What does it cost to keep a horse?

Factual Questions
1

Any horse owners/lovers out there? What does it cost to buy and own a horse?

Let’s assume the horse is for recreational purposes only (riding), in a temporate environment where winter is half the year and it would therefore have to be fed indoors during that time. Also assume a non-heated barn is available, so shelter would not have to be paid for. A small pasture is adjacent to the barn, so summer grazing could supplement the feed and the owner would provide most of the labor.

For a well-cared for animal, what would this cost in terms of initial cash outlay, yearly upkeep and labor time?

Also, how long does a horse live under these circumstances, and how much of that life would be useful/enjoyable to the owner?

2

First, it has to be fed inside year 'round to keep it healthy. It would also need to be ridden year 'round.
Depending on the breed, just the horse could be anywhere from $800 to thousands. Then there’s tack. That also varies greatly, depending what you want and how you ride.
English? Western? Say $500-$1000
You’ll need a vet to see it at least every six months. Each visit will be about $200. That’s just for well check, and shots. Horses are pretty fragile, so you could have a couple extra trips a year.
It will need shoes every six to eight weeks, between $100-$200 each time.
In winter you’ll need hay as well as grain. You’ll need grain year 'round. I can’t tell you what that would be, it was included in the board for mine.
Board can be anywhere from a couple hundred a month, to thousands. The boarding must include a stall with bedding changes every day.
I’m sure others will be along shortly with more details.
All I can add, is, if you can afford it, go for it. Its worth every penny. :slight_smile:

3

Thanks, Picnurse, for the list of costs. We started this discussion at a friend’s house; a house that has an empty barn and pasture and the question arose, “Why not have a horse?” We were wondering if it would be more expensive to keep a horse or a car. I know, I know, they aren’t directly comparable even if both could be considered transportation. It was more an exercise in cost accounting, since the benefits could be considered greater than raw miles-per-bale vs. miles-per-gallon.

4

If you’ve gotta ask, you can’t afford it.

I suspect that your best bet would be to talk to actual horseowners in your immediate area. The costs and prices for farrier service, hay, grain, training (if you’re asking these questions you’re going to need a trainer), and a host of other variables will swing wildly from place to place (and year to year) in the U.S.

“Reasonable” costs in the Great Lakes region will be higher than the far west and lower than New England–and can also vary by how many horse people are in your locale. If there are too few to support a vet and a farrier, you are going to pay extra to bring them in. If the place is overrun with horse people, you might find some prices lowered by competition (or raised by the éclat of being a horse person).

5

Hi! I’m a barn manager at a middle of the road boarding and teaching barn in Virginia. I also teach riding to child and adult beginners.

From your questions you seem very very inexperienced with horses. I would never suggest that a person with little to no practical experience take complete charge of a horse – I always recommends they spend 6-12 months in a boarding barn where professional, knowledgable assistance is always at hand. (Of course it has to be a good one!). The first year of horse ownership can be scary even for poeple with lots of experience!

Asking how much a horse costs is like asking how much art costs. It can be from next to nothing to tens of thousands of dollars. In most area of the country, other than California, a safe and experienced riding horse can be had in the $2,000 - $5,000 range. A horse like this has a calm demeanor, no major health problems and is experienced in the area of riding you wish to use it in (say, trail rides, or light horseshowing, or whatever). Note I said “safe and experienced.” Many people think that buying a rescue horse or untrained horse they are going to “bond” magically like Alec and the Black Stallion. I assure you, 99.9% of the time, the result in injuries for the rider and permanent “issues” for the horse. As we say, Green+green = black & blue.

Also, horses hate to be alone. Having just one often presents problems. If you only plan on having one for riding, ask around for a “companion horse” that can no longer be ridden (or only ridden lightly) to keep your horse company. Most large barns know of a few retirees that you can get for cheap or free. Or, if room allows, you might consider taking in a boarder to split work and costs. If you do this though, check References! Trust your gut! Horse people are cukoo! It can work out great, or be a living nightmare.

The basic costs of horse keeping, other than the purchase price are hay, feed, hoofcare, Coggins, shots, dental, and worming.

-Hay: varies by region. Horses always should have grass hay in front of them when inside, wherever this is possible (there are some regions where grass hay is not commonly available and the hays that are available are too rich for free choice feeding).

