# Average cost to keep a horse per month?



## Captain Evil (Apr 18, 2012)

The abyss is bottomless...


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## Liz88 (Aug 20, 2016)

I understand there is no exact figure but I used to allow for $1000/mo per horse on my own property (so exclude agistment/board). That is hay at $25/small bail, full set of shoes are $150, 1 bag of hard feed $50, chaff, supplements etc the prices aren’t as high here so was just looking for someone to give me a rough guide as to what they allow per month for a performance horse.


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

Hey, I just worked this out!

Keep in mind that I don't actually pay for the horses yet, these are just figures I got from my parents (who pay for them) as well as from looking at prices on gumtree and stuff 

Quite long, sorry! Parents trim our own horses and I plan to too, so you'd have to add those costs in.


Food
Hay: 23kg per bale, ½ bale a day during winter (3 months/90 days) 45 average square bales, $10-20 per bale
=$900 ($20)
=$450 ($10)
Chaff: 25kg bags, $20 p/bag, 200grams a day, 125 uses a bag, around 3 bags a year
=$60
Salt: 1 Tbsp p/day/around 20grams, .90 per kilo of salt, 50 uses in a kilo, 7.3 bags a year
=$6.60
Mineral block: 5kg blocks, max 100grams per day, 50 days, 7.3 blocks a year, $7 a block
=$51

Tack:
Leather conditioner: 3x a year, $15 a bottle
=$45
Saddle soap: 3x a year, $15 a bottle
=$45

Vet:
Annual check-up (vaccinations included): 
=$250
Wormer: $12 each, 4x a year 
=$48
Emergencies: $5,000 (injuries, diseases/illnesses & hooves, damaged tack)
=$5,000 

Misc.:
Lessons: $50 1/week
=$2,600
Competitions: 1/month, $100 entry fee
=$1,200

Yearly:
Total: $10,205.5 (everything max)
Total: $3,555.6 (competitions left out, cheap hay, no emergencies)
Total: $1,064.6 (no mineral block, no tack conditioners, no lessons or competitions, no emergencies, cheap hay)

Monthly:
Total: $850
Total: $296
Total: $88


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## Liz88 (Aug 20, 2016)

You’re amazing @duskexx. Thanks for your help. 😁


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Cost is so dependent upon location...
Houston as shows in your avatar still is a large area for costs...

Are you having the horse home or in a boarding barn or with a trainer at a training barn so you can keep current and show...
If you refer to home boarding then costs estimated below are totally not applicable as overhead is way different...

You did say finished reiner so..._show facility atmosphere._
I can tell you on Long Island to have a horse in a show barn/training facility will start you at $1,500 - $2000+ a month plus lessons...
This should include hay, bedding and daily care...not sure about feed. Good feed regardless of brand is probably in the range of $25 - $35+ a 50 pound bag.
If you need to purchase hay...prices again are going to vary widely by what type of hay and how good a quality it is...you can buy $6 per bale to $40 per bale...big difference in quality and grass specifics.
Shoes, reining specific with sliding plates...probably looking at $250+ without any corrective shoeing involved.
Vet...to start $400 a year for maintenance, routine care...no emergencies.
I think the prices on the island are on the higher side for most places so a decent start to what it might cost.
Till you find a specific barn and pricing, to narrow it further is not going to work.

Welcome back to horse ownership and fulfilling the dream once again..
:runninghorse2:...


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## Liz88 (Aug 20, 2016)

@Horselivinguy thanks for the input. 
If I get this horse, I will keep it at a friends show barn. They will charge me $425 for a stable with a paddock turn out and cleaning the bedding, that’s it. I will have to provide bedding, feed, hay, supplements etc.
I am looking at getting insurance, historically my show horses have looked for ways to hurt themselves so I imagine that pattern will continue.
I am estimating $425 for a place to keep him and an additional $800/mo on average for feed, shoes and general maintenance.
I’m not including Vet bills or showing expenses in this estimate, that’s another can of worms. Haha.


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

In this part of the country, full care board runs $400/mo and up. Basic Vet (shots, de-worm, checkup) is around $150, 2x per year. Farrier is ~$50 for barefoot trims, and ~$200 for four shoes, every 6-8 weeks.
I would budget at least $1000/year for emergency Vet; what you don't use, put in a savings account for when you do need it.
Saddle(s), tack, accessories, fly protection, turnout blankets, trailer, truck, fencing . . . the list goes on and on.

"How do you make a small fortune with Horses?"
.
.
.
.
Wait for it
.
.
.
"Start with a _large_ fortune."


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Liz88 said:


> @Horselivinguy thanks for the input.
> If I get this horse, I will keep it at a friends show barn. They will charge me $425 for a stable with a paddock turn out and cleaning the bedding, that’s it. I will have to provide bedding, feed, hay, supplements etc.
> I am looking at getting insurance, historically my show horses have looked for ways to hurt themselves so I imagine that pattern will continue.
> I am estimating $425 for a place to keep him and an additional $800/mo on average for feed, shoes and general maintenance.
> I’m not including Vet bills or showing expenses in this estimate, that’s another can of worms. Haha.


