Horse Prices?

anonymous · May 2021

How much does it cost to buy a horse? Does the price sometimes depend on the horses age or friendliness? About how much does it cost for a stall in a barn a month?

How much do farriers cost? Would the farrier come monthly?

How much does the feed cost?

At the barn I ride at, they deliver hay to horses, but I don't know how much it costs. If you have this at your barn, how much does it cost? And if you don't have this at your barn, how much does it cost and where do you buy it?

What are the prices for vet bills?

Ok, folks. Get out your calculators now because the big question is coming....

ABOUT how much does it cost each year if you care for your horse well?

Sorry to cloud your mind with questions. You can answer only a few questions if you like!

twhrider · May 2021

Right now, with the price of horses in the toilet.....buying the horse is probably the cheapest part of the whole proposition. In my area, the cheapest board right now that I know of including a stall is $175 per month, owner providing feed/hay. It goes from there upwards to around $500 per month. I don't pay board....have my own place. Farriers....it depends on whether you shoe or just trim, if you have any sort of specialized shoeing/acrylics/glue ons/borium....etc. I pay $20 for trims.....$50 for shoes....my vet pays $125 for shoes....more if they have to do any acrylic work with her show horse. Feed.....I pay about $13 per 50 lb bag for Strategy.....my horses are each eating 3 lbs per day right now....plus pasture....plus hay twice daily. Hay.....right now hay is in scarce supply....and if it's good, it's expensive. I was lucky, bought mine early and out of the field....got a good deal because I've dealt with the same hay men for years. Vet bills....minimum I spend on one horse in a year is about $250....and that's just basic shots and a dental. It's easy to get a lot of $$$ tied up in them.

ricci · May 2021

It all depends on where you live, what kind of boarding arrangement you are looking for, if there are any included extras (such as blanketing, traing or turn out), what the prices are for hay this season, etc. Most barns will have a flat amount for board and they factor a certain amount of price fluctuation in feed into that amount. There are also people that "Shed" or "Pasture" board horses where they supplement feed with hay. There are no stalls, simply a cover shed for the animals to be under in bad weather. The range here is litterally $75 a month to $2,000 a month at a ritzy facility that has heated stalls, filtered water, etc. etc. etc. As for ferriers and vets, what kind of shoes does the animal need? Are there any emergency calls to the vet like a bad bout of colic or an injury? I had a thoroughbred that need complicated shoes due to bad abuse from a former owner. I had an Arabian that basically went "barefoot" all the time and only needed trims. There was a huge difference in that cost.

If you are riding seriously at a barn I would start by speaking to them. I would assume that if you were going to own a horse, you would want to ride it in your lessons, etc. I would also speak to your instructor about helping you select the best horse for you. As for the cost of the horse, age, breeding, training, temperment, etc are all going to factor into the price. I generally told my students that they should assume roughly $1,000 a month for owning a horse that was boarded at the same barn I rode and taught at. This is after the initial expense of purchasing a horse and all the various bits of gear that you need for them. Again, that number was based on what my vet, farrier and barn charged however and was a rough estimate. Talk to barns in your area, that will give you a much better idea of the cost. There are also some barns that will let you work there to help pay for your lessons or the board of your horse. I always advise that if people are willing and able to do the work, that they ask if the barn has a "Working student" or "Working Boarder" program.

shelly-l · May 2021

Price of Horse: Depends on what you want. I just purchased a 3 year for my daughter and he was 12,000 but his brother and sister (who are older and more experienced sold for 25,000 and 30,000 respectively). We bought him as an investment. We also own a QH which we bought for 6,000 5 years ago.

Farrier for both: 200.00 to 250.00 a month for all around shoes (these are aluminum)

Hay and Feed: If you have full board, feed and hay should be included. We pay 250.00 for pasture board and 400 for full board.

VET Bills: My husband is an equine vet but average cost is probably 50-75 a month (that would include floating teeth, fall and spring vaccinations any regular maintanence) If there's an emergency, it will go up significantly. My suggestion is to try and schedule with a lot of people at the barn to cut down on the travel fee.

Supplements: 10-50 a month depending on what you need or want.

Blankets: Depends on where you live. If the South, you can get a rain sheet and a medium weight blanket and these will set you back around 200-300 for both. Centuar makes pretty nice blankets at reasonable costs.

Tack and such: First a very good first aid kit-you can make one yourself (100.00 estimate). Bell boots (if needed), brushes, combs, hook picks, Thrush treatment, shampoos. Helmet -100 and up. Saddle (500-5,000), girth (50-150), Bridle (100-300), saddle pads (you will want and need more than two- 30-50 a piece), if you plan on showing that can get expensive (jacket, shirts, boots, show helmet).

I'm sure that I'm forgetting stuff but that's a rough estimate of what you need.

Hope this helps.

cowgirl · May 2021

Okay, after reading Barn Brat's answer, I just had to chime in here. The cheapest horse I ever bought was $120, and the most expensive horse I ever bought was $2500. I am used to good quality registered Quarter Horses, and am happy that they are affordable....I can't believe that people even have that kind of money to put towards a horse!

Anyway, nothing against rich people, I just couldn't believe that answer!

I paid $215 a month for full board. For the farrier, I have paid $30 a horse, and no, every two or three months is sufficient unless your horse has particular needs.

If you're buying your own hay, it is about $60 for a large round bale or $5 for a small square bale. A horse needs a large one about every two months, or a small one about every three days. You can purchase it from local farmers (read newspaper ads or talk to local people about who sells hay in your area.)

Vet bills are approximate, since anything can happen. For yearly vaccinations (West Nile, influenza, sometimes tetanus) I think each shot is about $20. So expect around $100 a year, and be prepared for the unexpected. Our gelding has had an umbilical hernia operation ($500), a nail in his hoof ($150), ear tumors that had to be removed ($60), and he's only three years old! So just be prepared for the unexpected, and hopefully you have a good vet. The two mares we own have not cost us anything in vet bills other than their yearly shots. So just hope and pray that your horse stays healthy. It's hard to know.

Your horse care can vary in cost depending on if you just keep a few backyard horses like we do, and feed them hay year around, not anything fancy, own an older trailer just to take them trailriding and such, etc.....to someone like Barn Brat for example who pays more for a month's worth of board than we pay for a year's supply of hay. It is entirely up to you. If you're going to show, you're going to have a lot more expenses, since you and your horse will be "dressing up" and going out. So you will need to determine what it will cost you personally, because everyone's horse costs are different. But these answers will give you a good idea.