# How much do you spend per year on your horse?



## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

OK, I'm not ready to jump into getting horses yet. But my kids, especially my daughter, is bonkers to get one.

We've got room and a setup at home that already makes it an option. And, obviously my cost for a horse's or horses could vary significantly.

I spent years around horses as a kid. My parents never could get me my own, but I got some lessons, and horse camp and some competitions. But, I had friends with horses and worked at stables and volunteered at a horse rescue for years and years Learnong to care for them and ride.

Really haven't messed with them hands on much since getting married and raising kids.

What I don't have much experience with is managing the average annual costs of care, feed, vets, etc.

Not too worried about the costs of competing or travelling. Have a stock trailer already though, and my vet is a half mile away down our country road.

If I can get a reasonable estimate for averag costs and making it work, I'm not opposed to doing it. I'd probably just let my kids have it to spend time with at home. My grandparents raised horses for several years and kept it low key with their kids. They girls learned to ride vareback with a halter or hackamore on everything before they even messed with bridles and saddles, and it really did reach my mom a lot of great horsemanship skills.

There's a stable nearby that offered lessons and training too. And, a good size group of locals who are horse folks.

So, would y'all mind throwing some numbers at me?

Also got any recommendations for what age is too risky to take a deal on?

I never cared what type of horse I worked with as a kid. So i was around several breeds, several types of trained horses, and several with major illnesses and pwrmenant injuries.

If we're gonna attempt this in the next year or two, if the numbers look manageable, then I need to zero in on some breed and age range before I just randomly check anything advertised for health, training, and temperament.

Thanks all.


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## TheFarmerMommy (Mar 21, 2014)

Bwahaha!!!!!!!! Oh, wait. You wanted a concrete figure? I always hear people saying that horses are only as expensive as you make them. And that is partially true. Average stall board in this area is $550-750. A couple barns with ,Olympic trainers run $3500 a month. 

Obviously, you reduce your costs by having the horses at your place. I've ridden most of my life and also drive draft horses. I manage an 18 horse barn for my kids' trainer when she and her family want to go out of town. They have a stallion and several mustangs that board that are kind of edgy. I'm comfortable handling them. But I typically go for much less horse when I keep one at home than I would keep at a training barn. My last riding horse was an 18 year old TB that I got free because he needed something easier than being a staff horse for the hunt. I had to sell a good team of drafts because one was difficult to handle on the ground. My girls were babies at the time and I just didn't have the time to do enough work to keep those two geldings honest. Subsequent drafts have been older and semi-retired. I just used them to drive around the property. 

I of course incurred higher maintenance costs to keep the older guys going. They needed grain where other horses probably wouldn't have. More vet calls and specialized farrier care. I wintered a large draft, two large warm bloods and a pony this past winter. As someone who makes their living farming, I found I got hit twice financially with them. They need better hay than a ruminant. And with the size of the 3 horses & the unrelenting cold and ice, I was spending $300 on hay every two weeks. Plus, they displace the animals that make me money from precious pasture space. For example, I use electronet around my poultry. I watched the feeder steer come up and exam the netting intently from 10 feet away. I swear they were daring each other to touch it! But they just walked away and never went near it again. A horse probably would have stuck it's foot through, gotten stuck, panicked and pulled back so hard it ripped it's leg off. Lol

They're also more time-consuming to manage than any other animal I can think of. You'll make more vet calls than someone who is really experienced with horses. You'll need more than one horse. You won't have much time to ride after doing all the chores, especially if you have to trailer out. 

I'd really sit down and crunch feed costs, vet costs, farrier costs for your area. Don't forget to figure out how much your time is worth and/or potential loss of income from other areas because of other animals displaced by the horses (if up you farm other animals). Hope that helps!


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Having one horse is cruel to the horse. Horses are pack animals. Yes, I can see the rocks coming at me now for that statement but I stand by it. 

We have three horses. A quarter horse and paint percheron and a quarterhorse/ draft cross.
Hay for 6 months 1200-1800 depending on the year. ( for my three)
Shoes or trimming. 50-100.00 per horse per time
Shots 50-100.00 per year per horse including quick exam.
Oats or treats I spend 150.00-200.00 per year for three horses.
Tack and saddle. 500.00 bare minimum- used tack that will not fall apart.

Fencing/ feed buckets, brushes etc.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Yeah, I agree, and I'd be inclined to get two. They'd also share a barn and adjoining pasture with goats. Plus, they'd have a lot of interaction with the family.

The barn and pasture is close to the house, and the kids and I are home everyday homeschooling, so they wouldn't be isolated from frequent interactions.

I'm not so much worried about the cost of travel or housing or tack. Our needs would be pretty minimal, since my goal would only be to allow my kids to develop some horsemanship skills which are a great experience, bit also could let them decide when they',re kids on our dime, if horses are something they would enjoy continuing with as adults.

Mostly, I bartered my time to work with horses as a kid, so I never fiddled with knowing what feed, farrier, vet, etc ran on average for a reasonably healthy horse.