-Feed: the majority of horses in regular work benefit from “concentrates” such as sweet feed, oats or pellets. Some need a lot, others just a little. The ones
that need a lot of feed to maintain condition, are called “hard keepers.” They are more expensive to maintain than the others (some of our ponies get as little as 8oz, once a day, with fulltime turnout). Certain breeds, such as Thoroughbreds and Saddlebreds have a reuptation for being hard keepers. Other breeds, such as Quarter Horses and most ponies, are easy keepers.

-Shoes. Not all horses need shoes, and as an owner on a budget it would behoove you (har!) to seek one that doesn’t need them on all four feet, or all year round (some horses are shod only during showing season, for example). Every horse should have its feet seen to every 6-8 weeks, regardless of what it’s got on its feet. A basic guideline: Barefoot Trim: $25-$45 Shoes in front: $55-$75. All four shoes: $65-$125.

-Coggins is a test for Equine Infectious Anemia. Your horsemust have a negative test less than 12 months old to attend most horse functions like shows, clinics, and group trail rides. In many states, you must have one if you take the horse on a highway (i is also a form of identification for your horse). They usually take Coggins with the Spring shots, to save a vet visit.

-Spring shots. The most common innoculations are for Eastern/Western/Venezualan Equine Encephalitis, Tetanus, Strangles (equine distemper), West Nile Virus, Rabies, and Potomac Horse Fever (eek, I feel like a missed one!). Cost is usually around a couple hundred for the farm call, all the shots, and the Coggins test. Repeat each year.

-Worming: $9-$12 every 6-8 weeks. Ask your vet about a wormer rotation that is appropriate for your area.

-Dental: Once a year, couple hundred dollars. Teeth can form into sharp pointy spikes that make eating and wearing a bridle uncomfortable. Vets can do it, but they’re not usually very good at it.

-In your climate: a waterproof winter blanket. Horses like to be out. A nice medium-weight blankie will allow them to go out even if the weather’s pretty chilly or snowing. Cost is around $125-$200, but it should last several years.

Horses can live years and years depending on the care they get. Nowadays most have active lives well into their 20s. (once upon a time, anything over 12 was considered “aged.”)We have a large pony here that’s at least 37 and still working and feeling good!

I hope these answers have been helpful and not too discouraging. Let me reiterate that I strongly suggest regular lessons for a few months before you buy your horse, and boarding the first months of ownership. This provides a “safety net” against your inexperience and will really help you enjoy the experience. Good luck!

6

I believe this has been addressed on this board before, but I’ll have a go at this since I need to figure out what my horse is costing me anyway.

Sounds like you’re talking about a nice, sound, rideable horse, not competition or breeding material. The horse is going to be the inexpensive part of the equation, because you only have to buy it once. You can expect to pay $1000 - $4000 for such a horse. The main variables seem to be age (very young and rather old horses cost less), breed (popularity varies over time and by region), and training (a well-trained horse, even if it’s not trained in a particular discipline, costs more than a green horse). Coat colors and patterns go in and out of “fashion” - nicer looking horses cost more.

Then there’s the recurring stuff.

Hoof care. If your horse has unremarkable feet requiring no extraordinary care, plan on a visit from the farrier every 6 - 7 weeks. Trimming all four feet runs about $35 where I live. If you ride on soft ground and your horse has sturdy feet, you can probably get away with this. If you ride on rougher ground or your horse has fragile hooves and/or thin soles, she’ll need shoes in front and maybe in back as well. Machine-made, uncomplicated shoes in front bring the cost to about $80 per visit. Shoes on all four feet bring the cost closer to $130. Many owners leave their horses barefoot for the winter. You may be able to skip the shoes and use horse boots when riding outside; these cost about $100 /pair, but I don’t know how long they last with regular use.

Routine vet care - vaccinations, etc. I paid about $250 for assorted vaccinations over the past year, plus another $45 for worming. Plan on having the horse’s teeth floated (filed to remove rough edges) once a year for about $120.

Feed. I’ll estimate here, since my horse is boarded and the cost includes feed, site maintenance, and stall cleaning. It looks like feed constitutes about $100 per month of the cost of board. However, she does not have access to lush pasture and thus needs to get all her nutrition from feed and hay, so this cost is on the high side. If your horse needs dietary supplements (common for older or harder-working horses), add $40 - 100 per month.

