Who has horses?

[Folly's place]

Nice horse! I have an OTT mare, and she's a sweetheart!
We used to have our hoses out there with our oxen, but haven't for a long time. They oxen have horns, and the horses used to chase them around sometimes.
One of my mares tried to kill a lamb who escaped into her paddock, years ago. Whatever that critter was, she wanted it dead!
Do be careful about any introductions you make!
Having the different species rotate through several fields sequentially works very well! They will eat slightly different plants, and also it helps with parasite control.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Always remember that horses look for ways to get into trouble, the more expensive, the better...
Horses living in stalls aren't living a normal life, and get in more trouble.
Mary

 

[IwntSalmons]

I have a TWH. I have had and been around horses all my life. Not sure I'd know how to act if I didnt.

 

[Folly's place]

And it's not going to be one horse because they are social animals and need at least one friend!
Mary

 

[I Love Layers]

Here are two pictures I took whole riding on Thursday

 

[Bunnylady]

I remember a phrase about assessing a foal: "3 days, 3 months, and 3 years." At 3 days, he's pretty much done "unfolding." At 3 months, he will have fattened up and filled out. There may be some pretty awkward growth stages during years 1 and 2, but it should all balance out by age 3.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Every summer I am kind and care for a friend of ours horses.I am “scared”
Of horses to an extent.I actually am able to go in their pen and be calm but I would never go out in my field where they can harass me.Horses read off energy (I had three geldings of my own,I know from experience.),and are super onrey animals.They simply will harass and pick on you if your nervous,they get a joy out of it,best to throw your weight around and not act nervous.They also need training.My friends horses have terrible training.At one point yes they had good training but at this point in their life if you jump on their backs,they would probably go ballistic.
You being nervous can cause them to act up,I have learned this just by being around them,and around animals in general.Sorta if one of my family memebera were nervous about something bad happening,it would probably make me nervous as well.
I follow some farm saling groups and depending on the breed of horse,age,gender and training quality ,they can be exepensevise,but that really all depends on how much money you have, and what’s your definition of expensive.Most horses I see are sold for a couple hundreds.I gave mine away for free because they were old and I just couldn’t spend time with them as I could with my other animals,because I was scared of them and had not trust.

 

[Folly's place]

Like I said, 'horse crazy'!
There are way worse things to be crazy over...
Mary

 

[BreanneRN]

Horses are possibly the most expensive animal that people can own legally... If you have enough land that is zoned correctly you can keep them at home, but that means if you have just one, it will be lonely. They are a herd animal. They do not think or act like dogs, do not necessarily want to please you or be ridden. You will have to earn their respect by proving you are dominant. This mostly means NEVER let them think they are getting their way about anything. And most will subtly test you, trying you in just about every instance of contact. The best ones are the ones that have grown up with experienced people and never been allowed to go wrong, and constantly used. Expect to pay more for that, but also, keep in mind that you will have to maintain that training or it will be "gone with the wind". Expenses are endless. Even if you don't shoe your horse, the farrier will charge $50 every 8 wks to trim the feet. For an average sized horse, a bale of hay will last 3 or 4 days, at 10 to 15 dollars a bale, it adds up in a hurry. Expensive equipment! Eventually, you will want a horse trailer and a truck to pull it. Saddles, pads, bridles, bits, hoof picks, hay hooks, mounting block, endless expenses. Stable maintenance! Horses eat wood and destroy fences. You will need a good job to go with that horse, so stay in school... Of course that good job will take time and energy too, and you may not have enough left to ride the horse at the end of the day (after you feed, clean the stall etc.). The horse not ridden at least 3 times a week (and more often is better) will "go sour" and not want to leave the stable. A horse that is well taken care of and that comes from healthy stock will need less veterinary care, but still, the day may come. Some always seem to get into trouble, tangling themselves in fences, eating wood, or other things they shouldn't. You can't feed cheap or moldy hay as they will colic and sometimes twist a gut. In short, horses are time consuming, expensive, and the work load is tremendous. I was a horse crazy kid too, so I know what that is like. My best recommendation is find another similarly minded person to co-own a horse with, and share the expenses, riding time, and chores. This person should be compatable and knowledgeable. No one these days with a full time job really has enough time to give to properly maintaining a horse in good riding condition unless they cut everything else out of their life, or are wealthy enough to pay to have help to care for them (or possibly have a big family that is supportive and will help).

 

[BreanneRN]

I don't really want to discourage you from your "horse dreams", because I have been there... Just want you to know what you are getting into, so you can be prepared. Remember that most horses have to be fed twice a day, every morning and afternoon/evening. In the event you want to go some place, you will need someone to feed for you and make sure the horse has water. You may have an automatic water, but someone should still come in to check it daily while you are gone. This is possibly something you can do for other people now, to help make money, or even offer to do it free for the experience of getting to know/care for horses. A mentor that can teach you horse handling tips would be invaluable, particularly since you have not grown up with them. Many people who have grown up with them learn to handle them from parents/mentors and it is so natural that they don't even value the knowledge they have. Find someone like that and watch and listen. You will never get that information from a book or a class in college, they will just teach you feeding, diseases, breeds, and the importance of spending lots of money on vaccines, hoof care, teeth floating etc.... Find a stable to hang around, pitch in and be helpful, and pick people's brains. You will learn many amazing things about horses. Remember when you take on the responsibility, that horses can live for a very long time, I have had several that lived past 30, and record ages are 50+. Unfortunately, a horse over 15 or so is considered aged, and a 20 year old horse is a give away that no one will take. End of life issues can be expensive. If age makes your horse too thin (from probable kidney failure), the neighbors will complain and report you for neglect even if you are grinding grain to feed it. Final expenses for horses... Call the vet to put one down? Expect to pay $400+, disposal will possibly be another $300, unless you have land and a neighbor with a backhoe. Remember that prior to the decision to euthanize, you will have called out the vet to find out what is wrong with the horse, so you will be paying maybe a $1000.00 to humanely end your horse ownership experience. It pays to keep that money banked because you never know when you might have to do that. Oh, and make sure you stay physically fit because those bails of hay weigh 100+ lbs and you are going to be either loading and hauling them or paying for delivery. I have done both (paying for delivery is better). But, unless you keep a strong, farm type boyfriend around, you will wind up moving them around a lot yourself after delivery, and worrying about them getting rained on too. Having good facilities, covered areas to store hay/feed, pipe corrals that can't be chewed through, shelter from rain and sun for your horse can help make your ownership experience a positive one.