horses......?

Question

I might get a horse.....but it will cost a lot. How much would it cost to keep a horse. Such as boarding and feeding, taking it to the vet, shoeing the horse?

Answer 1

Prices vary depending on where you live in the country. For instance, out in the Midwest things tend to be much cheaper than South Florida or New England. So, prices may be higher or lower for you than they are for me, but here's a rough estimate.

Board: I've seen board from $200 a month upwards of $1500 a month. If you're at a full care facility, your board should include feed, stall cleaning, and turnout. Amenities like blanket changes, use of a fan, clipping, etcetera may cost extra. Some facilities have a working board arrangement where the cost is less, but you will be required to do some of the work yourself or provide your own feed. Feed rates vary depending on what you buy and how much your horse eats. You can generally get a large bag of feed for anywhere from $11 to $25.

Vaccinations: My vaccinations run me around $150 a year, sometimes more if I get additional boosters. I also have to pay an extra $40 for my horse to get his sheath cleaned, as he gets dangerous unless he has anesthesia for the procedure. You might also want to consider an insurance policy on your horse (I pay a little over $400 a year for mine). Insurance will cover you if your horse colics or gets injured and requires serious veterinary assistance. Also, if you're at a large facility, you can usually split the service call with other boarders. If you're on your own or the vet has to come specifically for you, you could face a steeper charge.

Shoes: Farrier prices depend on what type of shoes or trim your horses require. Horses with shoes need them replaced every 4-6 weeks. A horse requiring four shoes could run you anywhere fro $100 to $250 per visit. The price will increase if you need studs, pads, eggbars, or other specialty shoes. It'll drop if your horse is only shod in front.

Don't forget, if you're a novice, I highly recommend working with a trainer, especially when you first get your new horse. You should also bring a professional with you when you look at potential horses and get a vet check done of anything you are seriously considering buying. All of this will cost you more money and will depend on the rates your trainer and vet sets.

Answer 2

There are a lot of answers for people living on the east coat, however due to your previous questions regarding Montana, I assume you live there.
I live in Colorado, so I think the cost is approximately the same.
Many times you can find a ranch who will board your horse for a lot less than a boarding facility, especially in MT, especially if you volunteer to help with some chores.
If you do need to board, the cost here is usually between $100 and $200 a month, depending on whether you want a stall or are happy to pasture board which is what I do with my horses.
Vet care is minimal, about $100 a year (shots and check up) unless the horse gets sick or injured, in which case you should set up a savings account just to put money aside incase this happens.
Shoeing here is a lot less too, and you would be well advised to find a reputable shoer, which will usually cost you up to $65 every 8 weeks. If you don't ride hard on a daily basis I would seriously consider keeping a horse barefoot, which takes your farrier costs down by half.
Hay right now is $8 a bale, but is much cheaper in summer. One horse needs approx a quarter of a bale per day, which works out that you would about 8 bales a month. Depending on what you plan on doing will determine the necessity to feed grain and how much and what kind.....I usually just feed extra grain when they are working.

Answer 3

It depends a whole lot on where you live. Areas with more horses prices tend to be lower. Also, what you use your horse for and where you ride it will depend on what farrier needs you'll have and how much it will cost. To check your area, i would call around to the boarding facilities nearby and find out what they charge for boarding and what that includes. Decide whether you want full board, or whether you will care for it some of the time and whether you need a full stall or a run in shed or some other option. Feeding will depend on your food choices which will also be somewhat depended on the available hay/grass. Grain can go anywhere from $6 to $12 a bag and hay is highly variable in cost. Shoeing runs anywhere from $40 to $100 depending on your location and whether you have other folks in your barn using the same farrier (making it more economical for the farrier to come to your barn) and what you need done. If your horse can go barefoot at least part of the year you may be able to save substantially. Vet costs, minus any emergencies, are generally low. You'll have a checkup and possibly booster shots during the year and a coggins. Generally I spend about $150 in maintenance for the vet each year which is not much. BUT, if you have an emergency you can bet your life it's always going to be at night or on a holiday and it will cost you a lot of money so always keep lots of money in reserve for such occasions. I've never had a horse colic at a convenient time only at night during the rain, snow, etc.
Keep in mind that when you buy the horse, you've bought the least expensive part and it's the upkeep that will really drain your wallet.

