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I’m not at all ready to own a horse, but I love horses so much that I believe I eventually might.
Hello! I am 16, and I have held horses for the farrier, been present for teeth floating, and even helped with a colic emergency. I clean stalls and paddocks, and I’ve turned horses out to pasture and brought them back in. I also feed the horses at my neighbours barn if one of the boarders (or the owner) is away. I have been taking lessons (at a different barn) for almost a year now, but I still have LOTS to learn. I ride this old mare, who has reared when I was leading her. She is also the one I ride outside of lessons, and she has tried to throw me off a couple times. I have only inched a horse once (a well-mannered 4 year old) and have never jumped. I hope this will give a bit of understanding with what I already know :) .
I need an understanding of the costs of everything except boarding, since I don’t really have that great of an idea h please tell me if the pricing is American, Canadian, pounds or something else). I would also like to know some other things that I should learn. (Any other help is appreciated!) I love horses, but I know I’m not ready for one yet.
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Not a horse owner, but one thing I'd like to share is that places like Craigslist, Facebook, consignment, and thrift shops are going to be your friend. Depending on your boarding amenities you're going to need a good bit of starter equipments. Even basics like a halter and lead can cost anywhere from $40-$50 for a decent quality set brand new. Edited at December 4, 2019 08:08 PM by Purple Pegasus Farm |
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One of the most important things to remember is that the purchase price is often the cheapest part of owning a horse.
You'll need to budget money for teeth floating, hoof care (even barefoot horses need care, my horse was barefoot and I was paying $40 ever 6-8 weeks for trimming), and vet work, both routine and emergency. Horses are very good at hurting themselves in dumb and expensive new ways. It'd be cheaper if you had a place to keep a horse at home of course but if that's not a reality for you you'll need to figure in board, too. If you don't board and even in some boarding situations you'll need to figure in feed costs. You don't have to have the fanciest new tack, you can find gently used but quality old tack for much cheaper. Grooming needs can be as cheap or expensive as you make it, you'll need a brush set but there are lots of life hacks to save on shampoos, conditioners, fly spray, etc. You'll want a first aid kit to have on hand...I'd get quality wrappings like VetWrap but some things you can get from the dollar store.
It sounds like a lot and it is, but it's worth it. I'm horseless for the moment but I was a horse owner for fourteen years, and hope to be again someday. But taking lessons is a great start, keep those up so you can learn to safely handle and ride your eventual horse.
Good luck to you, hope it works out for you. |
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I'd say mine cost about 4k each per year, and that's keeping them at my own farm and not including tack, schooling, and showing expenses. You'd also want to have at least a thousand or two in savings in case of an emergency. (NC, USA) |
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My moms friend has a horse that she can no longer ride, and I will eventually get her saddle, so thereÂ’s a start. The barn that I would board at is a two minute walk from my place, and I would probably get a discount. My next door neighbour that we share a fence with also has a barn with horses and has a two acre pasture. My parents would also be able to build a shelter with a small feed room that could attach to their feild. Thank you for all this great advice! Is there anything else I could do differently? And also what are the average hay and grain costs per year? Edited at December 4, 2019 08:31 PM by Sagebrush |
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Trivia Team
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My horses are in my backyard. They have 24/7 access to an alfalfa block- they eat one every ten days, so that's $390 in hay a month. Plus they go through 4 bags of feed a month- $100. Plus 2 bags of beet pulp- $30. Farrier work, I'll say $45 a month ($90 every 6 weeks, actually), vet bills are generally $125 twice a year, but I had an emergency $125 so that's $375 in vet spread across a year. This isn't counting dewormer or supplementation or other costs like broken tack (my TB is a destroyer of halters) or... other miscellaneous items that I'm blanking on. But this is also for two horses- If I just had the TB I would probably be spending about $250 a month on feed and hay. If I just had my pony, closer to $100. So it really depends on the horse and the location. If I had a bigger field with access to grass, I wouldn't need as much hay. If I lived further north, good hay would be much cheaper. Also, my pony gets his feet trimmed three or four times a year. $35 a trim. The TB gets shoes every six weeks- that's $60, just for fronts. And now looking at all the money I'm spending on these jerks is making me sad so I'm going to conclude with: Horses are Expensive. |
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Grain depends on what you buy. All of my grain bags are about $20 USD per each 50lb bag. I have four horses and I buy four bags (each a different feed) I want to say every three months? Don't quote me on that. Either way, my horses don't eat very much grain, so it all depends on what you are feeding.
Factor in any supplements, as well. I get a 160 day supply of MSM for $32 USD and a $17 USD bag of Opti-Zyme (digestive supplement) that lasts one to two months.
Hay depends on the type you get and where you are getting it from. I am in western Washington and buy orchard grass from a local farmer. A 21 bale pack is about $120 or $140 USD (I can't remember which). The hay I get is rather cheap, though. When I can't get from that farmer I go to the local Co-Op and buy a couple bales of timothy for $16 USD a bale.
No matter what, prices will change depending on what you feed, where you are, and what your horse works best with. Anyhow, best of luck to you on your journey <3 |
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$390 a month in hay? Geeze Louise, what is your hay made of, gold? lol
FirstLightFarms said:
My horses are in my backyard. They have 24/7 access to an alfalfa block- they eat one every ten days, so that's $390 in hay a month. Plus they go through 4 bags of feed a month- $100. Plus 2 bags of beet pulp- $30. Farrier work, I'll say $45 a month ($90 every 6 weeks, actually), vet bills are generally $125 twice a year, but I had an emergency $125 so that's $375 in vet spread across a year. This isn't counting dewormer or supplementation or other costs like broken tack (my TB is a destroyer of halters) or... other miscellaneous items that I'm blanking on. But this is also for two horses- If I just had the TB I would probably be spending about $250 a month on feed and hay. If I just had my pony, closer to $100. So it really depends on the horse and the location. If I had a bigger field with access to grass, I wouldn't need as much hay. If I lived further north, good hay would be much cheaper. Also, my pony gets his feet trimmed three or four times a year. $35 a trim. The TB gets shoes every six weeks- that's $60, just for fronts. And now looking at all the money I'm spending on these jerks is making me sad so I'm going to conclude with: Horses are Expensive.
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I have shetland ponies and I find them relatively cheap. My feed bill including grain/pellets is around $200 a month for 5 ponies, I usually get 6 weeks to a round bale. You would probably get 2-3 weeks out of a round bale if your full sized horse is left to eat it when he feels like it, or using hay bags you can make it stretch further. I pay $50 every 6 weeks per barefoot trim (I get 2-3 trims every time the farrier comes - my show ponies get trimmed more often then the paddock broodmares and stallion etc), $20 every 3 months on worming. I have no emergency savings BUT I have access to Vetpay and a credit card if things go pear shaped. |
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Thank you all! Is there anything else I should learn to do? |
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Warming, with Sleet and Heavy Icing
