Quote:
Originally Posted by Platapus
Whiskey for your men, beer for your horses?
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I love that song
Most of the advice here is pretty good because, frankly, nobody here can tell you the monthly cost of owning a horse. It depends upon the breed, where you live, what kind of grass is in this backyard, what kind of parasites are around, whether the horse is shod.....etc...etc..
What I
can tell you is that your horse will eat and trample its way through a hectare of grass in a matter of weeks. To avoid that, split the yard in two with electric fencing and move the horse from one side to the other every week or so, whilst keeping an eye on the weeds in the recently-vacated area; they'll move in on the grass. If the pasture is sown with fast-growing, broadbladed grasses that seed early and often, like bermudagrass, you can save a lot of feed money. If it's sown with some kind of runty grass, you'll have to feed every day - horses can't survive on roughage alone for long, they need grains.
If your grass is of the less-than-suitable variety, you'll either have to replant or keep a stock of hay on-hand. Hay is, of course, just grass and you'll have the same choice again: Either get a rich hay with seeds (alfalfa, timothy) or get a lean hay and supplement it with feed. What either will cost you depends upon where you live, which cutting of hay you get, and what the weather has been like. Rich hays range from $4.00 per square bale in a good year to upwards of 10 in a bad year. Lean hays are about 3 to 5$. On average for either, I'd say about $30-$40 per month for hay and feed, but that's in Texas. Oh, and as a word of warning, what you can feed also depends upon the breed. If you give a thoroughbred alfalfa hay, you are going to have a very hyperactive and therefore unmanagable horse.
You'll require the services of a ferrier every six to eight weeks if your friend has shoes (more if he loses one), every couple of months or so if he's not; a single visit costs about $40. It goes without saying that learning to trim hooves yourself pays off. If cost is your concern, and rocky, muddy, or uneven ground is absent, I would recommend leaving the horse unshod and keeping a close eye on his hooves. (and again, this depends upon the breed) Once you put shoes on a horse, it must always have them, so there's no experimenting. You'll also need hoof moisterizer unless you're in a damp area, and that runs about $8 for a can, IIRC.
Parasites are a major concern. If many horses live in the area, or if you don't manage the manure, or both, there will be many parasites as well.
Horses in parasite areas require at least two wormings every 3 months (ivermectin and avermectin, but not at the same time.....ever) and may require additional medication for botflies and other external parasites. All horses require fly-spray, which can be had for about $4 per month. I'd estimate the average cost at about $15 per month.
You'll also need grooming supplies, the cost of which I won't even guess because it is so variable. At minimum you'll need a brush, curry comb, and a hoof pick for a very low one-time cost.
I hope that helps. I don't have enough information to hazard a guess at what keeping a horse will cost you overall, but remember to learn everything you can about your breed, your environment, and the horse itself. Caring properly for horses (and what it costs to do so) is almost a lifestyle in and of itself, and that's to say nothing of being able to train or ride one, so be sure before you buy. And of course, I'm happy to answer any other questions.