Horses..savings question?

Question

i'm going to try to answer all the questions that were asked and re-ask my question, so as to figure out if i'm doing it right or not.

1. electric fence, all we have to do is buy new electric cord b/c the posts and wood coners we already have put up.

2. we want to replant the field. any suggestions on watering? right now we have a heat tub(for winter) and a bath tub for water up in the fields. . . should i invest in more tubs for water? or should i put in smaller buckets on the wood corners as well as what i have now? (i want to make sure there is enough water).

3. i'm not boarding my horse, so i have to pay for the feed, i was thinking 1 coffee can (1lb) of grain each feeding (1-2 times a day depending on what the horse is used to) with the good quaitly grass, and watching the weight. so 50-100lbs of grain a month is enough.

4. i dont plan on spending more then 1,000 for a horse in my local area, people here are leaving their horse's at shows b/c they cant afford them....

Answer 1

How large is your field? An average horse is going to need around 20 gallons of water per day while on the pasture. It varies according to the diet...grass for instance has more moisture content than hay so a horse on lush grass will require less water than a horse on strickly hay & grain. You'll be better served if possible to not give such large amounts of water at one time and to refill them frequently as horses do not hot water in the summer (ie warmed by the sun) and will refuse old water that is no longer clean and fresh. .

The amount of grain you'll need to feed depends on the quality and type of grain it is. They have recomended feeding amounts on the bag but you'll need to vary that depending on the amount of grass he's consuming. Usually they recomend 1/2 to 1lb of grain per 100lb of body weight, though most horses don't require that much although some horses can be the opposite and require more (ie easy keepers versus hard keepers). Currently have 2 1000lb horses here both of the same breed (QH's). One gets 2lbs per day the other gets 14lbs per day, although those 2 are the furthest apart here all the others fall in between what those get, you see what I'm getting at.

In winter he'll probably need more grain and hay as well when the grass dies down. Horses burn fiber in their hind gut to produce heat so if he's not getting enough hay he'll start dropping weight due to having to burn calories to keep warm. Also in winter he'll need at least a three sided shed to keep the rain and heavy winds off him. He'll know when he needs to go under it so no need to lock him in.

As far as how much money to save up there is no way of telling on that, the more you can have put aside for emergencies the better. Horses seem to always require something. :-)

Plan on at least a bag of grain per week and during the winter a half a square bale of hay per day...around 20lbs. No idea of the hay prices in your area. He'll need his feet trimmed at least every 8 weeks and will probably need shoes as well, if he's being ridden alot over rough ground. That is around $75 here for each set of shoes and trim only is $50. He'll need worming at least every 8 weeks which is around $10 from a feed store.

Answer 2

1.  Electric fencing is VERY affordable.  Get enough to have a good bit left over in case you have a horse run through it and break it.  (It happens, trust me.)  Spools run around $60 for about 650 feet.  I'd run at least 2 strands, but 3 would be better.

2.  The tubs you already have sound ample for watering your horses.  Check them every day and if they are drinking it all, you may want to add another trough.  You may want to buy some powder electrolytes for the summer and sprinkle that in the water to help promote drinking.  My horses love it!

3.  A friend of mine is a trainer and when his horses are in training and working hard he feeds them 2 gallons of feed each day.  His horses look great!  www.adamshorseandmuleco.com  But we don't tend to feed quite that much either and our horses are good, too.

4.  Be careful in buying a cheap horse and don't be surprised if you get him home and he isn't what you thought.  Alot of people drug their horses to make them appear calm and safe.  Well, you know that, already.  You've thought this whole thing through much better than most people!

Good luck!

