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Horse Care
#21

I think $10K a year would be a safe estimate, as long as your boarding and general care costs stay down, and you don’t have to get into any weird tack situations like I did (make sure your tack fits properly at the outset!!)

I don’t mind sharing my current expenses with you, but my situation isn’t entirely the same as yours. A lot of my biggest cost is board, and I pay more than you are looking to. I’ve had this horse for 2 years so will make notes where I can about what my costs were for the first year at the old barn vs. now.

  • [B]Full Care Board: $650/month [/B] [LIST]
  • Originally, we were at a barn charging $425/month, but the situation there turned out to be unhealthy for my horse so we moved to a better barn and thus now pay more. Board at current barn was $600/month until they raised it by $50 a month
  • [B]Farrier: $100/month[/B]
    • Front shoes only - he is done every 6 weeks.
    • Former farrier @ old barn charged $75
  • [B]Supplements: $119.62/month[/B]
    • He's currently on 3 different supplements for assorted goals.
    • I used to only have him on a smartpak for gut health which was $47/month
    • You might not need all of that for your horse, but do consider the fact that the creature you wind up with might need something extra in the way of supplementation.
  • [B]Lessons/training rides: approx. $160/month[/B]
    • We try to have 1 lesson or training ride a week right now, at $40 a session
    • Did not do this for the first year of ownership
  • [B]Chiropractor: approx. $452/year[/B]
    • I have already spent that much since October of 2018, however, as we are trying to resolve some issues he has. Ideally I'd like to get down to adjusting 4x/year or less, but we will see!
    • Did not do this for the first year of ownership
  • [B]Scheduled Vet (vaccs/Coggins/teeth 2x a year): approx. $600[/B]
    • Please note that this is just the normal stuff...does not include the multiple courses of Omeprazole when treating the ulcers we thought he had, then the actual scoping for ulcers when his issues weren't resolving, stitching his fetlock when he split it open on a fence post, the treatment for a random case of cellulitis, etc. :lol: Most of that was in 2017/2018, though
  • [B]Fly Spray: $60 so far this year[/B] [/LIST] I think that is all of the more routine stuff.

    Other costs that are more infrequent:

    • I recently dropped close to $3k on a saddle that fit properly, after realizing my former saddle was causing a lot of his behavioral issues that we were blaming on ulcers. [LIST]
    • Along with that, I paid an independent saddle fitter a couple hundred dollars to help me resolve those fit issues - and I'd do that all over again, in a heartbeat.
    • Basically, don't cheap out on tack just for the sake of saving some money. You can find decently priced tack, but it has to fit your horse or it will just cost you more in the long run.
  • Rider apparel - for me that means helmet, boots, gloves, breeches, and shirts (most of my riding shirts come from the athletic section at walmart lol).
  • Trunk - I bought one of those Stanley trunks and it's been great; was about $50.
  • Adventures - If you want to trailer out and trail ride somewhere, or go do something else off-property, you'll want to factor in the costs of that. [/LIST] I hope that helps in some way![B] I do recommend getting a professional you trust involved[/B], both to help you find a pony and to work with you as you get familiar with said pony. You need to find a pony that is suitable for you, your sister, and your goals, or you'll spend a lot of time, money, and heartache wishing you had.
    • 1 Like
    #22

    [B]Thanks so much CPL713 for the budget break-down. :slight_smile: It’s definitely nice to see the actual annual costs through experience vs predicted costs.

    We definitely do not want to rush into anything. Especially since we understand horses have their own ideas, lol! Best laid plans can definitely go awry!

    Totally understand about building a support team of experienced individuals (vet, caretaker, knowledgeable friends, etc.) to help with potential issues. Or just to share stories with. :slight_smile:

    I do find myself thinking about “what ifs” quite frequently. Never want to get into a sticky situation! If only funds were unlimited, right? But of course that is unrealistic.

    Keep the advice & budgets coming! I hope this thread will help others contemplating ownership as well.[/B]

    1 Like
    #23

    One thing I have done that has been helpful that I know isn’t an option for everyone, but if you can, it can give you some peace of mind: I have a designated vet bill credit card. The rate on it is decently low, it has a limit large enough for emergencies, and I can pay it off quickly and easily for the smaller or routine things. I’m actually super grateful I have it right now, my horse just went lame and I’m mentally preparing myself for large vet bills.

