Horse caring questions...

[lovechick]

I wanna get a horse, but I'm not sure if it will fit in my budget, because horses are really expensive to take care of.. is it really expensive? I got some books from the library about horses and I know they need right food and vet visits and shoeing are one of the most important things.
I was wondering, how much approximately does a horse eat in a day, and what food, I know theyre outside grazing alot of time, but how much do they eat other than grass? About shoeing, I think it says in a book every 6 months.. is it still necessary, to shoe the horse so often if you dont ride it much? and is shoeing expensive? about vet visits, I read the you have to take your horse to a vet like every month for de-worming or something like that, and is it really expensive to do that? cause every month I think is too much.
I know i'm not to experienced and i need to do more research and i might not get a horse afterall, maube later when i get my own place..:D But it will be really helpful to know these things..
I love horses theyre just so adorable!!:agree: see I even changed my avatar to a horsey one, lol
<---------------------------------------------:eyebrow: :flippy: :eyebrow:

Thanks a lot!!!:heart: :flower: :heart:

[SacredWarGirl23]

Hey,
Really on how expensive it is depends on how you take care of it. Are you going to board it? If not how much pasture does it have? My horses have a 9 1/2 acre pasture so really they just get sweet feed. We usually give them hay but we have a big round hay bale in our barn. They can eat on that and grass. You do not have to shoe your horses unless you are going to be riding them ALOT on hard(pavemented) and rocky ground. Mine have never been shoed, except one because he got a rotated bone in his ankle, but I don't show. I'm getting in to barrel racing so I might have to get my mustang shoed. Our farrier only charges $26 to shoe. And about the de-worming, you can do that yourself. You could go to a horse supply store and get a de-wormer like Quest, but if you are getting a mustang don't use that kind. There are many different kinds. If you don't know what kind to get ask your vet and the vet should be able to tell you what is the best kind. With pregnent mares you would want to use a gentler de-wormer. If you need to know anything else I would be glad to try and help you if I can.
Good luck
Haley:agree:

[lovechick]

Thanks for reply, i also wanted to ask some more questions.
about food, i wonder if hay and grass is enough, I think they should also eat like oats and other grains for protein and get vitamins. About shoeing, how do u tell if a horse needs to be shoed? do u look at shoes and see if theyre worn out or something? cause I dont think i'll ride on hard ground, theres a horse trail in forest by our house and the ground is soft there. now about de-worming, If I buy that medicine in equine store, how much it costs (about) and is it every month I have to give it to horse?

I also wanted to ask where do u buy horses? I know there are horse auctions, but how do u know where they are(location&time)? can u just buy a horse of a clasified ad? Can u adopt a horse from a rescue that u can also ride it? and when u buy a horse is it necessary to take a vet with u to ensure the health of a horse? And what is the evarage price for a horse? maybe a thoroughbred.

Thanks a lot!!:D

[MagnoliaFly]

I wouldnt advise buying a horse at an auction unless you have a vet with you or a REALLY experienced horse person. Some horses that are sold there have alot of health problems and some cant be ridden.
Shoeing isnt necessary (unless like she said, are riding on hard ground or competing alot), but getting the hooves trimmed are. It depends on what farrier you get to how much it costs.
Keeping a horse is very expensive. The cheapest board fee for an app I was going to buy was 200 a month. That didnt include vet bills, shoeing, a stud fee if I planned on breeding her, and training fees. Horses can get sick easily and for no reason sometimes and vet bills can build up.
Different horse breeds eat different amounts. Thoroughbreds eat ALOT and require alot of excercise. Every horse has a different dietary need. Some are easier than others to keep.
Find a barn owner near your town and talk with a trainer or horse broker to explain to them your budget and level of riding training. You dont want to get a green horse that has never been ridden if your just starting lessons.
Not only do you have to worry about buying the horse, getting feed, fencing, a lean-to or shelter, but also a blanket for the winter, bedding for his stall, hay, ALL your tack equipment, feed buckets, a horse trailer if you plan on transporting it anywhere,.... the list goes on and on.
You may want to find a place that leases horses. The stable you ride at may do this, it is somewhat cheaper than buying the horse outright and it can include board in some cases. Be sure you ride and spend time with the horse before you spend any money on it. Horses like and dislike certain people just like humans, and you wouldnt want to bring a horse home and find out it hates you.

