# Cheap Horse Keeping?



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

1.Can a horse live out in the pasture most of the time, and just be grass fed?

They can live out all the year providing that they have access to shelter from the wind and rain. They will need hay and hard feed during the winter. They will also need hard feed if you are working them hard. 

2. Do horses need annual veterinary and farrier visits?

Yes, they need certain inoculations annually. The farrier needs to visit every 6 - 8 weeks even if your horse is barefoot. 

3. What minerals do horse need?

Depends on the area you are in. Generally a mineral bucket designed for horses left with them 24/7 is fine.

The questions you are asking are very basic and if you have to ask thses then I would say that you are not experienced enough to care for a horse on your own. 
There is no such thing as 'cheap' horse keeping. They are always going to cost you money and you should always have plenty in reserve for the unexpected vet bill.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

First, welcome to the forum. There is nothing cheap about owning horses :wink:


1.Can a horse live out in the pasture most of the time, and just be grass fed?
Yes, they do much better on pasture but that alone may not sustain them. They need vitamins & minerals that they may not get from pasture alone. In the winter they will require quality hay to make up for the pasture they wouldn't be getting. Some horses are easier keepers, some harder keepers. They are all different and their needs can vary greatly. Mine are on pasture but also get fed a ration balancer and various supplements, depending on the horse. Some may also require hard feed. 

2. Do horses need annual veterinary and farrier visits?
Yes, vet - annual teeth floating, shots, health certificate & coggins draw. Farrier - how often also depends on individual horse. Mine are on an every 5 week schedule. 

3. What minerals do horse need? This is something best discussed with a vet or equine nutritionist as it can be a very tricky thing to get right. 


Other basic care requirements
-De-worming program. Some owners rotate dewormers. I have fecals done every 3 months and then deworm (or not) based on the findings.
-Fly control
-vaccines 

If you plan to have one on your own property, there is pasture management to consider, fencing, shelter, water source, equipment to maintain all of it. 

Horses are also very prone to injury, common saying is you could put them in bubble wrap and they'd still find a way to get hurt. Having a savings for emergency vet calls is wise and almost a necessity in my opinion. 

There is much more to horse ownership and costs but that's the basics I could think of off the top of my head.


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## Island Horselover (Apr 4, 2012)

Well it totally depends on what you have available. We have 9 horses and it costs us less to keep them all then it costs some people to keep 1 as we have lots of land and do not board them... We do feed our horses round bales of Hay, they have access to grass and we keep them outside all year long, they need to have some shelter though. They are all barefoot and if you are looking at a horse make sure that is has great feet as this is a huge cost if you need to get them shoes every 6 weeks or so. Luckily my boyfriend is an experienced barefoot trimmer so there is no cost for me for that. Our horses are out at least every 2nd day and get ridden, so we do feed them grain (before and after each ride) grass and hay right now. We do worm our horses and just order the stuff for the worming online. So if you have some land and do some reasearch and get the right horse - I would say that horses are still an expensive hobby but you can keep your costs fairly low... and who are we kidding :0) It is worth it anyway! Good luck with the horse search!


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## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

Cheap horse keeping = oxymoron! :lol:

Seriously though, its good you are starting to think and look at what is involved in horse ownership. Read, read, read. When you think you can't read yet another thing about horses... read some more. Books, magazines, internet resources, whatever you can get your hands on.
If there is a stable or farm near you, go visit (if it is ok) and ask a lot of questions. Take pen and paper for notes.

Get on some tack/farm supply places and see how much halters, leads, and basic tack costs. Check out the prices of feed and do some averages on the feed based on a 1000lb horse. Hay too, even with pasture availability is a big one right now.

Now that is not to say there aren't any ways to save money, but until you have a full scope of everything that is actually needed, it can be hard to know where to pinch pennies to keep costs low.

Do some searches here as I remember a few threads in the last couple of months where people were comparing the costs for keeping their horses in various situations. It was a real eye opener.

Being natural as possible is a great way to go and I try to do that as much as I can here, but natural doesn't stitch up wounds or take care of major illnesses that horses seem prone to. Vets are not cheap and while I'm able to do more medical type things than the average horse owner, I still have a vet budget I set aside for those times when I can't.

Again though, glad to see you are looking before you leap into it!


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## Pink Cowgirl (Sep 22, 2011)

Thanks everyone who's replied so far!

Foxhunter: I understand what you mean about my questions, but I'm only doing research right now. It'll be a long, long, long time before I get a horse.

