How much does it really cost to own a horse?
- Thread starter mama24
- Start date
- Jun 9, 2011
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We have it easy at my place, from May to September we dont feed our horses anything as the have a 5 acres pasture to graze, then from October to April we feed them hay. Our guys are very easy keepers and eat about 1/2 a small bale each a day. Our bales are about 45lbs each and they cost us $1.25.
Basically it costs us per horse per year
$125 year hay
$80 year shots
$160 farrie
$60 wormer
Total of 425 a year per horse
or
$36 a month per horse
I'm feeling really lucky right now.
Of course that doesnt cover the things like halters, treats, emergencys....
Basically it costs us per horse per year
$125 year hay
$80 year shots
$160 farrie
$60 wormer
Total of 425 a year per horse
or
$36 a month per horse
I'm feeling really lucky right now.
Of course that doesnt cover the things like halters, treats, emergencys....
I'll tell ya, our 2 horses cost us around $400-500 a month. The price of alfalfa hay is through the roof right now, and our picky horses would rather starve themselves that eat 3-way or bermuda, which is pricey itself right now. Then the farrier cost of $80-$100 every few months for hoof trims, shoes, etc. Now figure in the cost of the vaccinations. Even when we did it ourselves, it was about $40 a month. Except when all they needed was Ivermectin.
Do I wish we still had them? Yes. Unfortunately we just cannot afford their upkeep at the level it should be.
Do I wish we still had them? Yes. Unfortunately we just cannot afford their upkeep at the level it should be.
Quote:
Here a bale of alfalfa is $25 a small, 90 lb bale.
Here a bale of alfalfa is $25 a small, 90 lb bale.
I'm in Arizona and we have our horses here at our home. A horse eats a bale of hay a week. I feed heavy-my favorite color for a horse is fat 
I don't supplement my horses unless they are really burning the calories. I use my horses for riding and driving. I do not supplement as a rule. I feed good quality alfalfa/grass mix hay. Our bales weight about 110 lbs each and are running about $16.00 per bale if you buy your hay at the local feed store. We buy hay by the truck load and right now it is not much cheaper than the feed store. Our horses are bare foot which requires a trim every couple of months. My bare foot trimmer taught me how to trim the right way so I don't have to call her out as often as most people would.
I am not a big vaccine person except for tetanous because our horses do not enteract with other horses. If they were at a boarding stable I probable would have the standard vaccines. If you have horses who live outside 24/7 with room to move around, horse friends to keep them company and fresh hay and water and excirsize on a regular basis your vet bill will be very low if not zero.
Now, that is the bare bones of it. If you don't look at anything when you go in the feed store and don't look at anything horsey on line and for goodness sakes don't talk to your horsey friends about what they feed their horse and what fly spray they use and if they use fly predators or fly bags or both and what color halter they got for Christmas you can get by on the cheap but don't count on it. But in the long run my horses and chickens are worth every single cent, every sacrifice, every sleepless night, every tear, every scratch, blister and bruise for the last 40 years
I don't supplement my horses unless they are really burning the calories. I use my horses for riding and driving. I do not supplement as a rule. I feed good quality alfalfa/grass mix hay. Our bales weight about 110 lbs each and are running about $16.00 per bale if you buy your hay at the local feed store. We buy hay by the truck load and right now it is not much cheaper than the feed store. Our horses are bare foot which requires a trim every couple of months. My bare foot trimmer taught me how to trim the right way so I don't have to call her out as often as most people would.I am not a big vaccine person except for tetanous because our horses do not enteract with other horses. If they were at a boarding stable I probable would have the standard vaccines. If you have horses who live outside 24/7 with room to move around, horse friends to keep them company and fresh hay and water and excirsize on a regular basis your vet bill will be very low if not zero.
Now, that is the bare bones of it. If you don't look at anything when you go in the feed store and don't look at anything horsey on line and for goodness sakes don't talk to your horsey friends about what they feed their horse and what fly spray they use and if they use fly predators or fly bags or both and what color halter they got for Christmas you can get by on the cheap but don't count on it. But in the long run my horses and chickens are worth every single cent, every sacrifice, every sleepless night, every tear, every scratch, blister and bruise for the last 40 years
Quote:
X2
the only time i needed to call the vet was for coggins test when i went to sell mine and to geld a young stud
we had 9 horses at one time.. sold them and now only have our little mini stud and a mini donkey
I do miss my bigger horses.. but my back said they had to go
X2
the only time i needed to call the vet was for coggins test when i went to sell mine and to geld a young stud
we had 9 horses at one time.. sold them and now only have our little mini stud and a mini donkey
I do miss my bigger horses.. but my back said they had to go
I board
I pay $225/month for pasture board on my 19 yr old mare.
She also gets rice bran on top of the grain that the stable provides. +$40/month.
Board for Pony is $150.
Trim every 8 weeks is $60 for the two of them
Routine vet visit for shots, coggins, teeth in spring was $450 (that was a split farm call too)
Grand total of $5,890 a year
This does NOT include any emergency vet care, maintenance on truck and trailer and competing expenses.
I pay $225/month for pasture board on my 19 yr old mare.
She also gets rice bran on top of the grain that the stable provides. +$40/month.
Board for Pony is $150.
Trim every 8 weeks is $60 for the two of them
Routine vet visit for shots, coggins, teeth in spring was $450 (that was a split farm call too)
Grand total of $5,890 a year
This does NOT include any emergency vet care, maintenance on truck and trailer and competing expenses.
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