I don't want to even discuss it with my kids until I have a clue about the range on those costs we'd likely be in for each horse each year.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

painterswife said:


> Having one horse is cruel to the horse. Horses are pack animals. Yes, I can see the rocks coming at me now for that statement but I stand by it.
> 
> We have three horses. A quarter horse and paint percheron and a quarterhorse/ draft cross.
> Hay for 6 months 1200-1800 depending on the year. ( for my three)
> ...


Thanks!

How often do you need farrier service for each horse per year?

And, do you haul them to the vet or have the vet come out to your place?


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Oh, also I have feed questions. I califirnia, almost every place when I was a kid had virtually zero pasture feeding.

So, for our goats out here, I feed almost exclusively pasture for six-ten months a year. In winter I feed hay and grain when the weather is bad and they need the calories for body heat.

I've got about half an acre fenced off I could use just for horses, and about 1/2 - 3/4 acre of another area with grass and some big shade trees I could fence off for additional horse pasture.

Problem is I have no experienc making use of pasture to feed horses so I don't know how much mileage I can get out of that land and what I could reseed with that would be good for them.

Thoughts?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

gibbsgirl said:


> Thanks!
> 
> How often do you need farrier service for each horse per year?
> 
> And, do you haul them to the vet or have the vet come out to your place?


Farrier service depends on location and how the horse is ridden. Trimming can be needed as little as every six weeks.

I have hauled and I have a vet that will come to us though that is not so prevalent these days. You should call your Vet and see what they charge and what they recommend.

My list of costs is the bare minimum and it is usually not that cheap. Good tack alone can easily be 2000.00 and up. There is always something more that makes horse keeping easier and better from horse hitches to fly spray. Salt blocks , treats, a new lead rope etc.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

That size pasture won't last long. My friend bought a place with 30 acres and she put her riding horse in a pasture that is probably just about 3/4 of an acre. I went to visit him 3 weeks after he got there and he had eaten up most of the pasture already (well, about 3/4 of it) down to nubs. They opened up the next pasture for him to work on now. So you will need to supplement with hay.

Hay is going to vary depending on where you are in the country. Feet need to be done every 6-8 weeks, depending on how good/bad their feet are. The vet comes to you in most cases. I also agree that I'd get two horses. Having just one isn't even fun for the owner because you have no one to ride with or keep you company. Even if you got a couple of old babysitters, that would be enough for the kids more than likely.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

My hay guy sells me grass hay for $3 a bale. It's actually pretty good hay for our goats. I've paid more for worse.

What do I need to buy or look for for horses. I don't want them to be under fed, but I don't expect them to be needing a lot of special nutrition to keep up with a heavy workload.

Funny what I remember from being a kid. If somebody had the horses and all the stuff. I was all set and could walk out and knew exactly what I was supposed to do for each one. But, I never had to source or buy the stuff, just had to be trained what to do with it all and practice those skills.

It's like they farriers, I could bring the horses back and forth and play gopher when they'd come, but I don't remember ever paying attention to s hedules. I just did what was on the list for doing each day and that was it.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

I would recommend since you are relatively "green" regarding horses is to go hook up with some of the stables around you, get the kids lessons and ask if they have any opportunity for you to learn about horse ownership there. You need to know not only how to clean a stall and groom a horse but why you are feeding the horse what you are feeding, how to watch for illnesses and injuries and how to be manage your property for horse ownership. You don't want a horse to suffer from ignorance and I know there are people out there who are willing to help a newbie learn the ropes.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Our horses are in a paddock. We let them out on to pasture twice a day for 2 hours at a time when the grass is good. Longer as it get sparse. That ensures that they don't overeat and beat down the pasture. That makes our forest and pasture of 6-8 acres last from May to October/November. If they were on it fulltime it would not last. We have easy keepers. So pasture, hay in the winter, 3 or 4 bags of oats a year (treats to get them in)

Pastures that are irrigated and fertilized will do better. There is also the manure to handle. Lots of manure.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

painterswife said:


> Our horses are in a paddock. We let them out on to pasture twice a day for 2 hours at a time when the grass is good. Longer as it get sparse. That ensures that they don't overeat and beat down the pasture. That makes our forest and pasture of 6-8 acres last from May to October/November. If they were on it fulltime it would not last. We have easy keepers. So pasture, hay in the winter, 3 or 4 bags of oats a year (treats to get them in)
> 
> Pastures that are irrigated and fertilized will do better. There is also the manure to handle. Lots of manure.


Wait - No hay in the summer when they are only grazing 4 hours a day?


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Lol, I think the manure is the only thing that my husband will think will make them worth having. We don't keep much on our place that doesn't earn it's keep, usually in multiple ways.

I think my husband will appreciate more manure for composting. Although, I think he's would like the idea of getting our kids experience with horses. But, if the numbers for what it will cost are going to make it a tough sell for him to feel he's getting the most bang for his bucks.

