How Much Does It Cost To Own A Horse In 2021?
It’s no secret that owning a horse can be pretty expensive, but what exactly does it cost? We’re breaking down how much it costs to own a horse in 2021; continue reading to learn more.
Initial Purchase Cost
Of course, the first cost to consider is actually purchasing your horse.
The amount that you pay for a horse can vary from free to hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of dollars. It’s all dependent on the horse.
The price tag that comes along with your new horse will vary considerably depending on a few different factors, including:
- Pedigree
- Age
- Breed
- Skill level
- Competition experience
- Reason for sale
Before you start browsing the market, it’s important to set aside a list of must-haves for your new horse.
Consider what discipline you plan to practice in with your horse, and consider what you hope to get out of them long term.
If this is a horse you hope to “grow into” and level up your skills with, you can expect a bigger price tag than a horse you’d simply purchase for pleasure use.
Housing
The cost of actually housing your horse varies, but it’s important to decide if you will be keeping your horse at home, or if you will be boarding them.
Keeping your horse at home will save you on boarding fees, but theres a different set of expenses to keep in mind in this case.
When you choose to keep your horse at home, you are responsible for:
- Property upkeep
- Feed
- Bedding
- Water
If you are on a property that has not been outfitted for the keeping of horses, you’ll also have to account for the costs of building equestrian facilities.
The total costs of keeping a horse at home varies depending on your region, the amount of horses on the property, and the products you choose to use for your horse.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $800 per month, on average.
If you choose to board your horse, your board costs can vary greatly, depending on the property and the terms of your board.
If you choose to keep your horse out to pasture, you can expect anywhere from $50 to $200.
If you choose to use a barn that provides comprehensive care, you could expect anywhere from $300 to $1,200, or more.
Vet and Farrier
Veterinary and farrier costs are a large part of horse ownership.
These costs also vary, but preventative veterinary care usually lands anywhere between $200 and $400 per year.
Emergency visits, illness, or injury can dramatically increase these costs.
Farrier costs usually land between $40 and $130 every 6-8 weeks, and vary depending on how you decide to manage your horse’s feet.
Of course, keeping your horse shod on all four feet will be more expensive than keeping them barefoot.
Paddock Management
Paddock Blade’s line of paddock cleaning tools are designed to help you save time, money, and effort on paddock management.
We’ve created a product that helps you maximize your time and investments, so that you can spend less time picking paddocks and more time in the saddle.
To browse Paddock Blade’s inventory of industry-leading paddock cleaning tools, click here.
For more informative equestrian blogs, check out our blog page.
