The Actual Cost Of Owning A Horse
Have you ever thought about owning your own horse but not quite sure how much it cost? I will start off brutally honest with saying; it is NOT cheap!! In today's blog I will give you a run down of all the things you need to own a horse and a rough estimate of how much they cost. Prices will depend on your area, where you choose to board your horse and what kind of horse you get. Today the numbers will reflect on a full grown horse; not a pony.
Board is where you will keep the horse. You can keep them on your property if you have a barn or a big enough pasture or you can choose to keep them on someone else’s farm for a fee. There are different kinds of board: full board, field board and self care board full board will cost anywhere around $400-$1200 a month. Field board will cost you around $200-$500 a month and self care will cost you around $100-$250 a month. It is important to do research on the farm you would like to keep your horse at so you can ensure your horse is getting proper care.
All animals have to eat just like us. Horses eat about 20 pounds and drink about 8 gallons of water In one day. If your horse is on field board they might need a round bale that will cost about $40-$120 a bale. If your horse is in a stall they will need square bales with flakes; those will cost about $3-$20 a bale depending on what kind of hay you get. Your horse might also need grain or normal feed. A 50lb bag will cost you $15-$60 a bag depending on the feed. If your horse needs supplements you might be spending $15-$300 a month on supplements.
Horses' hooves grow just like our fingernails do but unfortunately you can not trim horses feet with nail clippers; you will need to call a farrier. Horses need to see the farrier every 4-8 weeks. A normal trim will cost you $30-$50 and shoes will be around $80-$250 depending on what kind of shoes and how many they need. The farrier will tell you if your horse needs shoes or not.
Every year we are supposed to go to the doctor for a yearly check up, horses need the same kind of care. If you plan on taking your horse off property you will need to do a yearly coggins test and vaccination. Vaccinations will cost you $65-$100 and they are supposed to be done twice a year. A coggins test will cost you $20-$100 and that must be done once a year. Routine maintenance without emergencies will be around $350-$600 depending on if your horse needs special treatments such as injections. Everytime the vet comes out to your property you have to cover a call fee that will be about $35-$75 depending on how far you live away from the vet.
If you bought a horse so you can ride and potentially show it you might be looking for lessons. There are three kinds of lessons you can do; group, semi group or private lessons are offered but almost every trainer. Group lessons will cost $40-$70 an hour. Semi groups will cost $50-$80 an hour and private lessons will cost you $65-$120 an hour depending on each trainer. It is typical to take lessons twice a week but you and your trainer can discuss this and see what works best for you.
These are just a few things that horses need in order to be happy and healthy. Make sure you do research in your area to see what works for you and your budget. Remember horses are family and we want them to be as comfortable and healthy as possible.
If you have any questions about what it costs to own your own horse or any other questions about riding, send us an email on our contact form and we will help you out.