Accepting being priced out of the hobby

[Obsidian_Fire]

I admit, my response was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction. I haven’t wanted to add up my feed costs recently. So I did…(gulp)…
My 16h OTTB mare, she’s 12 and in light work. Generally weighs right at 1100 lbs. When I put hay up I plan on ~22 lbs/day. I know I paid 5- something/ton for hay last summer… today’s prices are right about 595/ton. It works out to just shy of $200/mo in hay costs alone.
Ouch.
Bucket food, she gets TC Sr, and Haystack Special Blend. Just those ingredients - not including her VM, Vit E, or Hoof Supp, run ~79/mo.

So, yeah, I shoulda done the math first. I am spending almost $300/mo to feed her, never mind supplements or anything else.
I don’t have enough pasture grass to count on that helping me either.

[ProfAmEq]

@awaywego

really feel for people who have a horse and just cannot keep absorbing the rising prices. Some of these people are probably the same people who are looking for boarding at prices that some wildly unrealistic to me.

When you think about how long horses live, and then think about how much has changed in that amount of time—well, wow. It’s no wonder it feels like a crisis, especially for those with seniors.

[rubygirl1968]

It must not be much flax, or else the biosponge in there cancels it out. I’ve tried grinding flax seeds for him before in the past and he would get diarrhea.

His digestive system will always be sensitive. And downright confounding.

[Texarkana]

@ProfAmEq

@awaywego

really feel for people who have a horse and just cannot keep absorbing the rising prices. Some of these people are probably the same people who are looking for boarding at prices that some wildly unrealistic to me.

When you think about how long horses live, and then think about how much has changed in that amount of time—well, wow. It’s no wonder it feels like a crisis, especially for those with seniors.

We used to rent a farm with a very aged TB. He had outlived his owner, his owner’s non-horse person son inherited him. I absorbed his care and costs from 32-36 years of age while we were renting the farm, then we moved and his owner resumed his care. He passed away over the winter at 37 years of age.

His senior feed was $30/bag and he ate about 15-16lbs daily. What do you think feed cost in 1986 when he was born? (Rhetorical; I was alive then but too young to be aware of that kind of thing)

[fivestrideline]

Just dug through my notes: horse was costing me about $470/month in hay, minimum amount of Senior, and basic supps (E, MSM, Cu/Zn, salt). That’s here in the SE but with no grass and small squares of T/O.

I can feed him for less, especially if I have grass and bigger bales. But not much less, closer to $200-$300/month in feedstuffs.

That bulk discount has suddenly made boarding cheaper than owning a property unless you have a large herd, if you can find good boarding.

[FjordBCRF]

I wish I understood the inner workings better. I’m really hoping that the One AC does something fit help for the FWS this summer.

Glad the Platinum isn’t bothering him! We didn’t have enough of a difference to justify the cost…though I am contemplating the Platinum Refesh now

[awaywego]

It’s a crisis for seniors with seniors. We had a boarder years ago who was retired and not in the best shape physically. Same for her elderly horse. To say she lived frugally wouldn’t even begin to capture it. Her horse was truly all she lived for, and it was pretty clear that monthly board was a stretch for her, let alone vet, farrier, dentist. She was not in a position (or condition) to go back to work to afford her horse. He was in his late 20s - she had bought him from his breeder as a 2 year old. I can’t imagine how much her costs had gone up in that time. She did her best to do right by him, never moved him to a real “budget” kind of place where he would have gotten the budget level of care. It was all just very sad. She put him down when he developed a bone infection from an abscess that wouldn’t heal - likely due to his untreated cushings

I mean it when I say it breaks my heart to see stuff like that.

[FjordBCRF]

@rubygirl1968 I just looked and Flax Seed and Flax Oil are the first two ingredients. If he’s doing well on it though then I imagine that’s what matters!

[rubygirl1968]

@FjordBCRF

I’m really hoping that the One AC does something fit help for the FWS this summer.

I hope so too.

I was crossing my fingers that something other than the pp gi would work, but not that Ive found.

I’m kicking myself for having tried the Prascend again earlier.

If course it also means his Cushing’s is untreated. The vet wants to wait to try anything else until we make sure his diarrhea isn’t coming back.

It makes me incredibly nervous to try anything else, to be honest.

[rubygirl1968]

@FjordBCRF

I just looked and Flax Seed and Flax Oil are the first two ingredients. If he’s doing well on it though then I imagine that’s what matters!

Hah!! Go figure! He’s an expensive fellow

He’s a sweet guy though.

[FjordBCRF]

I totally get it. This stuff is like shooting fish in a barrel and hoping it doesn’t offset anything else and cause issues. The Fjordys are so worth it though.