If I can't swing it to do at home, I'll probably still look for a way to get them around horses, even if it's just working at some stables like I used to. You don't get a ton of riding time, but you learn a lot.

Most of my riding time came with wealthy friends who just wanted to play cowboy. They had horse estates and would buy horses for their stables and had stuff delivered for them. By the time I was a teenager I knew how to manage a stable dcently enough and when to tell them to call a vet, etc. So, they'd let me ride a lot cause I would help clean stalks, groom, teach them how and what to feed, etc and then took their kids out and taught them to ride in the hills.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Annsni said:


> Wait - No hay in the summer when they are only grazing 4 hours a day?


No. Two hours when they are on a untouched pasture. They are happy to come in. They are full and ready for a nap. As they spend more time on each pasture I will extend it to 3 hours late in the season. My horses get fat very easy. Any more than that and they would roll around the pasture.

When I put them on my neighbors pasture 24 hours a day I have to take them off after two weeks. The neighbors think the mares are pregnant.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

Horses are made to graze about 20 hours a day. There are physical reasons for that. Having a horse go more than a few hours without eating is really not healthy at all. Research shows that horses can get ulcers with as little as 6 hours of not eating because of the pH in their stomachs. The pH in their stomach is very acidic (about 6-7 pH) until they are eating when their saliva (which is only produced when they are physically chewing) produces buffers that bring the pH to lower levels which protects the lining of the stomach. I would allow more grazing time (not necessarily 24 hours) or provide additional grass hay in their stalls regularly to allow a proper functioning of their stomach and hind gut.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I agree that 24 hour grazing would be ideal for most horses. However it is not reality for most. My horses are from ranching working stock. Ranch stock bred to work and they got fed twice a day before and after work.

I know my horses. Had these three for 13 years. Same Vet all that time. One was a real rescue. Pulled from the ranch at one year old by the police. As the matted hair fell off there was none underneath at 8 months old. Hardly any feed in months. My Vet runs a herd of 20 to 30 working horses herself. She feeds exactly the same. These horses could not be any healthier.

My mother in law has had horses 50 years. Same feeding schedule. Her horses lived long healthy lives.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Ok- at my place, 6 goats do less grazing down than 1 easy keeper horse. As the ground is soft, the horses get trimmed every 8 weeks. I rarely ever grained my horses unless they were involved in lots of work for an extended period of time. That included breeds from Saddlebreds and Thoroughbreds to Arabs and Foxtrotters. They need a salt lick. Depending on location, worming and shots vary. Floating teeth depending on the horse.
Unfortunately, especially for social girls, what happens after that is what will kill you. The horses start off with coming to you in the tattiest halter and lead rope. So you need a new halter. Brushes. Hoof pick. Fly mask probably. Then comes the bridle, saddle, etc etc.
Then come the lessons, clothes (for both horse and rider), hauling to shows, and all the expenses of that. 
And then vet bills......

I still chuckle wryly of something that just came out spontaneously when a woman stopped by the boarding stable where I kept my horse years back. She asked how much to keep a horse. I said "how much do you have?" People can keep a horse without all that but mostly they spend what they have.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

For two horses...let me see...
* Shots/coggins yearly, 125-140 each.
* Dental Float every other year at best - 225 each
* Hay per horse depends on your pasture. In the winter I spend $22 on a 3 strand Alfalfa, $20 on a 3 strand Bermuda. That will vary widely according to where you live. If you have good pasture for summer grazing, as long as it's good grass, I would just let them graze. If you stall them, then you will need to feed a flake of something every night, I feed Bermuda in the summer, Alfalfa during the winter for my barn horses. A 100 lb bale lasts me 9 - 10 days depending on how thick the flakes are. 
* If you have to grain them, then I would put them on Purina Strategy or very similar. No sweet feed. A bag of Strategy costs 15.99 here. One stop twice a day if stalled, or one scoop a day then hay/alfalfa for night time if you graze them out during the day. One scoop weighs approximately 3 lbs, so divide that by a 50 lb bag to see how many days you will get out of it. 
* Farrier around here ranges from 25 - 45 for a trim, 65 - 125 for a half or full set. 
* Any mishaps, you better have a medical savings account with about 2000 put aside in it per horse, per year. 

Just to give you an idea, I run a herd of 25 horses. Some I ride, some are purely retired rescues. Last year, with a few rather dramatic medical events, I spent 68,173.29 on my herd. That is feed, all medical, all hay, the electric bill to pump water to the barn and run barn lights, the fertilizer for the pastures, farrier, training, shows. Have fun


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

painterswife said:


> I agree that 24 hour grazing would be ideal for most horses. However it is not reality for most. My horses are from ranching working stock. Ranch stock bred to work and they got fed twice a day before and after work.
> 
> I know my horses. Had these three for 13 years. Same Vet all that time. One was a real rescue. Pulled from the ranch at one year old by the police. As the matted hair fell off there was none underneath at 8 months old. Hardly any feed in months. My Vet runs a herd of 20 to 30 working horses herself. She feeds exactly the same. These horses could not be any healthier.
> 
> My mother in law has had horses 50 years. Same feeding schedule. Her horses lived long healthy lives.


