I hear this ALL the time!
Let me just say... I do not recommend horses or birds for KIDS to own!
Why?
Horses... I think one should rent, lease, or do lessons LONG before even considering a horse for a child. A child needs to learn to be safe around a horse.
needs to learn what it takes to care for a horse.
needs to understand how much of a time commitment it will require for the rest of the horses life... 30 years or more at times.
and parents need to KNOW what financial commitment they are getting into. Basics are not cheap and emergencies are a college semester tuition, to start with. And like the cost of living... prices will only rise!
Hay... I have two horses... and I go through a bail of hay a day.
Hay WAS $3.00 a bail it is NOW... $7.50 or MORE for decent hay. so at the least it did cost me... 1095.00 it now cost me... 2737.5 just for BASIC hay NOT the good stuff. not only to you need hay but feed is important.
my feed cost me min. of $15.00 a 50lb bag, which barely last me a week and a half. so 20 bags a year min... at 15 each is... only another 300.00 a year. so a mere 3037.5 just for basic feed.
basic vet check up and six month shots cost me about 400.00 every 6 months providing nothing is wrong with the horses... so yearlys cost me a basic $800.00
Farrier bills are every 6 weeks. that is about 10 times a year ... sets of shoes cost me 150.00 so 300.00 every 6 weeks... up to .. 3000.00 a year. I do take off shoes a... during winter to save money and ride in snow, but one horse requires at least front shoes all year brining her down to 110.00 every 6 weeks only saving $40 dollars while the other I can cut down to 90.00 a season saving a little more. BUT This is a SHORT lived season. so plan on the 3000.00 or you will get in trouble ...and again this is WITHOUT issues... the more issues the more the trim, or shoes cost.
pastures... add in time for cutting.
Seeding a pasture is NOT cheap. 100.00 a bag is the going rate around here... and check how much pasture and seed you need.
not to forget weeding... chemical or digging cost money. WEEDS can kill a horse, cause you higher bills!
and what about a stall?
Cost of building!
Cost of bedding. I do good with this area... I use two scoops of pellets... at $7.50 a bag / a bag a month. and a bag of shavings a week! at $6.00 a bag for the good stuff. The better the shaving the longer they last.
so.. 7.5 x 12 is $90.00 and 6x58 is 348.00 so ... add another... 438.00 to basics because if a horse gets sick... they are going to need more bedding ...
so lets add up basics for a year. no emergencies, no issues...
2737.50 for hay
300.00 for feed
800.00 for basic check up and shots required
3000.00 for feet / farrier
100.00 ONE bag of seed for pasture... I use A LOT MORE THAN this.
50.0 for chemical/ broad leaf to keep weeds out of pasture. this is all I use... I do NOT over do chemicals.
438.00 for BASIC stall requirements. 7425.50 for BASIC CARE! this does NOT include cost of fencing, stalls, barn for dry hay,feed etc... this is much more money than expressed above.
just keep in mind... I've spent MORE than purchasing an average horse on emergency vet bills in one year... up to 10,000.00 in ONE season...
if you can't afford to have these funds up front, ALWAYS on hand... you do NOT need a horse!
this may explain why I not only have one job but I now have a second job... sitting for other animals to earn more money for my animals.
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