Before buying a horse, you need to first look at what horses cost, and figure out your budget. Before buying a horse, it is good to evaluate your financial budget monthly to make sure that you will be able to meet your horses needs.
These costs can quickly add up, so it is good to talk with seasoned horse owners, research local fees, and create a budget to make sure you can afford to own a horse. Then, there is tack and equipment that you will have to purchase, riding lessons costs, and even the cost of your horses training sessions.
The cost to shoe a horses annual horses is different for each horse, as it depends on how much he is going to ride or work, what kind of shoes it needs, and how frequently he needs shod. The costs to own a horse can be very different depending on where you live, where the horse will be living, the type of horse, etc. The cost can vary widely, depending on what age of the horse you acquire, and where you are lucky enough to obtain it. The cost to feed your horse may greatly vary, depending on the types of hay and grains provided, and the number of times you decide to feed your horse every day.
The average cost for a square bale of horse-quality hay can range anywhere from $3-20 depending on when you buy it. In general, it costs around $6,000 a year to keep a horse, but costs can vary widely depending on factors like the health of the horse and its age. Horses are serious price-ticket items, and a registered, well-trained horse at peak performance could easily run $10,000 or more.
Like the other types of animals you might own, the more time you spend training your horse, the less money you may need upfront. While buying a horse does come with a upfront cost, there are many other costs associated with horse ownership.
If you are keeping your horse on your own property, you will need some common upkeep costs to ensure that it is all well-kept and working. Keeping a horse in your own home may cost less than boarding, but you will need to pay for maintaining your property and providing feed, water, and day-to-day care for your horse. For example, if you own the stables where you house your horses, you will save thousands in boarding costs.
You might consider factoring in your own time and gas costs to feed and care for the horse twice daily. Services like cleaning the stable, feeding, and turning out the horse for pasture might not be included in boarding costs.
As I mentioned, if you are boarded somewhere with a facility that provides all-inclusive care or a pasture-based boarding facility, then you probably do not have to worry about buying hay on your own. Equipment costs will vary for individual horse owners, but generally, it will include purchasing and fixing your horse equipment, and equipment related to grooming, feeding, and caregiving (brushes, buckets, forks, etc.). The initial cost for a horse may range from several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, depending on the bloodlines, condition, and training level. You may be interested in a specific breed or type of horse, which could set you back anywhere between several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Realistically, you can expect to spend several thousand dollars in finding the right horse, although that price will vary depending on the market, type of horse, intended use, and location. It may not cost you anything, or you may have to spend hundreds of thousands or even millions for a top-of-the-line animal. You never know when unexpected expenses are going to come up, and even when no surprises come up, it could be thousands of dollars each year just to cover minimal needs of the horse.
If you are paying your horses feed every month, you will discover it can cost a pretty penny every year just to give him hay, grains, oats, alfalfa, treats, and the other supplies that he needs to keep him healthy. Just as your dog or cat needs periodic care and grooming, your horse does too — and that costs much more than caring for a smaller pet. In general, it costs $100 on average for a set of horseshoes to be placed on your horse, and he needs shoes at least six times per year.
Every horse needs to be checked up by a vet twice or thrice a year, and every checkup should cost around $100, unless there is a medical condition or injury that needs attention and treatment, in which case costs can be higher. The cost to adopt may range anywhere from $25 to over $500, depending on various factors, including how long a horse has been boarding, what kind of horse it is, and if the horse has any special needs. You can expect to pay the adoption fee in order to help a rescue rehabilitation facility recoup any costs that they incur in the process of breeding a horse prior to adoption.
A horse, mule, or pony may cost between $500-$50,000+ depending on the horses age, breed, sex, and bloodlines. Boarding your horse can cost different depending on location and the facility, but board fees can easily be between $500 to over $1200 a month.
The initial costs to owning a horse are a one-time cost, which gets you the minimum amount of what it takes to ride and care for your new horse. There is a lot more financial commitment involved in owning a horse than just upfront costs for the purchase; there are ongoing monthly expenses involved in caring for your equine friend. While owning a horse is a costly investment, direct expenses that you will want to consider include where you live in the country and how you choose to care for your animal.