Horse Plan?

Question

Im getting a horse in around 3 months and im trying to make a budget and feed plan plan.

Im going to get a 15.3hh-16.3hh horse for dressage, pony club, trails and some low level jumping (up to 65cm). Ridden about an hour a day

How does this look for a feed and budget plan

1 biscuit(around 2.5kg) lucerane hay per day= $1.65

per week= $11.65

1kg pellets per day= $1.30

per week= $9.10

1kg 50/50 chaff mix per day= $1.00

per week= $7.00

200g speedi-beet per day= $0.36

per week= $2.52

110g equilibrium mineral mix per day = $1.50

per week= $10.50

Food= $40. 75 per week

Agistment= $30 per week

Shoeing= $100 every 6 weeks

Worming= $20 every 8 weeks

Savings= $20 per week

How does this look? especially the feed quantities.

Answer 1

It looks good! Youre organized!

Answer 2

This looks good. The savings of $20/week is that for sundry expenses? I normally allow minimum of $300/year for vet fees. Some years I don't need to spend this others I can spend double on vet fees.

Your equilibrium mineral mix sounds expensive, I certainly have a cheaper option - a liquid and that I give 2mls per day or 20mls once a week and it has lasted me one year now (cost approx $40).

If you have plenty of access to good quality grass you may not need to feed any lucerane hay. In winter if there is no grass available or drought in summer - and you'll need to feed much more. Lucern hay is very high in protein and many horses are only able to eat approx 3 slabs per day. The remaining hay should be a meadow/clover mix. What I mean is for a horse to have a healthy digestive system he will need up to half a bale of hay a day if there is no feed available in terms of grass.

Best of luck, I'm excited for you getting a new horse. If you are concerned about feed costs in winter - just think if you cut out going to the movies or a couple of other small things each week you'll soon cover the cost of hay. Keeping your horse warm in winter is important so allow a good budget for a quality rug and under rug (these don't have to be top price range rugs).

If this horse is a quiet good doer, then this feed mix is cheap to make up yourself and fattening: buy a sack of crushed oats, sack of crushed barley, sack of kibbled maize. Feed a 1/3 of each grain mixed together daily - then I mix in some split peas (soaked), malases, linseed flakes and mineral mix.

Answer 3

With the mention of chaffe and biscuit, I'm guessing you're in Australia.  I'm currently in the US, and this is what I'm feeding my crew.

Each horse is an individual some are easy keepers (Take less food to maintain.), some are HARD keepers (More food to maintain.).  My easy keepers take a flake of alfafa hay in the morning and one at night, if worked, they get a 3LB coffee can of rolled barley corn with a 1/2 Cup of corn oil and a 1/2 Cup of apple cider vinegar.

My harder keepers I double the hay content.  Twice a week I give them a bran mash using red flakey wheat bran and mix it with what I'm already giving them for grain and hot water and let all steep for a 1/2 an hour before I feed it to them.

So keep in mind how much it's going to take to feed them, depending upon the size and type of horse (Thoroughbreds take more to feed than Arabs.).

Best of luck.

Answer 4

Sounds GOOD!!!

Answer 5

wow very good. but shoeing is not 100$every 6 weeks its around 35-70$. cheaper depends on farrier i guess an if you shoe all four feet

Answer 6

i dont know bout the prices in you're area, but i do have to comment that i think it's good you're doing this much planing.  what i'd suggest, if you havent done it already, is to add about 1-5 dollars over what the price is, there fore giving you alittle safty net. good luck. i'm sure others will add on to that list but i think it's good for the basics(and some)