    Just be prepared. You will have to drop several hundred dollars on things like vet bills, board, hay, farrier, etc without blinking an eye, at the drop of a hat. There is always the possibility of buying the horse and it having some problem show up not long after purchase.

    I always try to keep in mind:
    – What I would do if I had a big emergency. What is the limit at where I can’t pay and would have to euthanise, and do I have enough to pay immediately for a minor emergency?
    – If something happens to the place I am keeping my horse at (natural disaster, barn drama, lack of good care, etc), do i have places I can fall back on to move to? I always have one or two places that I can keep my horse at in a pinch.
    – If I hit a training/riding road block, do I have access to trainers to help me and my horse through it? Whether by taking lessons, having someone come work with my horse to get him through something I don’t think I can handle, etc.

    Lots of other things but these are the big ones that allowed me to keep horses through college on a low budget. Definitely network, don’t burn bridges if you can help it because you never know when someone can help you down the road (though sometimes that’s inevitable, some people are just nuts). If you are tight on money and can find the time and opportunity to do some barn chores for lessons or credit on board, jump on it. Definitely find someone knowledgeable to help you look for a pony, and do a PPE.

    Feel free to PM me, I can share with you what costs are like in my area for various places. It differs from place to place but it’s a good starting point. Good luck!

    1 Like
    #24

    No one has suggested possibly finding a pony to lease. This would be a way at way to test the waters of pony ownership without a permanent commitment. It might be worth considering. Good luck to you both. You are being super smart to work out your budget in advance.

    2 Likes
    #25

    Many very valuable and valid points and scenarios have been mentioned. However, you and your sister should consider what would determine to be a health condition or injury that would validate euthanasia. If one party would like to try this procedure, or that treatment and the other sister is looking at their pony suffering through what may or may not be effective treatments; that should be addressed and outlined now. Maybe consider multiple veterinary or other professional opinions? I’m not sure how, or what the criteria should be but, I feel it might help in the extremely emotional and stressful situation of having to make “the” decision together. It’s a very personal decision to euthanize a pet, I don’t have a twin (or even a close sibling) and thus have little understanding of your relationship but, nonetheless this should be clearly outlined and understood by both parties what situations that might call for euthanasia.

    Beyond that incredibly somber thought, I hope you find the perfect little pony or horse to spend your time with! I’m sure the little equine will have a very happy life as it sounds like both of you are taking this adventure very seriously and taking great care in your decision making process. Happy trails!

    2 Likes
    #26

    Wow! I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I have visited this thread. Due to an injury and now the current circumstances with the virus, being around horses has not been possible for quite some time. Not a day goes by where I don’t dream about a pony - I feel like a little girl inside, lol! My sister and I have spent the last year however saving like maniacs! :encouragement: Just curious to see if anyone else has any advice and/or budgets from personal experience.

    2 Likes
    #27

    I would lease or shareboard for the first 6mo while you and your sister purchase tack, don’t disregard the value of used grooming supplies or tack on fb or craigslist!! Also leasing now will go into memorial day, 4th of July, Black Friday sales, and so on. Grooming supplies, first aid and preventative topicals, ie: hoof oil especially for barefooters, fly spray, linament, poultice, triple antibiotic ointments, sheath cleaner if gelding, shampoos, mtg, etc etc. Halter, lead, grazing muzzle just in case lol.

    See how you do financially with just a lease and trying to save some for boarding and purchasing all the stuff you will need. If at Jan 01, you and your sis still want to buy a pony, have everything you will need and money still saved to start boarding costs, then go for it! Not to mention Jan 01 will be close to tax time which depending on your situation will give you an extra financial “bump” if you will, to put more money towards purchase price, though I think the smarter way to go with tax dollars would be pay an extra month or two of board and save the rest for farrier and vet fees.

    Wormer can be bought as a yearly kit, I know Stateline sells it that way, I think it is 55 bucks or so and I saved the screenshot on the website of when to dose each different wormer. Vet shots you can get either from the vet or at Tractor Supply if you can learn how to do them. The only one vets must do from what I know, and I could be wrong, is the rabies, that one is vet injection only.

