Readers Respond: How Much Does it Cost to Care for Your Horse?

Responses: 26

I live in rural Pennsylvania and keep my horse at home. Trims every 6-8 weeks = $25 each. He's on full turnout in the summer, minimal grain =
—Guest Lucky

On Long Island for my son's show horse...$1100/per month board (includes feed), $5 each extra bag of shavings (needs several a month), $130 farrier (every 4-6 weeks), $125/month supplements, $1300/yr. insurance, about $2500/yr. vet expenses (so far), $400/month lessons, $500 each horse show (about 20 times a year), plus a never ending list of miscellaneous items that really add up in cost...if we stopped showing and moved to a "backyard" barn, board would still be at least $700, plus farrier, supplements & vet. I saw an absolutely beautiful barn online located in Mississippi with facilities much nicer than ours...board was only $400/month. There aren't really many low-cost options to keep a horse on Long Island, even in your own backyard (so many rules).
—Guest MLH

To sum it up expect your horse to cost you between 3-5,000 per year. Board ranges depending on the area and services. I've seen pasture board for $125/mth - Full service board $1,600/mth. Hay from $3-9 per bale. Shavings $5-12 per bag. Straw $2-6 per bale. Ferrier work depends on the experiance of the professional and what he/she is doing. Just a trim can be as cheap as $25 and with a full set of shoes as high as $150. I've even heard of some people paying upwards of $250! Personally I wouldn't spend more then $130 on a trim and full set of shoes for my horse...and the guy better be making the shoes! Vet care seems to be the most expensive. Expect at least $1000 per year. This is very basic, with your horse just needing vaccinated and check ups and Possably a colic in there. If you learn to give your own vaccinations and ferrier work, this will help cut costs as well. But remember one mistake can be detrimental to your horse's health, make sure to get professional training.
—Guest guestsam

the general care of my horse is quite cheap, i pay £10 per week for a stable+ field for my horse. Its £10 for a huge bale of hay and another £10 for a huge bale of straw. My farrier charges about £17 for a trim and about £50 for shoes. The only expensive part about it is the vet bills, which can go into hundreds.
—Guest Alex

farrier is $60. dentist is $80. I pay $200 of board (per horse) per month. its 5 star facilities. round bales are now $70. Horses are a VERY pricey hobby.
—Guest adurrrr.

It cost at least $35 for a trim and sometimes horses need them more often than 6 weeks.
—Guest DDS

I've got a free spreadsheet for calculating your hay costs. Depending on the horse's weight, use, metabolism and temperament, hay needs can really change. Check out "Hay burners: What it costs to feed a horse" at www.MyHoofprints.com
—prstables

basic horse care/ how much does a horse cost in feed and care/simple ways to save/picking a good sound horse
—Guest bettina

Usually depending on the place it can be quite pricey to board a horse or pony. if you plan to keep your horse in a boarding facility permenantly it is very expensive..usually $500 a month! That includes them not only giving it a stall in the stable but for food and other things that your horse may need.
—Guest Kyla

The price of hay has really gone up and it was hard to find this summer. The gas prices and really wet weather have forced the price way up. Round bales are about $40. Sometimes its not even really good hay.
—Guest blacksmoke

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