Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[rdilbarova]

Glad to shed some light. Some people think horses are a rich person's hobby. If you are one of those new age people who call the vet all the time and have an acupuncturist and massage therapist on speed dial for your horse, then yes, they are. If you show a lot, yes, they are. Tack and show clothes are not cheap. Truck and trailer are not cheap, neither is the gas to ge them to the show. Show entries are not cheap. Tail extensions, trainers and other special grooming supplies are not cheap.... To just have a friend in the back field to hop on and got for a ride, that isn't that bad. I spend more on my birds in a month.

'friend in the back field to hop on and go for a ride' lol.... love it

 

[rdilbarova]

Glad you found her!
I'll add to this. It will also depend if you are getting it just for pleasure or for showing. My nieces' show in both 4-H and Arab shows. When I asked my BIL about how much they spend per horse (not including the trailer and truck payments), he told me about double what Reyvaughn quoted. That does not include hay, straw, or boarding as they are at their own barn and have the land/machinery to produce their own hay and straw. The amount he gave me includes all the fees for showing, riding attire for different riding styles, etc. Gavin's been asking for a horse for a long time, and I've wanted one since I was a child, I wanted an idea of how much he spends because IF we get Gavin one he may show for 4-H.

WOW. I've never been into showing animals, I'm more of a looker at what's on show, but I honestly would never have thought that showing would be so expensive!

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

WOW. I've never been into showing animals, I'm more of a looker at what's on show, but I honestly would never have thought that showing would be so expensive!

I never would have thought it either, until I saw how much was going into it. I've also heard from some of the more intense bird show people that even birds can be be pretty darn expensive, though not nearly as expensive as large livestock.

 

[wingstone]

This question is for those of you with 100+ birds. I have 60-70 chickens (yep I loose count when they won't stand still) 6 geese, 19 duck and a few quail. What is the average amount of feed I should be going threw per week. They don't free range ( well a few hop the fence) and I do throw in things from the garden and scraps from canning (almost daily). I'm averaging about 200# of feed a week. Is that too much, just right or not enough? They act like pigs so I don't know if they are hungry or just have me trained to feed on demand. I only feed them twice a day. There is usually still powdery stuff left in their feed dish when I go out to feed them in the evening.

sounds about right,,,i go thru 250 pounds a week,,,i do ferment feed and add other things,,,,,,feeding a little more than you are but 30 of mine are meaties right now..

 

[Reyvaughn]

Yes, good show tack can rack you upwards of 5-8k per horse. Your show clothes (shirt, tie/rosette, pants, boots, chaps and hat) are another 2-5k. Of course, you can go cheaper if you are in 4-H, but I used to show 4-H, local and Quarter Horse shows. Tail extensions are very expensive and ridiculous in my opinion. Unless you have a horse you paid 8-15k for and it's already a push button horse (very well trained and needs no other training), yes, trainers are expensive. A cheap one is $400 a month and the price goes up as the quality of trainer goes up and the level of training goes up. If you don't know how to ride your horse or need the extra help to keep you and your horse in show condition, then you have lessons. Again, depends on the trainer, but cheap would be around $30-40 an hour.

I'm a back field friend type of person. Although, I do not really ride anymore. I want to, but I keep getting horses I can't ride. I lost my confidence after a few bad spills and haven't found that horse to help me get it back. Mom's mare would, but she's to small for me to ride. Instead, I brush her and mine and feed them treats.

 

[rdilbarova]

Yes, good show tack can rack you upwards of 5-8k per horse. Your show clothes (shirt, tie/rosette, pants, boots, chaps and hat) are another 2-5k. Of course, you can go cheaper if you are in 4-H, but I used to show 4-H, local and Quarter Horse shows. Tail extensions are very expensive and ridiculous in my opinion. Unless you have a horse you paid 8-15k for and it's already a push button horse (very well trained and needs no other training), yes, trainers are expensive. A cheap one is $400 a month and the price goes up as the quality of trainer goes up and the level of training goes up. If you don't know how to ride your horse or need the extra help to keep you and your horse in show condition, then you have lessons. Again, depends on the trainer, but cheap would be around $30-40 an hour.

I'm a back field friend type of person. Although, I do not really ride anymore. I want to, but I keep getting horses I can't ride. I lost my confidence after a few bad spills and haven't found that horse to help me get it back. Mom's mare would, but she's to small for me to ride. Instead, I brush her and mine and feed them treats.

Tail EXTENSIONS??

Wow this all sounds insane from my (an outsider to showing) perspective.
I am just like you though- I just want someone to ride around with when I come home. And I am sorry to hear that you don't ride anymore, you seem to have so much knowledge and passion for horses, you shouldn't give up.

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

Yes, good show tack can rack you upwards of 5-8k per horse. Your show clothes (shirt, tie/rosette, pants, boots, chaps and hat) are another 2-5k. Of course, you can go cheaper if you are in 4-H, but I used to show 4-H, local and Quarter Horse shows. Tail extensions are very expensive and ridiculous in my opinion. Unless you have a horse you paid 8-15k for and it's already a push button horse (very well trained and needs no other training), yes, trainers are expensive. A cheap one is $400 a month and the price goes up as the quality of trainer goes up and the level of training goes up. If you don't know how to ride your horse or need the extra help to keep you and your horse in show condition, then you have lessons. Again, depends on the trainer, but cheap would be around $30-40 an hour.

I'm a back field friend type of person. Although, I do not really ride anymore. I want to, but I keep getting horses I can't ride. I lost my confidence after a few bad spills and haven't found that horse to help me get it back. Mom's mare would, but she's to small for me to ride. Instead, I brush her and mine and feed them treats.

I've seen just how lucky we are that Seth's horse is so well trained, it just stinks a little that he has to stay at the in-laws, but I understand why. Daubber is also a theraputic riding horse, part of why he stays there, and I feel even better about Gavin learning on him. The nieces' are still doing a ton of work with their show horses, and working on getting some of their other's to where they feel good showing them. I know their trainer works with them at least twice a week. They're gonna be at states again this year, so it's paying off.
Although I know showing would be kinda expected from one side of the family, Gavin Seth and I only want horses for trail riding, and enjoyment. Besides we have the birds if we want to show anything, and we should have rabbits in the Spring.

 

[Brittany7]

thx Britt, i have friends there, also were doin a barn roof on Coon road behind you near Biglerville

nice our one friend live on coon road!

 

[nbenevento]

Just a quick update. My broody Australorp stopped being broody after I moved her last night. I should have just built a cage around her in the weeds. Next time I will do it differently. She had already sat on the eggs for approximately 24 hours and didn't sit back on them last night so I will trash them when I get home today. I didn't really want chicks this late in the year anyway but it was exciting for a minute.

 

[wingstone]

Just a quick update. My broody Australorp stopped being broody after I moved her last night. I should have just built a cage around her in the weeds. Next time I will do it differently. She had already sat on the eggs for approximately 24 hours and didn't sit back on them last night so I will trash them when I get home today. I didn't really want chicks this late in the year anyway but it was exciting for a minute.

I wouldn't give up so quickly,,,,isolate her with those eggs she just might decide to sit back down on them,,,,the time off the eggs should not hurt them this early on and considering the weather...I would give her atleast 48 hours to decide.