[lovechick]

Thanks a lot for the info, as I said i'm not sure i'll get a horse maybe someday later when i get a job of my own and the lady who own the equine center where I ride is a vet and she knows a lot too, so I might ask her too.

Thanks again:angel2:

[SacredWarGirl23]

How much pasture will it get? Really I think that you owuld need to give them atleast just plain osts too. My horses get sweet feed also. You would probably need to get your horse a salt block to and mayde even a horse power block(it has the minerals). If a horse need shoeing they would probably have really cracked hooves and possibly some hoof problems. If the horse has had any hoof problems before like a rotated bone in the ankle or gets lame alot because of rocks I would shoe it. About the de-worming talk to your vet. If you go through a farm suppy store or a catolog it would be cheaper. About the buying I don't think you should start off with a horse from a auction or a rescue group. They can be meaner because they have been abused and don't trust. If you get a horse I would say that you should get one from a farm or if you know someone that knows someone that has a horse. Also I think you should start off with a gelding. They are usually the calmest. A good ranch gelding.
Haley

[lovechick]

Thanks a lot Haley this helps. We have almost an acre, .90 exactly. I'll do more research about that and ask some questions. Theres still a lot i dont know about, but I love horses, lol!:D

[SacredWarGirl23]

Glad I could help. If you need to know anything else I would be glad to try and help you. If you have a really big pasture(like mine because it's 9 1/2 acres) you won't need to give them as much grain and hay. If you have a small pasture but have room to make it bigger, make it bigger. Like I have a 400+acre farm. I don't really have a small pasture but I have a 70 by 27 pen. That was for my mustang. It's 6 feet tall but I could make the pen bigger, because we have hotwire fences right now because my grandpa used to have 80 some head of cattle. Now I think it is only fair if I get 80 some head of horses, don't you think?lol

I would be willing to talk to you anytime if you need some help, or if you just want to talk about horses. I could ramble on forever. My mom call me the "Horse Enyclopedia" because I know alot about them. I know turf records, famous horses, racers, rodeo, and other things. I guess i just have to much time.lol One of my freinds call me Horseagator. I don't know why. She's just alittle bit different, I think that's why we get along.lol

talk to you later
Haley :bouncy3:

[lovechick]

Thanks a lot Haley!:agree: I'd love to talk about horses with you, if you have msn massanger you can add me : vikachica@hotmail.com

I just came from Equine Center where I voluneteer and ride and I'm exausted!! lol, I also went to tack shop today and bought myself a pair of breeches and jodhpur boots I wanted to buy long boots but since I have big leg (size 10) they wouldnt fit me, lol, Oh well, I guess I cant have everything i want...:D

Thanks again..:angel4:

[SacredWarGirl23]

I don't have msn messenger. I only have aol instant messenger. I really don't know alot about computures. Acutually, the only thing I know about them is they confuse me and drive me crazy.lol So what do you like to "talk horses" about? I like to talk about anything and everything that has to do with horses. The only things that I actually understand.lol Someone asked me about Man 'O' War one time and they found out his whole life story. I'm 'just a little' crazy about horses. What's your favorite breed? do you have ant other animals? Do you like race horses?
All my friends and for that matter everyone in school thinks I'm crazy because I like and know so much about them. The way I see it is if you really love an animal you would take time to learn about them like on a horse forum or just out of books. One time in school this kid came up to me and said he had a chocolate and white horse. Then he asked his friend something and he said he had a chocolate and white thoroughbred. I kinda looked at him wierd and said thoroghbreds can only be a solid color and that it would have to have some paint in it's bloodlines somewhere along the way. He looked at me like I was crazy and said I knew to much about horses. He doesn't have a horse the boys in the 7th and 8th grades just like to do that to me. They've stopped thou because I usually give them a whole explaination. Hey, it makes them stop. Well sometimes I can just tell them to get away from me and they do. One of the boys in my class called me "the meanest girl in school". Then he decided to give a boy in my class that name. He is just a little different, you would understand if you met him.
So do you know anything about racehorses? I just love them. If you know some what's your favorite one? Just wondering and trying to finds out about the things you like to talk about.
Talk to you later
Haley:rainbow:

[lovechick]

