that environment as long as they are provided with shelter to protect them from sun, wind, rain/snow and (depending on your area) biting insects. Blankets are totally dependent on the horse.

Temperament really doesn't have to do with age IME. As you are a beginner, I would not hesitate to buy the right horse even if it is older than 15.

There is nothing wrong with mares, they are great mounts. Do not get a stallion!

I have zero experience with mules, I would probably vote horse though.

It would take a lot of management.

You haven't given much info about your experience other than "beginner" and I never want to dash anyone's dreams, but my advice, before you buy a horse, would be to find a reputable trainer/instructor in your area and start taking lessons.

This way you gain experience without having to worry about fencing, vet care, farrier care, feed bills, acquiring hay, turnout, rotating pastures etc.

I wish you the best of luck.

Ugh, you beat me!

 

[2ndTink]

@Peaches Lee has a good response, I'll add some of my own experience:

1. What is the cheapest option for fencing?
Good fencing is WAY cheaper than a vet bill, or multiple vet bills, or having to put a horse down. We went with a field fence with small holes at the bottom. A field fence with a few strands of hot wire will be good, DO NOT get the bare wire New Zealand fencing, I've seen two horses get caught in it and neither lived, I've heard plenty of other stories of horses getting sliced open with it too. Also avoid barbed wire foe horses. Fencing is expensive.

2. How much (roughly) does food cost per year if it has a field to graze?
We are feeding about 1 ton per horse every 6 weeks with a half acre pasture per horse.

3. IYO what’s the best horse breeds for beginners?
There isn't a best breed, it's going to depend on the individual horse, typically stay away hot bloods (thoroughbred, Arab, Akhal Tekes). Depending on what you are wanting to do with them, a good QH can do a lot, if you're doing trail riding some gaited horses are nice. Your purchasing budget will factor in here, depending on your location a good broke horse can be 5k or more very easily, 10k to 15k would not be crazy from what I've seen lately. A grade horse that is reasonably broke for trail rising might be 2k or less.

4. Do they HAVE to have a stall? Or can they just be in a pasture 24/7? Also, blanket on cold days, or no? (Ik everyone has different opinions.)
Shelter for shade and to get out of the wind and bad weather. Horses are robust and don't require a stall to be locked in, unless you have one on stall rest.

5. What age horse typically has the best temperament? (I do not want an horse older than 15 since I plan on keeping it forever.)
Temperament is going to be more genetically based than anything and also how they've been handled. Any spoiled horse will be dangerous to you no matter how old they are.

6. The age old question, mare, gelding, or stallion? People say mares are always moody. Is that true?
Absolutely NO STALLIONS!!! Leave those to the crazy horse people who've been around them forever. Mares are not moody, some are just more opinionated than others, they have all their hormones. Geldings can be more agreeable, but not always. Again, this totally depends on the horse.

7. Which is better? Mule or horse? (IYO)
For a beginner, horse. I love mules, people say they are stubborn, they aren't exactly. If you think of a mule as highly self preserving, and you have to prove that they can trust you, and that they should take a step or stop or turn without coming to harm. I've ridden some awesome mules, amazing in the woods and back country, but not a beginners animal.

8. Is a little more than 1/2 an acre a good amount for one horse?
Depends on the horse and how often / where you are riding it. I've kept 2 to 3 horses on an acre, you just have to irrigate or feed more hay.

Horses are super expensive, like Peaches Lee said, a good option would be to find a local trainer and take lessons. Even after you buy the horse, you have the farrier out every 6 to 8 weeks for a trim or shoes, feed, supplements if your horse needs them, grooming supplies, tack, blankets, fly spray, fly masks. The cheapest part is typically buying the horse.

Don't be discouraged by our responses, just be sure you are making the right decision for you and your situation!

 

[2ndTink]

Ugh, you beat me!

And you beat me!

 

[arizona_chicken_noob]

The cheapest option for fencing (which I will contradict in a minute) is panels, in my opinion. You can get stall kits or round pen kits for $1000 or less.

The downside is that this would not be for grazing, but for somewhere that feeds hay (which my locale does). I am paying about $275/mo in hay alone for one large horse right now. Also that does mean you need to get him out a lot.

I would say to anyone interested in horses, go take lessons for a while first. You can not go wrong that route. Chickens are not cheap either but my goodness, you should really be off the deep end for horses before you get one! Terrible financial decision, I tell you

 

[Folly's place]

All good advice already!
Lessons, at least a year or two, at a good place with a good instructor. And it takes some experience to know who's good! Then maybe lease a lesson horse, easy to ride and with a nice personality.
Someday, if you are still 'horse crazy' and can afford it, maybe buy a horse and board it at a nice barn, and continue those lessons.
This is not an inexpensive project!
Mary

 

[Yardmom]

1. Cheapest fence is electric. I use wood stakes cut by Amish for posts. The biggest cost for me is the fencer.

2.If grazing 100% of feed during warm months then it will be the cost of hay etc. During colder months. Here I figure feeding halfway through October to the end of April. 3/4 of our small 40 pound bale size or about 3 dollars a day. This cost will depend on hay costs in your area or your access to make hay.

3. Individual horses have their own personalities, but some breeds do tend to be calmer than others as mentioned above. I'm not familiar with what is known as the calmest. Mixed breeds (grade) can be great as well and much cheaper.

4. Horses do not need stalls, but they do need shelter from wind, snow, and heat. We use a 3 and 1/2 sided shed.

6. Geldings can be more even tempered, but individual horses will be different.

5. The older a horse the calmer they tend to be. How they have been handled will make a big difference.

7. I don't have experience with mules.

8. With most pastures a 1/2 acre would require supplemental food. Rotating pasture sections would also be needed to keep what grass there is growing.

Other expenses to consider are ferrier and vet bills. Also it is important to have someone with horse experience to call on for questions and advice as horses don't do well being raised on trial and error.