I’ve skimmed through this long thread with a mix of emotions. Everything said about the drastically increased costs of owning a horse resonates. I’m taking a weird sense of comfort in seeing other people’s vet bills in the multiple thousands. With the treatments I’m going to do next week, I will have spent $5,000+ in a three month period, on a 16 year old horse, hoping to get her sound enough to continue to “do dressage”. Board at my full care barn just went up over 14%, and monthly medications for PPID and whatnot are $200-$300 per month. I swore when I got my current horse over 10 years ago that she would be my last. And yet now, standing on the threshold of having to stop riding, I feel a lot of grief. I’m 71 next week, horse crazy since birth. I’m still healthy enough to ride, but it’s just not affordable—certainly not for 2 horses, so I have to slap myself every time I start looking at sales ads. Horses are an addiction. Is there a 12 step program for this disease? Every practicality screams that I need to let go. But it’s hard. If current treatment plans don’t work, then I’ll be facing some tough choices as far as retirement for us both. 
Unfortunately, there are a lot of horses in areas of the country where there’s been so much land pressure that board for retired horses is either a) unavailable or b) still exceedingly costly. So people send their unusable horses far away, to an area with lower land value & more open space, because keeping them closer just isn’t possible.
There’s been such a loss of land. Horses are overall living longer than ever. What do you do if your barn has very little turnout, requires that horses be kept in a program, and there are no barns that offer anything different? Not unusual for those horses to go south, to places like Byrd’s. 
Same. I have not ridden in 2 years and am really getting that itch. I’ll window-shop online (don’t worry - I’m not asking the seller questions or tire-kicking) or research show results. Then I remind myself why I don’t have my horse anymore… $$$.
Of course its more nuanced than that, but I did have to face the fact that owning a horse in a HCOL area was digging me into debt, and sacracifing not only my financial future, but my husband’s as well. We are both in a much better place financially now, but still have a ways to go in catching up with getting our savings and retirement accounts where they need to be.
Then I read posts like @Rackonteur’s and many other older, wiser horsewomen than me who grew up before everything in this area got built out. I started riding in the late 90s and even I am seeing my old barn haunts get turned into malls and expressways. I feel like I missed those Halcyon days that I read about and dreamed of - like I was in the last tail end of the barn-rat era. For that reason, I’m glad that I at least had some years of the joy/pain/love/frustration/bliss of horse ownership - even if it was shorter than I would like.
I am still cautiously optimistic about getting back into horses. I feel like a big piece of me has been put on pause. Knowing that I am financially stable is a slight comfort, but it does nothing to fill the hole that horses have left.
I’ve been eyeing some trainers with lesson programs, but I know I’m far from their ideal client. Working AA with an inflexible schedule bound by commute times in a HCOL trying to fight for time against others with deeper pockets is a story we hear about a lot here on CoTH. I’m jingling for a good shareboard or 1/4 lease situation, but also know that I might just have to keep waiting until I save up enough and am debt free to fully reengage with this ever-more expensive sport.
At least we always have Breyers right? s/
This is one of the reasons I don’t have another horse. Keeping my retired mare close by is just plain expensive. I chose not to send her off to retirement board in another state, knowing that for various health reasons, it wouldn’t be likely I’d get another horse. Also I am probably retiring in 2029 and at that point I definitely won’t be able to afford another horse. (We will be comfortable but have far less discretionary income.)
Yes, it is frustrating at times. I’m not a particularly good or competitive rider, but I was hoping to build up trail riding length and maybe try Limited distance CTR. I was supposed to start lessons at a nearby barn about a month ago, but they are short of part-time school horses right now. The other place I’d been looking at for lessons (but not until the fall) had a horse come down with strangles the day before I was supposed to have an evaluation lesson, so they are quarantined.
My mare is on a dry lot (24 by 30 stone dust pad with a 12 by 16 shed, and an extension that is 16 by 60), but I’m out to see her about 4 times a week, to groom her, take her for walks, hand graze, etc. She doesn’t play well with others when food is involved, so she has over the fence neighbors. Later this spring, we will build up her pasture time to up to 3 hours a day (she is borderline IR so full time pasture, while possible where I board, is not a good choice.) Except for the 24/7 outside living, which is much better for her arthritis and mild heaves, my “investment” in her isn’t much different than when I was riding, other than board being about 30% less expensive.
