There are many reasons why people own horses. They provide a deep pleasure and a link with nature, they are there as a friend and companion in times of stress, and taking care of a horse and receiving its devotion as a sign of its trust and love is the ultimate reward in horse keeping. If you are planning on purchasing a horse for a pet there is no question about it, a horse is an expensive pet to keep and the purchase price is usually the least of the expenses that will arise.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx

No matter what amount of money you have to spend on a horse, however, inevitably the question arises of how to horse-keep on a budget. Since people do not usually own horses as a money making endeavor, it becomes important to maximize the amount of pleasure one can get per dollar spent. Saving money becomes paramount when the economy is in a down turn and people are struggling to make ends meet. Keeping the horse healthy helps in dollar counting. Although one can never foresee unexpected vet bills, there are steps that one can take to maximize the dollars spend on taking care of the horse.

Although actually buying the horse is not a month to month expense that you will be spending your money on, finding the right horse at the right amount of money is. You first need to determine what you are going to do with your horse. Is your horse going to be a trail buddy? Is it going to work on a ranch checking fences or cows? Are you interested in competing with your horse and if you are what kind of showing? Dressage, Saddle seat, western pleasure, or speed events such as barrel racing, pole bending or cutting. There are many disciplines to choose from and they all require a certain kind of horse, and the breed of horse will often determine the price.

Once you determine what kind of thing you want to do with your horse you need to do a little research to determine which breed of horse is best for that discipline. Gaited horses are often a favored breed for trail riding due to their smooth gaits. Quarter horses dominate the western arena, and warmbloods the dressage. Morgans are known for their versatility, Arabians for endurance riding. Many of the breeds crossover into many disciplines as well. If you are just getting started in horses talk to horse people that know and find the breed of horse that fits what you want to do and is known for the temperament that fits yours. Taking a few lessons on different breeds of horses and in different disciplines may help you in deciding what kind of horse you want.

The next step is to determine the training that your horse has. It generally follows that the more training a horse has the more expensive it is. However, if you just look at the bottom line and buy a foal or an unbroke horse, you will have to look at the years of training that you will have to put into that horse. A finished horse is expensive, this is true, but in the end may actually turn out less that a green broke horse or foal.

There are other options than buying as well. In some areas you may be able to find a lease horse at a barn near you in the reasonable range. This may allow you to get on a horse that has the training but not the large purchase sticker. You may also be able to buy a horse on payments as well, depending on terms that you and the owner may work out. Both of these situations may include purchasing insurance that can add to the cost of keeping your horse.

An absolute must have category in your horse keeping budget is veterinary care. This means keeping up to date on yearly vaccinations and wormings. Doing this will reduce the cost of the horse in the long run by reducing the chance of the horse getting the illnesses you can protect him against. Establish a good relationship with your horse vet and learn as much as you can from him about the proper care for your horse. Many minor ailments and injuries may be treated without the cost of a vet visit or long term care may be under the direction of a vet but done by the owner. Learn how to give your own vaccinations to reduce cost and learn how to worm your horse. Establish an aggressive parasite control program to reduce the risk of colic and over feeding.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx

Proper dental care needs to be budgeted as well. This will include a once yearly floating of your horses teeth. This is where the vet will rasp down any hooks or ridges on the molars.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx If you notice your horse turning his head to the side to eat or dropping excessive amounts of grain he may need his teeth floated. Floating allows the horse to maximize the grain that you feed him and save you money in the long run by not wasting it and getting all the nutrients you are paying for.

Budgeting feed is a very important step when thinking over what you will be spending on your horse. With hay and grain costs rising, many people are paying a premium for each so it is important to make the best use of these feeds.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx Many people over feed their horses leading to wasted money on the extra hay and grain. The majority of horses do not need grain unless they are in hard work, breeding stallions, in late gestation, lactating or growing.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx A horse in training may only need added protein if it maintains good body condition so a protein/vitamin/mineral supplement may be better than a complete grain.

A horse requires 1 – 2.2% of its body weight in hay per day which is about to 10 – 22 lbs of hay per day for a 1000 lb horse. Easy keepers will be near the 10 lbs. of hay per day while harder keepers will edge up closer to the 22 lbs. per day.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx The least expensive bag of grain may not be the least expensive to feed.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx It works out best to feed a grain that gives the most calories per pound. This way you will be able to feed less with a greater impact. This will save money in the long run even if the initial output of money is slightly higher.

1. Finding and feeding a good quality hay will save money in the long run as well. Hay that is less expensive is usually more mature with less leaves and is harder to digest; therefore you end up feeding more of it to maintain your horse.
2. Be sure to store your hay properly as well. Hay that is kept up off the ground and covered will make the entire bale available to be fed. If you stack hay on the ground often the whole ground layer of hay is lost to mold and deterioration.
3. Be sure to utilize feeders for both hay and grain. This allows the horse to clean up his hay better and also reduces the ingestion of foreign matter that might lead to colic and thus a vet bill.

Another category in your budget is farrier care. A horse should be seen by a farrier every 4 to 8 weeks.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx The farrier will trim or shoe the horse depending on the demands made on the horses feet. Many horses will be usable barefoot and will only need a trim to kept their feet in the proper shape and alignment. The trimming will also clean out the clefts beside the frog which will help in combating thrush. There are many different ranges of prices depending on the part of the country you are in. A basic trim could start at $35 and a all around shoeing around$100. There are special shoes and corrective shoeing that could cost substantially more depending on the type of problem being addressed.

You must budget the time to care for your horses feet with daily feet cleanings as well. This will help in identifying early problems, or remove foreign objects that might work into the hoof and cause an abscess. There are schools that offer classes for the owner to attend that may help the owner in comfortably taking over some of the hoof care.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx

Keeping the horse at home with the bulk of the care and feeding on the part of the owner is always going to be the least expensive option of keeping a horse.http://www.southernstates.com/articles/eq/health/horseontightbudget.aspx You will need to budget an acre per horse, at least a lean to for the horse to get out of the weather, and fencing repairs. You will also need a place to keep the hay and feed away from the weather and other animals. Having your horse at home allows you to keep tabs on his health and well being more often that away from home and allows you to be able to get out of the house and to the horse a little more often than if you had to drive to see him. Both you and your horse would benefit from being able to see each other more frequently. If you are buying for a child taking care of his/her own horse will teach the child responsibility and about the work involved in having a pet, and well as the joy of companionship of having the horse close to home.

Having your horse at home is not always and option and so you may have to budget monthly boarding costs into the keeping of your horse. The boarding varies widely from city to city and region to region. Check around for the best price, but also do a tour of the facilities before dropping your horse off. Even if a place has the cheapest price if your horse ends up injured due to neglect or run down facilities your costs will be more in the long run. Some facilities have extra amenities such as an arena, wash area, instructors and regular vet and farrier visits. They will also be able to buy feed in bulk and may get a better prices as such. Do your research before deciding on a place.

Another option may be leasing a pasture near to your home. Many land owners with acreages that are too small for cattle may enjoy leasing at a reasonable price for a horse. Some of these places may be advertised in you local horse paper, or you can take out an ad telling people what you are looking for. This would be a monthly expense but may be cheaper than a boarding stable and you may be able to have your horse closer to you.