Need to know expenses for horse.?

Question

I need to know the overal expense for keeping a horse for a year.

We have land, but I need to know what it would be to put up about one-half acer of electric fence.

Answer 1

Ferrier Bill:
Shoes: replaced every 4-6 weeks
ranges from 20-50$

No Shoes: 4-6 week trim/checkup
about 20-30$

Vet Bill:
If you schedual a checkup it should be about 40$ if the vet has to make a house call

Spring Vaccinations should be about 120$
Coggins tests are usually around 75$
Flu shot is about 20$

Feed:
Grain: should be 300$/month
Hay: should be about 300$/month as well

Brushes:
soft brush, hard brush, hoof pick, curry comb, face brush should total to about 30$.

Blankets:
Good winter blanket= about 100$
Rain sheet= about 80$
water proofing spray= 15$

you do the math =) its expensive.

Answer 2

It is very expensive to keep a horse.First of all they can cost anywhere from 500 to 2500 dollars.And if u r only fencing in a half-acre....well it might end up being a mud lot in a year or so and u must also get bedding supplies,feed,wormer,shots,vet bills,farrier bills,tack costs, and u must have a good place to keep them and oh did i mention hay? I hope u can afford a horse because their some of the best investments in the world!!! GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 3

1. Cost of horse - this can be very affordable. Can pick up horse at auction for just a couple hundred, from a breeder for thousands, or secondary thru friends/newspaper/networking for a couple of grand.
2. Boarding - check out costs in your area. It can be fairly cheap to very expensive, depending upon the "atmosphere" of the facility. If it is laid-back and modest, can run under $100/month; or if you want the "best" that has all of the perks, can run over $1000 per month. That is why it is good to research.
3. Feed - can be included with the boarding. Or, you can pay for the boarding, then you provide your own feed. Will have to have hay supplemented with grains, pellets, or other vitamin rich natural feed. Due to the drought in Texas, a round barrel of hay went from $20 to over $100, because the hay had to be brought in from Oklahoma, so the costs in transport made it expensive.
4. Vet care. Well, first you need to have a pre-purchase exam from a Vet, to make sure the horse is healthy and has it's special shots needed for transport (like a coggins test). You may want to have the animal dewormed and other such things done before moving to your new place. Pre-purchase exams are set by the doctor and can run over $100.
5. On-going vet care. There are yearly deworming pastes to be administered, other coggins tests if you show your animal, and floating of the teeth is needed. Then there are health needs of both the male and female animals. You need to check the vet for costs for all of those things.
6. Shoeing. If you have your horse in shows, it will need to be shoed to protect it's feet. And the shoeing is done fairly often and can run over $10 per foot. You will need a good farrier, or problems can develop. If you do sports, special type shoes may be required (like rubber or other materials). It's good to have someone check the feet each day to look for thrush, laminitus (spelling off), and other ailments can develop which can harm the animal seriously. If you do not shoe the pet, then the feet will still need trimming, which is very inexpensive, but good to do often.
7. Medical insurance - It is possible to get medical insurance. The company I used was Horse Insurance Specialists out of Pilot Point, Texas. I'm guessing they are still there. Medical insurance would have helped 3 yrs ago when my horse was dying, but I didn't carry it at that time.
8. Liability Insurance - This is good to protect you if your horse causes someone or some property to be damaged. I carried it for about $300,000 amount, and it ran around $150-175 per year.
9. Tack - saddles, bridles, halters, blankets, treats, on & on. These can run very high. Saddles will be the most expensive of the gear. You can find saddles through Ebay if you know the exact measurement of your horses' back, or just go with a local dealer. Used can be just as good, but make sure the "tree" which supports the seat area is not cracked, fractured or broken. You may need an expert to help you with that.
10. Transport - You will need a trailer if you plan to travel with your pet. Get one that your vehicle can tow comfortably. You can get a good used one for under $1000. Buy one that is clean, has clear title, and is in good repair, doors, floors good and lighting good to make it street legal.
11. Shows, Trade groups, Organizations - You may want to join a group of people who support a specific breed of horse, so there will be membership fees. Then there are shows that require entry fees. Call to find the costs.
12. Books - you can find lots of books - and the best place to look is at book discounters like Half Price Books. They don't get old, and information is still good, except for the medical books, which you may want a modern one. Great for reference and help and education.
13. Lessons - you may want private or group lessons. That can also vary. Private costs much more, of course. But group lessons in English, Dressage, or Western are all great fun and a great way to meet people who love horses, too.
14. Leasing - I leased my horse out the last 6 months to someone at the barn who seemed to really bond with my horse. They worked it out with the Barn owner, and my rent dropped by leasing out my horse. That is also a way that you can enjoy a horse without all of the #1-#13 steps above, and still have a great time.

I hope I have been helpful!