    Coggins most barns require yearly, not biannually. If an emergency happens and you have to trailer somewhere the coggins must be up to date, and that means withing that year period. Teeth floating is hit or miss, my pony has had it done maybe 2 to 3x in his 12 yr period. Granted he is more of a pet than a working pony. The vet looks in his mouth, says yay or nay…haha… and most times he is good to have his chompers left alone.

    Take some lessons, after a month, look into a lease or shareboard with a good contract in place!! Save money, slowly stock up on what you will need for ownership, make lists, make a budget, pretend your lease is full board, if you pay 200 a mo for a lease, shove the other 200 in the bank (400/mo you said for board) do not use the other 200 for purchases and you guys will quickly get an idea of what paying just the full board will be like. After the first of the year if neither of your situations or mindsets have changed and that bank account is still sitting pretty ready to go, then happy horsey shopping!!

    For reference, I am 34, I rode since I was 7, out of my 6 or so friends from the barn, one kept her pony, but at her moms and mom did all the work and money part while she did school and life in general, one kept pony and now works and trains at a barn, I kept my mare and now have her son at my home. Many people change careers, go to school, meet a boy, and the horses drift away. Give it till 2021 to make sure jumping back into the horse world will stick for both of you. ((((Hugs and best wishes to you both!!)))

    1 Like
    #28

    OP, I have kept a horse in markets where board was $400/month or so and within your $6,000-$8,000/year budget.

    Some suggestions: If you buy a young pony or non-self-preserving animal (usually not ponies, they are plenty smart), buy Major Medical insurance for the first couple of years. Do that because you haven’t saved up that vet emergency fund yet and because, IMO, the first couple of years of being in work and in a stable (as opposed to a pasture as a baby) are the times that mistakes are made by man and beast. Also, insurance policies are sold in terms of the percentage of a horse’s value. If you buy an inexpensive horse, the coverage will be priced accordingly. But be sure to read the fine print about what is excluded; Insurance companies have been losing money on policies written for “cheap” (under $7,500) horses, so they have co-pays with lots of procedures. I believe The Hartford writes policies for inexpensive horses. I have used them, even had a big claim, and been pleased.

    Make sure that $400 figure for board is middle-of-the-market pricing for your area. Buying a horse based on keeping it cheaply is a recipe for disaster… That’s because if you or the horse can’t live with what you can afford, it’s an unrelenting problem that will make you very unhappy. Also, barns that are trying to operate at the lowest price possible will be unable to help you upgrade your care if you want it/need it. You want to make sure that your pocket book affords you the ability to choose another barn that “does better.” In boarding, you tend to get what you pay for, so be very, very careful if you are getting into horse ownership and don’t already see a few good barns in your area with board priced at that $400 mark that you mention. Again, do not have your horse budget hinge on their being a single good barn at that price or choosing a price that forces you to choose among a few barns with few options for how horses live and are fed.

    The part about your sharing this pony with your sister is beyond what I can comment on. That will depend a great deal on your relationship and desires about how to care for the pony and what you guys each want to do with him. But there are some plusses to your plan: You have someone else to share the care and cost with. Those are significant, especially if you guys want to choose a barn that is less than full care boarding.

    Good luck to you! I really respect the planning you are trying to do.

    #29

    OP, I commend you and your twin for doing your due diligence and then some.

    I haven’t read all the posts, but you’ve come to the right place for a source of no-nonsense, broad knowledge and experiences, and horsey folks who like to see other horsey folks succeed.

    The only thing I can add is this: I wish ALL people who entered into first-time horse-ownership were as thoughtful as well planned you both!

    Hope you find a way to make your dreams a reality, and find your special pony for you and your twin to dote on!

    #30

    Not all animals can be barefoot, or will always be able to be barefoot if they presently are.

    #31

    I am very appreciative for all these wonderful responses!

    Yes, it seems in this area that board typically runs $400 - $600. While I would hope not to switch barns, I understand circumstances change. :slight_smile:

    My sister and I plan on taking lessons at the barn we would choose to board our future pony at. While we do not plan on competing or showing (just pleasure riding is enough for us!), we thought taking lessons would be a good way to ease back into the hobby. Not sure yet if leasing would still be an option as the barn is fairly small, and I am not sure if there would be a pony or horse that is an older, school-master type for lease.

