How much is the monthly/yearly upkeep of a horse in NC?

Question

I live in Randolph County NC and I am thinking about purchasing a horse for riding purposes. I have a pasture to put the horse in and I am wondering approximately how much the monthly or yearly upkeep of the horse would cost in my area.

Answer 1

The easiest way to figure this out since prices vary so widely even within the state is to do some local research.

Call a local large animal vet, and ask them if they could mail you a price list for equine services. Also ask them the following:

~usual price for farm call fee

~fee (if any) charged for an appt. when you bring the horse in to be seen

~price for Coggins test

~what vaccinations are recommended for your area (and how often) and the cost

~price for dental floating

Add up all those prices, figuring at least 3 farm call fees/year, 1-2 vaccinations (depending on what is recommended), 1 Coggins/year (can usually be done with one set of vaccinations to save money on farm call/appt. fee) and 1-2 floatings/year.

Then ask the vet for a recommendation of a local farrier.  Call the farrier (or two or three) and ask for their prices for a trim or shod all the way around.  Then figure at least 7 farrier visits/year, if the horse goes 8 weeks between visits.  If the horse doesn't need shoes, you'll be able to use the trim price, but if it needs shoes you'll calculate using the shod price...I'd recommend assuming shoes since you don't have the horse yet, that way you know you can cover the costs if the horse needs them.

Then look in the local classifieds or make some calls to find out what hay prices are.  Assume 20 pounds/day minimum for the months your pasture won't support your horse (I usually figure 7 months to be safe, but I have a couple pastures that I rotate, so my pasture lasts longer).  The smaller the pasture, the less time it will support your horse, especially if the horse is constantly on it.  If you have room to store all the hay you need for the year, use the quoted price to determine your cost.  If you DON'T have room to store all the hay you'll need, double the quoted price and assume that for at least 4-5 months, as once winter sets in hay prices usually double.  I recommend budgeting for an extra month's worth of hay (and buying it if you have room to store all your hay) as that way you are covered if something happens in the spring and the hay isn't harvested when expected, or there is no hay available, etc...which does happen on occasion.  Properly stored hay can be stored over the summer and safely fed at the beginning of the next fall/winter if needed.

Then call around your local area to find a ration balancer to feed the horse so that he gets his vitamins and minerals (check out the referenced website if you haven't heard of them) and multiply that cost by 7-8 for the year, since one bag usually lasts a horse almost two months.

Those are your very basic regular expenses.  You'll also need tack (one time purchase of usually around $800 or so), barn supplies (halters, ropes, muck buckets, etc) as well as seasonal supplies (fly spray in the summer, etc.) that you'll have to budget for.  I would assume a minimum of an additional $50-100/month for all the extra supplies.