Barring illness or injury, a horse can easily live into its mid-20’s and I’ve heard many accounts of horses living past 30. Ponies tend to live longer. Again, barring illness or injury, there’s no reason that a horse can’t be ridden most of its adult life. Older horses are prone to the same joint and muscle problems as humans. An older horse may need additional vet care to manage arthritis, joint pain, etc. and she may be less capable of strenous work than a younger horse.

I’ve decided I’m *not * going to do the math for the full yearly cost right now. I’m going to remind myself how much I enjoy my horse and leave the numbers for tomorrow.

7

I look at it this way. I have a horse and a car. The car costs me a lot less per year to run than the horse does. The horse gives me far more pleasure and keeps me sane in a way may car doesn’t. A car that did for me what my horse does - that would probably cost *waaaaay * more than the horse.

8

Costs vary all over the map, and people have different ways of looking at horse care. For example:

Blankets - Our winters get down to -20 degrees F on a regular basis, and nobody around here uses blankets. The general belief is that if you blanket them they won’t grow out a proper winter coat. There are herds of wild horses all over here that don’t even have shelter. My horses have a place to get out of the weather, and I’ve never blanketed them.

Feeding - No offense, picunurse, but I see no reason whatsoever why horses need to be fed indoors to stay healthy. You want a covered area where the feed won’t get soaking wet in the rain, but aside from that there’s no reason whatsoever for the horses to go inside to eat. Mine never have. Talk to your vet and to local horse owners about what to feed and when. For example, we feed grass in the summer and switch to alfalfa in the winter because it’s richer and it keeps the horses’ body temperature up better than grass hay. We buy very little feed in the summer because we have lots of pasture. Price varies wildly. Good alfalfa is going for as little as $65/ton in Montana this year. A few years ago, my brother in California was paying $160/ton. Salt blocks are cheap, but necessary. Talk to your vet about the right type, and make sure the horse always has a salt lick available.

Vet care - There are some things you can do yourself (worming, for example), but if you don’t know what you’re doing, I’d strongly recommend having vet visits twice a year for shots and a basic checkup (we do one in the spring and one in the fall). Around here, a vet visit generally costs around $100 per horse. Of course, a ranch call is $25 here, and we spread that cost out over a whole slew of animals.

Dentistry - Some horses need teeth floated more often than others. My gelding often goes three years between floats. My brother’s mare went about nine months. Have the vet check every time he/she comes out.

Shoes - Some horses need them, and others don’t. Even if they don’t need shoes, you’ll need to have their hooves trimmed regularly. I know a lot of ranchers that do their own horses’ feet, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you really know what you’re doing. Hello Again summed up costs well. It can be higher if you need corrective shoeing for a horse with foot problems.

Tack - You don’t just buy it once. Lead ropes wear out or break. Saddles can get damaged (my daughter got a stirrup caught on a gate and ripped the whole fender off the saddle). You may need to change bits if one doesn’t work well for the horse. Brushes and hoof picks and saddle pads/blankets wear out.

Grooming - Don’t forget to budget for shampoo, fly spray, and such. If you are showing the horse, you’ll have show sheen. If you’re not having someone else do it, you’ll need clippers for a show horse.

Water - If you have a big water trough, you may want to put a few little fish in it to eat the algae and mosquito larvae. I have a “freeze-free” waterer now, but when I had open troughs I kept goldfish in them. They’re cheap. Buy “feeder” goldfish from the pet shop.

Boarding - Having someone else keep your horse is really expensive, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, it might make sense for a while. Visit every day (or at least every other day) and pay a lot of attention to what the boarding facility does right.

Oh, and by the way, even if you don’t do any of your own vet work, but a book on horse vet care so you understand what the vet is talking about. Don’t panic, though. It’s easy to read a few chapters of one of those and completely freak out. Horses are pretty tough critters, but if your horse founders, you’d better be able to recognize the signs and call the vet - NOW!

Good luck, and enjoy your horse!

9

One thing not mentioned: don’t skimp on the pre purchase vetting–especially if you’re a novice. Pre purchase exams can cost anywhere from a couple hundred to nearly $1,000 depending on your location, your vet, and the number of tests/X-rays you have done. But do get one done. Nothing is worse than having a horse you can’t ride and can’t sell because he’s got a chronic health issue.

