Horse questions pt. 2

[casportpony]

Look at $4.00/bale for quality horse hay.

Bales here are 3-wire and about 100 pounds.

 

[Orpingtons Mom]

Yup. I know.

keep in mind too, no kids, left hubby in NY,...so just me and my beloved critters.

 

[Orpingtons Mom]

Bales here are 3-wire and about 100 pounds.

I WANT YOUR TEFF!! It’s great for IR horses.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Yup. I know.

keep in mind too, no kids, left hubby in NY,...so just me and my beloved critters.

Think that may make things easier lol.

 

[casportpony]

I WANT YOUR TEFF!! It’s great for IR horses.

Yep, that's what we have one of our fat little welsh ponies on, that and LMF Low Carb Complete.

 

[Bird_Lover_17]

I'll try to take a stab at budgeting. My caveat is much like the other poster's---a lot depends on your individual circumstance.

With having seven acres, you will most likely need to supplement your horse's pasture with hay and perhaps grain. The absolute ideal acreage formula for horses is 5 acres per horse. Now, that doesn't mean you can't manage on less, but you will have to plan and manage very well. I would try to find some literature on small scale equine management.

You don't live super far from me, so I'm going to guess that hay prices aren't really going to be much different. Look at $4.00/bale for quality horse hay. You may be able to find some cheaper or some for a higher price--but really, I don't want to argue semantics--I'm just trying to give you a base budget. And another rule of thumb is to figure on 100 bales of hay per horse to put in your barn for the year. Now, I always like to have extra and think 200 bales per horse would be ideal.<----that's just my type A personality coming through though.

Some horses do perfectly fine with quality hay and have no need for grain. However, some need a little extra help. You'll find many types of feeds and will have to pick which one your horse needs, if any. I think the more budget friendly feeds cost about $14.00 per 50lb bag. You'll want to feed by weight and not volume. That will greatly help you with budgeting and planning on how much feed to buy. Let's say your future horse eats 4lbs of feed a day--one 50lb bag of feed should last you 12 days.

You may want to keep your horses in a stall during the night, and out during the day--and then reversed in summer. Or, your horses may live out and have a simple run-in shelter. I currently have both situations on my farm. I buy bulk shavings and pine pellets about every 1 and half months. You can get a discount for bulk buying. It's about $370.00 for 30 bags of pellets and 20 bags of shavings. That's for 3 horses that are in stalls.

I prefer the Veterinarian to give any vaccinations. He's more practiced and knows his product like who manufactured the vaccine, where it came from, how it was handled. Vet call is about $65.00 per visit.

Now this is just to give you an idea...your area will greatly depend on prices but this can give you a base trajectory going forward. I wish you all the best and hope you enjoy your new horse adventure!

You're really helpful! (that sounds sarcastic, but I'm not joking!)

 

[Orpingtons Mom]

Yep, that's what we have one of our fat little welsh ponies on, that and LMF Low Carb Complete.

where are you? Please don’t tell me west coast....

 

[TropicalBabies]

They started growing alfalfa down the road from us about a year ago. LOVE IT! Cut the cost and amount of effort in half easily. There are some silver linings, sometimes, eventually...
Of course feeding my little fricken' monster today he gave me his butt and went to kick me.... guess my little sweetie needs some time and attention from mommy.... he he he....
Going to have to put lots of that on your list when considering having a few horses (can't just have one) Everything else goes on the back burner and it's horses rain or shine and lots to learn... like patience.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Bales here are 3-wire and about 100 pounds.

When I lived in TX, Timothy went for $25.00/bale! The Northeast is a hard place to live, but hay sure comes cheap compared to other places. Many farms here make their own hay which keeps hay cost down--you don't have to travel too far for excellent hay. For example, I'm lucky enough that my great uncle lives right across the road and makes superior hay. Making my own hay is actually a future goal of mine since most of the farmers are getting older and unable to do it anymore. I'm looking forward to being self-sufficient.

 

[TropicalBabies]

We paid $42. for a bale of hay. Alfalfa, Timothy or Orchard... all $42. When we purchase by the 2 ton we pay $13.09. Plus way fresher.