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Costs

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  spence 
#1 ·
In January 2011 I am planning to take on a horse, but before then I need to work out costs, I have already done the yearly cost for a potential yard, but now I need to work out a rough price for hay, straw, shoes and feed.

How much a month do you roughly spend on hay, straw and feed?

Also does anyone know any suppliers in Essex for hay and straw?

Also any local farriers and the cost of shoes?

I want to make sure I get everything right before going ahead with anything

Thanks
 
#2 ·
Costs are so regional - I hope that someone nearer you is able to give you local figures.
I will say that for our two (well, Holly doesn't really count as she eats so little that we haven't really had to increase our expense) we spend about $45 a month on hay and another $25 or so on "grain" (we feed Strategy). We bed one stall and don't do any bedding in the run-in - that runs us $5-6 a bag - we use pellets and add about a bag a week to replace what we've taken out so $20-25 a month on that.
We keep both our horses barefoot - a trim visit is $25 a horse plus a $20 farm call.
We do minimal "well-horse" checks, vaccinations and teeth floats once a year which the last one was right at $150 for our big horse including farm call. Holly has her appt Monday so I'll have exact figures then, lol - after this they'll be on the same schedule so we'll only have one farm call to pay instead of two separate visits, yay.
The real money pit is all the little things you just "have" to have for them - there is always a new halter, rope, toy or other piece of tack that you see that you just have to buy. My daughter and I can't pass up a trip to the farm store, lol, much to my husbands chagrin.
 
#3 ·
well, with our three guys, in the WINTER we feed round bales and they burn up probably 120 to 140 bucks a month there and not more than about 20 a month in grain (11% sweet feed at 5.50-6 bucks/40 lbs). during warmer months we don't have to feed any hay, and we'll feed even less grain.

we vaccinate our own at probably 30 bucks a shot, so 90 for the three. trims are 25/head, and each pair of shoes is 25 on top of that. the grey doesn't need shoes EVER, and my fella is probably going to get them all the way around this year. anyhow, probably 500 to 600 a year there if we have any shoes put on.

and we're in one of the lesser expensive places to have horses, it seems to go up sharply when you start getting much closer to the coasts from here...
 
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