LOL, funny story u've got there...:D
I really dont know much about horses, but I love them soo much!! I grew up in a city and always wanted to have a horse, but there never was a chance now I'm taking lessons and I love them soo much!! and then I work at the equine center on Saturdays for few hours, even stuff like cleaning the stalls and brushing the horses is soo relaxing!:agree: Yesterday I worked there and I was really tired so I went outside and sat on a fence and this beautiful horse came up to me and put his head on my knees...Awww! so cute!! I find horses quite inteligent even though they may not be as loyal to humans as dogs.. I read a lot of books about them its so fascinating! :weyes: but i'm having hard time remembering all the terms they use there and understanding them.. I really dont have a favorite breed I definitely like big horses, and I wanna have a black horse too. I like the evarage thoroughbreds and saddlebreds and I also like Akhal-teke horse(theyre so beautiful):cheer:
Hmm what else oh yeah I talk on my massanger all the time, u can downloaded for free if u wanna just type in msn messenger in google search and u'll see the website there..
Ok thats it gotta go!!(have to study for exams!!):fangel:

Talk to u lata!!:flippy: :flippy: :flippy:
http://www.akhal-teke.com/abstract.jpg

[SacredWarGirl23]

Actaully horses are very intellegent and as loyal, if not more, to humans as dogs. It's all in the way your animal is treated. The best way to form a bond with a horse is imprinting at birth. It's probably the best way to bond with a horse. It you bond with them at birth they will always be loyal to you as long as you treat them with respect and are loyal to them. With a horse you never use cruelty and force to train. There is a huge difference between firmness and force. Like when you train if you use the "sacking out" method the horse will only work out of fear not willingly. You always want a horse to work willingly. Sometimes you do have to use firmness but never ever cruelty. The worst mistake people make with a horse is telling them what to do, they don't ask them. To make training your horse a good use of your time, you have to ask them, not tell them. Horses are like humans in many ways. They learn very quickly and are usually very loyal.

Arabian are one of the most loyal breeds of horses. They originate in Arabia. For centuries they have loyally carried their masters along the burning sands of the Sarhara. The horses are actually allowed to sleep in there masters tent.

Really, I don't think I own my horses. They own me. I guess just working them, even thou they were not imprinted at birth by us, has just been an experience that has also be an adventure. As horses mature they change, sometimes not that much, sometimes alot. It depends on your horse, and of course you.

I work at Braveheart. It's alot of fun. I guess just because I'm around horses. I have alot morse patience with horses than I do with humans. Braveheart is a riding center for mentally retarded and handicap kids. Usually they get these horses that have been abused and such, and don't know what to do with them. They usually give them to me to train.

Well I better go now. If you need to know anything else about horses I would be glad to help.

Talk to you later
Haley:bouncy2:

[Ballydoyle]

Yes, owning a horse is VERY expensive. But it truly does pay off. It is cheapest to board, unless you want to build a barn at home! besides, if you board, you have more buddies for your horse (and you) there are many rewards to boarding, such as lower fees, horses to paddock with, help from others, if your on vacation, others can feed, groom and muck out for your horse.
I would suggest NOT buying from an auction, for many reasons. For one, you dont' know if the horse will really fit you. It could be dangerous, because just because she looks like a lamb in the ring, she might be a lion in the arena. Just dont' go auction. YOu can look in the back of horse magazines or the classifieds of your newspaper to find horses for sale or lease. your barn might also have postings on some sort of bulletin board or something.
Before ever buying a horse, I would definitely suggest leasing. YOu could cut the costs with another leaser, you wouldn' t have to be at the barn 24/7, and it gives you a chance to get a feel for the experience of owning a horse!!!!
happy riding Tyalor

[appaloosahunter]

hahaha Haley i can so relate to you, i have several friends who ride and own horses but no one can talk about them non-stop like me! i guess i annoy some people with it but i really don't care. like yesterday my on-again off-again best friend said she owned a horse, and i asked what kind and she said thoroughbred. and then i asked what color and she said sorrel! and i was like thoroughbreds can't be sorrel, there's no such thing as a sorrel thoroughbred! and then my sister (who doesn't ride but is educated by me) said 'yeah it must be chesnut' and nicole, my 'friend' said oh yeah that's what it is. and so i asked how tall it was and she was like 18 hands and i was like thoroughbreds can't be 18 hands! and hahahaha. and then we were looking in a horse book and i was like show me the one that looks like Suzie (her so called horse) and she pointed to a bay and i was like..ugh no.

