I am thinking about getting a horse.....?

Question

what do i need to know about them

are the costly to take care of

is there a "good" breed to get?

HELP

Answer 1

There are LOTS of horse breeds out there, the best breed for you is the one YOU take a liking too!  

I'm in California and boarding out here can run anywhere from $100.00/mo to $1,000.00/mo depending upon the facility. IF you live in a populated city like San Francisco or Los Angeles, boarding close to home will more than likely run on the higher end. This provides stalls, cleaning, bedding and hay twice a day.

The lower end, is probably out in the rual areas and can be with hay or without (You'd have to go out twice a day and feed your horse (s).

I suggest that you call around to the boarding stables in your area and get rates and facilities (Does it have an arena, round pen, hot walker, wash rack, etc.).

The costs of shavings vary from place to place. In LA right now, a 5 cubic yard bag of shavings runs $4.00 from the shavings company and can run as high as $7.00 in a tack store. You also need sand, decomposed granite and sweet lime to keep your stalls bedded correctly. The sand and dg you'll have to call and get pricing on.

Then there's the additional costs:

Hay in CA right now is running $17.95/bale for 3 strand alfafa which weighs 100LBs plus. Oat hay, runs a couple of bucks cheaper. Your horse will need between 5 and 7.5 bales a month, depending upon how easy a keeper your new horse is.

Shoeing (Which can run anywhere from $50.00 for just shoes in the front and barefoot in the back on up.) Done about every 6 to 8 weeks.

Trims: About $35.00 Once again done every 6 to 8 weeks.

Grain: Depending upon how easy a keeper your horse is, a bag of grain will run you about $15.00 and bran about the same, once a month.

Vet: Now normally without any accidents, once, twice a year for shots which run $40.00 per shot and the 'call charge' which can range depending upon your area from $40.00 all the way up to $250.00!

Misc. Tack: This is the one that not only can get expensive, BUT addicting! You see something that your horse just MUST have! DO NOT go to ebay! This can be VERY costly and addicting, trust me on this I have a friend who's still paying off credit cards from ebay horsey things she bought.

Having someone trailer or haul your horse with the cost of gas would probably be $2.00/mile nowadays...

Okay, now you have your catagories, work up a spreadsheet for your area and then see if you can afford to own a horse.

Answer 2

Umm... it sounds like you need a lot more experience before you get a horse.

There's a LOT you need to know about them.  Books are a good start.  Horsemanship lessons are also good.

There are a LOT of breeds, there's no "good" or "bad" breed, it depends on you and what you want to do with the horse.

Please put aside the idea of owning a horse until you are ready.  There are plenty of ways to be around horses without owning one, and it doesn't sound lik eyou have a good reason for wanting to own one right now.

Answer 3

i wouldnt get a breed, id tend to get a cross because they tend to be calmer like a TBxWelsh, they are good because they live out but are light enough to still be agile.

They cost alot but depending on where you live. round my area, it is between £15-£20 for a DIY livery.

as long as you can ride and know how to look after them, you will be fine.

the hardest part i would say is fitting tack and i still get a bit confused even now but just ask someone who knows what theure doing.

Answer 4

sorry but you need to know this before buying one! try leasing first

Answer 5

they smell and they kick you

Answer 6

Not only do you need to know their maintenance and keep, but look into how you're actually supposed to interact with them and keep them happy with YOU.

Yeah, do plenty of research and get plenty of experience around stables and whatnot.

Once you think you've done enough research, you're not done.  Research until you can't think of anything else to know.

Remember, this is a living, thinking, creature.  If you were to mess up with the horse, it could be a huge ordeal.  Horses can get traumatized very easily.

I'd like to add a response to other comments...

I completely disagree that you don't need know a lot before owning a horse.  Doing so could put the horse's general welfare at stake and quite possibly yours.

Answer 7

First, take riding lessons. They teach you about the needs of a horse and about taking care of them.

They can add up to be very expensive animals. You are going to spend hundreds and hundreds, maybe even a thousand dollars on food, vets, dentists, and maybe new tack.

I would recommend a POA or a Quarter Pony. Ponies are usually easier to take care of and very sturdy. They eat less and can go faster (if you wanted to do speed events).

Answer 8

They cheapest thing about buying a horse is: BUYING THE HORSE!!!

When you buy a horse, you dont need to know very much, its a learning experience!

I didnt know very much about my first horse when i bought him. I kept asking the old cowboys around how do you get them to do ... or why is he ... and the vet, lord love him, i called and asked him many questions.

One thing I did learn, Tennessee Walkers!!! wonderful dispositions!!! sweet, loyal, willing to do as asked!!!! I currently have 3 and everyone of them are loyal babies!

Answer 9

How old are you?

Easily a horse will cost you $500/month...easily.  And if you don't know this, I'd suggest you get a job in a barn somewhere and learn for a year or two before jumping into a horse purchase.  