All of these horses have had feed only 4 hours a day? I guarantee they could be healthier.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Annsni said:


> All of these horses have had feed only 4 hours a day? I guarantee they could be healthier.


You can't say that for certain without seeing the horses in question. It's not how we do it in the east but that doesn't mean it's wrong.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I'm reluctant to tell somebody else they're doing it wrong or their horses aren't healthy enough when I haven't ever laid eyes on them. There has been mention of vet care and I'm quite sure that if the vet felt they were unhealthy, it would have been addressed. It should also be noted that most vets will tell us that our horses are fatter than they should be. 

Mine are on grass in the summer but this year is starting to look like supplemental feeding is going to have to happen long before fall if something doesn't happen soon. 

Costs can vary a lot by regions but I would suggest that before investing in a horse, it might be a good idea if the daughter spent some time at lessons and a bit of time on the ground and doing some of the manual labor so she can decide if she wants to ride or wants a horse.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

Irish Pixie said:


> You can't say that for certain without seeing the horses in question. It's not how we do it in the east but that doesn't mean it's wrong.


Understanding a horse's digestive system and how it works, I can safely say these horses' stomachs are sitting at a high pH level for a long time resulting in ulcers. Also, without the hind gut getting a constant stream of carbs, the right bacteria in the hind gut are not able to thrive and process nutrients properly resulting in hind gut acidosis. It's really interesting to study equine nutrition. 

Interestingly enough, a horse won't voluntarily fast more than 2-3 hours which is telling. He will self moderate his coarse feed in the wild to 2-3% of his body weight.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Well I will tell my horses that you say they are not eating right.

I opened the gate to the lower pasture at 2 pm, they stayed in the paddock until 3:45 and just brought themselves in now at 6 pm. They self regulated to that 2 hours even knowing they won't be let back out until 5am


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Annsni said:


> Understanding a horse's digestive system and how it works, I can safely say these horses' stomachs are sitting at a high pH level for a long time resulting in ulcers. Also, without the hind gut getting a constant stream of carbs, the right bacteria in the hind gut are not able to thrive and process nutrients properly resulting in hind gut acidosis. It's really interesting to study equine nutrition.
> 
> Interestingly enough, a horse won't voluntarily fast more than 2-3 hours which is telling. He will self moderate his coarse feed in the wild to 2-3% of his body weight.


I think you've expressed your concerns but you're not helping someone interested in a horse for your daughter in any way and you're tearing into someone over horses you haven't even seen. 

It's not something that would work for me and I don't think it's something the OP plans on doing so why not let her get the information she's looking for.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Gibbsgirl

Just so you have some more important info. You can also use a grazing halter to slow them down and keep them on pasture. I don't do this because I live in the dry west where the horse beat down the pasture if you keep them on it all the time.

There is another solution to easy keepers. Straw. Here the grass hay is just too rich to be feeding it to my easy keepers 24 hours a day. Some extra weight is fine through the winter but too much weight is just as bad for the horses. Straw provides them roughage and chewing while not providing the unneeded nutrition.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

All right, so I got another question. Obviously, I'm gonna have eyes on any horse we might consider getting. See where it is. Very likely want to see the horse ridden, if not also actually ride it or have my hubby etc ride it.

Temperament is pretty important. And, I'd be willing to pay more if I could buy two together rather than separately so that I could have them already get along and not meet a stranger horse at my place and just hope for the best.

But, I'm wondering g how much a reasonable vet check would cost me before I sealed the deal. Our vet is super close, which is one of the reasons I'm OK with jumping into this if we decide we're gonna do it. They're really great, decent prices, and super easy to work with anytime something comes up with any of our pets or livestock.
.
So, knowing that I might get a bad vet report or two if I request the vet check them out prior to a purchase, what should I expect they'll check out and how much do you think the range would be for that kind of vet call?

I'd rather waste a little money passing up some poor choices than just hope we made a decent call health wise on our own if it's not gonna cost me a fortune.

Horse prices are all over the place here from what I've seen. Anywhere from free to several thousand dollars and everything in between including trades.

My neighbors up the road have a few hundred. So, I might even try and see if they'd want to deal or not.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Find someone that knows horses and is not affiliated with who you buy from. Have them ride the horse. Beginners even those that have ridden a bit before don't know what bad habits to look for.


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## majiksummer (Sep 13, 2012)

I would say, it depends  

I would plan on having to feed hay to supplement the amount of pasture you have. When my horse was stalled( with a run but no pasture) I planned on buying 4-5 ton/year. I fed straight alfalfa which is quite a bit richer than grass hay, higher protein content, and feed 1-2 cups of safechoice/day. That lasted me till hay was down the next year with a little over a month to spare. If I have enough grazing all summer, like I do now, I buy 3 ton/horse for the winter. Yes it's a bit overkill but then I never have to worry about having enough hay and I have enough that if I'm hauling overnight I have it on hand to take with me. 

