What is the minimum required for owning a horse?

Question

I don't have a lot of money but would like to get a horse. We have 5 acres of pasture that is green most of the year except for summer, would we have to feed it extra stuff, or can it graze for most of the year? Also assuming we get an average horse how often will it need a vet???

Answer 1

Before you get a horse you will need some basic understanding on how to care for it and what tack and kit you will require.
Also before putting a horse out to graze you will need to identify any harmful plants that can poison the horse, normally the horse will avoid these but the danger comes when the plant has wilted and the horse does not recognize the smell.
This site has some fantastic information that you can download in pdf format
Please look at it
http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/AllAboutPets/Homepage.asp
Good luck
Anna

Answer 2

It depends on were you live as far as grazing is concerned. I am in MN and we have a little over 5 acres in 3 pastures. We can support about 3 horses on it over the summer. But we also, and most importantly, rotate our pastures so the don't get over grazed. You also have to take into account that you might have to supplement hay with the pasture in times of drought. Some of our horses do great on only a vitamin supplement in addition to the pasture, but the other horses need grain too. It just depends on the horse.

If nothing goes wrong, and it always does, you will only need the vet out for vaccinations in spring and fall, teeth floating once to twice a year and any other test you need done. Prices might be different for your area, but we spend around $400-$500 a year for this on just one horse.

Keep in mind that if you need your vet out if your horse gets sick, It can be VERY expensive.

You also have to pay for the farrier every 6 weeks, you have to worm your horse, you have to buy tack for it and you also have to have the right fencing, shelter and water source. You also have to buy hay for the part of the year when there is no pasture.

It all can be VERY expensive!

Answer 3

Trust me on this. Horses are expensive hobbies. If you don't have much money, that sucker will make sure you have NO money, lol! I showed reining horses back in college, just have a pet mare now, and they're cash burners no matter how you have them.

Your horse will turn a 5 acre pasture into a weedy dirt lot in no time unless you have some way of keeping him off of it for the majority of the day. It's better to have a barn with a small paddock, and only turn him out for a few hours a day, if you want to keep the grass in decent shape. You'll need to feed him a good quality horse feed in addition to what he gets in the pasture, plus hay when the grazing isn't good. My old mare chows down 10 pounds of senior citizen horse feed a day @$10.99 a 50# bag, you can do the math. I can get a 12% horse & mule for $5.69 a bag, that'd be ok for a younger horse (mine is 25) who isn't being ridden much. I'm paying $7 a bale for grass hay here, it'll vary anywhere from $3.50 a bale upwards of $9, just depends on where you are. Unless your pasture is green with primarily grass and not just weeds, you're gonna need to supply hay.

You can expect to take him to the vet at least once a year for shots, checkup, etc. You can also expect to take him to the vet at 2 am, Saturday night, when he gets out and gets into the bag of feed and winds up colicing on you, or when he manages to stick a T post up his nose and require 14 stitches right up the nostril (one of mine did that).

You'll also need to figure out what shoeing will run, that'll need to be done every 6-8 weeks, expect to pay from $35 to $60 depending on where you live. Dewormers run around $8 for Ivermectrin or some other Zimectrin knockoff, you'll need to do that about once a month.

Can't even get a cheap bridle for under $30 any more, and a decent saddle will run you $250 up for used.

Answer 4

Owning a horse is expensive, whether you board at home or off premises. First, take a look at your pasture. Is it mostly grass or is there a good mixture of weeds and other plants? Some plants are toxic to horses, so you'll want to rid the pasture of these. Also, it's important to note that horses unaccustomed to pasture living can fall seriously ill unless they are gradually weaned onto grass. Founder or laminitis can occur from the sudden influx in sugars found in green grass. Five acres will probably not last you most of the year, either. You would have to feed supplemental hay and probably some form of grain. Hay prices vary by location, but most growers prefer to sell in bulk rather than by the bale. Grain is usually sold either in bulk or by the bag (50 pounds is the normal weight). A bag can go for anywhere from $5.00 a bag to over $15. You need to look at what the horse is currently eating, as switching feeds suddenly and without a period of mixing the two grains together can result in a colic case.

Horses need vaccinations usually once or twice a year. The fees can range anywhere from $100 to $200 a year for all your vaccinations. You'll want to at least make sure you have your rabies, coggins, EHV, strangles, and whatever else your vet recommends. Remember also that all horses, especially those in pasture, require monthly or bi-monthly deworming. This can be done as a paste or a pellet. You need to rotate the type of active ingredient in the wormer at least every other worming.

You also need to be aware of the weather conditions. Horses in pasture still need some kind of shelter, either in the form of a barn or at least a run-in shed to protect against the worst wind, rain, sun, and snow. The shelter must be designed for horses, and it should be neat and safe. You also need to look at the type of fencing you have. Barbed wire is not an acceptable equine fence. Split rail or electric wiring is best.

I highly recommend if you are unfamiliar with horses (meaning you've only worked with them in passing or not at all) that you don't keep your horse on your property, at least not yet. Board it at a facility and see how the barn managers and stable hands run things. That should give you an idea of what you need to do to safely keep a horse at home. You may also want to check out the book Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage: Facilities Design and Management
by Cherry Hill. This has some great ideas and resources for potential horse owners who want to keep their animals at home.

Also remember that horses are social animals. They don't fare well on their own. If you don't want to own more than one horse, I highly recommend at least having a goat or two to keep your horse company. Depression CAN affect horses, especially when they're isolated.

Answer 5

Yes a horse needs other nutrients other than grazing. If left to graze for long periods of time they can founder. Most vaccines and worming meds can be purchased at any farm store, although if you do not have much experience with horses I would suggest having a vet walk you through the process for your first year. An average vet visit is anually, although if left to graze, ungroomed, and unvaccinated those visits are sure to be higher. 5 acres is enough for 1 for one horse provided they have shelter, shade, water, and dangerous objects removed. Good luck, Horses are a God Sent so please treat them as though......

Answer 6

Do not allow a Horse to overfeed on grass because they can get bot bellied ,give them fresh hay bails as an extra, plus a good quality horse food from a supplier, vet checks are expensive so take out horse insurance to cover any health issues check-ups etc, you can also insure against accidents, stolen tack and numerous other problems connected to horse keeping.Enjoy your new horse whether he or she.

Answer 7

horses r expensive if you are broke do not get one. yur horse could just collic or get sick at any minute and that's any where from 300 to10,000 dollars right there. and people do not like people who do not take care of there horse money is no excuse after u get him because u were broke when u got him. just for riding gear about 900 at the least it can cost 9,000 dollars if u want nice stuff. my saddle cost about two thousand alone. and then you need a barn,grain,winter blankets,buckets,coggins,worming,all the shots to many to name. horses r expensive so unless u r finally secure do not get one until you are.