My boyfriends cousin owns 5 horses, in which one is on its way in spring. They are giving the colt to me for free, which would is my first horse. She said that training horses are easy and willing to help. However, in order for them to give me the horse is that i need a place to board. The horse is a mix breed. but not sure what types of breeds. I used to work as a volunteer at a stable for 5 years, but that was years ago. so basically i don't remember much about horses than i used too. She also said that the best time getting a horse is when its very young, plus she said that its expensive to buy a horse when their older. Is it expensive to keep a horse?? Can you guys give me some advice!! Thanks!!
Yes, it's expensive to keep a horse. Foals grow up. They eat a lot, need space to run (shouldn't be cooped up in a stable 24/7), like to be with other horses, need tack if you plan to ride, need regular vet care, need shoeing and foot care, and so on.
Here's a site that charts a horse's needs and estimated costs (from 2004):
My boyfriends cousin owns 5 horses, in which one is on its way in spring. They are giving the colt to me for free, which would is my first horse. She said that training horses are easy and willing to help. However, in order for them to give me the horse is that i need a place to board. The horse is a mix breed. but not sure what types of breeds. I used to work as a volunteer at a stable for 5 years, but that was years ago. so basically i don't remember much about horses than i used too. She also said that the best time getting a horse is when its very young, plus she said that its expensive to buy a horse when their older. Is it expensive to keep a horse?? Can you guys give me some advice!! Thanks!!
Yeah thanks for your help. I really do want this foal, but i dont want to be struggling with money. Hopefully, its with in my expense.
Talk with other horse owners and even with your friend to find out what they spend per year and also per month. You certainly don't want to cheat the horse out of food or medical care because you can't afford it. And like children, horses too get diseases or need surgery or expensive treatments for something.
Yeah thanks for your help. I really do want this foal, but i dont want to be struggling with money. Hopefully, its with in my expense.
Responsible horse ownership demands a significant investment of time as well as money. A horse not trained, exercised and handled regularly (more than once a week) often becomes spoiled and even dangerous to be around. Please don't take on responsibilities you can't fulfill.
They aren't necessarily more expensive as adults. I got one cheaply once. He had been kept alone in a corral of about 40 square feet without a shelter for several years. The owners couldn't afford to feed him all the time. Vet care didn't happen. He was skin and bones and had rubbed off both his mane and tail on the fencing.
The guy who sold him to me had rescued him and warned me that he didn't look good. I walked up to this bony horse and just looked at him. He took step towards me and hooked his nose over my shoulder. He said Hm-h-h-hh-h. He was the best horse I ever had.
Do your homeworK! Find out all you can about the cost of boarding, feeding, shoeing and routine vet care. I'm sure it will be a loveable foal. You don't want to put its life in jeopardy because of money.
They always say that buying the horse is the cheapest part!
You need to think about if you really want a foal. The thought of having a baby horse is exciting and of course they're cute. But you have to remember that you won't be able to ride this horse for a few years. YOu have to decide if you can wait that long. FOr a first time horse owner, a foal could get boring after a short time.
I know when I was younger, I wanted a foal too. I thought it would be so much fun to raise a horse as my own from a baby. I ended up with a 4 year old Arabian and the place I kept him had many other horses so there were many foals over the years. And while they were cute and fun at first, they lost their novelty after awhile.
This is a big decision! Good luck to you and whatever you decide!
yes, it is expensive to own a horse. It also takes a LOT of time! If you do board at a stable make sure that they take good care of their horses and feed them properly. Also, don't forget to visit your horse often and ride it. In order to start doing ANYTHING with your horse you need to gain its trust first. You can do this by spending time with it like grooming it, patting it ect. Once the horse trusts you, you can start training it. I do agree that buying young horses is better than buying older ones. That way you can train it the way you want to ride and it won't have any bad habits from previous riders. If you want more information visit my profile (horse101) and I can give you my e-mail address.
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