I want a horse, but I need help!!!!!!!?

Question

I'm 15 and I've wanted a horse as long as I can remember. I love them. The problem is that we live in the suburbs with hardly a yard big enough and I only get around $200 a month as well as my brother and sister.$600 can't possibly be enough for a horse can it. Plus, a lot of our money goes in bills as well as my dad's money. Can I get some help?

Answer 1

You should invest in riding lessons, especially if you don't have any horse experience. (You didn't specify whether you ride/work with horses already or not, so I'm making an assumption.) You should also get some books about horses and read about them. $200 per month should cover the cost of decently-priced riding lessons and some horsey equipment--if you get one lesson a week at $25 or $30, that would be between $100 and $120. If you decide to take up English riding, you might want a pair of breeches, which you can get on consignment. Either way, you should get sturdy boots and a helmet (Troxel schooling helmets are nice and inexpensive, and you can get synthetic paddock boots for a fairly inexpensive price as well.) if you want to take lessons.
Instead of paying for lessons, you could even work at the stable to earn them. It teaches you a lot about horse care, which you'll need in order to care for a horse of your own.
If you have been riding for a long time and you know a lot about riding and caring for horses, maybe you could work out a lease with someone. Sometimes they can be free or very inexpensive if you care for the horse yourself.
I personally wouldn't try to buy a $600 horse. Even if you could find a great horse for that price, would you be able to afford tack, feed, farrier bills, vet bills, hay, lessons, and other necessary equipment? You need feed and hay all the time (especially during winter), tack is expensive, farrier and vet bills are expensive and unavoidable, lessons are recommended, and you always need to replace something after your little baby has chewed/stomped/broken/lost it. Invest in good riding lessons and get to know other horse people in your area. Before long, you may get a horse of your own. It may not be within this year, it may not be in the next couple of years, but when THE horse comes into your life, it'll be much sweeter. I know how you feel about wanting a horse--I've been riding around six years and I still haven't had one of my very own. I've kind of accepted that, though, and I've realized that with college looming ahead in the near future, my back health questionable (Sometimes I'm in pain and can't ride/work at the barn for long periods of time. Sometimes I'm fine. It all depends on how my hip and back want to be.), and the fact that I just haven't found THE horse, I don't need (or even really WANT...gasp!) a horse right now.

Answer 2

your best option would be to lease a horse. how that works is someone else owns it, and you pay a certain amount each month and you can ride whenever you want. right now that's what i'm doing. i used to own my own horse but i had to sell him. now i lease my trainer's horse. i pay 300 a month. it will usually include vet bills, shoeing, and any other things the horse needs. most of the time you'll pay less then 300 but the horse i lease is a very good breed and has a high level of training (i do dressage and jumping). you do not need property to own a horse. it's better you don't anyway. i use to have my horses on my property when i lived up north but now i live in a development and my mom boards her horse at soaring eagle ranch. it's better to do that anyway cause then you will have people to ride with. and never ride alone. if you have any other questions please feel free to ask i have a lot of knowledge about horses. i'm going to be going to germany in feb to a private riding school where i get to train with olympic gold medalists. so i been working at this for a while. (btw i agree 110% with what logophile said. you should definitely get into it before investing in a horse of your own. and being a working student is a great trade. i did it a few times. it's a lot of fun)

Answer 3

You can't just buy the horse. You have to pay for everything else: renting a stable (you can't keep a horse in your yard in the suburbs), getting it a saddle, veterinary bills, grooming supplies, transport, blahblahblah. Horses need a lot of care and attention, and they cost a ton. Keep saving up in case of a real emergency. When you're old enough to buy one, then you can reconsider whether or not you can afford it, and all the costs that go with it.

If you really need to be around horses, try volunteering for a place with horses around. For example, there's a place near my house where disabled folks can take riding lessons, and volunteers get to play with the horses and clean up their stables.

Answer 4

I worked for free at a trail riding school when I was a teenager. I got to learn how to look after them. Brushing, feeding,mucking out stables. Cleaning all the tack and how to saddle them up. And, I got to ride for my efforts. So, I'd suggest checking out the local riding schools first. You have all the fun of caring for the horses, you get to ride and it doesn't cost you anything except time.
And I did get a horse eventually....but I was working full time and I was 21 when I could afford to do it. Well worth the wait. I still have him now. He's 22 this year. I've owned him for 19 years. And that's another thing, they live a long time!
Good luck! And try the riding schools.

Answer 5

You can 'lease' a horse in your area. People who own horses will often lease them out - you pay a fee, maybe $300 - $500 a season, and you can ride any of their horses, sometimes only after you pass a test or take lessons. If you prefer one horse and want to act like its yours, by riding normally you will get $1st choice to ride that horse. Then by the time you are older you may be able to buy that horse when the owners retire it.

Answer 6

Grow up.

Stop trying to satisfy your wants when you have real needs to attend to. When you are on your own, making your own money and have the ability to rent or buy a place in the country, you'll be better suited to care for a horse.

And yes, you can buy a horse for $600 - but that is only the beginning of the expenses. They need farrier care, veterinary care, feed, fly sprays, bedding, halters, bridle, saddle, water, buckets, grooming supplies. It's expensive.

Answer 7

A horse is a big responsibility. There is daily grooming, exercise, and feeding, not to mention vet and farrier visits to pay for, barn space, tack (I presume you want to ride), the cost of training for you and the horse. I suggest you do some volunteer time at a stable to see what it is you really want. We have had a horse for some years It is a long-term commitment.

Answer 8

My daughter put her money away for almost ever, once she had enough money she and I went horse hunting. She had already went to every farm she knew of , she worker out a deal with the owner to work for her board, shots farrier, and shoes if needed, she was beyond responsible and I instantaneously said yes. she was 12 at the time, she is now 15 and still has her horse, and works for every thing she goes with him.

what you are looking at is

Trim their feet, every six weeks is between $25 and $50

Shoes for them if needed starting, $ 60 mine run me $150.00

One bale of timothy hay $8.00 you will need at least 3 to get over the week

Basic fall shoots due this month, the minimum shot, $120
•Equine influenza
•Tetanus
•Equine Herpes Virus I (Rhinopneumonitis)
•Venezuelan Western and Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis
•Strangles
•EVA (Equine Viral Arteritis)
•Potomac Fever
•Others as determined by veterinarian


PURINA MILLS Purina Omolene 100 Horse Feed 50 lb. $12.00
Your horse depending on size will need a least five to six pound of feed a day.

Add in things like wormer, fly spray, feed supplement, you still need a saddle bridle saddle pad, hoof oil, brushes hoof picks scrappers lead shanks and halter, plus the purchase of the horse,

Now that you have all of that you should have at least $1,500 in the bank to cover an emergency such as colic , Founder (Laminitis):

Now you have to add in board for your horse, you need to work out a deal with some one, (O:

Answer 9

ya that isnt enouhg i started the summer with 1300 dollars now im broke from boring a horse over the summer for $200 a month, plus the horse cost 800, with my mom paid for, and we are getting our land ready and my mom has already paid thousands of dollars just to get the tres cleared

Answer 10

Im 14 and I have also wanted a horse FOR EVER!! What I do is work at a barn and that almost helps my horse cravings. My friend is giving me her standardbred, and I am working almost every day to pay for him. You need to think of all the expenses like board, vet, ferrier, and tack.