Hi, I am new on the form. (Not new to horses, but new to the idea of owning)
I was wondering if anyone on here is from Canada, Specifically Alberta? I am on something called AISH, I get roughly 1,300 a month.
I live in the city, and I wanted to know if anyone on here knew if it is possible to own a horse on it?
Hi.
Are you talking $ a month?
AISH is essentially a form of disability benefits.
OP, your best bet would be to speak to someone at the local AISH office.
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The answer to your question involves the question of what do you want from horses?
In the horse world, owning horses is the most expensive way you may participate.
If your aim is to enjoy riding horses, your money is better spent by paying for lessons and trail rides on commercial riding centers, at least as a beginner or not competitive rider.
Owning a horse on a short budget may end up with horse as a big, very expensive pet.
Horse depends on you and you are committed to paying for all their needs and horses, as we know, are very expensive to keep.
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I live in Edmonton!
I am surprised people can even live on AISH. That said, I used to have a client who lived with her parents and they let her spend her AISH on her horses (she had two on outside board) while they covered her living expensies. I don’t think there are restrictions on how you use the money if you have other means of support, but be careful: there can be penalties if you are married and your spouses income is over the limit (I don’t remember what that is).
Do you have a monthly budget? How much monthly is left over after bills are paid, you eat and put some away for savings/retirement?
I lived in rural Alberta several years ago. Back then it was tough to find board for under $500 per month. I’m not sure what board is like around there now, but I’d budget at least that for board, plus about $75 for the farrier if shoes are not required. It’s also a good idea to budget about $200 per month for supplies and vet bills. You won’t have vet bills every month, but if you put aside some money regularly, you’ll be better prepared to deal with vet bills.
My advice to people is that if you are going to own a horse, you need to be able to access at least $1000 at anytime, because it doesn’t take long for vet bills to reach that level.
Maybe leasing a horse would be a good starting point for you so you can see how it fits into your budget?
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