[FjordBCRF]

He just needs the expensive flax

Charlie says hi! He had a good mud day today

[rubygirl1968]

Hi Charlie!!! He sure is handsome even with the spa treatment.

[Texarkana]

This thread has me pondering my feed cost per horse.

My four animals live out 24/7. I don’t feed hay April thru October-ish because I have too much grass. But over the winter I was mainly feeding small (~35lb) timothy bales at $9.50/bale. I went through about 2.25-2.5 bales a day depending on the size of the bales. Everyone gets Gro N Win ration balancer, flaxseed, and salt. My hard keeper gets additional feed (TC Senior Gold, recently switched to something else).

For my hardest keeper, I was paying about $310 a month to feed her in the winter (including hay). That number is probably a little higher than what I calculated because I experimented with her feed and tried a few supplements.

For my easiest keeper, my cost was about $181 a month to feed her over the winter.

My other two came out to $234 and $204.

One thing I’m realizing is I save a lot of money on supplements. No one is on regular supplements. I use things like MSM and probiotics as needed. I didn’t factor supplements in because of the sporadic use.

Only one of my horses is in work right now. Of the others, one is too young, one is having issues that prevent riding, and the other is strictly a companion.

I didn’t factor in various medications my horses were on a different points- nsaids, ulcer meds, antibiotics. None of them are on anything permanently; just “as needed” for treatment. My vet bills this past year have been rough.

[whhisperbaby11]

A bit off topic, but I have a wave mouth too. Good horse, but a lot of extra work.

[millerra]

After reading this thread, I have decided I just don’t want to know… but I am very lucky to have a few cheaper options…

1. horses at home
2. make our own hay; feed 24/7 round bales (covered, with large hole hay nets)
3. use straw/chopped straw for bedding which is significantly cheaper than shaving
4. buy uncoated seed oats for energy with ration balancer; supplemented w/ alfalfa pellets as needed. TBs in work seem to be doing just fine w/ this arrangement. I am pleased at how the 24/7 forage access seems to have relaxed the whole herd- they weren’t starved before, but they seem to just like always having food around…

As an aside - I was quite pissed a few weeks ago. Local feed coop was taken over by a big conglomerate. They no longer sell horse oats unless it’s pre-bagged horse oats from a big company - cost went from $20/50 lbs to $28/50 lbs. They said to contact their agronomy section for un-coated seed oats for cheaper oats when I said !“what”!. So I didn’t. I contacted an independent seed dealer -$17/50 lbs for uncoated (feedable) seed oats. The oats are also high quality - large, plump and very clean.

[rubygirl1968]

They sure are. It definitely added to the cost.

[Libby2563]

My average “board” cost per month per horse over the past 9 years with 2-3 horses at home is $255.

This includes grain ($97/month for all horses, on average), hay ($226), shavings ($48), deworming ($15), fly control ($21), diesel and maintenance for the tractor ($26), occasional paid labor ($33), land care (like weed spray, grass seed, soil tests, fertilizer, lime, etc–$26), and other barn supplies ($31). “Board” cost means this doesn’t include things I’d buy even if I were boarding, like tack, vet, farrier, and supplements (which I don’t go crazy with…I mostly just do Vitamin E, salt, and copper/zinc/biotin for the TB’s hooves).

I’ve paid anywhere from $6-12 per small bale of grass hay (typically 40-50 lbs). There’s some element of you get what you pay for, but I’ve definitely gotten nicer bales at $8-9 and weedier/dustier ones at $12. It can be hard to predict and there’s nothing more annoying than shelling out for really expensive hay to find that it falls short on quality, so I tend to aim for the mid-range stuff.

Interestingly, my costs haven’t really increased over the years. 2022 was my lowest per-horse-cost year even though I spent more on grain, which has for sure gotten more expensive. Having three horses instead of two actually helps bring down the per-horse average by spreading out fixed costs like labor and general maintenance stuff…horse-lady math, amirite?

[chris10astra]

Total very basic costs for three equines at home in the Midwest. About $200/horse a month. I’ve had horses at home for almost three years.

Not including the tractor, which we probably should ($300/month) but it’s paid from joint money and not my money so it’s not as much on my radar. We use it for land upkeep that isn’t horse-related but…well, it should be a horse cost but my husband is supportive and I appreciate it.

Many uncounted labor hours but still a better deal for me than boarding. The last time I boarded in 2020 it was $675/month. I was warned having horses at home would be awful. But I think it’s heaven as I literally ride every single day, mostly in my outdoor dirt arena. My last streak was 121 riding days in a row and then we went on a planned vacation. I enjoy most of the labor and I love having MY barn. Over three years my husband has done horse chores for me only once when I was super sick one day, and sometimes I ask my kids to do a feeding if I’m gone early am or late pm but that’s rare. Sometimes my husband/kids just pitch in because if they want to spend extra time with me they know they can find me at the barn. I like the routines and being outside every day.

