Question: How much does it cost to keep a horse?
The purchase price of your horse, pony, donkey, or mule is only a small part of its overall cost. Here are the basic horse care costs.
Answer: Here is a breakdown of the basic minimum costs assuming you are keeping your horse or pony on your own property. These costs do not reflect the value of the property, land taxes, insurance, or property maintenance including barns and fences. The price of feed and professional services varies from one region to another so these costs will need to be adjusted for your area.
- One half bale of hay $1.50 per day
- Six month supply of loose mineral supplement $25.00 or 0.07 per day
- Salt block $14.00 or $0.04 per day
- Two two cup servings of inexpensive concentrate per day $1.00
- Farrier every six week at $25 per trim or $0.60 day
- Dewormer every 3 months $0.20 per day
- Dentistry once a year at $75 or $0.20 per day
- Annual basic vaccinations of rabies, tetanus, equine influenza, and other routine vaccines at $95.00 or $0.27 per day
Minimum cost per day to keep one horse $3.88 per day or 1416.20 per year.
The costs quickly increase with:
- feeding more expensive concentrates or supplements.
- immunizing for other diseases such as West Nile Virus.
- a horse that requires shoes.
- competing with your horse.
- a horse that is ill or injured.
- breeding your horse to produce a foal.
- your normally good pasture is hit with drought or the price of feed is driven up by bad weather or other circumstances.
Boarding a horse can cost anywhere from $100 per month for pasture board, with no inside stabling to over $500 per month in barns with stalls, individual turn-out, arenas and other amenities close to urban areas. You will also pay for extras such as farrier and veterinary care, special feeds or care such as removing and putting on blankets and fly masks. In self care facilities the monthly board is less expensive but you will supply your own feed and bedding and travel to care for your horse daily.
