If you are planning to purchase a horse, your first concern might be the horse price. And you should pay attention to the expense of keeping a horse.
While, how much does it cost to buy a horse? And how much does it cost to keep a horse per year? After feeding horses for several years, I have done a lot of research on these two topics.
You may think that it is quite expensive to buy a horse and keep it. After reading the details, you may find it would be more affordable. And you could realize your dream of owning your own horse.
In this article, I will share with you the general horse prices and daily horse breeding expenses. Hope the following information will help you to prepare yourself for horse breeding.
Cost to Buy a Horse
The first step before buying a horse is to check your budget. It is necessary to make sure how much you intend to spend on your horse. The general horse prices would be between $100 and $10,000. The specific horse cost would hinge on the age, breed, gender, as well as your usage and location.
In this way, it is important for you to choose your ideal horse according to your budget. You should consider gender, breed, age, pedigree, health status, purpose, training level, and so on. The final price of your horse may be influenced by your location and available animals.
According to statistics, the most expensive horse breeds are Arabian and Thoroughbreds for their pedigree. Their costs may be up to $250,000 per horse. Wild Mustangs and Quarter Horses would be the most affordable choice for about $100 or above.
If you are preparing for your first horse with a rich budget, $5,000 to $10,000 would be enough for a decent horse. Besides, the predicted price of an ordinary riding horse would be about $4,250.
READ MORE: 16 Most Expensive Horse Breeds In The World
Horse Transport Cost
If you are intended to take part in a horse riding competition, have a long-distance move, or join any other activities, you may need to find a professional company to transport your horse.
Horse transport cost usually hinges on the distance, the move type, and any other individual demands of your horse. The transportation methods should also be taken into consideration. International transport by air would be an expensive choice.
A professional equine transport company may quote between $0.75/mile and $3/mile. According to statistics, if your horse transport distance is less than 100 miles, the expense would be $2.55 per mile. Besides, if the distance is more than 100 miles and less than 1000 miles, $1.10 per mile would be available. A one-way flight of international horse transport by plane would be about $2,000 to $10,000.
Horse Stable Cost or Horse Barn Cost
Horse stable is a special room for your horse. Usually, a stable could contain about 8-12 horses. If you only have one horse, it may be unnecessary and uneconomical to build a stable. The cost of building an average stable would be around $20,000 to $40,000.
If you have decided to build a horse barn for your horse, it is a good choice to find several construction companies and then compare them to choose a competitive price.
If you live in urban regions or do not have space to build a horse barn for your horse. You could board your horse in a pasture or a full-service stall. And the boarding fees would depend on the facilities, equipment, training activities, and some other factors of the boarding place.
In the U.S., the cost of an average boarding stable would be around $450 per month. The top boarding stables could cost up to $1,200 per month.
Horse Saddle Cost
In general, the cost of a saddle is not just the price of the saddle itself. The various horse saddle cost may depend on the quality of saddles, the types of saddles, and the saddle brands. Material, as well as craftsmanship, should also be taken into consideration.
You could get an average horse saddle for $500. The cost of a high-end or specially designed horse saddle could be out of your expectation. In this way, a horse saddle cost may vary from $100 to $8000 or more.
Besides, a horse saddle below $500 may be relatively cheap and make you uncomfortable. And the low-end horse saddles are made of lower quality artificial leather or a synthetic material. And they are made carelessly without enough attention to their details.
And a middle-end horse saddle may be from $500 to $2000. what’s more, a high-end horse saddle could be above $2000 or more. You may find the high-end horse saddles are much more comfortable and balanced.
Horse Farrier Cost
As we all know, farriers are quite crucial to protect horses’ hooves and to maintain their health. It is necessary for you to find a farrier to trim hooves and place shoes for your horse. In this way, your horse’s hooves may keep well and get away from cracks of infections.
The horse farrier cost could vary according to various factors, including locations, skill levels, complexity, or the horse number. If you prefer superior service, it would be more expensive.
The farrier cost for a horse could vary from $60 to $155. And a complete set of shoes would cost from $95 to $160. besides, $35 would be enough for a trim. And a horse may demand this kind of service five times per year. In this way, a budget from $500 to $800 per horse should be taken into consideration.
