How much would it cost to buy and own a horse?

Question

Ok, I just joined this horse camp thing and it got me really excited about owning a horse someday. So I was wondering how much it would cost to buy a horse. I would like to maybe even buy a throughbred already trained, or maybe a stallion, but how much would it cost to buy and take care of. I don't care about getting into the racing business.

Answer 1

Afleetal's advice is right on. I've seen good horses for $500, but the real cost is upkeep.  In rural BC Canada it's about $2-$3000 a year if you can free graze, and more if you have to board.  And the biggest consideration is the time and responsibility.  You ought to be with your horse at least an hour or two a day and in the saddle 4 hours a week.  And this is a committment for the life of the horse.  Afleetal's suggestion to get some training yourself and try out borrowed/rented horses for a year or two is sound.

  I ride western so I'm partial to quarter horses and the like so I won't comment on TBs.  But avoid an ungelded stallion unless you want to offer for stud.  In general. mares are gentler and easier to handle, geldings next.  But there are always exceptions.  Solicit the advice of an experienced rider. And have fun!

Answer 2

1,000 Pounds.

For taking care of its a lot of money.

Answer 3

It really depends on the horse and where you live. Also, you have to gain more experience riding before you go out and buy a horse. I have been riding for 3 years and I don't own my own horse. It's a lot of responsibility and it costs a lot. Not just with the initial cost of the horse but also feeding, worming, tack, grooming supplies, farrier, medical care, and most importantly time, your time. Take riding lessons for a few years to see if you really want to get into the care of a horse. One more thing, a Thoroughbred is not a beginner horse, they are high strung and hard to handle, especially a stallion. You have to be very experienced to handle one. I can't handle a stallion yet without help from an experienced horseperson. Hope this helps! : )

Answer 4

stallions are hard to manage.he cost depends on horse, a TB will cost more than a cob. owning is at  least 3000 pounds ayear unless u hav your own land

Answer 5

I'm glad that you are interested in owning a horse!  It is an amazing experience, but it is hard work.  First thing, though- please don't get a stallion!  While there are stallions that are very calm and sweet, they all get a little headstrong at times, and they are definitely not a good first horse.  

As far as purchase price goes, there is a huge range.  If you are looking for a horse that you can just ride around and not show, you would probably spend about $1000 on it.  If you are looking for a show horse, you are going to spend more money.  Show horses require more training, and that is reflected in their price.

Monthly care is a big investment, too.  Since this would be your first horse, I would suggest looking for a boarding stable to keep the horse at.  Even though you would have to pay a monthly boarding fee, the people at the stable would be able to help you learn about horses.  They could give you riding tips, and take care of the horse when you weren't there.  Keeping a horse at a boarding facility will probably run you about $250 a month.  That would most likely include the feed and hay for the horse.  

You also have to consider the vet and farrier bills for the horse.  They need shots twice a year, and they need to have their feet trimmed about every 6 weeks.  Shot run about $80 each time (depending on what you get), and the farrier is about $25 each time.  

Then comes the saddle and other tack for the horse.  You would need a halter, lead rope, saddle, saddle pad, bridle with bit and reins, and brushes at the least.  The prices of tack are dependent upon whether you would ride English or Western, and whether you want to show or not.  Western saddles are generally more expensive, and show saddles are very expensive.  

Also, you would need transportation for the horse.  Buying a trailer is another big investment.  That would cost several thousand dollars to buy, plus you need a truck to pull it.  Most likely, you would need to find people with trailers that you could pay to haul the horse.  

If you are interested in horses, but this sounds like too much of a cost, I would suggest taking riding lessons.  This way, you will learn how to ride, how to care for horses, and you won't actually have all the responsibilities and cost of owning one.  If after a while, you still really want to own a horse, you riding intructors would be able to help you find a horse that was right for you.  Plus, you might be able to keep it at their barn, and sometimes stable owners are willing to let you work off some of the boarding fees.  

If you really do want to own a horse now, I would still suggest going to a riding stable and taking a few lessons.  This way, you could find out what type of riding interests you most.  Then when you started looking for a horse, you could bring someone from the stable who knows a lot about horses with you.  There are always going to be sellers who will take advantage of a person who doesn't know a lot about horses, and they are experts about spotting people who they could take advantage of.  The breed of horse that you would get depends on the type of riding that you would do, but Quarter Horses and Paint Horses are good all-around horses that are a good choice for beginners.  They are generally very calm horses, and are extremely versitile.  Still, don't let the breed of horse limit you.  What is most important is that the horse is healthy, that it does what you want to do, and that you get along well with it.  Nothing is more frustrating than trying to work with a horse that you don't get along with.

Owning a horse is a huge responsibility, and it costs a lot.  Please make sure that you can afford it, and that you really want to own a horse before you buy one.  Remeber that they live for 25-30 years, and you are responsible for them.  

I hope that this helped!  Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful and slightly addicting world of horses.  

P.S.

Sorry for the page long response. What can I say?  I love to talk about horses.  :-)