I worked at a job with a mandatory pension. Had to take it when I turned 60. It’s about $925 a month and is earmarked as the horse fund. And it gets used every mnth……
Horse is out on lease right now so some of my numbers are probably outdated given how fast everything has been rising the last few months. But earlier this year my numbers were:
- Full board: 1,200
- Shoes : ~$240 / month ($315 every 6 weeks for basic all arounds)
- Supplements: ~50 / month
- Vet care ~100 / month (1,200 a year for routine care)
- Lessons 2x a month: ~170 / month
- Misc equipment replacement: ~100 / month
- ETA: forgot Chiro / massage – ~100 / month
So my typical monthly total is ~2k
Not included is clinics, showing, trailering fees, unexpected vet costs (e.g. in 2020 she got ulcers that cost ~1k to treat, 2021 she got a tick virus that was ~1.5k all in, etc)
I live in an expensive part of New England but ugh it hurts.
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Relatively little now that my two retirees are living rent-free in my parents’ field. About $210 a month for senior, balancer and alfalfa cubes plus $80 every eight weeks for the farrier, trims only. Dentals and four-ways were $470 last month and hopefully they won’t need to see the vet again until March.
When/if I buy my next project, anticipated costs (in North Carolina) will be:
$300 self-care board
$180 for 15 bales of timothy/orchard trucked in from Canada (monthly October through April)
$100 for grain/cubes
$50 every six weeks for farrier as long as it can go barefooted
$200-300 for lessons and schooling fees
Also I’ll easily be spending $100-$150 more on diesel than I do now so should probably include that.
So about $1,000, give or take, without competing or any major tack purchases.
I’m in Los Angeles.
- Stall board: $1125
- Pasture board: $555
- Meadow grass hay: $80
- Orchard hay: $100
- Extra shavings: $50
- Trailer parking: $100
- Shoes: $217 ($250 every 5 weeks)
- Trimming: $46 ($75 every 7 weeks)
- Supplements: approx $200
- Full training + pasture care: $1750
- Routine vet care: approx $50
Total: $4,273 for 1 in full training and 1 in retirement
Doesn’t include occasional chiro and massage, showing, etc.
I have one pony and two smallish horses (one retired) at home. They’re all easy keepers and none gets any medication or special supplements. One has shoes 8-9 months of the year. My expenses for feed, hay, equipment/supplies, shavings, farrier and vet come to an average of about $600 per month. That doesn’t include property expenses, truck/trailer, fuel, or any lessons or competitions (which I haven’t done lately).
$33 when they go through the RB.
$ 10 when I need to add shavings to the shelter.
$ 65 toward trims and 1 that gets front shoes every 7-8 weeks.
I have 3 horses at home. Definitely cuts actual monthly costs.
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Recently moved to Socal (San Diego, my gelding lives close to Del Mar):
Boarding:
Monthly board for 24x24 paddock: $735/month
The facility has a monthly hay supplement cost to cover changing hay prices: ~$45/month
Noon graining: $30/month
My other costs:
Smartpak supplements: $65/month
Farrier every 4 weeks (Barefoot trim): $75
Tribute Equine grain/Balancer bought from Chewy: $50/month
Lessons 2 times a month: $65/lesson
Dr. Mike Salewski, Hindsight Veterinary Care.
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I have three horses at home. I don’t have pasture, but my neighbors let my horses graze in their pasture six hours a day from Memorial Day to October first, when our irrigation water gets shut off. I feed grass hay, at $18 a bale year round. My fall delivery was $6K, which should last me until next June. I haven’t done a monthly breakdown, mainly because I don’t want to know.
Shaving are $12/bale. Farrier $125/horse every seven weeks. Ration balancer bag lasts about a month at $38/bag. I don’t show any more, so that saved me $1K/month for training board and lessons.
Shots twice a year. Teeth. That’s about it.
So much cheaper since I don’t show anymore. I miss it, but I don’t miss the expense.
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Wow, talk about a blast from the past. I remember when Mike was a senior student while I was an intern back in Virginia.
My mare loves his adjustments! He’s wonderful.
LOL! That was my first thought as well.
I live in the NE where costs have been steadily rising. Which is in part why I have decided not to buy another horse after having to euthanize my 24 yo last year.
Thinking back, my mare cost me around $800 per month in board + supplements + farrier ($80 every 7 weeks or so), then there was routine vet stuff (vaccines etc) 2x a year, chiro, dentist about 2x a year. I did not take lessons often and I didn’t compete her anymore other than the occasional hunter pace.
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I don’t want to know lol
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NorCal, Bay Area:
Board: $1000 for a 12x24 pipe corral, 5 flakes of hay, cleaning 3x/day
Training: $1000 (hunter jumper program), includes 3-4 lesson/week, 1-2 trainer rides, daily turnout, grain, etc.
Meds/Supplements: $230/month approximately
Shoes: $300 every 6 weeks
Chiro/Acupuncture/Massage: $150ish
And there you have it! Eek. 
North Carolina, almost VA (aka NOT the truly horsey area 
)
Stall board $700 (includes hay and Senior feed)
Supplements $35
Vet/ins/misc $150
Farrier $300 every 4 weeks for shoes and pads all around
Trailer payment and maintenance $300
Total: $1485 before lessons/tack/vet bills (he’s an OTTB, it’s always SOMETHING)
I hate seeing those numbers. I remember when $1000/month paid for board, farrier, supps, Adequan, and 8 lessons a month. Sigh 
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5 flakes per day? You must have a very small horse or very large flakes!
2 horses in NC.
$450 for retired horse’s pasture board
$750 for younger horse’s board
$650 for younger horse’s training
$250 for supplements
~$300 for insurance on both (my younger horse was a huge investment so his insurance is very pricey)
Total around $2400 monthly but it usually ends up being closer to $3000 - $3500 with extras such as farrier, shows, surprise vet bills, maintenance, etc.
My guy only gets 3 flakes daily because he’s an air fern. Each flake weighs 8-10 lbs.
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A very large, active horse (17.1 hands) and normal flakes 
Yeah, this. I have three horses boarded; two in work and one retired.
The retiree is going to a new place that is $400 a month all-inclusive, which will save me a tiny bit of money.
Board for the other two is $900, and I supply grain and supplements, but haven’t added up the monthly cost of that in quite awhile. I usually buy extra shavings as well. One place I save money is doing my own hoof trimming, though I think I’ll start paying to have the retired guy done when he moves to save (what is left of) my sanity.
I pay $85 currently for lessons, though that might be going up to $100. Number of lessons per month varies as my trainer comes in from out of state. Then there are the less frequent expenses of vet, chiro, saddle fitting, tack, entry fees and on and on. I really need to sell my riding horse that was meant to be a project when I bought her 5.5 years ago, but then I’ll probably move the other to a more expensive boarding stable.
