how much to keep an horse?

Question

How much do horses cost to keep as i am totally in love with them and am considering in getting 1 as my parents are well off xlolx! plz answer asap!!

Answer 1

You are probably looking, after intial costs at about $500 - $1000 monthly depending on where you board and if you plan on doing all the work.

Good luck, horses can be so much fun and rewarding.

Answer 2

hi
i have 3 horses on diy livery meaning i do all the work myself.
This is the cheapest way to keep them but does take up a hell of a lot of time!
Roughly my horses cost over £400 a month, and that is just for the livery fee, hay and straw.
On top of this you have hard feed bills, farrier bills and the dreaded vets bills which can range from a simple flu jab to complicated surgery costing thousands of pounds.
And thats just your on going costs!
You need to lay out over £3000 for an averge run of the mill horse and up to six figure prices if you wanted something really special. Add at least another £2000 for tack, rugs and other equipment and im still probably about a grand of the mark.
AND remember that if you want to compete that costs even more in affiliation fees, entry fees and transport fees. If you decide to get your own lorry then your about to spend another few thousand!!
My advice would be to only get involved if you are absolutley sure you can afford it and not just think you can as it is ALWAYS the horse that suffers when inexperienced people get involved in horses.
It is as big a commitment as having children, and children grow up and can fend for themselves eventually but a horse is ALWAYS DEPENDANT on you to look after them.
Dont want to put you off as they are the most rewarding animals on the planet just please be sure you know what you are getting into!!!

Answer 3

Horses cost a lot of money! Before you even think about buying a horse you need to make sure you are fully knowledgable. There is nothing I hate more than people that go out and buy a horse without knowing the first thing about caring for them! I've seen it happen so many times, and it is always the horse that suffers.

Go to your local stable and ask if there is anyone that wants help in looking after their horse, this way you get the experience without the cost.

Horses need to be fed and checked over several times a day, every day. As I have said to others "Horses don't know that it's Christmas Day, are you prepared to get up at 6am to feed, muck out, etc, even if you don't feel like it?"

Please think long and hard about this, it's a big decision to make.

Answer 4

As you said your parents are well off, well how well off are they? I dont have a horse but I can tell you what a previous so caled friend who had a horse. The vet bills alone were crippling her, then you have the feed which I dont think is very much. The actual upkeep of stables and grooming the horse can be reduced to virtually next to nothing as there are loads of young girls crazy on horses who will muck out the stable, groom the horse and other things for you for free in return for them gettin to ride your horse, again saves you money and time as the girls may be having fun but they are doing you and your horse a favour by giving your horse plenty excercise.

Then If you go away on hols, if girl is mature enough to be trusted to look after your horse while you are away on your hols, then you have a free baby sitter, but give her your contact tel numbers also vet contact details etc.

Not forgetting the blacksmith for reshoeing, I dont know how much.

So apart from vet bills, I think the restcan be reasonably cheap or free, apart fromletting the girl ride your horse, but as I said she is actually excercising it as well.

Hope I have helped, only telling u re a so called friends experience. PS you could make money from your horse by doing horse rides in a field, helps with upkeep.

Answer 5

Ok full livery for a horse will cost you anything from £80-£120 per week. To look after it yourself will cost you £25 per week for the stable but you have to then buy all the feed and bedding yourself (£25)and do all the work, so you will find yourself working for your horse for at least 3 hours per day!

Answer 6

thousands of pounds
in the lifetime of typical horse you woiuld be spending around 40 to 60 thousand pounds
including vets bills tack food shelter etc.

Answer 7

Alot...theres the shots every month....other vet bills....equipment such as halter, lead rope, lung rope, saddle, saddle blanket, bridle (if your planning on riding it) etc....food, hay...it adds up real quick.

Answer 8

£80 to feed and groom plus stable fees , !

Answer 9

£2000 for the basics and as much as £10,000 for vet bills.