Horse Feed Cost
It is not easy to estimate the average feeding cost of a horse, because the cost would be different according to various regions and seasons. You may think that horse feed cost would be quite cheap for they are vegetarians. And they could get grass from here and there for free.
However, scientific statistics show that an adult horse may consume 1.5-2% of their body weight per day, if they have grass or hay only. Much more energy and nutrition for them are necessary, especially for pregnant mares, foals, sick horses, and so on.
Hay, including grass and legumes, plays a crucial role in horses’ diet. With low-calorie nutrients, grassy hay would be the best choice for adult horses. A half bale of hay would be $3-$10 in various areas. But your horse may demand more than a half bale per day.
Sometimes, grains, equine supplements, alfalfa, and joint supplements may be necessary when feeding your horse. In this way, besides $5-$10 for a bale of hay, there would be extra expenses among horse feeding costs, if you give your horse extra supplements or other grains.
In this way, the University of Maine has conducted a survey on 82 horse owners with a total of 470 horses. And they found that the average annual feeding cost would be $140-167 per horse.
Horse Health Care Cost
It is not cheap to keep a horse. No matter your horse’s initial price or breed, the basic horse health care cost would be similar. And the cost would be various for amounts of factors.
The general horse health care bill would contain the vet bills, including vaccines, teeth cleaning, and especially the emergency care fees.
$100 to $250 is necessary for your horse deworming per month or per quarter. This cost varies in different locations. Some surgeries may cost up to thousands of dollars, including colic surgery.
It is necessary for you to arrange regular standard checkups for your horse. Timely care for minor injuries is recommended in case of complications.
Horse Training Cost
As we all know, proper training is necessary before riding. This is because some horses are quite stubborn and hard to handle. Thus, certain basic training could ensure that your horse would obey your order while riding.
Horse training costs could be various according to different factors, ranging from $200 to above thousands of dollars per month. An irresponsible trainer could make your horse untrained or worse. In this way, it is crucial to find an experienced trainer.
Besides, each horse may need a specialized training plan, making the training cost higher. And every horse owner needs to learn how to take care of horses and ride horses properly.
Some training knowledge is also necessary to any horse fanciers. A professional trainer could not only train your horse, but also teach you. So arrange your budget and find one.
Horse Insurance Cost
Horse ownership means not only an honor, but also a responsibility. So horse insurance is quite important for your horse. And the best horse insurance could cover a whole range of health problems of your horse.
The horse insurance cost would vary depending on the specific insurance type you get. And the insurance can cover or insure your horse for morality, medical bills, and even theft. Thus, horse insurance could make you assured and protect your horse properly.
Besides types of insurance, the age, worth, location, and usage of your horse would influence your equine insurance cost.
An average horse insurance cost could be above $150 per year for a horse. If necessary, you could add some additional coverage with extra money.
Horse Cremation Cost
It is quite miserable to admit the fact that the life span of any animal is limited, including horses. As horse fanciers, the final thing we could do to our equine partner is to cremate and bury the horse after the horse dead.
In this way, the cremation cost should be taken into consideration. The average horse cremation cost would be between $250 and $1500. The specific price would be various depending on your location.
An extra charge would be necessary during weekends or holidays. Special or long-distance transportation may also need an extra charge.
Summary
After reading this article, you have gotten the details on horse feeding cost, including the general horse purchase cost and the expenses of transportation, barn, horse equipment (farrier and saddle), training, health care, insurance, and even cremation.
Are you astonished after knowing the specific cost of keeping a horse? I believe the horse-keeping cost is out of your expectation and above your budget.
Are you still determined to keep a horse? If your answer is yes. I am sure that you are well prepared to keep a horse and pay for your choice.
You should know that keeping a horse is not only an instant interest, but a responsibility. Once starting, please do not hesitate and stick to your choice no matter what happens.
Your horse may bring your some troubles. Be patient with your horse. And take care of your horse carefully, for it also brings your much more joy.
If you have much more questions on horse-keeping cost, feel free to contact us.