anyway that's my story for today, now i'll help - which is what i came here to do.

keeping a horse is very expensive. infact, even though the initial purchase price of the horse may seem very expensive - compared to everything else you'll have to do in the years that come it's one of the cheapest things in the world!!

around here our average board for stall is $400-$800 or so. and for pasture board it'd be about $200-400 or 500. i know your not boarding but yeah that just gives you an idea. some horses have to be shoed on all feet, some only have to be shoed on the front feet and some don't need to have shoes at all! but because i compete in Hunters with Hilton - he needs shoes (only his front two) and since I do pony club (cross country, dressage, stadium jumping and polocrosse) with Wishbone, he needs shoes as well though he has them on all four of his feet. anyway they get new shoes every seven weeks, so about once every two months. cost's about $70 for Wishbone and about $35 for Hilton each time.

also because they're geldings they need sheath cleaning a couple times of year, they need de-worming, regular vetting, coggins, spring and fall shots, and floating. usually that's $150 for the year for all that good stuff (minus de-worming) also you need to be prepared for everything and anything, so I would say budget for $100 a month for farrier, vet etc. etc.

also you'll need to worry about equipment. you'll need the basics -a helmet, boots, saddle, bridle, halter, leadrope and a grooming kit (which should consist of a curry comb, a hard brush, a body brush, a hoof pick, a mane/tail comb, and a stiff curry comb to clean your brushes.) also you'd probobly want to invest in things to clean your tack with, so they don't fall apart after the first year.

another thing to consider is your weather. if your winters are pretty mild and you don't clip your horses coat then you won't need to worry about a blanket for winter. but if your getting a thin-coated horse (arabian, thoroughbred etc) you'd definintly need to buy a winter blanket so they don't freeze! you might want a cooler, a stable blanket and/or a fly sheet as well.

anyway this is getting long enough! so i'm gonna go now.


also if any body wants to talk to me...
My MSN is: jumpitorgohome@hotmail.com
My E-mail is: ailforthegame@aol.com
My AIM is: happy taiis

[lovechick]

thanks for info, I know the basic horse care, grooming, blanketing, tacking e.t.c. cause I've been working at the stable for 8 months now. I do a lot of horse-related chores there, and it really helped me understand horses more, and how to take care of them, I read a lot of books about horses, and even made some friends my age at the stable, they all say, i have special way with horses, and I do everything so neat and well, even horses respond so much better to me. Well i love going there, I dont care if its cleaning the manure, as long as I'm around my equine friends i love it all.

[annarbailey]

:angel5:

Hello my name is Anna :angel2: I own a Horse named Blake i live in Bristol, Yes it is expensive but depending on how well you look after the Horse. Horse need good sweet grass, well at least the young ones do it helps there body get the goodness it needs.

Hay: I pay £2.50 abale a bale last my horse about 2days depending on the diet. so a week i order 3-4 Bales which costs £10.00 that is only the week if it was monthly it would be £40.00.

Bedding: I use Straw which is £2.00 a bale I use a bale every night £14.00 a week x 4 = £56.00. if you was to use other bedding it would be alot dearer.

Hard Feed: Depending on what Breed of Horse you got or age it variys different prices, I buy a bag of Show Chaff which has all the Minerals and Garlic Powder along with linseed oil that is around £6.00 a bag these are big bags. Also a bag of Pasture Mix which has again Minerals and other things which is around £6.00.

Vets: I have a Vet out every couple of months for his vaxination and Flu and tetnus which cost's me £58.90.

Shoeing: Depending on how much you ride your Horse is weather you need shoes or not I pay £50.00 for a set of 4 Blake goes up to 8-9 weeks, depending on horses feet.
:rainbow:

You worm your Horse your self you can buy a Wormer from a local Horse Food supplier they vary in price Depending on what dose you have to use next.

I hope this helped you mate!!

If you really want a Horse then Geet one you only live once ask people for advice we started somewhere just make sure you can afford all the bills that come with it.

Write Back for a Chat Good Luck with what you decide to do!!
:cheer:

[PyscoFalcon]

Where abouts in Bristol are you?

Have you looked in the trade-it? You can get bales of straw for £1 and bales of hay for £1.50.