What you could do is ask your veterinarian if they know any small private barns that would be a good fit for your horse. They know all the area barns, and who provides good care, and who doesn’t.
Personally I think 24/7 turnout with adequate shelter in compatible herds (and some hands on care: medication, blanketing, soaked grain etc) is the ideal. My litmus test is “Happy Horses”. If they are happy, it tells you everything-- they are getting enough food, are being treated well, are with buddies, etc etc etc.
Yep. Student loans, in fact. Insane.
I’ve lived in areas of the country where there aren’t “small private barns” offering boarding at all. It blew my mind, because where I grew up, that was very common. In other places it’s not common at all.
Also, if there is no land, 24/7 turnout isn’t possible. There are places where that is the norm. My friend in LA keeps her horses on 0.25 acre. My friend on Cape Cod was thrilled to find a “farm” in her (very large) budget so she could bring her horses home and turn them out— it’s just under 2 acres.
It was also mentioned upthread that sometimes abundant land in rural areas isn’t great, either, because you have no horse services. I’ve been without a vet in an emergency and I never want to experience that again.
$5 per horse? Here, $250 per horse is unremarkable. A few farriers charge as much as $#400.
$5 increase per horse
I wish I was paying $5 a horse.
I’m also trying to get to the acceptance part of not having another horse and therefore not reaching the goals I wanted to have with my next horse. My guys is 28. I’m boarding him. I could set up my property to bring him home, but I don’t want to keep him alone. I don’t know if I want to go through the expense of setting up fences/stalls/etc at his age. I know I could find a buddy for him temporarily for the rest of his years, but I don’t know if I want that responsibility of caring for someone’s animal and I don’t think I want to own a buddy for him. So here we are. Board has gone up and I know the profit margin is slim. But above that, vets are becoming a challenge. I know of 2 in my area that recently quit. One is doing small animal surgery and the other is doing something non vet related. I just see the horse industry slowing dying in my area. The boarding options are also not that great. If I got a second horse, third level dressage / bronze medal would be my first goal. My current facility is not set up to reach that goal. And I don’t have any good options where quality boarding along with a quality trainer exist at the same facility within a decent commute for me. Could I spend even more money and set up an outdoor arena on my property? Probably. But that’s a commitment I’m not wiling to make either. I live a bit farther from the closest city than my boarding barn is, so finding vets to come to my home might be even harder. So I have cold feet about doing anything at my home. It’s kind of depressing, but I’ve been trying to come to acceptance over the last 2-3 years. However, I’m still riding my boy. Once that changes, or once he’s no longer with me, I’m not sure how I’ll feel. I’ve had my boy for 21 years so I don’t identify well with not riding or not owning a horse. I’m not sure what that might feel like.
Read Mr. Money Mustache blog, while he is quite extreme, it’s also useful in seeing what you can do without. I use that philosophy to spend my extra money on horses instead of retiring early.
I brought horses home about 5 years ago. It was something I always wanted, and it’s has been a learning curve (and expense!) since then. However, I’m in MA, and the more I see the state of boarding in my area, the more glad I am I made the move. Of course, winter makes me sad, and I had hoped to board my gelding last winter so I could continue riding, and just have my easy pony and tiny donkey at home, but I couldn’t find anywhere close by that had availability. I didn’t look too far away, because I really wasn’t interested in traveling too far, so that’s on me.
Cost wise, without a doubt, I am spending more with horses at home than with board, when I factor in my time, property taxes and upkeep. But I would want to live on my property anyway, with or without horses - so those property taxes would be paid regardless. I don’t have kids, so I don’t know what else I’d do with my time, so I might as well pick up poop. I love the peace and quiet and no visible neighbors. People are always surprised when they first come here. I sometimes miss the camaraderie of boarding, and definitely hot water and a wash rack! But I like making my own choices in service providers and 24/7 turnout.
During a recent vet visit for spring shots, the vet noted that she’d like to have a place like mine eventually. I was surprised, and noted that I thought it would be the last thing she’d want to do at the end of the day of taking care of horses - to come home and do it some more! But I said maybe with the current state of boarding around here, it might be smart, and she heartily agreed. So I guess what I’m seeing and hearing with barns constantly moving and closing is real. And sad.