Lockwood: Thanks! I've been doing research on horses for years, and I will never stop. I've checked out pretty much every horse book from my library. And thanks again for the tips!


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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

Here is the research I am doing for owning my yearling:

- Feed and board (pasture boarding will be cheaper, but you'll have to buy your own feed) - $500 per month, plus $500 deposit.
- Training/grooming essentials (tack not included) - $300
- Shipping (TX to CA) - anywhere from $500 - $2000
- Farrier trim - $25-35 per 6 weeks = $240 year
- Annual shots - $100-250 2x a year = $400 year
- Worming - $20 per 6 wks = $160 year
- Dental - $230 2x a year = $460 year
- Coggins and health cert. = $50 year

And that does not include show expenses, plus I have my own tack. With money set aside for emergency vet care, I'm looking at around $11,000 a year for good basic care, which is about $900 a month.


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## Casey02 (Sep 20, 2011)

What is this cheap horse keeping you speak of? I have never heard such a thing


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

A lot of it depends on your location as well. 

I know here, in Australia, I wouldn't have a horse on pasture alone as it does not have enough of the vitamins and minerals needed, so I supplement daily with hard feed. Some places are better than others, but I think there are few places where the grass would be of good enough quality. In a colder location you'll obviously have to supplement a lot more in winter time, as the grass will die off from the frost/snow. Even if you think you can survive on pasture make sure you can afford to pay feed if you have to - you never know what will happen. I've had fires go through where I keep my horse, and while you can get the horse out, there will be no feed. Depending on your horse, you may need to rug. Even if the horse can survive in the cold, they might lose too much condition maintaining their warmth. 

Farrier definitely needs to come out every 6 - 8 weeks. Vet visits are not too pressing - the place I keep my horse does all its own vaccinations which works out cheaper. But you still need to have a fund in case you need the vet out. Additionally you shall need a dentist to come out annually, and you may need a chiropractor to address back problems. Should you have training problems you may require a trainer. 

A hidden cost of horse ownership is transport. Just driving to and from the horse (if you do DIY care - cheapest option and standard in some places) can cost more than what you pay in feed or board. So be aware of the distance you will be traveling. If you rug, and in winter, it's likely you'll need to go to the horse twice day, so even 10km away turns into 40km a day, and 280km a week.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

The cheapest way to keep a horse is to let someone else own it


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## bnayc (Jan 3, 2012)

I'm sorry but if your concerned about money then horse ownership may not be for you. Look into leasing a horse in the area. You can then make sure after a few months that you are still interested in horses. And also you can ask the owner of the horse how much they spend. They can talk to you more in depth about what is all involved. That's what I did before I bought my first horse and I am very glad I did!


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## Daisy25 (May 29, 2011)

Oh yes - LEASING is the best way to "test drive" horse ownership...

You learn a LOT and you get to see what it takes to keep a horse in good, healthy condition. Then if you find it's more than you can handle or afford...you can walk away.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

I keep horses very cheaply, and I think well. 

We own our own place, and are meticulous about maintaining it, so I have good quality pasture year round. Here in central VA, USA, you can maintain a horse on pasture with mineral supplementation very easily. My horses live out, 24/7 and have free access to a barn or shed for shelter. 

So, I have two riding horses and a 10 hand pony, and these are my costs -

$500 - $550 per year for hay. That's 12 - 14 round bales, I feed hay from October to February or March. The rest of the time they're on pasture.

$30 - 40 per year for mineral blocks. 

$20 for grain. I buy 2 - 3 bags per year, all I use it for is to put something in can to rattle to call the horses in.

$450. - $500. for yearly vet visit, vaccines and coggins. I do their fall boosters myself for another $50.

Farrier every 5 weeks - $75 - $215; depending on who's wearing shoes. 

So I keep 3 animals year round for a total annual cost of around $3000.; farrier costs being by far the biggest expense. And they are fat, shiny and healthy. Two are currently wearing grazing muzzles, and the third probably needs to.

But here are the hidden or soft costs to my arrangement - I haven't included diesel fuel, maintenence or initial investment in my tractor. Without the tractor, I couldn't be so scrupulous about maintianing the quality of my pasture, and I couldn't feed round bales and would have to use a more expensive method. 

I lime and or fertilize and seed my pastures every other year, or as needed. That can be another $1000. And while I don't muck or feed daily, or bring horses in and out, I spend a lot of time bushhogging, harrowing, putting hay out, etc.