    If we do take the plunge into ownership, my sister and I are dead set on purchasing an older pony or horse that is a “been there, done that” type. We are thinking late teens to early twenties as far as age goes.

    Anyone else comfortable sharing their annual costs? I know talking about $ and horses might be considered taboo!

    #32

    My annual costs are usually around this:

    $425/mo for board, including 2x a day stall cleaning, and food however if you get a more expensive hay like Timothy, the different of the cost is added to the bill so my total board bill comes out to $495 (with 6 bales of Timothy a month)

    $25/mo for grain/feed. My horse gets a small bucket in the middle of the day with some senior, Timothy pellets and rice bran. It takes me a long time to go through a bag bc her buckets are small so I usually only buy a bag every few months.

    $200/mo for hand walker. My horse gets stocked up easily so I have her hand walked during the week by my friend since I work 9-6 during the week. I also come out almost every day and work with her, but I’ve found the consistency has really helped her energy levels. If I have a rough day and work and can’t come in, my friend will bucket her for me too. It costs me $10 per day individually.

    45-90$/wk for lessons. I have two different kind of lessons with my horse. One is basic riding lessons, and one is groundwork lessons. Both cost 45$ for an hour.

    50$/2 mo for her feet trim. She’s not shoed and is a slow grower so I usually go 8 weeks inbetween trims. That being said, if she chips a lot I may ask for my farrier to come sooner.

    50$/misc items - you will ALWAYS want to treat your horse to something nice, a nice pad, a bag of treats, a new brush, whatever. I shop for my horse more than myself honestly! So I always budget it a little extra.

    Teeth floating is also a yearly thing, some can go for longer though, and I believe it cost me around 400$ If I remember correctly.

    Something I would suggest too is to lob away 3 months of board separately for emergencies. If you lose your job, you don’t want to worry about your horse too. Save up for that extra board before you buy the horse.

    id also recommend budgeting for vet calls. They WILL happen and be totally unpredictable. It’s 80$ to have my vet drive out to see me before she even sees the horse so it’s not cheap. Usually for a basic check up it’s $140. If you can budget this per month, every month you DONT call the vet, tuck that money into a medical fund for your horse. Horses are walking accidents and you will find random bumps that will make you think they’re on deaths door and you will call your vet in a panic and it will turn out to be a bug bite. Or, in my situation, you could be 4 months into horse ownership when your horse suddenly colics and requires 12k colic surgery. We had the money on hand bc we were saving for our wedding, but that all went to the horse because the prognosis was that she had a good chance of survival, being only 10 years old and the colic was caused by stones. To me, prepare for a chance that your horse could have life threatening surgery, and it IS your responsibility as a horse owner to take care of them if they’re young and are given good odds. The story may be different if your horse is 20+ years old and their survival isn’t so clear cut, and their recovery too traumatic. Like some folks said up there, if it’s 5k eye removal surgery, and you can’t swing it, then horse ownership may not be for you. The phrase “horse poor” is real!

    If you can, I’d absolutely recommend getting medical or at least mortality insurance on your horse. We had mortality insurance with 3k of colic surgery coverage and every bit of it helped. Still paid 9k out of pocket, but I wasn’t complaining since I almost didn’t buy anything for her at all. My horses mortality insurance cost 220$/year for 7500$ of coverage, though I’m upping her insurance to catastrophic coverage (basically any and all accidents) which will cost me 515$/year for $5k of coverage including the same mortality coverage.

    Any way, the bottom line is that horse ownership is unpredictable, you could have a horse that has no problems for years and you coast by with bi annual vet checks and little issues. And then sometimes it’s unlucky and you find yourself shelling out cash to save your horses life. It’s up to you to decide if you can handle those upsets, on top of general care.

    The horse is dependent on you, and you gotta do what’s best for them as you accepted them as your responsibility. And honestly I think they’ll know you’re taking care of them and return that love to you in kind.

    Good luck with your decision!

