# Cost of keeping horses on your own property?



## lilruffian

Well it depends on what you're feeding and how much.
If there is minimal-no grass & you're feeding just hay (no supplements), then you will average about $100 per month. It also depends on how much hay is at that time in your area and if you're buying square or round bales. Around where i live (keep in mind i do like in Canada, so i am making it CND prices) i spend atleast $60 to $100 per month just on hay for 2 horses. Round bales tend to be cheaper of you hand feed, but squares of course are much more convenient & easy to regulate the amount given.
If you give supplements like oats, alfalfa cubes, or any special feed then that will cost more. You will also need to buy a salt & mineral block every couple of months. 
You also need to take ferrier bills into account, as well as shoeing if you are going to shoe.


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## Snowkicker

There is also set up cost(fencing, and shelter). Maintenance of fencing and shelter. Also fly sprays, manure forks, tank deicers, hoses, grooming supplies, medicines, and emergency vet visits can change the cost depending on the month.


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## raywonk

Cheaper to board when you own just one horse.


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## codacalico

I am in Ohio with two horses on a little less than two acres. In winter counting all expenses I pay about $135/month for food (hay and sweet feed, round bales in winter) and in summer about $50/month for food (hay and sweet feed, square bales in summer). Vet is about 400-600/yr, farrier is about $160-200/yr, and various other supplies a few hundred a year. I would say it is around $2000/year (at the low end) for me to keep them here which averages to $167/month.


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## back in the crosby again

Short answer tons. 

It is cheaper to board if you have to build your place from the ground up. We moved onto our place with just house and a couple sheds. We have spent nearly $8,000 so far just on building. Right now I have a 2 horse shedrow barn with tack/feed room, 2 fenced pastures totaling around 6 acres and one small paddock. We have done all the work ourselves, except when a tractor is absolutely necessary. I am using one of the sheds as hay storage that holds about 70 square bales. I am building an arena this summer so that number is going to go up. I have 3 horses, 2 competition horses and one retiree. 
Just on feed I spend around $100 per horse a month. I spend about $120 every 8 weeks on the farrier for all three. I try not to think about how much money I spend on tack and equipment. I spend about $100 a month hauling to my trainer for lessons. More if it is rainy and I have show coming up and must haul to use an indoor. Right now I am looking at selling one of my competition horses and getting a boarder or two to offset the costs. Boarding is tricky in our area, but I think I can make it work ok. 

Also it costs time, lots of time. I have had to turned away jobs and vacations, because I have to spend an hour minimum doing the barn morning and night. 

That being said I would not give up having my horses at home. I love waking up and walking to go give my girls hugs every morning. I love taking care of them just as much as riding, so for me it is worth it.


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## DutchFeather

I have two horses of my own right now. We keep them in the barn at night and they get turned out during the day. I feed oats and bran, and the colt gets Grow Colt supplement. In feed I spend about $95. I use a round bale in the pasture because our grass is gone already (those pesky runaway lawn mowers) and one lasts about a month and costs $35. In the barn I use square bales, and go through about 2 bales a day, so 14 bales a week and we'll say 50 bales a month, I pay $3.50 a square bale so that's $175 a month. Then you have to account for hoof trimmings (I go barefoot) which is $45 a horse every 6-8 weeks (so we'll say $45 a month for both horses since it's done every 2 months)... Plus worming (everyone worms differently so I can't really give you a number on that, I generally worm every 2-3 months rotating wormers)... If you use electric fencing, take into account how your electric bill will go up, also take into account any emergency farrier or vet bills (Koti had a tooth kicked out of her mouth and it cost $150 to have the rest of the tooth pulled, and Sam cut his leg open like the foolish colt he is and it cost another $177 to stitch him up and put him on antibiotics)... I also use shavings in the barn and use two bales of shavings for the week per stall (4 bales of shavings) and they cost about $5 a bale so tack on another $20... In total I spent about *$370* for both horses, bare minimum not including vet fees and worming and any other expenses that might pop up. It's cheaper for me to keep them home because board around here is usually $450 a month PER HORSE... I'll take the $370 a month over the $900 a month.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

back in the crosby again said:


> Short answer tons.
> 
> Also it costs time, lots of time. I have had to turned away jobs and vacations, because I have to spend an hour minimum doing the barn morning and night.


THIS! There was just another thread on costs of ownership. I own my place (literally, paid it off just before my 30th birthday, YAY!) and we own our hay fields & baling equipment, I do my own vaccinations & sheath cleaning, I get free ultrasounds & genetic testing on my mares for exchange of a stud fee to a friend with a stallion station. I figured my yearly cost per horse to be $1774. That's without paying for hay help, showing/hauling costs, equipment (trucks, tractor, trailer, bobcat, baler, etc) maintenance & extra vet bills. Last year, with one injured horse I racked up over 5k in vet bills for him alone. X-rays, ultrasounds, cold laser therapy, chiro, etc, etc, etc.


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