As someone else said, choosing a horse that's an easy keeper and that has good feet is key to keeping costs low. Another key consideration is not having it be stall kept and not having to feed hay year round. A terrific option to full stall board at a commercial facility is to lease a pasture and do the care yourself, but you need enough experience to be comfortable doing the care, and a schedule that will allow you to do so.

I did this for years before we bought our place and it was the only way I could have kept horses; when I was no longer working with horses full time, boarding at a commercial facility just wasn't an option.

Good for you for doing you research ahead of time and really exploring your options.


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## Pink Cowgirl (Sep 22, 2011)

My question's about "cheap" horse keeping came from hearing about this horse that lived without ever seeing a vet (or farrier), he was born without anyone's help, and he lived the life of a wild horse, and he still lived to be 35 years old. How would things have to be done to _not_ have vet visits and the farrier visits?


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## bnayc (Jan 3, 2012)

If you knew how to properly trim and upkeep hooves you could skip the farrier. Also I know a lot of people give spring shots themselves. Still its good to have the vet out atleast once a year. That horse may have just been very lucky. Horses do live in the wild just fine without our help. I guess it depends on the horse.


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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

Pink Cowgirl said:


> My question's about "cheap" horse keeping came from hearing about this horse that lived without ever seeing a vet (or farrier), he was born without anyone's help, and he lived the life of a wild horse, and he still lived to be 35 years old. How would things have to be done to _not_ have vet visits and the farrier visits?


You buy a mustang and then set it free.

Seriously, I bet this horse wasn't in great condition. Horses are tough animals, but when they are in captivity and exposed to human demands, they need extra care. The pasture would have to be absolutely perfect - several acres with various kinds of minerals, never ending grass, water, and rocky bits. But even then, there are serious regional diseases that horses have to get vaccinated for or else they will die. And if you want to actually ride your horse you are going to have to feed it more and supplement it more, you're going to have to look after its feet, and you're going to have to look after its teeth. You _rarely_ hear about horses like you've mentioned because they are rare cases...


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I'm going to answer based on how I do my own horses, as I'm very much into cheap horsekeeping.

*1.Can a horse live out in the pasture most of the time, and just be grass fed? *Yes. My own horses are outside 24.7 rain, snow, heat, etc... and are mostly grass-fed. I grain only as a treat after rides (a small handful) or when I notice their weight dropping a little (usually in winter and only about three pounds daily until spring hits and grass starts growing again).

*2. Do horses need annual veterinary and farrier visits? *My opinion is that it depends. If you ride in places where there are lots of other horses, or if you board, then I would reccomend vaccinations yearly, but if you don't ride with groups of people a lot and only ride around your area, then I'd say no, there's no need for vaccinating. Case Point: my own horses are ridden with friends horses, and they haven't been vaccinated in years and have no problems. My boy Jax and my mare Gypsie have only had tetanus shots this year due to injuries, and my boy Dakota hasn't been vaccinated in several years. None of my horses have had their teeth done in several years and they are doing fine, etc...

As for shoeing and farrier visits. If you know how to trim, then you can do general upkeep yourself and just have the farrier come out a few times a year.That's what I do. I also only put front shoes on my mare when I know I will be riding a lot on her, such as during summer and fall. My other horses are barefoot and my mare goes barefoot during the winter months. A lot of that, though, depends on the horse.

*3. What minerals do horse need? *I only ever buy Trace Mineral Blocks and White Salt Licks. Maybe once every few years I'll have to buy some sort of weight supplement if one of my horses gets down too badly, but they generally do very well on regular salt blocks.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Costs depend so much on different things. If you own land, you don't pay board. If you make your own hay, you cut that cost. 
Horses aren't cheap, but you can make them not extremely expensive. 

That being said, every three months I spend $1500 just in dewormer and farrier. 

If horses are new thing that you weren't raised around, I would also suggest going with the leasing option, as well as talking with a trainer in the area who can get you pointed in the right direction with the right type of horse for you.


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## bnayc (Jan 3, 2012)

1500 for wormers and farrier visits? Are your horses getting shoes made of gold? Lol


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

bnayc said:


> 1500 for wormers and farrier visits? Are your horses getting shoes made of gold? Lol


No. But there are 23 of them. LOL


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## homehorsetraining (Apr 24, 2012)

It is great that you are doing research and asking questions. I would see if there are any stables/barns around that will let you be a working student. You can be around the horses and learn about their care before you dive into ownership yourself. Horses are such fragile creatures that it is really important to learn about normal behavior and the things that can hurt them, as well as the subtle signs of sickness. Some barns will let you help groom/exercise/clean stalls in exchange for lessons. That is my recommendation and good luck!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

In re: routine veterinary work. 

