the Cost of Owning a Horse

I'm not even try to guess how much you will have to pay for the horse you want. There is so many breeds for different purpose and prices vary from few hundred to millions of dollars. Yes, you read right, some thoroughbreds are tagged and sold annually in auctions for way over a million!

But let's assume that you are considering about buying a pony or a horse for your child to ride. You might find a real "bargain" but in a long run that bargain could turn out to be a very costly mistake! Training a green horse is very expensive if you use a true professionals! Be ready to pay at least $30 a day to keep your horse in training. And it still might not be suitable for your child..

You want a horse which is already schooled and quite safe and compatible with the rider if your child is just the beginner. It might be a good idea to rent a horse first before buying to get an idea about everything involved in owning a horse.

Most riding horses are stabled in public barns and you must pay a monthly fee to keep your horse there. Depending on the area you live and what is included the fee can vary from $100 to over $500 a month. 50 pound bag of feed will cost anywhere from $7-$20 depending on what you will feed. That will last on average horse for about a week. If your horse does not have access to grass pasture it will need about a bale of hay every day. Hay prices vary from $2 to over $12 more south towards Florida you go more expensive the hay is!

Then there is all kinds of supplements and minerals and those can have hefty price tags attached, do the comparison shopping! Some feed has enough added so you do not need to supplement, just buy a salt block.

Then there is costly basic health care. Normal horse should be dewormed about 4 times a year, around $10 a pop depending on the wormer. Vaccinating can cost you $50-$100 each year. If you are in the public stable you need coggins test, prepare to spend $50 at least. Dental care. Normal horse should get a dental float twice a year, anywhere from $40-$100.

Shoeing should be done average every 6-8 weeks, many blacksmiths will charge you over $100! If you want a balanced healthy horse make sure to shoe him properly to avoid any lameness issues. Horses need bedding to the stalls, it all will cost you, straw, sawdust or peat moss depending on the barn and a horse. About $10 a week.

Then there is all the equipment from halters to saddles to blankets and so on. Prepare to spend at least $1000 to get your horse everything it will need if you are starting from scratch!

Shipping your horse is not cheap either, there is companies which will do it but even a short trip can cost you over a $100, longer trips are way more expensive. Unless you of course buy your own trailer. You guessed it, not cheap!

If your horse gets sick vet visit can start from $50 before he even subscribes any medication. So yes, no matter how you slice it, owning a horse is NOT cheap if you keep the horse on public stable and want to have it as an active competitor.

Of course if you live in a farm and have your own barn and a big pasture with grass it will cut the cost down. And if you only want a companion horse with no shoes (you still need to get the feet trimmed!) owning one can be more affordable.

Provide a shelter from the wind and rain and if there is not enough grass get hay. Horse that is not in training does not need as expensive feed or as much of it, it cost me about $100/per month to keep my standardbred happy in the field last month but that was in our own property with big paddock and plenty grass to eat.

Remember that the most expensive tack and supplies are not always the best but if you do own a horse you have to be prepared for some unexpected sometimes costly expenses!