From the article: Money Saving Tips for Horse Owners
Can you cut costs, without compromising the quality of care you give your horse? Share your money saving tips with other horse owners. Share Your Tips
Save on Hay
- I buy rolls of horse hay then store the hay where only I can get to it. Daily I pitch hay I pull off the roll to the horses. It lasts a long time this way, we have no hay waste and we save money.
- —Guest Sherry
Sugardine
- I made a Sugardine solution to treat thrush. A couple of cups of white table sugar and enough povidone iodine to make a paste (I used less than 1/2 cup). I use a hoof pick with a brush on it to daub the solution onto the hoof. The sugar helps it stick to the hoof. Stir it up each time you use it.
- —Guest zzrider
Recycled horse/pony toys
- For some nice recycled, safe, horse toys use a plastic bottle and put some very small holes in it. Then fill it up with treats, molasses, or even grains of rice so your horse can shake it. Another idea is that you could put molasses and water mixed together, pu into a spray bottle and spray around your horses muzzle, It`s quite funny watching them. Or you could just use an old soccer ball of a byo that you can find in fishing stores.
- —Guest lanii
Cheap Fly Spray
- An Old Timer friend gave me this money saving tip! Mix dollar store antiseptic mouth wash 50/50 with water and put in a cheap sprayer and use for fly spray. Safe for the horse even around their muzzle! My horse even opens her mouth for me to spray it in!
- —Guest T Robertson
saving money
- Use a stocking as a tail bag. Cut the top off an empty milk bottle it would make a good feed scoop. Buying second hand gear is always cheaper but buying new gear will last a lot longer. empty tuna cans will make good bridle or halter hooks just stick it on the wall. vaseline, vegatable oil or a cut onion can be used as hoof oil it is a lot cheaper and cleaner.. old gardening gloves can be used as a grooming glove to remove loose hair. You could buy a two dollar hair brush from the store and use it to brush your horses tail they work a lot better than the professionally made ones. You could grow your own hay if you own land. If you're to young to get a job and want a horse badley you could do a paper delivery job. :)
- —Guest jadey13
Cost cutting and improving daily life.
- I'm creating a Pasture Paradise, eliminating my stalls and cobbling up a slow feeder. Took a nutrition course and am ordering minerals etc. that complement my hay and avoiding supplements/saving on hay. All my horses are fully transitioned to the barefoot trim..am my own trimmer...learned it all online.
- —missyclare
borrow
- There are lots of folks that have extra tack that are willing to allow you to borrow. Especially with 4H children who grow out of everything so fast so network with friends and use those unused items always return immediately and clean!!
- —sarenaloveshorses
save some money
- go easy on the shavings go easy on the feed but never compromise your horses health
- —Guest lynn
saving money
- We own A small farm and I talked My husband into buying horses just this year. But we are lucky enough to have our own hay and a grinder.now in the summer it wasn't so cheap because of the price of corn. Now Don't get me wrong the horses don't need alot of corn but when we are mixing up the cows feed we theow sow bean in it then when we feed the horses get some of that and a little bit of sweet feed and everthing goes a long way. And the pocket isn't so empty! I hope this helps. My family has tried to help every one out that buys hay by not ever changing our prices. We Know times get tough! So good luck
- —mamamary79
Share Boarding
- I am horseless and would love to pay 1/2 board to someone who would let me ride their horse with a set schedule. I would "be just like a good owner" and that would be a win/win for everyone. Think about offering your horse to a kind, dedicated horse lover like me.
- —CarolBelmont
Buy used equipment!
- EBay, Craig's List, horse organization classifieds are all good places to find great deals. And a way to sell what you don't need and make a little $$ to buy what you do need. Even show clothes.
- —SoleilFarm
Saving Money
- I do all my own vaccines except for the ones that require a vet certificate. I plan all the routine vet work to be done in one visit if possible, this saves on vet call charges. I get my sawdust in bulk loads not bags, this is a huge savings even with the cost of gas. If I am buying new horse items of any kind I research what I want, look for best price from a regular retailer, then hunt for the item on E-Bay. I save tons of money on name brand stuff this way. If something needs to be fixed I always try doing it myself. Especially winter horse blankets. I have students that work off board and lessons by cleaning stalls or exercising extra horses for me. I love to barter services.
- —Guest Rain
Wormers
- Buying generic ivermectin in the liquid injectable form rather than tubes is a bit more inexpensive. Note: DO NOT INJECT. Dose is one cc of ivermectin per 110 lbs of body weight administered directly into the horses mouth the same as paste wormer. Shop around for the best prices. Get together with friends and order multiple bottles for an even bigger discount.
- —raelsmith
Saving on lessons
- Just remember, it never hurts to ask if there is some way you can have lessons without paying for them. I give lessons and would gladly give them in exchange for gardening, cleaning, running errands, etc. It doesn't always have to be a horse related thing. Some people think you have to clean a million stalls to get a lesson. Not true. I will barter my teaching for anything. Just ask!
- —Guest DK
buying hay
- Buying hay in bulk saves a lot of time and money provided you can store it safely.
- —appyt
Saving water
- Most horses dont need baths that often. Save your water by not giving your horse a bath that often. Only give them one if they REALLY need it or if it is before a show.
- —Guest Guest
Saving hay
- When feeding my horses in their stall, I put their hay in a hay net, run the loop through the ring and back up between the flakes. I then drop the hay net into the manger and do half hitch knot -easy to unknot!- so the horse can't pull the net out of the manger. This saves a tremendous amount of hay from being pulled out of the manger and soiled so they won't eat it.
- —Rookierider55