I can’t imagine the stress of finding out my boarding barn was closing and having to find somewhere else in 30 days, somewhere that I liked and wasn’t a long commute. So, I’m currently relieved that it’s spring and that my little crew is at home and I don’t have that worry. But I feel for the horse owners that have to make those decisions, and I wonder what will happen in the future. I know of several boarding facilities where the owners are certainly not spring chickens. What will happen to those places?
Sold to developers, most likely. Young people (myself included) for the most part can’t afford to buy a crappy starter home, let alone a farm! At the very least, individuals are very rarely able to pay development prices.
The median home price in my state is over $350k, and I’m not seeing anything that isn’t a tear-down-to-studs reno or wedged between the railroad and a crack house going for less than $250k. With interest rates pushing 7% and no major decrease in sight (inventory is so low), I doubt many of us will be buying boarding barns - as much as we may be willing and physically able.
The horse I have will be my last horse. At least until I’m done working and have put my kid through college. Sometimes It is really tough to justify the expense of keeping her when I think about the things my family might be able to afford if I didn’t have her. Add that to the fact that any decent boarding situation is over an hour from my home and office, it is a huge time commitment.
The price of land and the need for most families to live near gainful employment means keeping horses isn’t close to realistic for most people. I’d move out to the horse where land and housing is cheaper, and commute to work now that I don’t need to be in the office 5 days a week, but have a kid whose life I’m not going to throw upside down for a horse. Very thankful I have my horse in a safe boarding situation without any pressure to do anything with her other than what I can.
The next worry is finding a safe place to retire her for less than 800 a month—people are selling their land to cash in and I don’t blame them, but that means a lot of horses have nowhere to go. I’ll euthanize before putting her in a place I’m not comfortable with—the pickings are slim.
Y’all have got me thinking I need to open up my place as a horsie retirement home! I can’t do the open gate boarding barn thing - the property just isn’t set up that way. You have to park in my very limited driveway to get to the barn, yada yada yada - you get the picture. But I’d be fine with few to none owner visits! Besides, I already have one senior horse here, what’s a few more?
Do you think there’d be an actual market for something like that? Of course, where I am, lots of open land is still available, and boarding barns or owner acreage is abundant (not cheap any more though) - but I fear that it won’t be too much longer before that is no longer true. This part of Texas is growing exponentially. By then I may not have the energy to take care of other’s horses, though. But if I didn’t have to work and could do that instead? Hmmmm…
Yes. 100% a market for that. Especially if you provide good care, have a good farrier that comes out regularly, and have a vet nearby. I have my horse at exactly such a facility. Feed, hay, worming, fly spray, blanketing, semi-regular grooming (not actually included but it still happens cause BO is amazing), holding and scheduling for vet and farrier, and a meticulous eye for detail is included. And regular updates.
Consider, though, retirement boarding means making a plan for end of life and disposal, so have a plan for that in the contract, if you go that route.
Yes there absolutely is a market.
But boarding retired horses is no cheaper than boarding riding horses. What effort and cost you save not having to do things like drag arenas you make up having to feed multiple soaked meals, etc.
And unfortunately, only a small percentage of the horse owning market is willing to pay for quality retirement. Most people want dirt cheap retirement boarding.
I’ve never heard a boarding barn owner go, “wow, I make such a great living boarding horses!” At best, boarding pays farm expenses so your other sources of income stretch farther.
Maybe you refer to my posting a decades-long suspicion that there’s more to the horse cult’s changing socio-economic demographics than meets the eye. I’ve been crafting a thesis and some questions to prompt a conversation over in a more policy-centric forum thread. The larger problem is not going away, at least not in my lifetime.
I’m sorry to hear that so many are having this problem.
I have two horses, both are fairly useless. One is my heart horse, she is 13 and mostly broken and will live til she’s 100, I am sure of it. The other one will turn 1 in May. The young one was probably financially the dumbest thing I have ever done, but I wanted to “start from scratch” just once in my life and I figured what better time than the present. They both live as cheaply as possible but when I compare that monthly expense to my income/other expenses it makes me sick. But … this is the life I want. I love my horses, I love being at the barn, I can’t imagine a world without it. So I make it work. I have side jobs, I am trying to build passive income streams, and I work hard to keep my costs low everywhere else. Sometimes I think if I didn’t have the horses I’d be rich and not have to hustle so hard but let’s be honest, most of that money would likely just be spent somewhere else. So I can’t beat myself up too much that I choose to spend my money on something that keeps me active, in nature, off the blue screens, doing what I love.
