It’s Not All Horsing Around

These boys are worth every penny

 Straight talk on what it costs to own horses

 “How much does a horse cost?”  That is a question I think every horse owner gets from their non-horsey friends.  That is a loaded question so let’s break it down.  I always tell people that the purchase price of the horse is likely going to be the smallest part of owning a horse.  There are plenty of “free” horses out there to be found but a “free” horse does not actually exist when you factor in what keeping a horse costs. 

For most adult amateurs, horses can range in price from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.  There are so many components that will factor into the price:  Breed, age, level of training, genetics, and even where in the country or world the horse is located will be part of the equation. 

I chose to import all of my current Friesians to ensure the very best genetics and training for the breed.  The breed originates from the Netherlands which allowed me to choose from the best of the best fully trained by individuals who specialize and understand exactly what is needed to raise these amazing equines.  I will do a future blog about the process to import and quarantine the horses to get them from the Netherlands to Black Horse Farm.

So let’s get back to what a horse costs.  For the rest of this post, we are going to put aside the acquisition cost and discuss the costs associated with owning a horse. 

First is housing for the animal.  There are a number of options for housing a horse.  You can choose like we have done, to purchase a farm and have them on your own property, the housing cost then comes down to what portion of the property is used for the animals and what portion of your mortgage or rental payment would equate to.  Boarding at a commercial barn is probably the most common way to keep a horse in our area.  Boarding is an excellent way to have a horse if you don’t have your own farm set up.   There are a few different arrangements for boarding that allow for different budgets: Full care board where the facility fully cares for the day-to-day needs of the horse including feeding, cleaning their stall, turning them out (giving them time outside their stall to move around and enjoy the outdoors) Full care board in our area of Western WA runs anywhere from $700 to upwards of $1500/month.  Partial care gives a discount to the horse owner in exchange for doing some of the daily or weekly care duties.  This can vary and is based on agreement with the barn owner and horse owner on what duties are assigned to each party.  The third type of boarding situation would be self-care.  This is exactly what it sounds like.  The barn owner provides the housing and the horse owner is responsible for all care and in most cases provides the feed as well.  This allows for a much more affordable monthly rate but the owner must be available daily to meet the needs of their equine.   Lastly and usually the least expensive boarding option is pasture board.  This means the horse has no access to a stall and lives out in the pasture only.  Sometimes there is a shelter available but not always.  This type of housing is generally best for young horses who are not in training or work yet and retired horses who are no longer being ridden.

Next, let’s dig into the cost to feed a horse.  The amount of hay a horse eats will vary depending on a few factors: Do they have access to grass or are they on a dry lot with no forage?  Their size as well as how much work they do on a regular basis plays a part.  Just like humans, a horse that works hard needs more calories than one in light work or one that is not working.  My big horses eat A LOT!  Our minis eat very little compared to the big boys.  The cost of hay is $700/ton right now.  That cost has doubled in the last 10 years.  We only feed Orchard grass from E. WA at our farm and we go through 3 tons a month. 

In addition to hay, we feed a small amount of grain and some pelleted supplements as well as other supplements to ensure healthy horses with shiny coats, and strong hooves, and to maintain all that glorious hair.

All horses in captivity require regular hoof care and maintenance, usually by a professional farrier.  If you are lucky your horse will have wonderful feet and only require trimming vs shoes.  A trim in our area can run anywhere from $45 to $85 per horse.  A set of shoes (some need front shoes only which is called a “half-set” and some will need all 4 which is called a “full set”).  Shoeing will run $125 to well over $400 per horse depending on how specialized their shoes are and whether they need pads etc.  All our horses are in a half set which costs me $1000 every 6 weeks for the 4 horses.  The littles just get a trim.

Now we will talk about veterinary care.  Routine care for a horse will mean an annual examination which includes but is not limited to vital stats, general health check, and body scoring (this scoring system rates the horse’s balance of feed to exercise. Scores range from 1-9 and the optimal score is between 4 and 5. A score of 1 is very poor condition and 9 being extremely fat).  The vet will administer any needed vaccinations as well as check the horse’s teeth to see if there are any sharp points or compromised teeth in need of dental work.   If you have a male horse the vet will clean the horse’s sheath as well.  This is something that is much easier to accomplish while the horse is sedated for any dental work that might have been required.   The cost of an annual vet visit for a single horse will run anywhere from $350 to $1000.  Annual vet visits are a cost you can count on but any horse owner knows it is the emergency calls to your vet in the middle of the night or on weekends that are the wild card as far as expense.  We are so dependent on the amazing vets we partner with for our large animals and could not own animals without their help.  Our vet and friend Dr. Dana Westerman has received many late-night texts and sped to the rescue during a colic episode or any other emergency we have challenged her with.   I could write a month of blogs talking about all the times she has come to our rescue.  So as a horse owner, I would budget $250/month per horse for a vet fund. 

Dr. Dana examining Eros

I choose to carry insurance on the horses that I have that are insurable.  Sis is too old and aged out of being insurable at 20.  Galahad is also not insurable as he has had too many surgeries that are now excluded conditions.  Let me tell you that my equine insurance has come into play 3 times during my ownership and saved me well over $50,000 plus reimbursement me the purchase price of a horse I imported that got sick in quarantine and died before ever making it to our farm.  That was heartbreaking but thankfully allowed me to get my money refunded to purchase Zeus who we successfully imported with no health implications.  The cost of insurance is fairly high but worth it if you ever need to use it.  I pay around $3000/year to insure Eros and Zeus.

Next let’s discuss the cost of training.  Not everyone will have their horse in training but I think the majority will have training at some point for themselves and/or their equine partner.  My horses have always been in training and since I am not a trainer, I relish learning from professionals.  I like to have very well-rounded horses so they are trained in multiple disciplines with different trainers.   The boys train two days a week with their liberty work as well as train weekly under saddle in dressage and pulling the carriage in driving.  Trainers come to my farm and work with the horses and I.  Trainers in the area can range from $50 to $100/hour or even more if they are very specialized and accomplished in their specialty.   On average I spend around $1000/month on training for the boys.   If you are training your horse to show then you can add the cost of show fees, membership fees, travel, etc to the list.

Lastly let’s touch on the cost of equipment you need for your horse.  Most people will need the basics: saddle, saddle pads, bridle, bits, halter, lead rope, blanket, fly mask, etc.  This can be a one-time investment or something that changes over time if you change discipline or your horse grows and needs an upgrade in tack.  A western saddle does not work well for dressage work and a dressage saddle is not ideal for western work like cow sorting or reining.  We are going to use a low-end price for a basic setup and say you need $1000 in equipment.  I have 4 horses and we not only ride but drive so I will post a few photos of my tack room.  I also have a carriage for driving as well as driving bridles with blinders and harnesses for two horses and a little cart, bridle, and harness for Jet the mini who is also trained to drive.   

Finally, most horse owners should have to have access to a truck and trailer for their horses.   This is critical in an emergency where a vet is not available for a farm call and you need to haul your horse to the hospital or simply to be able to attend horse shows and go on adventures like trail rides. 

So, as you can see, the initial purchase price is a drop in the bucket compared to what it costs to own a horse.  My horses bring so much joy to my life that I have never regretted bringing them home vs. boarding them or the sacrifices I have made to have them in my life.  I have not left the state of WA on a vacation in over a decade but life on my farm is better than any vacation to me so the trade off is worth it.