Welcome! That sounds like a good estimate to start with. 

I would suggest you check into other full boarding (show) facilities to find out what full show board cost, and add shoes and vet costs to that. Just in case you ever have to move stables...

Can't wait to see what horse you pick!


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Is it your plan to board or keep your horse (s) at home?

Boarding situations include hay, bedding, and feed.

I imagine the Houston area will be expensive, either way. 

Your choices of quality feed and farriers should be better than average. 

I might plan on 1K/month and I might up *George T’s* medical emergency fund and say have 2K sitting back, if possible. Vet costs are on the rise and emergency vet care does. It come cheap anymore.

My worst emergency call was last spring. The horse was hurt so bad, I could not get him on the trailer. The only available vet was out of my county. The road fee was $136 dollars. The vet fee and muscle relaxer (which I had to drive to the district equine pharmacy to get it) was around $400 or more, I can’t remember by now.

So there was half of 1K in one fell swoop and the horse never left the property. I am in an ag county in Middle Tennessee (not near as expensive as Houston. 

It was worth it, she saved his life. My point is have as big an emergency cushion as you can or a lot of $$$$ on a credit card dedicated to the horse.

Again, I would plan on $1,000/month for routine care and feeding and stash $2,000 for 
Blood curdling emergencies.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

OK you've got boarding costs accounted for. I'm in Austin, and I can tell you what things run around here.

Coastal hay (if purchased per square bale) 10-18 per (square) bale
Alfalfa hay (ditto) about 20 per bale
Feed: I don't know, I feed only small amounts of an obscure feed that I buy on Mr Chewy, $50 for 50 pounds, shipped free.
Vet cost for annual visit, shots, Coggins: 200 - 300
Farrier: my horses are barefoot and I've paid between $40 and $50 per trim.
Extra vet costs (Moonshine's injections; Teddy's terrible teeth): too much
Lessons: $50 - $80 for individual lessons.
Bedding: no ideal my horses are on pasture full time. In Houston, you might be able to piggyback on someone getting bulk delivery of pine shavings.
Insurance: I forget. I looked into it and it was crazy high for my cheapo horses, and you also had to buy a death policy to get the medical insurance, and that wasn't worth it to me.


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## Liz88 (Aug 20, 2016)

Thank you everyone for your input. I’ve told Hubby to allocate 1-1.5k/mo. EXCLUDING: Vet tack, lessons, show entries, trailer and eeeeverything else.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Liz88 said:


> Thank you everyone for your input. I’ve told Hubby to allocate 1-1.5k/mo. EXCLUDING: Vet tack, lessons, show entries, trailer and eeeeverything else.


And what did he say, after you picked him up from the floor, lollol.

:winetime:


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

walkinthewalk said:


> And what did he say, after you picked him up from the floor, lollol.
> 
> :winetime:


Um, stolen from our clubs facebook page; I claim no responsibility . . . :-D
EDIT: But remember; ya gotta have two or they get lonely . . .


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## Liz88 (Aug 20, 2016)

Hahahaha.. he was still on the floor this morning but scraped himself up for my Thanksgiving feast.


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## dkgoodman (Oct 20, 2013)

*Monthly cost spread sheet*

I'm in South Carolina and my horses do not go out on pasture to supplement feed costs (chronic laminitis - on very large dry lot).

My total monthly cost is $8,000.00.

My horses are barefoot (trimming only - no shoes) and I do fecal counts, so the cost for worming is minimal as my horses have never shown any parasitic eggs so I only worm, once per year, going into the winter months.

If you board? well, that varies a lot depending on what amenities you want.

Welcome to America!! :gallop:
_Posted via Mobile Device_
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

dkgoodman said:


> I'm in South Carolina and my horses do not go out on pasture to supplement feed costs (chronic laminitis - on very large dry lot).
> 
> My total monthly cost is $8,000.00.
> 
> ...


You pay 8K per month for how many horses? That seems excessively high cost...even buying hay year round. Do the chronic laminitis have cushings?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

The sig line shows two horses and I was thinking the same. $4000 a horse is an awful lot of horse feed.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

QtrBel said:


> The sig line shows two horses and I was thinking the same. $4000 a horse is an awful lot of horse feed.


That is $130+ per horse per day. I can't see how that is even possible. 

Maybe meant $800 per month for two horses, that I can easily believe (if no board cost) 

My horses (3) go thru about 8-10 bags of hard feed a month, @ $20/bag = $200 +/- 
Hay is about 150-200 bales per year @ $6/bale = $1200/year or $100/month 


Then another $50/month for shavings, less in the summer as they are out 24/7 in summer 


Then trims @ $35/horse x 3 horse = $105/ 6 weeks = $840-910 per year plus a couple of shoes at $25 more so maybe another $100 for 4 x shoes so about $80 month


Yearly shots are about $200/horse so $600/year 


Yearly total (3 horses) = $5,600 

Monthly total (3 horses) = $466 or $155/horse per month 


OMG did not really realize I had been paying that much...no wonder I am broke!!!