022107 5:56

Answer 4

purchasing the horse: free - $150,000 +/- (depends on what you feel like spending)

stabling the horse free - $2000.00 +/- (per month)

vetting the horse (ain't gonna be free unless YOU are a vet!) - LOTS OF MONEY

shoeing the horse
every 5-8 weeks $45 - $200.00 (depending on if they need special shoes)

tack for the horse $1 - $5000.00 +/- (hopefully only a 1x expense)

any supplements $5.00 - $200.00 (nutrionally, their needs may change)

any unexpected emergency vet care $1000.00 - Infinity)


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Answer 5

well we get a bag of feed for about $10 it lasts about a week in a half for a colt and hay is $2 a bale and bedding and saddles and stuff

Answer 6

Cheap race horse runs about $100 per day, so $36,500 per year

Normal quarter runs about $50 per day, so $18,000 per year

Answer 7

it cost a lot food bedding a decent place to stay some1 to ride him ferrier cost doctors cost and much more

Answer 8

The overall expense varies according to what you do with your horse and where you live. For instance, I was looking over some of the figures posted by the other users, and they varied quite drastically to what I pay for my horse. But, here's a range of what you might expect to pay:

Purchase price: You can find horses for as cheap as a couple hundred dollars and expensive enough to reach well into the six figures (and beyond). But, your average riding horse capable of attending shows and versatile enough to pursue your goals might run you anywhere from three to ten thousand dollars depending on where you live. Horses that would cost five thousand dollars in New England go for two in parts of the Midwest.

Board: Monthly rates vary depending on where you are and the barn's amenities. If you're in a cold area, expect to pay more for a place with an indoor ring or heated tack rooms. In the Midwest, I saw board as cheap as $200 a month. But in New England and Florida, the range usually falls between $500 and well over $2000 a month. Those in the higher price range are usually considered full service (not just full care) barns. They tack up your horse for you and provide all the bells and whistles. If you can do without such pampered luxury, you can usually find a nice place with well-maintained arenas, stalls, and turnouts for between six and seven hundred a month. Again, this happens to be in areas where horse shows (especially the big A circuit) are common, so everyone has a bit more money to spend.

Vaccinations: You'll want to get a few staple vaccinations (and you'll need to have most of these if you ever want to show or even just board your horse at a public facility). Rabies, a ngeative coggins test, strangles, herpes, etc. are all either mandatory or highly recommended. You should talk with a local vet to get an idea of what they recommend for your area, too. I generally pay about $150 a year for my vaccinations. You should also consider whether or not your vet will be providing you with other services. He can supply you with painkillers like Bute or offer sheath cleaning if your horse is particularly unruly during this procedure (like my gelding).

Shoes: Not all horses need to be shod, but the majority of our riding horses rely on shoes to help them perform at their best. If your horse goes find barefoot, that's great, but their feet will still need regular trims from the farrier. That might run you anywhere from $50 to $100 every six weeks. If you get shoes, whether on all four feet or just the front two, it will cost more. Then factor in whether you'll need studs or pads or correctional shoes. You could end up paying anywhere from $100 to $200 every four to six weeks.

Worming: You have options here. You can worm through a paste or a pellet. On a paste worming schedule, you would orally give your horse the paste about six times a year, or every other month. You need to rotate the type of wormer you use after every other use, so you should be giving your horse wormers with three different active ingredients to prevent the worms from building up a tolerance. Wormer costs anywhere from $4 to $20 a tube. You can also do a daily wormer with pellets like Strongid, but you also need to worm your horse with a paste (again, make sure the active ingredient is different than what's in the pellet) twice a year. The benefit of Strongid is that even though it costs a lot more, it comes with $5000 worth of colic insurance. That brings me to my next item:

Insurance: You don't have to ensure your horse, but I highly recommend it. I pay about $450 a year to insure my horse. My policy covers major medical, mortality, theft, and colic surgery. It's a small price to pay to know I have protection if anything should happen to my horse.

Clipping: If you live in a hot climate, you'll probably need to clip your horse. You can do it yourself if you have the right tools and experience. Otherwise, you're looking at paying about $100 to $200 for someone to do the job for you.

Training: If you have a green horse or one that you need help with, you may have to pay someone for training. This is different from lessons, where you would ride the horse, because here a trainer would actually school your horse for you. This can run anywhere from $400 to $1000 a month.

Lessons/Instruction: I highly recommend all first time horse owners receive instruction from qualified professionals. Lessons can be in groups or private, and the length of time varies. Be prepared to spend up to $50 a pop.

Showing: If you plan on competing, realize now that your expenses will be high. You'll need to have copies of those vaccinations on hand, for one. You'll also need to either pay for someone to trailer your horse out to the show, or do it yourself (so figure on plenty of gas money). If you'll be staying overnight at the show, there's rented stall fees and hotel rooms. If you're going with your barn, you'll probably have to pay your trainer for whatever on sight instruction you receive. And don't forget your class fees themselves. It can be as cheap as ten bucks or well into the hundreds.

Equipment: Horses really are like living, breathing black holes. In addition to the basics (saddle, pads, bridle, girth, grooming supplies, etc) you need to consider the other factors involved. If it's a cold climate, you'll need blankets and sheets. If it's hot, you'll need fly spray, fly masks, maybe a fly sheet or boots. If your horse is an athlete, you'll want to protect his legs with wraps or boots. If he overreaches, you'll need bell boots. You'll need a first aid kit on hand, too. It should be stocked with Bute, linament, bandages, scissors, etc. You will slowly accumulate more horse equipment than clothes of your own, trust me. And it adds up fast. There's no way to give an exact estimate, but check out Dover Saddlery or State Line Tack for an idea on prices.

Horse ownership isn't cheap, but it's rewarding and if you work hard, you can find ways to cut your costs. You might be able to work off part of your board by cleaning stalls, for instance. All of these prices are rough estimates, too. Things might cost more or less depending on your area.