$10/month Hooves
I trim them myself, sometimes I get new rasps or books or something.

$0, Grass
24/7 grass from April-October and sometimes a few weeks in Mar/Nov.

$100-150/month Hay
Hay from my main supplier is $5.50 for 45/50lb square bales. 8$ per bale for 40/45lb squares plus delivery from another supplier when I needed it after the last small primary supply load had some foxtails.

$300/month Feed
Grass pellets, mineral supplement, joint supplement, and loose salt. Vit E in the winter and some extra mag/calc in the grazing months. Fly feed-through in the summer. Water filters.

$30/month Bedding
24/7 stall access through sacrifice paddock or pastures. I rarely stall them overnight so we don’t use much bedding, especially during grazing months.

$150/month Vet and Worming
I budget three $600 visits a year. Spring vet visit and fall visit. Spring with annual farrier lateral xrays for one of the horses, plus one extra visit because that’s what normally happens. Probably should be higher but that’s what I have down for now.

[FatCatFarm]

Interesting thread that resonates. I am 56 and have had horses my entire life. I currently own 5 plus 2 minis and keep them at home on 17 acres, where we have lived for 22 years. We are upper middle class but I am having to reduce my numbers. I just sold one gorgeous youngster I would have rather kept, and have two others. The other three are in their early to mid-teens and are not for sale.

The oldest at 15, has DSLD and I have been putting off euthanizing him. He is going on 6 years post diagnosis and I know he hurts. Still looks great and has a great attitude, but he moves more carefully and lays down a lot. He is the horse I started eventing on and always took care of me, so I’ve given him these 6 years of retirement. I do not plan on having him by the time winter returns.

Why? Because I am now paying $10 a bale for grass hay. It jumped from $6 a bale to $10 during covid when supply chain issues hit and the cost of fertilizer and fuel skyrocketed. He and his two brothers are 17hd draft crosses. They are easy keepers when it comes to grain, but during the winter, the three of them will inhale an 800lb round bale per week at $100 per bale. I used to pay $50.

I will let him go and keep his two brothers. I am debating about the two youngsters. Do I keep one; both? Or do the sensible thing and let them both go and enjoy the two older ones until I can’t.

Last time I had a horse colic due to dehydration (fall, changeable weather - horse didn’t consume enough water while consuming hay) it cost me $3k in vet costs. I sent her to my vet’s clinic to have fluid therapy rather than at home like I had always done, for about $800. Won’t make that mistake again, and will hang and run the fluids myself.

We have dogs and cats and the cost to have them seen by our regular vet is now astronomical. Routine dentals cost $600 plus. I had one cost $900. Vet did not even call me to say, it was going to be that expensive. Found out at pick-up. So I now source out low cost options for them at every opportunity.

For years I have been able to keep 4 to 6 horses at home without breaking the bank because I did as much as I could myself and with my husband’s help with regard to pasture and fencing management, and didn’t indulge the fancy extras or the treatment fad dujour. I did all the shots, worming, veterinary care with supervision, but at home. I’ve managed lots of things at home that quite a few people hospitalize their horses for. Fortunately, with good management, the issues have been few and far between. My horses don’t wear shoes and have good feet. I showed some, had fun, but now just trail ride. I would like to be able to show some again when I retire in about 10 years. Less if I am fortunate. But it likely won’t be on one of the older guys. The youngsters were relatively cheap because they are young and by the time they’re sensible, the older two will be approaching 20. So I constantly debate with myself, but I will probably be selling at least one youngster.

The costs, especially during the winter months when there isn’t a lot of horse enjoyment happening due to the cold, muddy weather, I really question my sanity over horse-keeping. Lots of work and expense, made even worse by the cost of everything doubling. But I still love riding. After a hard day or week, losing myself in the trees on horseback is my therapy and the woods are my church.

No judgment here for anyone making hard choices about letting a compromised horse go due primarily to the costs. It sucks but far better they go gently than not. The reality of making the choice to kill something you love due primarily to economics just blows. But we are not talking about dogs and cats here. Just to euthanize and bury my horse will cost $700. Those of you opting for $2500 cremation? Go you, but I can’t even.

I love the life and feel fortunate to have gotten to indulge it so widely and reasonably for so long. But those days look to be behind for the vast majority of us now and more’s the pity. I will continue to enjoy it in a reduced capacity for as long as I am able but I begin to wonder if retiring with horses is going to be a reality or pipe dream.