Horses!!

[ccshambhala]

too many variables to say accurately...
depends on horse (whether or not it is an easy keeper or not) and how much pasture you have (they say each horse should have at least 1 acre of pasture minimum....)

you need to count on worming them every 6-8 weeks ($6-15 depending on wormer)

getting their hooves trimmed every 6-8 weeks (approx $25-30 just for barefoot trim - no shoes)

fly spray in summer (and fly parasites are VERY helpful).... extra hay in winter (and a blanket)

and they really don't usually like to be kept alone (esp so if your time is limited)

I have 2 horses - one is a 22 yr old gelding & one is a 5yr old mini horse. My 22 yr old gelding is probably high in his food intake (esp in winter) but he is getting 6-8 pounds of food a day (that is beet pulp & grain) + hay 2x a day (a bale will last somewhere between a week and two depending on weather for me (and hay is running $10-18 a bale...) - my mini barely gets any food but for that he eats all the scraps and I still have to watch that he doesn't get too much - and he has to wear a grazing muzzle much of the year - so that he won't founder from getting too fat!! I have about 2 1/2 acres pastured - and keep them in a corral with run in shed (off the pasture) overnite and in bad weather.

then there's the vet once or twice a year for shots and dentist (or the vet can do some of it) - figure each visit about $150 at least

and then you have to figure that a horse being GIVEN AWAY often may have problems - behaviorally speaking (can't ride it, doesn't behave for farrier or vet, doesn't like to be caught etc) or physically (bad feet, prone to lame/founder, on meds, sweet itch etc)

you CAN get a gem.... certainly a friend.... but you are wise to do a LOT of research ....

good luck.... hope this helps

 

[college town chick]

Helm -- you're in Georgia; I'm betting our hay bills are waaaay less than yours

 

[helmstead]

Quote:
Oh don't even get me started...

At least they've gone down a LITTLE. I was paying $110 for a 500 lb roll of fescue last year (pasture hay)...now it's down to $60. Still, 3 years ago they were only $25. Squares...they're at $7 a bale for 50 lbs. It's the reason I had to sell my beloved Percheron mare a year ago...her hay bill BY HERSELF was over $400 a month.

We have a hay field in Indiana my BIL harvests for us...hauling a trailer load of it here comes to about $3 a bale, so it's well worth it. We use it mainly for the goats because it has some weeds...but we haven't had the TIME to drive up and get it, so right now we're buying GA hay for everyone.

 

[lorieMN]

actually with the economy the way it is..a lot of the free horses are good horses,just people needing to move to town or like around here,lots of spanish folks moving back to texas and cannot take the horses with..cost depends on where you live and how much you do yourself,here we bale our own hay,900 bales cost us about 200$ in gas and twine,but we used our own backs for labor..you could maybe find someone that would let you help them with the haying and then give you a break on the price..most horse really dont need grain,if you only ride a couple times a week on a trail ride they dont need any grain,hay is fine..shots you can do yourself,little scratches and bumps dont need to be seen by a vet,I see people calling vets for things and all the vet does is clean it and spray with bluecoat or purplecoat and charge a bunch of money when they could have done that themselves..if you can keep them at home you wont need to pay a boarding fee.As for farrier,that needs to be done on a regular bases,my hubby is a barefoot farrier so it doesnt cost us anything,most horses just riding down the road and on trails can get by without shoes,again depends alot on your circumstances and health of the horse..

 

[patandchickens]

Getting started owning a horse is not like just going out and buying a couple chickens or a dog or couple cows or suchlike. To be kept properly, i.e. in a way that is physically safe for them and will probably not lead to massive behavioral problems that doom the horse to a very VERY bad life forever after (and make it real, real hard to get rid of other than by a bullet thru the head), you need to be moderately knowledgeable and experienced with horses.

Just thinking they are beautiful animals is insufficient, unfortunately

If you've ridden regularly for a year or two, and spent a fair amount of time handling a variety of horses on the ground in different circumstances, and have good very-experienced people who can easily come in and help you out when problems start to arise (because they WILL), then it is reasonable to get a horse.

For someone new to horses, the only kind of horse ownership that is fair and safe FOR THE HORSE (not to mention people) is to board it at a well-managed full-care boarding barn ($200-600/month, depending on part of the country - and remember there will be $20-50 per month additional costs for hoof care, vet, etc) while you learn things. Many places you can find a suitable barn to do this at, but be aware that some areas lack a suitable place at all.

Again, I emphasize that horses are capable of doing an extraordinary number of what you'd think were stupid, stupid things, very very QUICKLY, and they tend to learn unfortunate take-home lessons from these experiences or from uncertain or ineffective handling. Sometimes it works out ok, just by luck. Far too often, it does not, not at ALL

Having dealt with a large number of horses that were badly messed up, sometimes incurably or fatally, by well-meaning novice owners new to horses, I have to say that I just do not think it is an acceptible risk to impose on a horse.

JME,

Pat

 

[patandchickens]

One often-overlooked cost of keeping a horse at home is the cost of reasonably horse-safe fencing. The smaller the area you're keeping the horse in, and/or the more it will turn into bare dirt in August, the stronger, more effective and more SAFE the fencing needs to be. Electric is not a great bet as your sole confinement method (works ok inside another type of perimeter fencing though) and is not a good year-round solution in areas with very cold snowy winters.

It is pretty rare that a person can just use their existing fencing as-is. If you have a large (like, 5+ acres) field with page-wire fencing, you might get away with just capping the t-posts and running a line of electric rope along the inside top for visibility/leanproofing. But most people will need to put money into fences, which can add up real quick.


Pat

 

[buck-wild-chick]

A FREE horse is not a cheap horse

vet and farrier bills are the worst.Plus you need the right fence,and supplies.But if financially wise you can afford one...Then heck get one.

 

[CountryMom]

If you are a novice don't get a free horse. I gave one away this year (2008) but wouldn't just give him to anyone. He was a 2 yr old and full of problems in the brain as far as temperment. When I did find an experienced cowboy that needed another working horse I gave him that one. He then broke him and finally sent him off to a larger ranch to work for weeks on end. He even did some round up work after the last hurricane on the coast near Houston. And the guy is paying them to work him. So no, he wasn't free and I and he knew he wouldn't be if he was to overcome bad temperment.

Free horses are not the way to start. Find a barn and start by taking lessons - or a reliable trainer that doesn't mind giving lessons. Then you will know first hand how much a good horse and the upkeep will be.

 

[skirbo]

Quote:
The biggest DITTO! that I can possibly give without taking out an ad on a billboard directly across from your house. :->

Sarah

 

[coopsgirl]

in mass where i am board can range from 150- 800...... that may or may not include hay or care... Turnout... mineis cheap but myhorse only hangs his head where he is at..... i go voer 3 times a day for cleaning feeding etc.. lots of work involved tooo....

if you do need to feed hay bales here are almost $10 i go through a bale evry 2 days, horses eat 2-3 flakes evry feeding except lunch

grain ranges anywhere to 10-20 a bag
worming 6-15 evry other month (6-8) weeks
farrier evry 6-8 weeks (NOT 3 TIMES A YEAR) 60-150
vet bills are about 3-400 a year routine which only incl teeth and shots
supplements?? equipment... buckets blankets brushes saddles bridles...... it never really ends.........
and all this for my easy keeper....

lease or volunteer first...
it is so sad many good horses need homes with our economy but you may be able to help someone out if you do a lease.......
but most free horses are NEVER free........ they could be the unfortunate case of a bad economic situation or just a bad case......do your research and take someone very knowledgable with you..
good luck!