Farrier- every six-8 weeks. On prices your best bet is to ask around your area, prices vary hugely depending on area. My vet helps me trim mine as I'm learning to do it myself (there are no good farriers around here and I'm picky) but they don't need done real often because of the pasture they're on. It's very rocky, steep slopes and water is clear at the top and the best feed is clear at the bottom, really perfect for horses to maintain their own hooves with a tiny bit of maintenance help from me. Yours will probably be on the 6-8 week scale from your description of the facilities you have. 

Vaccinations you can do yourself, they're super easy. I pay around 10-15$? per horse for vaccines. Buy them at your local farm store.

Tack, the sky's the limit! I ride in trophy saddles I've won now, but starting out I rode in old hand me downs from my grandpa. You can buy brand new custom and spend a fortune or hit up Craigslist and keep it super reasonable in cost. Entirely up to you. I have a crystal/blinged out set of headstall/breastcollar that I spent 250-300$ on but it doesn't work any better than my plain Jane basic set up it just looks pretty  

Dental work/vet care- my vet is super reasonable on costs, a dental costs about 110$ and I do it as needed. My vet is willing to take a look in there and if it looks good we'll wait till it's necessary. Basic vet care I take care of myself, cuts scrapes etc. I only call the vet when I really need him. If you call every time your horse gets scraped up you'll have expensive vet bills, if only when they're dying then you'll have expensive vet bills. I've found moderation the best policy, if a horse seems a bit sore I ice and rest him before calling the vet, chronic lameness he sees the vet. If it needs stitches call the vet, if it just needs cleaned up and bandaged for a week I'll take care of it myself. It depends on what you're comfortable with. I've always hauled to the vet, never needed a house call. It's cheaper and my vet has a better set up for doctoring than I do. I understand that it's more common to have the vet come out back east? But here you haul to the vet unless you have a big barn full of horses to be seen at once. When I rode cutting horses for a big barn the vet came out to pull wolf teeth on all the colts that needed them done, but they had 20 colts to be done at once!

There're some great lists posted here already to know what needs done, but the only way to get accurate costs for you is to call and price the different things you need in your particular area. I would also second the idea of getting lessons for the kids first, especially if you've been out of horses for a while. They may get into horses and love it, or they may ride 5-6 times and be done with it. Either way will save money in the long run. If they love it you now have great contacts who can point you in the direction of a good vet and farrier. If they don't, at least you know before you put all that money into getting set up


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## majiksummer (Sep 13, 2012)

On performance horses I spend around 500$ on vet checks. That includes X-rays and sometimes scans to check for soft tissue damage. For a trail/riding horse I would at least want to do a flexion test and basic soundness exam. Should be less than 100$ I would think? It's been a while since I've had a basic soundness exam done, I don't remember how much it was :ashamed: DHs new gelding I did my own flexion test and just checked him out myself. He cleared my tests and while I might see if he'll make a rodeo horse, he doesn't have to be so as long as he can go down the trail sound and comfortable everything else is negotiable for him.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

I've got to board the dogs next week, so if we can get to the vet without the kids there listening at pickup or dropoff I'm gonna pick their brain a bit about this whole thing.

And, they're coming out to take care of our livestock when we go to St Louis in sept, so I'll likely ask them to give the barn and pasture the once over and make their recommendations for what needs doing to be in good shape.

I may look into riding lessons a bit. But, nor likely unless I feel like actually buying a couple horses is doable. Don't want to build onto the heavy interest that's already there too much if I'm not sure we can follow through with getting our own.

Besides, with 7 of us here, riding lessons would likely add up quick. My hubby had his own growing up. My guess is if he's gonna sink money into lessons, he'll probably wait until he's got the ones we're buying picked out and then just pay for he and I to ride the ones we bought and get things sorted while the kids spend some time learning to care for them. Then, he'll probably have us help the kids along getting practice.

I really think if we do it, it probably won't be for at least a year before I can make it happen. And, then I think he's probably want to sell them in about four or five years.

I think the point for us would be to just give the kids the experience of caring for them and riding them. But, in about five years we're gonna have two or three that will be college age, and I think at that point he's gonna really cut back on some of our homesteading activities, so we can try and make sure the kids can get through whatever schooling they want with as little lian sent as possible.

We're kinda planning to cut back a lot then, family trips, etc. Cause the last two kids will be joining the college age ran km s shortly after the oldest two should be hopefully finished up.

Now, does seem like the right time to do the horses if we're gonna try and make it worthwhile. The older ones are still here, and the youngest ones are big enough to get a lot out of it.

I really appreciate y'all taking time to throw all thus advice at me. It's helping me get my ducks in a row.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

I didn't mention breed or age. I would probably look for a 9-16 year old Quarter Horse gelding if I was looking for what you need. One that has been ridden many miles on the trail, you don't need a highly trained horse to be a family horse, you just need a good mind, lots of saddle time, and a cooperative attitude. Size won't be much of an issue if you look for a ranch type horse, they are generally going to be either just over or under 15 hands, that is a good fit for most people. 