In addition to the dollar costs, you need to realize that having horses at home can be a lot of work. A number of my friends have brought their horses home, eager to have them on site and get a lot more riding in–only to find that they’re doing so much work they never get to ride!

Stalls need to be cleaned every day. Water troughs may be okay if you get fish or algae but, if not, they need cleaning. Water buckets need daily cleaning. Horses should be groomed regularly to check for cuts and bumps. You need to be there to catch and hold the horse for the vet, farrier, and dentist. If you have geldings, there’s annual sheath cleaning (which I won’t get into here). Fence boards get kicked down. Pastures often require mowing since the horses don’t eat the weeds. You also need to make sure nothing toxic grows in or around your pastures. You need to arrange for manure disposal. Bedding, hay, and feed needs to be purchased, delivered, and stored. Tack requires regular cleaning. In the winter, you need to knock the ice out of water buckets and troughs (though not if you have heated buckets). And then there are the days you’re running late for work and the darn horses won’t be caught…

It’s not overwhelming if you enjoy it, and many people love doing barn work. But it can be time consuming.

I agree with the suggestion to board for a while first. When I first got my horse, I was panicked every time the poor animal laid down to sleep. I was certain she was colicking. Of course, I would have missed her beginnings of rain rot had my barn owner not pointed it out. You’ll also learn how to treat minor cuts, remove shoes, worm, hose an injury, and wrap a leg. All things you need to know.

I also agree that you probably shouldn’t skimp on the purchase price and get a green horse or one with issues if you’re a novice. Doing so may cost you in the long run for training fees. And the one thing that is almost as bad as having a chronically lame horse is having one you can’t ride because he’s too much for you.

10

Horse owner of 17 years here. Bob the Wonder Pony is boarded out. His purchase price was $1,500. Green broke. I put 10 years of dressage lessons into him, a lesson a week at $35 a pop. Board now is $320 a month which includes stall cleaning, hay, grain and turnout. Since he’s 20, I feed him a senior feed which is not included in board so I buy it–$25 a month, so board is really $345. Shoes every 6 weeks at $90 for 4. He gets daily arthritis supplements–$150 for a 6 month supply. Twice yearly vet checkups–anywhere from $100 to $250. He’s had his hocks injected twice this year for the arthritis–$200 each time. He had a minor viral illness this spring which cost me almost $300 between vet visits, lab work and pharmaceuticals. Every other month wormers–about $12 each. I can’t even list out the tack and other accessories I’ve purchased over the years. I know my saddle was $1,000 12 years ago. Bridle was $200. Tons of saddle pads and leg wraps. Brushes. Helmet. Gloves. Bits. All my apparel. Horsey treats–each week I buy 5 pounds of carrots, 2 apples, cookies. A box of sugar cubes every 2 weeks. The boy eats well.

The purchase price of the horse is the least you will spend. I know I’ve spent a lot on Bob. A lot. It’s trite, but the commercial is true. He’s priceless and I don’t begrudge a cent I’ve spent on him.

11

Or chewed. I ended up switching to metal gates and putting metal edging on some of the wooden structures at my place to avoid having them eaten by horses.

Get a goat! Goats and horses bond quickly and get along marvelously. Goats are great equine companions (especially for one-horse families) and they’ll eat all that stuff the horse won’t touch. My goats are happy to eat poison oak, stinging nettles, thistles, and berry vines along the creek.

In selecting a goat, a wether (neutered male) is your best bet unless you’re planning to breed them. Bucks (“billy goats”) get aggressive and smelly. Does (“nanny goats”) are okay unless you have a neighbor with a buck, in which case you’ll have a devil of a time keeping the does at home.

The best thing about goats? They’re cheap. Depending on where you are, you can pick up a goat for $25 to $100 if you’re not looking for a show-quality purebred. They require annual shots, just like the horses, but that’s cheap if you piggyback the ranch calls with the vet. Most farriers and vets are happy to either trim the goat’s hooves when they need it, or show you how to.

The worst thing about goats? They’re tough to keep fenced. If they get out, they’ll climb up on the roof of your car to play king of the hill, they’ll eat your garden, and they’ll generally be pests. Mine dance on the front porch and if a door is left open they’ll come in the house. Be careful with goats around very young children. A playful goat will knock a toddler for a loop.