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How much $ do you spend on your hobby?

3K views 24 replies 23 participants last post by  Betty 
#1 ·
How much do you spend on your horse and related costs each month and what percentage is that of your monthly income?

Should be interesting :D
 
#3 ·
Depends.
Usually it is just hay, grain, mineral cost... Roughly $700. Unless it is dewormer and trim month then its closer to $1200.
But you can always get those unexpected horse costs like my stallion going in for surgery and setting me back a couple of grand that was supposed to go towards my truck because I just had surgery and not working.
They ain't cheap. LOL
 
#4 ·
Right now, I spend next to nothing. I am lucky enough to have people ask me to ride their horses and show them. I also do some basic training work and have many friends with horses. I pay for my own equipment of course, such as my helmet, and I pay for clinics and lessons. Overall I'd say I spend $300-$500 per year (and that's a generous estimate, including horse show food :-p).

All this should be changing fairly soon though, since I might be taking on a mare...
 
#14 ·
I'm in this catagory. I purposely have all feed and supplements spaced out so I have to buy new stuff constantly so it's not one purchase. This way I never actually see the monthly total.

But I can tell you I spend more on extras, almost double, than I do on her board, and I work at my barn....
 
#9 ·
For the essentials- board, hay, grain, farrier, vaccinations, worming, dental, etc.- I'd say it probably averages to maybe $450 per month, but I get a pretty nice discount on board for feeding one night per week which I didn't include in that total.

Lessons, show fees, etc. very quickly inflate that total, however...
 
#10 ·
We used to spend a decent amount for our general area: $265/month for board, maybe $75/month for beet pulp/supplement/feed and then $100/6 weeks for farrier... not to mention $55/week on lessons and the money spent on other things. The most expensive thing overall was the vet though, almost as much as the initial purchase... which is why when I get another horse in a few years time, I'll be getting insurance.

Now, we spend $25/week for a group lesson which is a decent price.
 
#11 ·
I'm paying about $190 a month right now, because I'm actually getting free board for my mare because I feed with another girl every evening for the barn (40 or so horses). The $250 comes from paying half-board for my filly ($100) and feed for both her, my mare, and part of the feed for another filly that I'm helping rehabilitate. Hay is included in my board thankfully, and they're pastured so no shavings or anything. Then theres the trimming every 5 weeks, worming, suppliments (just for the my mare's filly) and that sort of thing. Once sell my filly though in the next week or two, my costs should dip down to $90.

If I didn't feed every evening though and paid full board for both of my horses, I'd be paying a whopping $475 a month, and I'm only a part time paid 17 year old! Eeek.
 
#12 ·
I added it up a few months ago and wanted to cry lol, it was more then my paycheck and I had been continual putting everything I could on my credit card and only paying the minimum off. I've since cut my costs by 350/month by bringing her back to my moms where I don't pay board, but I still have a huge credit card bill that I'm working on paying off...really screw myself on that one lol...oh and my other half has no idea lol
 
#13 ·
Right now not too much... He is at my parent's place. I have to pay for hay, dewormer, etc. I think my hay bill this year for him was a little over $100. I get my brother to trim him so no cost there. Sadly, he is 3 1/2 hours away from where I live. Next fall when I get back from BC, my cost will be going up as I hope to move my horses (hopefully three by then) down here. I will have my gelding and my mare who will probably be feeding a foal (due in Oct... no I didn't breed her, she came bred). I am hoping to find a place to rent or buy. I really don't want to have to board them because that will add up to a lot!
 
#16 ·
For board, feed, feet and worming - approx $150 for one horse. All my horses are very easy keepers and I buy bulk so over a month it doesn't work out to much. If I worked it out annually the amount would be quite a few thousand per horse when I add in teeth, shots, vet bills etc
 
#17 ·
For Oliver I used to pay 500 for board then moved him last year to my current trainers that is 300 and way better care! Board includes hay/grain and about 1/2 acre of pasture.


For my hobby:
estimated $400-600 in clinics this year maybe more
If we do schooling shows this year - $300-500
If we extend an EI show-250-350?

Shoes every 6-8 weeks $100
His ulcer meds $30 each month
And about $50-70 in gas money each month
 
#19 ·
Oh dear...my lease on Maverick per month is only $150 because I work at the barn where he's kept. I spend about $80 a month to compete and I should be paying more for trailer fees but I work extra at the barn for free trailering. I buy tack quite often too so there's that expense obviously that varies. Then there's my insurance which is $40 for the year and there's the riding club membership which is also $40 for the year :p So total? idk too lazy to do the math :p

As for income oh gosh. I don't have a job because I'm still in school so I don't have time between barn and school. So I babysit every two weeks for one person and earn $20 and sometimes other people will contact me for a babysitter...but that's all. So my mom takes care of most of the leasing fee per month and I take care of everything else :p
 
#20 ·
I board, buy my own feed and wormer, plus save some money for my horse fund which usually covers farrier, vet, or any other unforeseen expenses. That comes to about $400 per month. Plus, I work my butt off at my barn for reduced board. The money doesn't come easy for me, but I make it work because my horse is very important to me. More important than buying nice clothes, or driving a newer car, or going out every Friday night and spending $100 on food and drinks. I happily sacrifice those things. I would rather put on my worn out jeans and my muddy sweatshirt with hay in the pockets, get in my beat up old truck, and drive to the barn and spend my Friday night with my horse.
 
#21 ·
Well four lessons per month for $45 dollars each is about $180, plus the random saddle pad/odd thing would make it around $210, but once I start showing and doing IEA I'm sure it will go up to around $300... Yikes. Good thing my parents pay for lessons! I just pay for the equipment and eventually showing.
 
#22 ·
Until six years ago, I spent more on my dogs and cats than I ever spent on the horses because I rarely had vet bills for the horses.

That all changed when one horse was diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome in 2007.

A second horse was diagnosed with insulin resistance in 2010 and severely foundered in March, 2012.

I have four horses ages 17, 18, 25, 26+. I am retired and thankfully made a decent income all my life, as it is now safe to say all my S.S. money goes to the horses:shock:

Mr. WTW still works because he's a Hypertensive Type A that doesn't know how to sit still - good thing because I frequently have subsidize barn expenses with his paycheck:-|

Sooooo --- while I refuse to add everything up, it's safe to say I spend a BIG CHUNK OF CHANGE:hide:
 
#23 ·
I think it's best for me to look at the expenses...
I just keep looking at the big ticket items I desperately need.
Chiro for Sassy..
Dentist for all 4..(anyone got a cost estimate for that?)
New saddle that will fit big ol Playboy.
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