I would NOT go with a Thoroughbred, though I have many and love them. They can be temperamental and difficult to maintain weight on (some of them are like this, some are not). They tend to have more hoof issues, I know from experience with them. Arabians would be out also I'm afraid simply for temperament issues for a new rider. Some are wonderfully broke, but some are a handful. Most breeds can be said the same for, but for some reason Quarter Horses are just a little more numb or quiet than other breeds and they are more hardy, take more care of their riders, and are generally overall good boys. I have 11 of them, I'm not putting them down by what I said

Good luck! I would advise you to find a good ranch or barn somewhere that would allow your kids to work for some trainer time. Let them do the work it takes to own a horse, then see if they are still willing and interested!


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

About $5000 times two horses. I save all my receipts for farm equipment, fuel, twine, fencing, tractor repair, my special formula omega 3 horse feed, fertilizer, taxes, basically everything related to the farm. I'll be way over that this year, just bought a $5000 mower and spent $5000 on getting my farm truck repaired. Oh, almost forgot the new horse trailer, at $15,000. I must visit TSC at least weekly for nuts, bolts, mower guards, paint, hyd hoses and chemicals. so another thousand there. This year, I'm hauling to a few horse shows. They are big horses and I feed free choice and these two eat 30 700 pound round bales, plus pasture. But they work for a living and bring me much pleasure.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

painterswife said:


> Gibbsgirl
> 
> Just so you have some more important info. You can also use a grazing halter to slow them down and keep them on pasture. I don't do this because I live in the dry west where the horse beat down the pasture if you keep them on it all the time.
> 
> There is another solution to easy keepers. Straw. Here the grass hay is just too rich to be feeding it to my easy keepers 24 hours a day. Some extra weight is fine through the winter but too much weight is just as bad for the horses. Straw provides them roughage and chewing while not providing the unneeded nutrition.


You want to be really careful about straw. It can actually have just as many of more sugar/carbs as hay and it can cause an impaction colic.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

I'm probably gonna have a lot of options for breed. It's ky. Thoroughbreds are out. I exercised some that were going to the track as a teenager when I was the right size rider to stick on the young ones before the jockeys got them. That's too much horsepower, lol.

One thing I was considering was a pit pony. Don't remember being around many when I was younger, but there's several folks around here that have them. I think it's just from them being used in the mines for so long in our part of the country.

My personal experience has definitely been with a lot more of quarter horses and Arabians. Quarter horses were very versatile generally if memory serves. But, I remember I loved the Arabians. They were usually so smart and had such personalities.

I was around a lot of breeds over the years at the rescue, cause they took anything. But, those were the two I remember working with a lot cause there were so many of them everywhere. Ky definitely has a lot more variety, but it's horse country.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Thanks for all the info today guys. It's given me a good JumpStart on processing a lot of stuff I need to get worked through. Don't know if it'll pan out, but I definitely won't get it done unless I get started. I'm gonna have some great questions organised to talk to the vet from this s thread already. And, they may be able to connect me with some other good locals.

I'll keep checking back if anybody has any other info to throw out. Thanks again.


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## TheFarmerMommy (Mar 21, 2014)

gibbsgirl said:


> I'm probably gonna have a lot of options for breed. It's ky. Thoroughbreds are out. I exercised some that were going to the track as a teenager when I was the right size rider to stick on the young ones before the jockeys got them. That's too much horsepower, lol.
> 
> One thing I was considering was a pit pony. Don't remember being around many when I was younger, but there's several folks around here that have them. I think it's just from them being used in the mines for so long in our part of the country.
> 
> ...


Age can make a difference. My all time favorite riding horse was my old Thoroughbred. He had flat races and steeplechased. Very well, I might add.
Had won about $350k in his career. Upon coming off the track, he was trained as an A rated hunter/jumper. He'd also been a staff horse for the hunt for years. He came to me at 18, and was a calm and patient horse. I could put my stepson on him without worrying. Which was more than I could say about the pony. He spooked once in the time I rode him. And it was because a deer almost broadsided us. It startled me too! He cantered a couple steps to the side and then stopped and looked around furtively like he hoped no one has seen him lose his cool. Lol. If a horse could blush, he did at that moment. 

I do agree that QH are usually more on the mellow side. And we had an older Arabian mate that was goofy spooky. She meant nothing bad by it. But I ended up being the only one that could ride her because she would jump to the side at every little thing. I'm not a spectacular rider, but I can stick a saddle pretty well. My ex couldn't ride her, nor could my stepson.


