Anybody owning a horse ??

[Betonov]

An idea that wont leave me alone for years now is me buying a riding horse.
I have a small non-used barn that can be turned into a stable in a matter of days and almost a hectare (100mx100m) of grassy backyard plus living in the country with a lot of riding space.
What I am wondering about is, what are the monthly and annual costs of owning a horse. Counting in the fact that hay will need to be bought for the winter

[AVGWarhawk]

My sister has 4 of them and it is a constant. Vet bills are quit high sometimes. It is not like owning a dog. Everyday it is something to do for the horses. As far a monetary I have not idea what she spends per month. Get grain and oats for the winter. They still eat the grass also.

[Platapus]

Do a lot of reading on what it takes to keep a horse happy and healthy.

Good luck with it.

[Wolfehunter]

I've owned a horse when I was young thanks to my parents. Aside from there high maintenance there amazing animals and Apache was my best friend.

But that was over 20 years ago. Cost now are different than back then. I couldn't help you with prices.

They need room to run and exercise and play. A nice shady place to rest in the day when its hot. Barley & oats, Salt cubes and feeding hay, grass. For treats, Carrots, apples. Lots of fresh water and one bottle of Beer for his birthday. Well my horse liked beer... so don't look at me that way...

If you want to learn then go to a farm that has horses. Learn what you can from them by asking questions and watching. Even better volunteer help maybe you learn some tricks. Understand the responsibility first before taking on an animal that size. Its not a dog. In the end the reward is worth it. Owning a horse was one of my happier time in my youth.

Goodluck dude,

WH

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Wolfehunter

For treats, Carrots, apples. Lots of fresh water and one bottle of Beer for his birthday. Well my horse liked beer... so don't look at me that way...

Whiskey for your men, beer for your horses?

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Whiskey for your men, beer for your horses?

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.

[Sailor Steve]

I can't answer any of your questions directly, but most of the warnings above are worth listening to. I have never owned a horse, but a friend of mine has two at the moment. He also trains rodeo horses for a living, plus teaching autistic children how to ride. And he is a member of the local sherrif's posse.

His life centers around his horses, and from what I've seen, unless you can afford to keep the horse at a stable where they take your money and take care of him for you, you should be ready to do the same. Owning a horse seems to be a full-time thing. They require a lot of attention, as well as all the other stuff.

It's not something you do casually.

[Betonov]

OK, thanks everybody

the problem is with me, that I was once an overweight, spoiled, incompetent brat and this reputation lingers above me like a shadow, so every answer I got from anyone around here was: you're too incompetent to own a horse !!, so I had to ask around somewhere where I am not judged by my past (internet is great).

Finnancialy there shouldnt be a problem, I am to be promoted to a foreman in the next few months and that means a raise and shorter working hours

If anybody comes up with a number, tell me

If anybody comes up with a number, tell me

Far to many varaibles, think of a rather big number then double it for the expected unexpected.

Understand the responsibility first before taking on an animal that size.

Thats he key, money is really secondary to time as they do require commitment especially as you need them well conditioned to enjoy fully.
As was mentioned by Lcpl you will need to stripgraze but also consider the ground conditions as well as the growth since some soils and conditions can change rapidly.
Also on the hay/feed factor remember that weather is a vital element you have no say in at all, it changes intantantly the future availability and quality of hay which in turn pushes prices which in turn pushes on the other feeds.
One note on the farrier side, always have a spare lined up as you never know when you are going to lose the services of a farrier due to their occupational hazards.

If you do decide to make the commitment, you is going to enjoy it immensly

[breadcatcher101]

Had one once, ate too damned much. Sold it and got a dirt bike instead.

After all when you think about it, the only reason they used horse in the old west is because they didn't have dirt bikes back then.

"A Dirt Bike with No Name"

"They Shoot Dirt Bikes, Don't They?"

"The Dirt Bike Soldiers"

"My Kingdom for a Dirt Bike"

hmmm...well, maybe that wasn't the ONLY reason.

[Skybird]

Consider dog(s).

If it is a big, active one, maybe even something like a border collie or another sort of dog that only is happy if getting trained, then you must invest time and effort into it as well. Certain dogs depend on being kept busy, else they become almost neurotic. Such dogs will keep you busy in return, too. But you are not as limited with dogs like with having the responsibility for a horse. My parents had dachshounds and collies - that was fun. My grandfather had a band of hunting dogs - that was work.

But you could of course also have a horse and name it Dirt Bike.

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Consider dog(s).

If it is a big, active one, maybe even something like a border collie or another sort of dog that only is happy if getting trained, then you must invest time and effort into it as well. Certain dogs depend on being kept busy, else they become almost neurotic. Such dogs will keep you busy in return, too. But you are not as limited with dogs like with having the responsibility for a horse. My parents had dachshounds and collies - that was fun. My grandfather had a band of hunting dogs - that was work.

But you could of course also have a horse and name it Dirt Bike.

I have a labrador retriever, easy to train and care for them, never had too much work with him but still, it costs me at least 2-3 hours per day of activities with him, grooming (shedding like autumn trees), feeding and walking. Labradors are greedy litle pigs and if you dont walk them almost everyday they will become obese quite fast. A horse would proabibly cost a little less time since it would be grazzing in the backyard and the walks would coincide with one another, the dog can be trained to walk beside the horse while I ride. The long hours of work on special ocassions (farrier, washing, vet-checks) and buying feed and hay I can live with.

And shoveling sh** is no problem, horse manure is a prized commodity here on the country

[Weiss Pinguin]

Originally Posted by Skybird

But you could of course also have a horse and name it Dirt Bike.

If I ever get a horse I am naming it Dirt Bike

[Gerald]

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Betonov

OK, thanks everybody

the problem is with me, that I was once an overweight, spoiled, incompetent brat and this reputation lingers above me like a shadow, so every answer I got from anyone around here was: you're too incompetent to own a horse !!, so I had to ask around somewhere where I am not judged by my past (internet is great).

Sounds to me like a horse is just what you need. Take care of it and people will have no choice but to see the new you.

As for the promotion and the money, it sounds like you've already turned into what you really want to be, or at least are well on the way.

I hope you find the right horse, and the two of you enjoy riding together. After that it doesn't matter what people think.