Answer 10

First, there's the initial purchase cost, which can be anywhere from $1000 to well over the six figure mark. You'll have to determine what kind of horse, how old, and how well trained you want to buy, as this will effect the price. My little disclaimer here is to remember that riding is a huge drain on your time and resources, especially when you own a horse. I recommend you take lessons first, maybe partially lease a horse and wait until you've been involved in the sport for a year or more before you consider purchasing your own horse. Alright, that's the end of my disclaimer.

Next, you'll have to decide where to keep your horse. Most owners choose to board their horses at a stable under the care of grooms, trainers, or other knowledgeable horse experts. Boarding fees vary quite drastically based on where you live. In the Midwest, for instance, they can be cheap as about $100 a month. Down in Florida or up in New England, especially around the show circuit hot-spots, board usually runs between $500 and upwards of $1200 a month. Board can be either partial or working board, full care, or full service. In working board, the fees would be much lower but you would be responsible for most of the work yourself, including stall cleaning and feeding. In some cases, you might also have to provide your own bedding or feed. Full care board takes care of bedding, cleaning, feeding, and turn out. Full service board encompasses all these things and also provides services like complementary tacking up of your horse before you ride. These are often the most expensive facilities to board at. Alternatively, you could choose to board your horse at your home, but you would have to factor in the costs of feed, bedding, fencing, and more. These vary based on demand and the area you live in. Taking care of your own horse is a great responsibility-builder, but it's also a huge drain on your time. You can't afford to say, "Oh, I'll feed the horses later." Everyday those animals depend on you for their health and comfort, which is why I highly advise first-time owners to board at a facility rather than keeping their own horse.

Once you've lined up your stable, you'll need to find a farrier. Some horses require shoes on all four feet, some on just their fore feet. There's also been a surge in the barefoot movement, but not all horses are able to go barefoot and remain sound. You'll need to talk with your farrier about what your horse requires. Prices can range anywhere from $75 to over $200 every four to six weeks.

You'll also need yearly vaccinations like rabies, EHV (also called rhino), a coggins test, strangles, and more. These vaccinations can cost between $150 and over $200 yearly.

I also recommend that you insure your horse to protect against major medical expenses, colic surgery, and death. Insurance premiums vary depending on the value of your horse. I've seen them as low as $400 a year and upwards of $1500 a year.

You will need to put your horse on a rotational worming schedule, either with paste wormers or with a daily pellet formula. You need to worm every other month at least, and you need to rotate the active ingredient in your wormer so that you're using 3 different kinds a year. Paste wormers cost between $5 and $15 dollars a tube. You might also choose to get a pelleted wormer like Strongid, given orally with the horse's feed every day. You still need to paste worm your horse twice a year with a different active ingredient than what's in your pellet. Strongid, when purchased from the vet, is both more expensive but also comes with $5000 worth of colic surgery insurance.

You need to consider what sort of supplements your horse might need in his feed. Not all horses need supplements, but many need a little help to meet all their health and dietary requirements. This may depend on where you live or how old your horse is. For example, many horses in Southern Florida take sand colic preventatives because the soil has a high sand count. Older horses may need special feeds to help meet their changing nutritional needs.

Next on the list is the equipment you need both for riding and general care. You'll need grooming equipment (brushes both soft and stiff, curry comb, shedding blade, hoof pick, hoof oil, etc.), bathing supplies (shampoo, conditioner, sweat scraper, Show Sheen, etc.), blankets (heavy weight if you live in a climate with snow, light weight for layering, turn out sheet, dress sheet, etc.), fly control (fly spray, fly mask, fly sheet, etc.), riding tack (saddle, bridle, bit, optional breast-collar or martingale, horse boots, girth, crop or spurs, etc.), and much more.

Then there's other expenses like lessons (highly recommended for all first time horse owners) and any show fees if you plan on competing. These can be quite steep. Lessons are often $30 to over $100 for an hour lesson, sometimes cheaper if you cut the time or ride in a group. Shows can be quite expensive because you need to factor in class fees, trailering costs, fees your trainer might charge for on-site coaching, boarding costs if you'll be staying the night, etc.

Horse ownership can cost well over $15,000 a year without even considering the initial purchase of the horse. It can also be cheaper or more expensive depending on what you want to do, where you live, and your horse's needs.