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

george the mule said:


> Um, stolen from our clubs facebook page; I claim no responsibility . . . :-D
> EDIT: But remember; ya gotta have two or they get lonely . . .


Soooo stealing this.

Also, so thankful to have our own land to keep the ponies on... Feed runs about 100 a week for the old man, Trigger and Outback (They all get fed what he gets fed - Purina senior feed, rice bran, and alfalfa pellets)

And they go through one round bale a month, in two pastures, so two round bales a month in the winter at 35.00 a bale for bottom land bermuda. Farrier is 35.00 for trims, and they get trimmed about every other month... or as needed. They're due, and I've been shaking down all the other horse owners in this house to pay up, because Iiiiii am not paying for a bunch of horses Not Mine to get trimmed. Can't do it. Won't do it.

Uh... lessee. The girls in the 40 acre get feed out of a feed buggy of pellets... 250 for a half ton, and they get fed 1 five gallon bucket once a day, every other day when it's warm and dry. They all lookin' thicc too...

Worming... I've lost count there... I've actually used a feed through wormer for the girls out back and it's done great.

Tack... good lord... It's a good thing I figured out how to flip tack or that would be a scary amount of money...

Trailer... best 5500.00 I've ever spent. I pay the Bank of Hubs 250.00 a month and it's ran through our car dealership floor plan...

Vet care... Thank GOD for Dr. Hannah... she's half or less what you'd expect her services to be.

Aj... she gets her knee drained and shots for arthritis every 6 months... at 225.00 a trip.

Also thank God for being able to run feed and vet expenses through our 'ranch' account and put it on our taxes... and thank goodness we can show our horses as working livestock... even though they don't do much of anything... I mean... do we check fences with them? Yep... did the horse get out? Then the fence is down somewhere... no need to ride them to check fences. They'll come to the front door and tell us themselves... jerks.

Thank goodness for a daughter who works, for now, at Tractor Supply... she tells me when they have broken bags of feed, gets rain checks on 'good deals' like when they put the protein tubs... oh did I mention those? 30.00 ea, but amazing for the horses.

Uh... a truck to haul my trailer...

So... Yeah.

Uhm. 

I lost count... sorry.

They cost this much: $$$$ Let's go with that.


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## 283515 (Feb 4, 2020)

This isn't really helping, but I pay about $200 - $250 a month for 2 horses because we own a barn. I buy hay once a month or maybe every other month for $175, and $200 every other month for grain. Plus $40 each for the farrier.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

When my kids and I were just getting into horses I asked Bull a cowboy friend of mine how much it was going to cost to maintain our horses. He said " Bennie, have you ever really looked at horse poop? It is green because they eat $20 & $50 bills!" Bull wasn't too far off. Never underestimate how much a cowboy knows!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

If you keep horses at home and on pasture, a lot of your cost is capitalization -- up front for barn, trailer, truck to pull the trailer, garage to protect the trailer, fences, arena, footing, etc etc etc but then after you account all for that it's "cheaper" because the daily labor -- most of the cost of boarding -- is yours. 

My monthly expenses are hay in winter (which is long in New England), bedding, and some hard feed, mostly in winter because they need extra calories in the cold. Then barefoot trims every eight weeks or so. Routine vet spring and fall. 

Hay here is $4.50 to $5.50 a two string bale (about 45 lbs or half the size of a western 3 string) for local grass hay. Trims are $60 per uncomplicated horse. 

But nothing is routine about horses, frankly. You never know when one is going to try to die on you.

Full board here is $550 and up, mostly up. $1100 isn't off the chart here. For one thing, everyone stalls their horses in the winter, and an indoor arena is kind of a must if you offer board. That's different than turn-outs with shelters, and an outdoor arena, as all but the fanciest places in the west do.


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

I teach a few riding lessons on my horses, so I keep up with every little expense just in case Uncle Sam thinks I'm making money.
In 2019 I spent exactly $6,826.37 on feed, vet, farrier, feed, hay, supplies, feed, and insurance. That's the total for four horses. I own the barn. I own the grass. Even when I feed hay during the winter, there's always some green grass. The horses are out 24/7, so I don't buy bedding. None of them wear shoes. My vet's office is 3 miles away, so I don't pay extra for farm calls. Last year, I had no unexpected emergencies, although I have a huge emergency fund in case I need it. 

I was surprised the total was that low. I don't think that number is reasonable for most horse owners. I have four healthy easy keepers on 10 acres of grass. Please don't use my numbers to try to convince your parents to buy a horse!


For anyone who's interested:
Farrier ($45/horse, approx every 6 weeks) = $1440
Vet (yearly stuff, 2 needed teeth done) = $1126
Insurance (liability) = $1318
Hay (picked up from the field) = $450
Feed (mostly ration balancer from Chewy) = $1669
Misc (tack, grazing muzzles, medicines...) = $800 ish


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