Answer 3

1/Plain smooth wire is cheaper and most commonly used for electric fence...if you use this type of wire, you will need to tie white or light colored cloth streamers at about 5-10 yrd intervals so the horses will notice that the wire is up.   is this going to be a plug-in charger (110) or a battery powered charger?  They do make the battery charger ones now with solar panels that keep the battery charged up all of the time...2/On the watering, you didn't mention how large of an area that you are talking about, but if it's any size at all, just pray for rain, otherwise, any watering that you are going to do is just going to raise your water bill or if you have a well, your electric bill...you will pay for it on one end or the other.I would keep their water source all in one place, one large tank, for several reasons:  A/ It stays cooler longer  (you can add a heater in the winter) B/  There is one place that they will go several times a day that they can be observed C/  Buckets of water placed at different locations not only get hotter quicker, a horse will visit that place just so many times and find it empty or full of hot water and not return anyway....they will remember where the best, coolest water always is.  Nothing wrong with a free horse as long as you have them vetted as  you would one that you were paying a lot of money for...a free horse + lots of vet bills will add up to more than an expensive, vetted horse in the long run.  3/  I agree, no need to grain if your horse has access to good grass and a salt and mineral block.  I like to put one of each, rather than the combination blocks because a horse will eat only so much salt and if they need more minerals to supplement, they aren't going to get it...put two different ones out and nature will let them regulate what amount they l**k on each, but feeding just a little will bring them up each day (once a day minimum) so that they can be checked for any injuries, cuts, lameness, etc.

Answer 4

Electric rope is the nicest and best option for electric fence.  We fenced 5 acres for about $800 not counting posts and post covers.

The bath tub makes a great water trough, we used to use them years ago.  One will be enough.

I don't believe in feeding grain unless you're really really working the horse.  I buy a vitamin/mineral suppliment for horses on grass and feed it free choice.  It cost about $30 some a year for one horse.  They eat a lot at first and then not much after.  Good quality grass is often too rich for horses so you might want to keep an area of bare ground fenced in case you need it or for when the pasture is really wet or needs to rest and regrow grass.

Free horses are often worth what you pay but you can often find them now.  And often, if you can prove that you'll give the horse a great forever home prices will come tumbling down.

Answer 5

Apparently there was a previous question(s) post that I didn't see so ....Depending on how many horses you have or will have will depend on how to do your water supply.  We used the old cast iron bath tubs when I was a kid but I will not use them today.  Since I am responsible for my own vet bills the shear thought of one of my horses trying to stand in the tub (as ours did years ago) makes me pucker.  I recommend spending a little bit more and getting an actual water trough designed for livestock..  Larger containers do not need to be refilled as often during hot weather.  

Feeding them will also depend of numerious things.

1.) What kind of horse and what age

2.) Your expected plans to do with horse....for pleasure/trial or competition, etc.

3.)Type of pasture, hay and grain.  Becareful feeding by the coffee can method.  One pound coffee can doesn't mean that they are getting one pound of grain.  Some feed companies like Purina Mills have very useful info on their websites about feeding recommendations and requirements.  Plus you can earn free feed.  What looks like enough grain and what is recommended are two totally different amounts.

The $1000 for a horse, depending on where you are located, is sufficient.  Just remember that a pre purchase vet check, shots and everything else needed can run another $500 -$1000.  But becareful with anything you get because a truely good horse isn't going to just be left.  There are other factors unlying those decisions.  A good rule of thumb is to have as much in savings as the horse cost.  That will ease the burden of emergencies and helps keep the cash flow running smoother when things get tight.  Good Luck.  You sound like you are off to a pretty start.

Answer 6

I would try to save about $7,500 in the next 1.5 years. Vet bills can EASILY exceed $1,000 very quickly.

Answer 7

Defintey more than $400-600. horses get extremely expensive, extremely fast. Try saving closer to $1000 a month, if you can manage that, plus your bills/expenses. Sometimes when you buy feed, the more you buy at a time, the cheaper it gets. Also, you will need to buy hay. Put the small buckets on the wood corners, especially in the summer months.

Answer 8

I would save as much as possible ie. dont spend any money unless you absolutely NEED to. also with your feed i dont think a coffee can full would be necessary. We feed ours out of coffee cans and they only need about 1 inch in the bottom to stay at a good weight(although more in the winter when the pasture dies). Assuming you will let your horse graze and feed good hay, he should not need much feed, but I would suggest getting a mineral l**k.

Answer 9

I can't add much to what others have said but if you are already set up... whynot start a biz and get the field replanted now or at least reseeded.  

Then board horses.... charge going rates minus a smitchy to get biz going.  Give good care and you will have benefit of horse and making money to save up for your horse.   I wish we had done that.  

Go investigate different boarding biz's so you get idea of what to expect and set up.