Answer 4

It really depends on where you live. For example, NYC is very expensive. Can't say for sure what it costs, but I know space is a premium.
As compared to where I live, western NY, it only costs about $6,000 a year to keep a horse at a boarding facility for full care. There are other places that are self care and that's less.
All of this does not include buying the horse. That can range depending on what the horse does, and where you buy it.
I would call local area stables to get the boarding fees. You can also call a local vet, or several to get an estimate of how much shots will cost. That doesn't include emergency visits, so you need to plan ahead and set some money aside for that.
Also ask the boarding facilities how much the farrier costs for trims, 2 shoes, and 4 shoes. That will also need to be budget in.
Of course you will need to buy tack for the horse as well. Some horses come with their own tack. You can ask the owner of the horse if they are willing to have that included in the price, or for a little extra, to buy it from them.
Hope that helps, Good luck finding what you need.

Answer 5

Well not all horses need shoeing. My horse does not and she rides just fine. The cost of the horse varies on age and what it knows. Sandy is just for riding, i dont jump or do dressage with her. She only cost me $750. and the vet wont be all that expesive. You need them to come out once every year for vaccination. Thats about $60. Other wise you dont need the vet to come out onless she is sick. Now i do not board my horse at stables but i have looked at a few for riding lessons and boarding was near it so i saw a couple of prices. Some are about $200 some are around $300. That includes grooming, feed and stall cleaning. When you go to buy a horse if the people you are buying them from have the one horse they are selling you can sometimes get the saddle at a very cheap price and same with the bridle, harnece and ropes. That is how we got ours. They arent going to use it so you can get it cheap.
But you can find stables near you on the internet and get directions you go to google type in maps then click on google maps. Then type in stables in (your town, State)
Hope this helps.

Answer 6

it depends on where you live....I live in Connecticut and it costs about 450 for board a month if you do full board whihc has everything included a clean stall, feed, and all that...about 250 for rough board where you buy everything and clean your own stall, shoes about 200 every 6 weeks and vet bills could get high if something goes wrong but for shots and eveyrthing about 300 twice a year......and then you have to buy a horse to which can range anywhere from free to 10,000 depends on what you want

Answer 7

Feed & Hay - $100 per month
Board - $150-$300 per month
Shoes - $50-$90 every six weeks
Yearly shots & Coggins - $150 per year (this is just rountine maintenance)
Lessons - $25-$45 per hour
Training - $400 - $650 per month

There also can (and will be) expenses for trailer, truck, tack, and a lot of other misc things you will need.

Answer 8

First you have to think if you have space to put a horse. It's not easy.
Then you have to think if you can ride it.
Then you have to think if you have time to take care of it.
Then you have to think what kind of horse you would get. It depends on your riding ability and what you plan to do with your horse (competitions, show jumping, races, a walk once in a while...)
After all that you can think about the cost!

Answer 9

i don't know the costs in your area but for my 3 horses i pay
-$150 per month self care board
-$75 per month in feed and supplements
-$60 every 8 weeks for farrier, mine are au naturale, no shoes
-$40 for wormer every 12 weeks
-$150-200 for yearly checkup and shots
-$335 for dental care
purchase price
1- reg. belgian gelding-$1500 w/1 yr professional training
1-reg. qh mare-$600
1-reg. but paperless qh gelding $500
so per year i pay about $3730 for 3 horses, but with horses things happen, busted lead ropes, lameness, etc i would say really i spend more like $4500 per year on the 3 and thats before gas to haul them to shows and not including tack or a horse trailer. average price i have heard was $2200 per year to keep a horse and i think its pretty close. but you also need to have emergency money, things happen and its best to be prepared if they do.

Answer 10

Well getting a horse will cost about $7,000. Feed will cost maybe $10.00 each. Boarding probably $2,000 each month. Vet probably
$50.00, and shoeing $100 each shoe. So alot. Maybe try to make money first! I ride horses and lessons are like $250 every 5 lessons. Your welcome for the advice.