What expenses come with owning a horse?

Costs to Keep a Horse

How much does a horse cost monthly?

If you house your horse on your property you will just need to supply feed, bedding, vet, farrier, dentist. Without considering the costs of building or maintaining infrastructure, water, electricity and property tax, you may pay $100 – $300 a month.

Are horses cheap to maintain?

Horses are expensive to keep. The initial purchase price of your horse, pony, donkey, or mule is only a small part of its overall cost, and there is no such thing as a free horse. Whether they are $100 horses or $10,000 horses, basic horse care can cost the same.

How many acres does a horse need?

Two acres
If you are attempting to figure the carrying capacity of land for a horse, then a good rule of thumb is 1-1/2 to 2 acres of open intensely managed land per horse. Two acres, if managed properly, should provide adequate forage in the form of pasture and/or hay ground. But this is highly variable depending on location.

How many bales of hay does a horse eat per month?

A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month).

Is owning a horse stressful?

The structure and routine that is required to take care of a horse can bring order to a chaotic lifestyle and peace to a stressful one. Owning a horse also comes with many social opportunities; from things like local clubs to national competitions.

How expensive is it to keep a horse?

Responses to a horse-ownership survey from the University of Maine found that the average annual cost of horse ownership is $3,876 per horse, while the median cost is $2,419. That puts the average monthly expense anywhere from $200 to $325 – on par with a car payment.

How expensive is it to own a horse per year?