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## majiksummer (Sep 13, 2012)

I like Arabs a lot, like you said lots of personality and very smart. However, those same traits can make them a handful for an inexperienced handler, like kids. I second the suggestion to look into a QH or QH type gelding, Appaloosas tend to be mellow too. Look for at least 10 years old, something quiet and patient. Quite and patient are the best traits a beginner horse can have. As a story to share (and no judging! I was young and invincible and an idiot!) We had a couple horses when I was a teenager that were very gentle, they didn't know a lot but they were kick to go, pull to stop, kinda neck reined horses. But totally unfazed by anything stupid you did. Well my little cousins came to visit and wanted to go for rides, so we got them caught and saddled up. The gelding (named Gomer  ) was big, 16.1 at least. My cousin really thought he was a cowboy and when I went to help him up he said he was just fine on his own. So he goes to step on, loses his balance, and falls flat on his back with one foot caught in the stirrup. And he was about 10 at that point and he freaked out, started kicking and screaming. At that point, on a lot of horses he should have been drug to death. Gomer turned his head, lipped at his foot, and heaved this big ol' sigh and stood stone still till we got him untangled. That's the personality I look for in a beginner horse, that's the type of horse I will be looking for for my kids to ride. Safe safe safe  A horse that when something stupid happens, is more likely to stand and wait for someone to figure it out and come take care of him than he is to panic and get someone killed.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

The day to day cost of having horses isn't a lot of money. It's the emergencies that can break the bank. Be sure to have an _ample_ emergency fund.

I have excellent (too good actually) pasture so feed very little hay from April/May to October/November. I pay $2.50 a bale for 40# bales of mixed grass hay. I need about 300 bales. I feed a premium bagged feed (Vintage Victory by Blue Seal) that is around $22 a bag and I'll go through a bag a week (more this year as the hay has gone over) from December to April. I feed a painkiller/anti inflammatory supplement to the older TB (MVP-DCY) that costs around $35 month, the younger mare gets Farrier's Formula and that's around $35 as well. 

My farrier adores me and only charges $30 per trim. I haven't had a horse that needed shoes since we stopped competing 10 years ago. 

In NY, rabies vaccs have to have a Vet paper trail but I do the rest myself. I deworm every 4 months to 6 months (fecals are clean) rotating product between QuestPlus in the spring and a double dose of Strongid in the fall. Don't use Quest unless you've wormed the horse at least twice, the parasite kill off can cause problems. 

Salt blocks (in stall and pasture) fly spray (a gallon of the good stuff is $50+) treats, etc. all add up as well. 

I've had my tack for years- my western saddle is 40+ years old. That quality now would be extremely expensive and hard to find. I suggest you buy the best used tack you can afford.

Give your kid a good solid base by at least a year of lessons with a reputable trainer at a good barn. Let the trainer help you find your first horses.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Annsni said:


> Understanding a horse's digestive system and how it works, I can safely say these horses' stomachs are sitting at a high pH level for a long time resulting in ulcers. Also, without the hind gut getting a constant stream of carbs, the right bacteria in the hind gut are not able to thrive and process nutrients properly resulting in hind gut acidosis. It's really interesting to study equine nutrition.
> 
> Interestingly enough, a horse won't voluntarily fast more than 2-3 hours which is telling. He will self moderate his coarse feed in the wild to 2-3% of his body weight.


I just have one question for you, Annsni. What is the body scale on painterswife's horses? Thanks.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Irish Pixie, thanks for mentioning the fly spray, salt and mineral blocks and wormer! I sort of forgot those, but it is all added into my yearly expenses. I just bought wormer yesterday in fact. Duh Should have thought about that one!


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

As we guide the unknowing through the costs of horse ownership, Irish Pixie did a good job. But I'd like to tweak one thing. Salt Block. In 99% of the time, that would be a mineral salt block and in 98% of the time that would be a mineral salt block with selenium. Horses might prefer the white salt block and it is a couple bucks cheaper, but the horse needs minerals. 

While I'm up here on my soap box, a horse's stomach is only about the size of a gallon milk jug. Then there is a sharp curve into the duodenum. Easy to understand that a bunch of hay or a wad of grain could clog up the system causing colic. An overly hungry horse might hog down too much dry hay and not enough water and get compacted. Dusty or moldy hay is the most costly feed you can buy. It causes life long health issues and may require a special diet or water soaked hay the rest of the horse's life.


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Ho boy. How much do they cost?

Right now I have two old-timers with practically no teeth, so they each eat about 80.00 worth of Senior feed/month. They each get about a cup of canola oil/day at about 16.00/month. They both need electrolyte supplements in all but the coldest weather - another 10.00/month. And the Bute-less arthritis supplement, at least another 10.00.month. Trims are 40 each every 8 weeks, so figure 20.00/month. 

The vet visits for shots and checkup in the spring, figure $120.00 each plus the dental vet once/year. figure 120.00 each. One gets Cushings meds at approx. 250.00/year, (I won't count this) - a younger horse might not have a chronic condition like that - or he might...

My hay is 'free" done in shares by the local farmer who grows a lot of his beef herd's hay on my place. The barn and fences are built and pasture is "free" but these guys can't eat much of it because of laminitis issues, so are on super short pasture in the summer and supplemented with hay. You probably won't have "free" hay, so figure at least 3.00/bale. A horse will eat at least 1/2 bale/day. so that's 45.00/month. Keep in mind that good hay in my area is cheap compared to most parts of the country.