I COULD give all shots myself, I live in a state where you can buy all the necessary vaccines, but I still have the vet out once a year for a check up and to have a Coggins drawn, because I do haul two of mine to places that require them.

The real reason I continue to do spring check ups and vaccines is that for me, it's important that I have a relationship with the vet, that he/she sees the animals at least once a year, and that all the information about the horses is in their database. This is invaluable in case of an emergency; particularly one that requires an after hours call. It also means I can call the vet clinic and get prescription meds when I need to. I suspect a lot of the posters on the board who claim they can't get a vet out for an emergency haven't ever called a vet for routine work or anything else; if you're not an existing client, vets are less willing to go on an afterhours call. 

In terms of the horse living to 35 with no vet or farrier care; yes, I'm sure it's possible, but I suspect the horse wasn't ridden and I also suspect it wasn't in terrific condition. 

If I had a horse in a closed herd, where it never left the farm, had no contact with outside horses in an area where there weren't a lot of horses, period, I still would vaccinate for rabies and tetanus. Both are incurable, and both can be contracted by otherwise healthy and well-managed horses through no fault of the animal or owner. I can't think of a single reason for not vaccinating for tetanus, or rabies if you live in an area where it's common.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

Pink Cowgirl said:


> My question's about "cheap" horse keeping came from hearing about this horse that lived without ever seeing a vet (or farrier), he was born without anyone's help, and he lived the life of a wild horse, and he still lived to be 35 years old. How would things have to be done to _not_ have vet visits and the farrier visits?


There are always those "stories" about people or things, but just because there is one exception doesn't mean yours will be to. Like the people who drink alcohol and smoke excessively all their lives and lived to over 100 - yes it might of happened, but that doesn't mean that smoking and drinking is good for you. 

Most wild horses generally don't live as long as captive ones. Nor are many of them in a condition suitable for riding. They also generally have a MUCH larger area to feed from, and cover a lot more distance, wearing down their hooves. To have a captive horse in similar conditions would be near impossible - they wouldn't be close enough to catch regularly and may as well just be wild. 

Vet visits are not so essential, as said earlier, you can do the shots yourself. I never get the vet out. I've had a vet out maybe twice over a period of 7+ years of owning horses. I only get them out if there is a problem I can't handle. But you still need to have the funds available should your horse be injured.

Farrier - you can learn to do it yourself, but you will still need to purchase all the tools and learn correctly, and even then I'd still get a farrier out semi-regularly to check it all out. To me, because of the strain on your body, and the cost of learning and tools, it's still better for me to pay someone else. 

I do horse ownership on the cheap - but I still buy good quality food, rug them well and get all the care they need. I save money by boarding somewhere with less facilities, full time paddock rather than stabling. I won't buy Thoroughbreds because they always seem to end up costing more. I don't buy expensive gear or go to shows. I do not cheap out on feed and care though.


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## Remy410 (Nov 7, 2011)

I've learned so much from my trainers. I had read and studied up on horses all my life but realized I knew absolutely nothing when I started taking regular lessons. Being at a barn weekly was a real eye opener. I learned so much about training and care taking from people who had been doing it a life time. Is there a facility where you might could take weekly lessons? You'll learn a lot!

I always find Equus magazine informative. I've subscribed for years and keep my back copies as references.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

You can get away with not having the vet out yearly...if you have the experience and knowledge to give your own shots and deal with minor injuries/illnesses yourself, but that takes years of horse keeping to get that knowledge/experience. It is not something that a new horse owner would have the capability of doing.

I get free farrier care for my horses (thank God as there are a bunch of them) from my brother, who is also a farrier, in return for buying hay for his horses and letting him turn them out in our pasture during down times.

For every one of those horses that live healthy and happy lives for 20-30 years with zero care, there are 1000 more that starve, or end up crippled, or foundered, or sick, or dead because they didn't get the necessary care.

If you are wanting a horse but you are already trying to figure out ways and excuses to not spend money on even the most basic of care, then I suspect _this_ may be a perfect horse for you as it's really the only one that fits your ideals.


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

WSArabians said:


> No. But there are 23 of them. LOL


OUCH. Where is the photo album???


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

Cheap and horses are just so far at the opposite ends of the spectrum!

I bought a 200$ gelding, what it has cost in vet bills I could have had the well trained, pedigreed out the wazoo, first class tacked up horse of my dreams. 

I do love my boy though


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