    #33

    I would never opt into purchase a horse in their 20s for a primary ride if I only had the means for one horse. You can easily find a been there done that type who is 13/14 years old. The difference between a 13 year old and a 23 year old can be a solid 10 years of extra riding. Ponies are quite robust but it is not uncommon for horses and ponies to retire in their early 20s. Even one that is very sound at 21 may be a pasture puff by 23.

    I don’t mind being super transparent because I’ve got probably one of the cheaper set ups on COTH with a barefoot pony so the numbers may be helpful.

    Purchase price was upper 4 figures. Add $1,500 for PPE and shipping.

    My monthly expenses:

    • $375 board: an unreal deal. If it goes away my board will be closer to $600/700
    • $60 farrier: trim every 5 weeks
    • $40 insurance: major medical and mortality

    Misc expenses in the first 5 months:

    • $400 emergency vet bill a week after purchasing
    • $1,100 in materials like blankets/sheets/fly masks/girths etc
    • $245 spring shots
    • $170 dental
    • $900 on saddle fitting appointments and shipping saddles back and forth (so frustrating to burn $100-200 at a time for months on end)
    • $300 for a weird off brand all purpose saddle that magically fits her unicorn back even though I hate it
    • $550 to get the magic saddle stripped and totally reflocked, billets replacement, and have velcro blocks put on

    Looking at my standard monthly expenses I’m at $475 however my real average cost so far has been $1,035/month for a barefoot pasture kept horse. There’s a reason that a lot of people don’t keep records!

    My DH and I budget $500/month for the pony and then I teach to close the gap. By the end of Y1 my hope is that the monthly expenses will average closer to $700/month. This of course doesn’t include any lessons, clinics, truck/trailer expenses, or other things that I’d like.

    #34

    I’m on the other side of the state from you (I keep my horse ~an hour east of downtown Pittsburgh), so I don’t know how comparable things will be, but this is what I’m usually looking at in terms of expenses:

    Board: $325/month for full care (which very well might go up as my BO makes improvements to the farm, but I knew that going in). A lot of other facilities in the area run $350-$700, depending on how fancy they get.

    Farrier: $120, shod on all four. We were on a 10-12 week shoeing cycle through the winter because nobody’s hooves were really growing, but most of the horses in the barn are on a 6-8 week schedule spring/summer/fall. It was $90/shoeing when he was just shod on the fronts and getting trimmed behind, but his hind feet weren’t holding up that way and he was getting sore so I made the switch to keep him comfortable.

    Vet: Our vet is a bit different from others that I’ve encountered in that most of her regular clients (myself included) pay for a wellness plan every year, which includes the regular vaccines, spring and fall wellness checks, deworming as needed, and any dental work required. The plan was $625 this year. I put $40/paycheck into a specific reserve for any unexpected vet bills on top of that and my BO is authorized (per my boarding contract) to approve up to $1,000 of emergency vet care on my behalf before she has to call me. I second what several other people in this thread have said re: having an emergency credit card for vet bills, as that’s what I do for anything that isn’t covered by what I have saved already. I haven’t had to use it much (thankfully), but it’s definitely a good idea.

    Insurance: $72/quarter. I have my horse insured through the ASPCA for colic and accident coverage, so it’s nothing crazy (I think it’s up to $7500 if I’m remembering correctly), but it’s worth the peace of mind having that coverage should any unexpected things happen (in my personal opinion, anyway) even though my horse wasn’t overly expensive.

    Supplements: $120 every ~five weeks for Platinum, $65 every ~three months for California Trace, $29.25/month for UGard Pellets (I split it with my BO, both our TBs are on it). You might not need supplements but for my horse this combo has helped a lot with getting weight on him and strengthening his hooves since he came off the track.

    I set aside roughly $350-$450 of every paycheck (I’m paid bi-monthly) for horse-related expenses, between our regular expenses (board, supplements, farrier, insurance) and putting aside money for lessons/clinics/shows/vet reserve/saddle fitting/chiropractor appointments/my impulse purchases/etc. My lessons are $60/hour for a private lesson, but I don’t have them regularly right now because a) pandemic and b) my horse just turned four so we aren’t doing anything that intense at the moment. My trainer is also a 5* event rider, so they’re on the more expensive side for the area.