So...an average month looks to cost about $201.00/month per horse. That's in-line with what is charged up here for board - a decent place would be about $300-350.00/month.

It ain't cheap, and I get by cheaper than most.

On the subject of stalling horses with no feed - sometimes you can get by with it and sometimes not. I've worked horses for long days with short breaks and a bit of feed every couple hours and they seem no worse for wear, BUT also have lived through bouts of ulcers with a few horses that were upset by the least little thing - let alone a couple hours of an empty stomach. Healing a horse that has ulcers is something you don't want to do very often - expensive, miserable for the horse, and time consuming, so something best avoided by throwing them a little bit of grass hay to munch on during pasture breaks IMHO.


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## CountryMom22 (Nov 27, 2014)

I agree with everyone on the age thing. You want a settled 10-15yr. old gelding. You need something that is kid safe, bomb proof, baby sitter type. I would go with the lessons first as many kids interest just doesn't last that long. Perhaps you could find a stable where the kids could work off part of their lesson costs. That would teach them a lot just by being around horses more.

Another route to try might be 4H. When I was a 4Her, our leader taught riding lessons very reasonably, and she started with the until you can groom and saddle up properly, you can't ride thing. It was both motivating and educational.

My first horse was a 16 yr old Quarter horse gelding of Poco breeding who was super well trained, but almost too smart. He was quite an educator, I learned a lot from him but I also hit the ground on a regular basis. I would steer clear of ponies though. Most are spoiled and opinionated and will take advantage of a green rider. That can be very frustrating for a beginner.

When it comes to costs, every area is different in price from feed to farriers, so it's hard to say. The emergencies will break the bank so plan for them financially.

Good luck with whatever you decide!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I know you will hear lots of various opinions but almost every 1/2 arab/quarter horse mix I have seen has been a gem. I have never had one but have had friends who did and simply saw others over the years. It seems a really good nick and frequently fairly inexpensive.
I have had an anglo arab and he was the most athletic horse I ever owned plus a great disposition. Better even than the thoroughbreds. But I have seen that not turn out so well in other cases. I tend to like the arab stud on a thoroughbred mare better than the reverse. I don't know why but it makes a difference.


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## kjansen (Mar 25, 2013)

We had three horses for my daughter for a couple years. Then she went off to college and I had three horses. She was able to find suitable homes for them finally but it took a lot of work and effort on her part. Think about how long horses live and what you will do with the animals once your children have grown. 

Based only on my own experiences with buying horses for my child, I would suggest you share board a horse at the nearby stable you mentioned (if they offer share boarding). You pay for all or part of a particular horse's board in exchange for the ability to ride that horse as if you owned it outright (or on a schedule where you share it with another boarder). It will also allow your child / children to participate in the work of owning a horse. This might allow you to determine how interested they are in the reality of horse ownership instead of the concept of horse ownership.


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## tchofclas (May 2, 2013)

My advice to parents has always buy the best trained horse you can find. If you are lucky enough to find an old timer who has been there done that, it will be a great investment. But the advice on lessons first is priceless, especially ones like the 4h'r gave. Also, we usually grow out of our first horse, but never want to part with it, so an older horse can serve his purpose, be a pasture ornament, but not for the period a young horse would. And in spite of the best intentions, few first horses move on, unless they were a very bad match from the get go, and even then, they don't always go down the road as soon as they should have.
I think it usually costs beginners more to keep a horse, as proper feeding is an art, and until you recognize quickly you are over/underfeeding, it costs more to rectify it.
Just a couple of comments on the feeding thing. I took a horse to University of Guelph to have melanomas removed. They took her off feed night before operation, it was delayed until late afternoon, and they only gave her a bran mash sometime after she came out of anesthetic but no hay. So she was over 24hrs with no feed. No surprise she colic ed.But they still didn't offer her hay. Operation was Thurs. Sun they took a garbage pail of bile out of her. Mon I refused to leave her there any longer. They know better when to eat when they are sick than we do. Gave her a hay net for the 4 hour drive home and she never looked back. Mare would have died if my friends daughter, a former vet student until injury stopped her vet career, hadn't gone to visit the mare and insisted they do something about the colic.
The other is I grew up with my dads draft team. In summer they had about 6 acres good pasture, but had the run of about10, part of which was a point that was lakeshore.They spent their days on that point in the shade with a breeze with no food or water, their choice. Came out to pasture near dusk, stopping at water hole on the way. Pastured all night, drank shortly after daybreak on their way back. I spent countless hours observing them. During winter Nov to April my dad fed 3 times a day, the amount of hay it took them 1 to 1 1/2 hrs to clean up. 8 am, 12 pm, 8 pm, let out for water 10 am & 4 pm. They got a tobacco can of rolled oats morning and night feed, probably a 1/2 lb if that, and they were always fat shiny, and healthy. What works for some doesn't always work for others.


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