11 Dec Typical Costs Incurred by Horse Ownership

The purchase price represents just one small part of owning a horse. In fact, ongoing feeding, healthcare and facilitating costs represent the bulk of the money coming out of your wallet when it comes to horse ownership.

How much money your equine friend costs you also depends on the horse itself. Other factors that affect ongoing costs include the horse age, breed and deposition. In this article, we go through the typical costs involved in owning a horse.

Boarding

If you’re looking to reduce the cost of owning a horse then one of the things you can do is keep it at home. It does need proper living conditions, though. This includes a stable, proper fencing and pasture.

If you can’t fulfill these living conditions at home though, then you might need to look for paid living arrangements elsewhere. This is known as boarding and you can opt for pasture or stable boarding. The former tends to be the more affordable of the two options.

Feed, Maintenance and Healthcare

Horse feed can cost a few hundred dollars per. Typical items that you will buy as a horse owner include hay, supplements and salt. Feed costs also depend on the time of the year and how much pasture is available.

One of the most common maintenance costs is that of your horse’s hooves. At the very least, your horse’s hooves need to be trimmed approximately every two months. If you plan on shoeing your horse as well then this represents an additional cost.

Medical costs are difficult to predict, though they can range from the hundreds to the thousands. If your horse falls ill or gets injured then expect to pay thousands for a one-time treatment. It’s wise to always be prepared for such a situation.

Human Costs

This is something most people don’t think about, but let’s say that you plan on riding your horse around… this will cost you money. Typical investments include a saddle, helmet, gloves, jeans and boots.

If you’re not sure about how to ride a horse then there’s the cost of getting horse riding lessons as well.

It’s worth every cent, though

Besides perhaps a dog, we firmly believe that there’s no better companion than a horse. They can represent quite the investment, but the reward of owning a horse is great.