03/15/2021
I thought this deserved to be copied and posted! By Aubrey Schmitt
WARNING: LONG READ
In response to earlier post about beginner clients getting their own horses...
“Expected Expenses for a Horse Owners” was what I was handing out to people after a few families purchased horses, seeming to think that the purchase of the horse was the big expense, only to be met immediately with a prescribed month of Gastrogard or needing a saddle... *that’s right, they thought that they could continue using my tack indefinitely.*
People don’t know what they don’t know, and I don’t think many can even fathom how incredibly expensive owning horses is... Heck, people usually pass out when they start looking at helmets and vests and realize that they are going to spend a couple hundred dollars just to get started... 🤷♀️
Expected Expenses for Horse Owners:
-Board
($450/mo board base--which covers Nutrena feed, up to 6 quarts per day (hahaha...TB owners, we laugh). Liberal quantities of hay, up to 20 # per day (again, TB owners, we laugh). Free choice salt blocks.
*Access to grass pasture; Putting on and removal of flymasks and blankets; My time/labor...All these are essentially free after considering actual feed costs.
*If your horse requires large amounts of feed, or alternative feeds like Boost, Fibregized, beet pulp, timothy cubes, alfalfa pellets, etcetera, there will be an upcharge.
*If your horse requires solitary turnout or stall layup for any reason, board will increase.
-Supplements or Meds
(Examples: Cosequin ASU is about $100/month; Chance's daily HCTZ prescription is $40/month; Equioxx is $75/month; GastroGard will cost about $30/PER DAY and usually requires a month.)
-Hoof Maintenance
(Trimming is $50/4-6 weeks; nailed front shoes are $125/5 weeks; glued front shoes are $300/6 weeks; if you lose a shoe in the middle of this time, you'll pay to replace that; 4 shoes would double the cost; many horses require sedation for glue, which increases the cost of the device; bell boots ($30/pair--and they have a limited lifespan) are required on any foot that's shod. Shoeing is not always a choice; sometimes it's a necessity based on poor hoof quality.)
-Dental Maintenance
(Basic floating is $115, and it will need to be done every 6-12 months by vet's order.)
-Veterinary Care
(Any farm call is $50 off the bat. Regular vaccines, Coggins, and a wellness exam will cost around $250/year. Showing and traveling will often require additional wellness check and interstate travel certificates at an additional cost. Sometimes vets recommend boosters in fall, which will cost an additional $100/year.)
-Emergency Vet Care
(Emergency farm call is $75 before the vet steps on the property. Emergency care is extremely hard to budget for, but for instance, Chance's last call for just diagnostic bloodwork was $336. A single radiograph for Finn was $250; he required 6 radiograph sessions. A visit to a veterinary hospital specialist will require trailering and is usually about $500. Colic surgery costs $6000+. A stay at a vet clinic is about $100/day.)
-Body Work
(Vet may suggest chiropractic, around $100/session, or massage, around $40/session and nearly always requires a series of sessions.)
-Trailer Fees (I will not move the trailer for less than $50. Generally the charge for a longer trip is $2/mile, plus a waiting fee, which is TBD on a case-by-case basis. If your horse has loading or trailering issues, I will not endanger my safety at the time of travel. Training session(s) will be necessary at a separate time. It is recommended that you buy and use shipping wraps for your horse's trip.)
-Tack--each horse will need its own *complete* set of tack!
(Most horses require professional saddle-fitting, approx $100/session. Just because a saddle fits a rider doesn't mean it's serviceable for regular use on any horse. The most basic, older, used saddles cost around $250; the saddles you're using in lessons would cost $850-1000 used; higher-end used saddles are upwards of $2000. Custom saddles cost more than $5000. A horse can need its saddle professionally re-flocked throughout the year as it gains/loses muscle or weight; a horse might also require a completely different saddle as it grows/develops muscle. Most event horses have at least 2 saddles--one for Dressage and another for jumping. The saddle fitter commonly recommends special padding--a sheepskin halfpad is around $150. A thinline pad will also be around $100. A decent-quality bridle will cost around $200. Basic bits are around $40 apiece. Basic girths are around $50 apiece. You will likely need a variety of bits and girth sizes. Ill-fitting tack will cause physical and behavioral problems that will take you back to "body work" and "training rides" 😂/😭)
-Blanketing
(Some horses will require winter blanketing. If your horse requires blanketing, you will need several weights of blankets: light ($75), medium ($100), heavy ($200+). Even horses that don't require winter blanketing will need a rain sheet ($80) and a cooler ($80). These blankets commonly need repaired and will need to be sent to a "blanket lady" at least once a year for repairs, cleaning, and re-waterproofing... $$. Most barns charge a fee on top of boarding to put on/off blankets.)
-Lessons, Clinics, Shows, Exercise/Training Sessions
-Insurance- cheapest is loss of use/mortality for $1000/yr
-Rider Equipment
(Muck boots, outerwear, paddock boots, half-chaps, helmet, vest.)
(Tall boots, breeches, jacket, shirt, velvet helmet: for showing.)
-Miscellaneous
-Leather halter ($90)
-Shipping boots ($60)
-Fly spray ($25/bottle)
-Veterinary/First Aid supplies
-Grooming supplies
-Tack cleaning supplies
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