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horse costs
I'm dieingggg to get a horse. I've wanted one for just about my whole life. I know about all the responsibilities. I'm looking at a place to board that is 275 dollars a month, which includes
morning grain, daily turnout to hay and water (weather permitting),daily mucking of stall, evening turn to grain/hay and water, arena access, and trail access. Usually, does that include that barn buying the grain and all bedding materials? or is that an extra expense usually?
Also, what other expences a month can i expect and for what?
thanks so much!=]
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Want to answer more questions in the Domesticity category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Pets?
Yes, full boarding costs include the price of feed and bedding, and should include buckets for your horse's feed and water as well, although you should ask about that to make sure. However if your horse requires extra supplements in their feed (vitamins, joint supplements, daily wormer, etc), then you usually have to purchase those yourself. If your horse needs them, make sure you label them quite clearly with your horse's name & feeding instructions, otherwise they might forget to put them into the feed.
Horses need to have their feet trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks, and depending on the condition of your horse's feet and what you are doing with him, you might want to put shoes on him as well. A trim starts around $25, and shoes can cost anywhere from $50 to a few hundred.
Horses need to be wormed every 2 or 3 months. Most stables allow you to put your horse on their worming schedule so that you don't have to worry about doing it yourself, however you will probably have to pay for the wormer. Worming paste varies in price, but the good stuff is about $20.
Your horse will also need annual basic vaccinations for rabies, tetanus, equine influenza, and rhinomune, which will cost you around $95. Also, a yearly teeth floating is reccomended, which costs about $75.
You'll also want to set aside a few hundred dollars for misc. vet bills that may come up. You never know when your horse will cut himself on a fence, have an episode of colic, etc. My older horse needed $500 cortisone shots in his hocks every year to help relieve stiffness. You never know what may come up.
You'll also need to buy tack for your horse - winter blanket, fall blanket, halter, lead rope, saddle, stirrup leathers, stirrups, bridle, reins, bit, leg wraps, saddle pads, brushes, fly spray, etc. This will cost you several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the quality of the products that you buy.
If you will be taking lessons (which I HIGHLY recommend) or showing your horse, that will be a significant amount of money as well, from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Also, make sure you visit the stable and take a tour before choosing where to keep your horse. Just because the price is attractive does not mean that it's the best place for your horse. Check the fencing, make sure the horses always have water available, look to make sure they seem content, have clean stalls, etc.
Feel free to ask if you ever have any more questions, I'd be glad to try to help!
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Sorry I don't have the answers... but I bet if you call the stable you're looking at, they would be happy to answer all your questions. Or maybe they could give you the name of a helpful, friendly person who boards there, who would be able to give you some advice?
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