And as well, realize that there are all sorts of horse traders out there who will show you the sweetest, kindest, gentlest critter on the planet, and three days later in your barn the tranquilizer wears off, and you are now the proud owner of some really nasty critter (which was numbed from the knees down so it wouldn't be lame....)..... and now limps.

Too often the sad story.

Answer 10

Unless you know ALOT about horses, dont even consider getting one!

There is so much work put it to them, and one slight mistake could really damage a pony.

Just by being to rough,or scraping the frog when Picking their hooves, could lead to lameness.

Letting them drink to much water, not rubbing them down properly, not cooling them down after riding, not mucking out there stall properly, could lead to great physical harm.

If ypu feed them the wrong foods, you could get a horse that is too enegetic, or even malnurished and ill!! It all depends on the size of the horse, the amount of excersize, matabolism ect.

Its alot !!

And you could really hurt yourself!! You could get injured i the tack breaks because you havent looked after it, or cleaned it properly.

I reccomend you get lessons instead, having a horse is alot of money and responsibility.

Why not wait til you have experience?

A good few years worth!

Answer 11

horses cost hundreds of dollers each month for care and food, they can not be kept by themselves as they are herd animals, though some people have kept them with goats or a cow sometimes even sheep. If you do not know how to properly groom a horse it may become injured or sick because of that, they are a huge responsibility and it can take years to learn how to properly care for them. If you dont know what you are doing I would STRONGLY suggest you enlist the help of a professional trainer to help you learn about your horse, or take lessons for a couple years before you think about buying one. A good way to get started would be by leasing a horse to take lessons on. It would be less costly, less responsibility, and a great learning experience. As for breeds every breed is different with a special attribute, it really depends on how much you can spend, how much training it has, and what type of riding you would want to do. I rode for 3 years weekly sometimes 2 times a week before i even considered getting my first horse. please dont just go out and get one if you dont have the experience, its not like getting a dog where you just need to feed it, and make sure its clean, it is alot harder and a much bigger responsibility. Horses can end up very sick or injured as the result of a small mistake, I dont want to sound mean I just really care about them and am speaking from my experiences and the experiences of others I know.

Answer 12

got my first horse 3 years ago, and although I have taken riding lessons and learned about horse care for about 10 years, I didnt expect a horse to be this much responsibility! However, if you are up for it, a horse is a joy to have.

First thing to think about is where to keep your horse. Do you have room at your house for a pen or will you board him? Do you have the money to build a pen, or to pay monthly rent for you horse to stay somewhere else?

Secondly, do you have the time for a horse? Horses should be fed twice a day. If you are boarding a horse, they will probalby have someone to feed him for you, but if he is at your house, it is your responsibility. Also, if you are feeding him yourself, you should reseach what kind and how much food you are giving him, based on the amount of excersise he is getting.

Not only does your horse need to be fed, but he needs to stay active. You should do something active with your horse at the very least three times a week. Horses that sit in their pens all day are unhappy, and get overweight.

If you think you are up to all of this, lets talk about what kind of horse to get. I would definatly reccomend a gelding, which is a fixed male horse. Geldings are usually the most even tempered. Do not get a stallion (unfixed male) for your first horse. And even if you do get a mare (female), I would say not to let to mate, at least until you have waited a few years and know more of what you are doing. Also, I would reccomend going with a horse that is an adult, maybe even over 10. Older horses tend to be calmer, and already trained so things are easier for you.

As for price, it can vary. You can pay hundreds, even thousands for a good horse. Or, you can go to a horse rescue and get a horse that has been abused or neglected and give it a good home. Check the classified ads in your paper too, sometimes people give away free horses to good homes.

Do a lot of research on what kind of horse you want. You mentioned Arabians, which is what I have. Arabs are the "puppy dogs" of the horse world... they love people. My horse will follow me around without a lead like a dog. Other great horses include quarter horses and mustangs. All three breeds are really common, great for riding, and have good personalities. And, all three breeds come in different colors too. Black, white, gray, brown, etc etc. One thing about black horses though, usually with age they fade to a dark brown.

To find out more info on getting a horse, I would go to a local boarding place and ask questions of the other owners there. Most horse people love to talk about their horses, and love to help new owners out. Or try a feed store for questions about types of food. Also, check with an equine vet about the cost of yearly shots, dewormers, and common problems. Call a ferrier to see how often he will have to trim your horse's hooves, and if you will need shoes for your type of riding. All these places should give you ideas about cost and how often you will need to do things. Also, check your local library or book store. I read "Horses for Dummies" and it answered a lot of my questions when I got my horse.

Good luck! Remember, there is no such thing as too much information when getting a new pet, especially a horse! Do all your research before hand and you will be prepared for anything!

Answer 13

horses are wonderful but they are very costly mine costs me 16,000 a year about