    I’m not going to go into what I spent on tack when I bought him because a) it hurts to think about, lol, and b) it could have been a LOT cheaper, I just like spoiling both him and myself so things are a lot fancier than they probably needed to be. Like others have mentioned, concern #1 should just be that everything fits your horse correctly (and fits you too). I’ve probably spent $1000 on random stuff in the last year (blankets, fly spray, regular shampoo, fungal shampoo, topical fungal treatment (rain rot is THE WORST), saddle pads, lunging equipment, new stirrups, treats, horse boots, buckets, tack cleaner, horse first aid kit supplies, the list goes on) but probably about 1/2 to 2/3 of it was stuff that I didn’t really need and was driven by me being at the Dover tent sale and going “That’s a $250 blanket for $80!!!” and buying it. Don’t be like me regularly impulse-buying stuff and you’ll probably spend a lot less.

    #35

    I took on my current horse when I was on a very tight budget. I remember doing this kind of math a little over a decade ago when I was given this horse, to see if I could really afford it.

    The first year of frugal horse ownership worked out basically just how I had planned it. I spent about $7,000 on basic care that year, excluding lessons and initial tack/equipment purchases (which totaled about $2,000 the first year for purchase of tack including well-fitting but basic used saddle, basic grooming, first aid, and other supplies like buckets, and a fly sheet and rain sheet).

    Board: $450/month (by far the cheapest board option in my local area at the time)
    Supplemental feed: ~$360 total (barn fed only hay; owners provided own concentrates/supplements)
    Farrier: $60 every 6 weeks (trims only on a horse with very good feet)
    Deworming: $60 over the year (barn required all horses to be on same rotation – first sign it wasn’t a good fit)
    Vet: ~$650 total (routine vaccinations, dentistry, some basic internal medicine stuff like a blood panel)

    The second year I wasn’t so lucky w.r.t. veterinary issues and spent about $3,500 on vet bills to diagnose and treat a difficult veterinary problem that arose and an emergency call related to systemic vaccine reactions that came out of the blue that year (horse had been vaccinated annually by prior owner and myself without incident – but things change). Those vet totals involved a bit of a friends and family discount (my two best friends in that area are equine vets – I might not have been able to afford as much w.r.t. diagnostics otherwise). The overall horse budget went way over $10k that year. In other words, a couple of unpredictable veterinary hiccups raised my annual budget by ~50% from one year to the next.

    A couple years later I moved away to a different area where board was in the $700-800 range. My horse also started needing shoes, because even having started out with amazing feet, things change. That was ~$185 every ~8 weeks. Suddenly the farrier budget was >$1,000/year and board was $9,000/year alone. Now, maybe you know that you’re settled permanently where you are and won’t relocate. But as a 20-something when I got my current horse I had no idea where life would take me between then and now and I wouldn’t have predicted some of the events that brought me to where I am now. When I had to move for a job, I also had to figure out a way to budget for the horse to come along, and it was not easy. But even if I hadn’t moved away for that job, it was apparent by that time that the low-priced barn I had started out boarding at wasn’t a good fit for me and my horse. Had I stayed in the original area I still would have needed to move to another barn, and that would have raised my board costs by at least $150/month.

    Since then I moved back to a slightly less expensive area, but have had several years when my vet costs were in the thousands, not hundreds. Maybe most years? Certainly all of the last 4 years have had multiple thousands of dollars of vet expenses per year. Colic, injuries, freak events – horses are really good at generating unexpected veterinary expenses, even if they are otherwise frugal keepers. And IME vet expenses to keep a horse healthy and comfortable tend to tick up as a horse ages. My baseline vet budget is now about twice what it was when I got the horse, because the same horse needs more help to stay comfortable as an older critter and is more prone to little issues with age.

    I hope that if you and your sister take the plunge you will budget for the unexpected – with horses the things you can’t necessarily budget specifically for can end up making up a significant portion of the overall expense.

