Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Chaos18]

Anyone who has or who ever has had a horse, what do they cost roughly to keep? And how much space to they need, stable wise.

Sorry I'm of no help with that but I hope the kids enjoy there new horse

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Sorry I'm of no help with that but I hope the kids enjoy there new horse

We haven't decided yet. We need to know if we can afford to keep him. A guy that my husband works with has a 7 year old that he's giving away to a good home. He doesn't get along with other horses.

 

[BullChick]

We haven't decided yet. We need to know if we can afford to keep him. A guy that my husband works with has a 7 year old that he's giving away to a good home. He doesn't get along with other horses.

You are killing me.
They are as expensive as you want them to be. Space depends on how you are going to exercise them. I know your kids will want to ride often, so space is less of a factor. Though dimensions are not something I can offer.
Cost for simply owning/caring for one isn't too bad. You can get away with about $150/month I believe. I remember checking two years ago.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

You are killing me.
They are as expensive as you want them to be. Space depends on how you are going to exercise them. I know your kids will want to ride often, so space is less of a factor. Though dimensions are not something I can offer.
Cost for simply owning/caring for one isn't too bad. You can get away with about $150/month I believe. I remember checking two years ago.

He would get ridden ask the time...once he was saddle broke

 

[BullChick]

DH was all for getting Duckling a horse. And my mini cows. Oh well.

 

[fisherlady]

He would get ridden ask the time...once he was saddle broke

Housing requires minimum of 10x10 inside box stall unless horse is out every day (in paddock or field, some area to move freely), then 5x10 standing stall would work but not ideal.

Check local pricing and availability for farrier and large animal vet who would come to your property for emergency treatment. Vet at least once a year, farrier 3x year if you are able to do basic foot care in between visits, more often if the horse has any odd foot problems and requires constant shoes or special trimming.

Find local prices for hay and straw, figure 25 bales of straw yearly per horse for bedding and about 1/3 to 1/2 bale of hay daily if the horse isn't on good pasture. My mom's horses have 25 acres of grazing pasture but still use 75-100 bale of hay a year apiece due to not having ability to graze over winter.

Oats and corn are based on size and exercise amounts, but during winter moms get about a coffe can apiece 2x day of grain mix. So figure a couple hundred pounds over winter.

So cost needs figured on many variables, and they require a lot of work twice a day, every day. Hauling water twice a day (they drink a lot), cleaning stall daily, exercise and brushing regularly. Even overnight trips can create a need for someone to stop in and check on the horse for food/water unless you have a set up which allows access to running water and great grazing.

I grew up with horses, and they are awesome animals, but they aren't cheap (farrier and vet bills in particular) and they are work. Wether they are 'worth it' or not is something only an individual can decide.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

I am 2 weeks behind here, but am wondering...anyone else outside tarping runs like mad with frozen fingers?? Seems as if every year I am still tying tarps in place as the sleet starts....and my family is warm and cozy inside. I am thawing out a bit and have learned to tie the cords onto the tarps while INSIDE. Steep learning curve there for me.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Does anyone heat their coops? Im worried about the girls in this frigid cold. this is my first year with chickens

Don't be! They adjust quite well. Remmeber they have a much higher body temp than us, and have a down jacket on all the time. Protected from wind, drafts, and moisture, they do quite well.

Quote: Cool! Maybe next year I will have a few poults to raise.


She came back! I have no idea where she was, I looked all over this morning for signs of a struggle and came up with nothing. Then, as I was giving them some treats before work, I thought I saw an extra one. So I counted, and lo and behold, the fourth CCL was there! She is the runt of the CCLs that I have, so it just goes to show their hardiness. She is not even full grown, and I believe last night was the coldest night we have had so far.

Wonder where she was hiding! My hubby and I looked for a while last night with flashlights...

Quote: She came back!!!

I was thinking lately about the tiny cardinals and woodpeckers that frequent my woods. If they can brave the cold, our big babies should be fine. And the majority of those birds don't even have a sheltered coop with shavings. Just my opinion.

Good point!

Quote:

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I am 2 weeks behind here, but am wondering...anyone else outside tarping runs like mad with frozen fingers?? Seems as if every year I am still tying tarps in place as the sleet starts....and my family is warm and cozy inside. I am thawing out a bit and have learned to tie the cords onto the tarps while INSIDE. Steep learning curve there for me.

I'll be doing that this weekend, hopefully after the rains stops and it warms up for a few hours.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

We've decided that we're not quite ready to add a horse to our little "farm" BUT we will in the future. We need to get prepared first. If anyone is interested though, we know someone who is giving one away. He's 7 years old and gelded. Doesn't get along well with other horses and isn't broke to ride yet.

So, my babies are in their brooder in the screen porch and It's a grand total of 8 degrees out. They only have 1 heat lamp on the one side of the brooder. The other side is as cold as it is outside. Would you believe that there are a few of them hanging out on the cold side, roosting on the little roost over there? They're more hardy than I thought. They're from 4-7 weeks old!