[Marielw]

Hi ... I posted a while ago about MAYBE getting a horse.

Can people tell me what basics I need to know and do to own a horse?

I have a barn nearby to board in. BUT what do I need to do every day? What gets done once a month? Vet visits ... how often and for what?

In looking at horses for sale I see vaccine shots updated and worming updated .... how often for these? Stuff like that.

Thanks ... Horseless

 

[twh]

You should go inspect the barn before putting your horse there. How big are the stalls? How much turnout do the horses get? How many times a day do they get fed? How big is the indoor ring? Meet the BO and see if you get along.

Your horse will need basic vet care (like vaccinations), and a farrier to come and change his shoes every 6-8 weeks.

Wormings can be done monthly or daily, depending on the worming.

 

[heyycutter]

vet visits every 6 months for vaccinations

farrier every 6-8 weeks

dentist every 6-12 months

worming every 30-60 days. youll want to do a rotation plan so you'll be changing the active ingredient each time

you'll want to ride 4-6ish times a week

besides board, which can be from 100ish-1300 a month expect to spend extra money on new equitment for the horse, or supplments or medical stuff

many horses require supplments, like joint or digestive health, so make sure you ask the person who owns the horse your interested in if he's on something already.

you should try to know basic health carefor a horse. like how to deal with cuts and wounds, how to tell if a horse is lame, etc.

get a horse suitable for your riding level, not just whatever one is the "prettiest".
youll need to be able to handle it on even its worst days.

i usually recomend first time horse owns to look for horses between 12-17 years of age. young horses require more experience for training so slightly older ones are easier.

owning a horse is alot of work, but alot of fun. good luck!

 

[PaintHorseMares]

get a horse suitable for your riding level, not just whatever one is the "prettiest".
youll need to be able to handle it on even its worst days.

This goes along with the biggest mistake(s) that I have seen with folks buying their first horse. They spend a lot of time learning about horse care, but spend very little time knowing the horse and seller. Horses can range from very low maintenance, easy keepers to very high maintenance horse that will wind up costing you a fortune. Sellers range from folks just trying to unload a horse that may have problems to long established ranches that will spend all the time necessary to match your skill, experience, expectations, and price range to a good horse and are always willing to give you the benefit of their experience.

 

[Marielw]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like good advice and info. I've been perusing ads on ksl classifieds. SOME of the ads read "I have to get rid of this thing ... call me". NOPE! Can only IMAGINE what the horse has endured there. Of course others list their horse for $15,000 - $20,000 ... ah ... NOPE, too much for my pocketbook. So this will be a long process. I/we are not going to just go out and buy. We'll look for awhile and have our friends help us.

 

[Bek]

I would also suggest getting a vet check before you buy the horse.
And don't get on the horse until you have seen the owner or someone else ride it first.

 

[ChingazMyBoy]

Really good information you've got from everyone! Agree with Bek on her second point, no one rode my boy before I rode him when I first rode him (and he had been on spell for two months).. Man was THAT a fun ride.

 

[justsambam08]

Definitely agree with Chingaz and Bek. Its nice to have an opinion other than your own because especially if you find a horse you like, your opinion can be a little biased, lol.

Other than that, here's the breakdown of all costs and activities of owning a horse in my part of Florida.

-$425 dollars monthly for board
-$30 dollars monthly on joint supplement
-$+/-75 dollars monthly on random tack and supplies
-$20 dollars I put away monthly for an emergency fund
-$300 dollars per month for 3 weekly lessons
-$35 dollars every six weeks for a hoof trim
-$30 dollars every six to eight weeks for wormer
-$99 dollars twice a year for a teeth float
-$55 dollars twice a year for vaccinations
-I work my horse between four and six days a week, 365 days a year
-He gets groomed every day I'm out there

You'll also want to read up on the basics of first aid, have a first aid kit handy (there are some threads on the forum for the most basic/beneficial supplies)

 

[darkwillow]

Everyone's pretty much got it covered, but I would suggest, in your choice of horses to steer clear of the hot breeds, eg. thoroughbreds, arabs, etc. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them (hope I don't offend anyone!) and there's probably exceptions, but many tend to be too highly strung for a new rider. You're probably better off getting a cross breed or something easier to handle.

 

[Ray MacDonald]

Well when I got my first horse, Abby (harness racehorse) she had to be re-trained.
Board was $210 a month, dewormer is $30 (I now have 2 horses so its $60) we deworm them every 3 months but it all depends on the horse.
My horses go barefoot and get trims when ever they need them, it only cost somewhere from $30 to $60, something like that! LOL
I now have my horses at home in my backyard so I have to pay for shavings, which are $7.50 per page or $5.50 if you order them in bulk. We also buy feed (we used Fat and Fiber) Im not really sure how much that is something like 20-30 $ and not to mention all the lovely vet bills! THEY are expensive! and of course my horse is clumsy! medical pastes, cooling gels and proud flesh dust, not sure how much I spent on all that! a lot.... and my tack! I bought Abby's western saddle new for $600 and her english one for $50 (it had no girth, stirrupts or leathers and was used by my friend) and bridles which are only $30 bucks each and winter blankets $70-$100 Abby's front boots were $30? I think LOL
Yeah this is really long! LOL But I wouldn't change it for the world!

 

[Ray MacDonald]

I also don't used any supplements for my horses.

 

[Ridehorses99]

Being an owner who boards their horses, be very critical of WHERE you board. I prefer stables where someone lives on-site. If you are lucky enough to find a place where the owner / manager really cares about animals, that is a big plus. A couple of stables I have boarded are strictly in it as a business and don't do the little things (like put antibiotic cream on a scratch your horse picked up in the pasture). Make sure the place is safe (no barbed wire fences, pastures are free of debris, boards don't have nails sticking out, etc.). This seems pretty basic, but you would be surprised at what you will find as a "boarding facility". The more potential accidents you can avoid, the fewer vet calls. Here are a few questions to ask the owner / manager:
What time do they feed? Is it the same time every day?
Does the same person feed every day?
Do they charge extra if your horse needs daily supplements or medicine?
Do they charge extra to blanket in the winter?
Do they charge extra for putting on fly masks?
Do they have a tack room you can use and how secure is it?
Do they provide or require regular worming of all horses?
Do they charge for trailer storage?

Good luck to you. It's a wonderful experience owning a horse but be cautious about who you entrust your horses well-being to.

 

[ponyboy]

-$55 dollars twice a year for vaccinations

Is that giving the vaccines yourself?

 

[justsambam08]

Is that giving the vaccines yourself?

Yes that is, including a rabies vaccination. I should have also mentioned the 35 dollars for a coggins, and that of course is done by the vet.

 

[mandyh]

You should go to the Boarding barn and see if they offer lessons. By taking lessons you will be able to see if you like the barn and the people who operate and board there. You will learn about care and needs for the horse. This will also give you a heads up on possible horses for sale that fit your needs.
If you are under 18, try to find a 4H club or similar horse club. These can be very informative and most times you don’t need a horse to join.