    1 Like
    #36

    These responses are very informative! Definitely keep them coming. I did know that unexpected vet bills do prop up - family pony had splint bone surgery - but of course I was hoping most years would be injury free. I know with horses no plan is sure-fire! Your horse could be healthy and sound for several years and then BAM! You are “saddled” with an unexpected injury & corresponding vet bill. Do you all find that your horse incurs several thousand dollars worth of vet bills annually?

    My sister and I were hoping to keep the annual expenses around $10,000 since we are not looking to be competitive riders. Mainly just want the companionship of a horse. We had estimated the normal expenses of board, farrier, biannual vet care, and deworming to be around $6,000 - $7,000 per year. Add $1,000 or so for random purchases. :slight_smile: Then, the remaining $2,000 would be tucked away each year in case an injury would occur.

    First year of course would be higher due to initial purchase cost of horse and supplies. I am mentally adding another $7,000 - $8,000 to the first year’s costs.

    If we decide to pursue horse ownership, we really want to be mentally prepared for it. It’s great hearing the thoughts and perspectives of horse owners. I do not want to be unrealistic with my budget, so if you think I am totally off the mark let me know. :wink:

    #37

    Okay, I’m impressed! :slight_smile: You sound like you are really on top of the planning for first-time horse ownership. Your numbers seem reasonable. Here is my annual budget for one horse. I am frugal, only buy what I need, and do not take lessons or compete right now.

    Board (pasture board with hay and 2x daily feeding) at $300/month – $3600
    Feed ($30-100/month depending on the horse) – $360-$1200
    Vaccinations/Coggins Test (1 time per year 4-way, rabies, West Nile Virus, Coggins) – $120
    Dental work (1 time per year) – $110
    Farrier work (trim every 8 weeks at $40/trim) – $260
    Parasite protocol (fecal exams 1-2x per year at $13/exam, usually low shedder so Ivermectin in the spring at $2/tube and QuestPlus or Equimax in the fall at $12/tube) – $40
    Equine liability insurance premium (this is not major medical or mortality, just liability) – $200
    Emergencies – I keep a vet emergency fund and have a rough dollar value in mind that I can spend before I have to consider euthanasia. This dollar value has ranges depending on the prognosis. I have had years where the amount spent on emergencies has been $0 and other years when it has been in the thousands. Saving $1,000 per year for this seems reasonable to me.
    Misc equipment and supplies (i.e. replace or repair broken equipment, buy leather cleaner, buy new fly mask) - Probably somewhere in the range of $200. I haven’t purchased anything in a tack store in a long time and have only purchased very few items from online stores or bought used from individuals in the past year (other than those already accounted for above). With that said, I already have my equipment and take good care of tack / use supplies sparingly, so this may be significantly more for you. It will probably be significantly more for me again at some point in the future as things wear out, I upgrade my helmet to better technology, etc.

    So that is somewhere around $5900-$6700 per year without including lessons. If you and your sister hypothetically each take a lesson every other week at $50/lesson, that would be an additional $2600 for a total of $8500-$9300 per year. Keep in mind that things will rise in price, or suddenly your horse that has been sound barefoot will need shoes every 4-5 weeks, or you will have a problem to work through and need extra lessons/training, or your vet will recommend an expensive supplement, or any of the other million things that might happen. So it is important that your base numbers are not already a “stretch.”

    Also – I sent you a PM.

    #38

    Thank you so much all! The responses are definitely appreciated. Starting to feel a bit more confident getting back in the saddle again. :slight_smile: I wanted to post a quick update - my sister and I will be part-leasing an older horse starting next month. We are certainly excited for what the future holds. Please keep sharing your advice on horse ownership as we pursue horses again! <3

    #39

    Thank you so much all! The responses are definitely appreciated. Starting to feel a bit more confident getting back in the saddle again. :slight_smile: I wanted to post a quick update - my sister and I will be part-leasing an older horse starting next month. We are certainly excited for what the future holds. Please keep sharing your advice on horse ownership as we enter the horse world again! :tickled_pink:

    #40

    I agree with the estimate of $10k/yr for a boarded barefoot pleasure horse (no showing). OP, I stay in that range pretty easily if it’s a normal vet care year with much higher boarding costs. If you show, do lessons, travel for trail riding, etc. expect to increase that a lot. Something to think about is whether your future pony could do field board or rough board—that can be a way to cut costs.

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