I will be getting my first horse in aug. and i was just wondering around how much will it cost to care for him???
hes a 10 yr.old gelding completley sound about 16h !
I already have a boarding stable lined up which is about $450 a month ( which is really good for my area) .
I have been volunteering and caring for horses for about 3 yrs now and i just wanted to know if there is anything specific (products) that i will need besides the given:
grooming supplies
feed (provided by stables)
farrier/ vet ( provided by stable)
saddle/ tack
tack cleaner
halters/ leads
i have saved up almost $20,000 dollars for getting this horse and properly caring for him, i am also working so i am still bringing money in. thanks for all ur help! =)
he also has no vices! =)
It sounds like you’ve really done your homework here, which is more than I can say to most first time horse owners who enter into this commitment unprepared and overwhelmed.
The first thing I would add to your list is a first aid kit. Make sure you Betadine wash, lineament of some kind (anything with an antibiotic for treating minor cuts and abrasions), standing wraps, pillow or flannel wraps, vet tape, and scissors. You should also think about getting a supply of Bute from the vet, either in pill or paste form. These are all basic supplies that are good to have on hand in case of emergency.
You should also think about what your horse will need for turn-out. August is a summer month, so the flies will be abundant (unless you’re in the southern hemisphere). You’ll want fly spray and a fly mask for sure. Fly sheets and boots are optional, but I recommend them. If you have a dark horse, a white fly sheet will absorb some of the sun’s rays and prevent him from overheating. It’ll also help keep that coat nice and dark, not bleached out from the sun. Some horses also need bell boots for turn-out or riding. If your horse pulls shoes easily or has a longer, overreaching stride, you’ll definitely want to invest in a pair of these.
For the winter months, if you live in a particularly cold climate, you’ll probably want to blanket your horse. Blankets some in three basic weights: heavy, medium, and light. A light weight turnout or at least a sheet is required for almost all climates. My horse wears one even in Florida when it gets cool. If you live in extreme cold, a heavy weight turnout blanket is best. For those chilly nights, you can layer the sheet and the blanket for added warmth. I always advise blanketing in the winter if you plan on riding, because a horse in hard work that has a thick coat will sweat a lot. Unless you spend the hours drying it out of a hairy winter coat, it can freeze in the fur and cause illness and discomfort.
You’ll also want to consider some sort of galloping boot or polo wraps for your horse’s legs, especially if you’ll be doing any kind of intense work like jumping or lots of galloping. His legs are very important, so you want to protect them.
Some stables put all horses on a worming program, but most of the time you’ll be responsible for worming your one horse. This can be done either as a pellet or paste. In paste form, the wormer is given every other month for a total of six times a year. In turn, you should alternate the active ingredient you use after every other use, so you should be using three different types of wormers a year. This is to prevent the worms from building up an immunity to a certain type of wormer. You can also get a pellet wormer like Strongid. It’s more expense and you’ll still have to worm with a past twice a year (again, making sure you use a different active ingredient than what’s in your paste). But it can be worth it because it comes with five thousand dollars worth of colic surgery insurance.
That brings me to my next point, which is an insurance policy. It’s not a necessary expense, but I recommend insurance to anyone with a valuable animal or a horse they will be transporting or showing. Premiums vary, but I spend a little over four hundred a year to keep my horse insured. It protects against mortality, major medical, colic, and theft. It’s always a relief knowing I’ll have some protection in case the worst should happen.
You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll have to buy when you have a horse. Sometimes it feels like I’m living at the tack store and the barn. There are always things you can’t plan for. For instance, my saddle used to fit my horse quite nicely. But as his muscles grew and he developed a topline, I had to invest in a new correctional pad. But you’re doing the right thing now by trying to accumulate a list of the basics. These are the things that are good to always have on hand, and anything else you can pick up later. Good luck with your new horse!