I've found the stabling down here is so expensive - the main 1reason I haven't had 1 since moved down here. When I lived up north it only cost me £15 a week to keep my loan horse near me. That was All day turnout with night indoors. hay and Straw included but bulk feed etc you got yourself.

[annarbailey]

:angel:

Hello,

Yeah i know it is much cheaper init in the Trade it only thing is the Farmer said i have to buy off him.

Nightmare:bawling:

I live in Warmley and keep Blake in Beach, Where do you live then.

:D

Love Anna **:angel5:

[PyscoFalcon]

That's a shame.
I live in Yate. Want to move to a village tho.

Warmleys not that far.

[Arabianhorses]

I didn't want to spend all day reading this thread, because I don't have all day, but anyway I thought that I would give you some tips on horse care. I'm probably answering questions that have already been answered, but it doesn't hurt to reread them.

Here goes--

Horses need to be shod every 6 weeks. You don't need to put shoes on your horse unles you're going to be doing A LOT of showing, and from the looks of your posts, you're just starting out riding, so you probably won't be showing for awhile. You probably won't be getting your own horse for awhile, either, and it probably isn't such a good idea to get one right now anyway.

It depends on what size of horse your getting as of how much they will eat. A 14.2 hh riding horse will probably eat about 3 or 4 small coffee cans a day of grain, and about 4 flakes of coastal. A 15.0 hh horse would probably eat a bit more than the 14.2 hh horse would. Really, it depends on your horse, how much your riding it, and how big the horse its. Like if you're doing a lot of jumping, then you would want to feed it more because it's doing a lot of work.

Really, you should be riding for about 2 years or 3 years before you buy your own horse. I'm not comepletely sure how long you've been riding, but if you have been riding for about 2 years, then please disregard what I said in my last sentence. If you continue riding and caring for a school horse or something, then you should be able to own a horse in about 2 years. But remember, horses are a lot of work! I should know, I've got a stable full of 30 horses to take care of! but I have help, too. You have to be a responsible horse owner. Which requires being there everyday to feed it, water it, ride it, groom it, take care of its tack, muck out its stall, spend time with it, turn it out into a paddock daily for the night or day, ect.

Hope I helped you out some!

Kind regards,
Sarah

[PyscoFalcon]

Arabianhorses - horses over here mostly get shod as they do a lot of road work. (Most have to ride on a road to get anywhere over here) Without shoes the tarmac would damage and eat the hoof up.

[lovechick]

thanks a lot people!!! I know I need more riding skills and I will, but I'm 100% sure that I can take care of my own horse... I had pets all my life, big and small, I took care of my friends pets and pet-sitted for long time, I've been around horses for about a year, and I've been taking lessons for 6 moths now, I also work at the barn, and take care of 35 horses, I do a lot of hard work, but enjoy every bit of it!!! even cleaning stalls, is fun to me, I've done a lot of research on horses and read a lot of books on them too, I'm allowed to get a horse as long as I get a job that will pay for most expences, I might get a job soon, my dad being so kind to me, will install a fence, build a barn, and buy horse trailer, I will do the rest.
Thanks a lot to everyone who answered my questions!!! I'll probably have a lot more to ask as time comes!!:D

[MagnoliaFly]

Plan on getting a job that pays more than 20 thousand a year, thats how much it would take.

[lovechick]

is $8-10 an hour/ 6 hours a day, 5 days a week work?

[MagnoliaFly]

Well you do the math. Thats only about 11 thousand a year, and if you have a horse that gets colic or god forbid, worse that wont cover any considerable vet bills, which needs to be prepared for.

In the simplest terms, think of it as buying a car. You need to pay for insurance (horse insurance) which isnt expensive usually, you need to pay for maintanence (vet bills), gas (feed/hay) and then the car payments (horse payments). The cheapest part of buying a horse is buying a horse, everything else can double or triple the price depending on what breed you get. Thoroughbreds eat ALOT and can be finkcky keepers (like a sports car). Even if you decide to keep the horse on your own property, a good barn can run you upwards of 10 grand even with a few stalls in it. My trainer built a two stall shed in a paddock and that cost 5 grand alone.
The field will have to be cultivated and any holes, roots, tree trunks will have to be removed. Good grass will need to be laid down. Not to mention the fencing costs.

Like previously said, stay in lessons another 2-3 years before preparing to purchase a horse. Have your instructor find one for you, since they know what level you need to begin on.