# List of things needed and prices?



## HorseCrazyGirlForever (Apr 27, 2012)

Hello people! I am trying to calculate the cost of things for a horse. Can you please give me a list of things needed for the horse? I am going to ride it western, so yeah. Thanks!


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## AnalisaParalyzer (Apr 25, 2012)

You've got lots of thinking to do dude if this is your first time owning and buying a horse, your gonna be shocked. I'm rounding this to the average in my area. 
Board: 300/m
Feed: 200/m
Supplies (hoof oil, brushes, thrush stuff, pitch fork, rasp, buckets, fly spray, etc..): 75/m
Bedding : 30/m
Farrier: b/f- 40 shod- 60-120 depending on your horses feet.
Vet- I put aside 500 a year, plus I have 3000 put away that I add to for any kind of emergency (me or annie) 
Tack- anywhere from 300 to 6000 is what I've spent on tack. 

So monthly, you'll end up spending 500-700 a month on your horse, plus thousands more to buy the animal, and the tack to ride it. At that cost, your looking at 6000-9000 a year plus your vet savings and emergency savings. Its pretty costly.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Yeah, horses are definitely not cheap.

If you can keep your horse at home, you'll still need to buy feed each month, which depends heavily on how much grazing the horse gets, hay prices in your area, if the horse is an easy or hard keeper, etc.

Farrier is anywhere from $40-120 (as Analisa mentioned) every 6-8 weeks. And this is something you cannot cheap out on.

Minimal vet care is going to include yearly vaccinations, dental float, etc. Odds are you're going to need additional vet care, especially as a new horse owner, as you'll freak out about every little thing (I just got my first horse 3 months ago, and even though I did a full lease before and dealt with some minor injuries, I've still asked my vet to look at my horse like 3 or 4 times since I got him! However, she does board at my barn and her office is less than a mile away so it costs almost nothing to have her out...)

There will be A LOT of one time expenses for tack and equipment. You need to make sure the saddle fits well; you can save yourself a lot of hassle by just getting a saddle fitter out for your horse. The cost is generally small compared to what you'll end up spending on the saddle, and well worth it. You'll also need a bit & bridle. You may need to try out multiple bits before getting one that works for the horse.

And there are endless small supplies that you need and which sometimes unexpectedly need to be replaced. Brushes, buckets, shampoo, first aid supplies, thrush treatment, saddle pads, fly spray, blankets, hoof pick, gloves, halters, leads, lunge lines, surcingles...

And then if you decide you want to show? :shock:

Horse ownership is definitely not something to be entered into lightly! I'm lucky my DH is still supportive of me after he sees all the stuff I keep buying


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Purchase price is the cheap part of the horse, the feed, board, & accessories (tack), medical care, hoof care & emergencies are the costly part. Costs even more if you really want to enjoy your horse, like trucks, trailers, entry fees, lessons. However, if riding is something not that important to you, keeping a pasture puff is less frustrating, less expensive and for some, just as rewarding. Heck, most times you don't need to buy an unrideable horse, they are given away free to good home. In fact, many newbies, trying to acquire a 1st horse cheaply end up with an unrideable horse they have to feed, house, vet & farrier care for anyways.


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## ThirteenAcres (Apr 27, 2012)

Well. Initially for purchasing a horse, you have to consider the cost of the horse itself plus the cost of transporting it to you. Plus you ALWAYS want to figure in the cost of a pre-purchase vet check. If you're having to build a pasture fence, then you must also calculate that cost. If so, I'd suggest going with an electric tape. It is cheaper and very effective, plus it looks nice if done correctly.

Then you will need tack to ride the horse as well as groom it. 
In tack you'll want to buy a good saddle that won't fall apart in its first year. Here's a basic list of tack I use on a daily basis:

Saddle
Saddle Pad
Headstall
Proper bit for horse (Every horse needs a different bit)
Curb strap
Tie down (if your horse needs one, or a martingale if you prefer)
Girth
Halter (I use a rope halter with an attached lead as a preference)
Noseband (if you use a tie down)
Saddle oil to keep your tack nice (Don't use the "popular brands", use an oil that is not alcohol based)

Then grooming supplies:
Decent brushes, stiff bristled for the body and soft for the face
Curry Comb
Regular Comb
Scissors for trimming or clippers if you prefer
I also keep rubber bands on hand for when I want to braid
Shampoo
Tail Conditioner
Hoof pick
I also keep a bottle of a diluted bleach solution for when I pick hooves to help protect from thrush. I mix it up at home and keep it in an spray bottle

Note: I get a lot of these supplies at the dollar store and they are just as good as the expensive supplies from a tack store such as the bands, spray bottles, some stiffer brushes, scissors, and even clippers!)

First aid:
Blue lotion
Betadine
Iodine
Vet Wraps
Cooling Muscle Gel (good for muscle problems)
I also keep antibiotics on hand as well as syringes and the appropriately guaged needles

My horses go through a bag of feed every two days. They are fed 2 scoops of pellets twice daily. They have free range hay and pasture. You'll want to have plenty of hay on hand. I also store my wormers at the barn so they are on hand for when worming day comes up.

I also keep a dry erase board and dry erase calender in my barn to mark wormings, feed changes, and heat cycles for my mares. 

I'm sure there's more I'm not thinking of.

Also put aside a vet fund that you never touch in case of emergencies. And you can also appy for vet credit cards! Also, be sure to figure in your farrier costs for every 6 weeks.


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

You have A LOT to think about. I suggest doing research in your area. Find the cost of feed, farrier, vet, boarding etc in YOUR area. It will greatly vary. I know I calculated tack alone in my area to be around $3400-$5000. Go on like jeffersequine, or dover saddlery, horseloverz, horse.com and I'm sure you can find all the tack supplies you need. I'm not going to put my input on vet, farrier and boarding because I am NOWHERE near to you. Good luck in your search, I hope everything works out .


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Okay.. First step is finding a horse vet who can help you decide what to feed, direct you to a farrier, and probably sell you a horse first aid kit. There is a directory on here for vets somewhere. Sorry would put more but I'm on a phone in the back of a truck on a bumpy road. Lol.


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## Country Woman (Dec 14, 2011)

all I can say 
why not start off leasing a horse first then if you can manage that 
move on to owning a horse


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## possumhollow (Apr 19, 2012)

Use the money you have for lessons so you can learn from your trainer and barn what it takes to own a horse. You'll also get an idea as to what it is going to cost you in your area to keep one monthly.

Sorry, but buying the horse is the cheap part, especially if you have to board one and put one in training.


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