horses

[Pet Pal]

I REALLY REALLY REALLY (10000 more reallys) want to get a horse. ALWAYS :shrug: Lots of you have horses. I know what it takes and it takes ALOT of work. But what do you have for me? :banana:

[cajunrogue]

well if you get one and you have to keep it at a boarding facility, make sure you can get over there alot and excersice and ride it alot becuase the can go sour fast, not all horses but a good chunk will. I have a arab who is 20. If you can keep them on your land, they still need alot of excersice and riding. It takes alot of work, time, money and patience. If you have never ridden a horse, start taking lessons and when you get a horse get one that is already trained and broke, Make sure it is how we say a family horse. breed wise, you will hear good htings and bad about all breeds. same with any kind of pet. since i dont know your experiance with horses, be it riding, trainging owning and such it is had to say. I do not want to offend you if you have owned one and such :) i have been riding for 14 years, it is alot of fun and very relaxing. It takes alot of work and commitment. you should put if you have any experiance with horses, will be easier to give you information then :) plus noone will have to worry about offending you :)

[Wiztherewoz]

Hi, Emaline. Did you decide against getting a goat then, or are you getting a horse as well as goats?
Do you have your own land to keep them on?

If you really, really, really (times 10,000) want a horse, first thing you have to do is make sure you're thinking with your head and not just your heart before you make such a massive commitment.

Having horses is a lifestyle. It's a daily grind. (Unless you pay someone else to do the work for you, but if you want to make sure it's done to your own standards and that you keep your bond with your own horse, it's best to do all the work yourself.)

It's every single day, just like any other pet, except the poop's a lot more back-breaking to pick up. ;) You can't spend all day christmas or new year hung over and not wanting to move. You have to get out there and let your horse out, pick up its poop, do its hay/water/feed etc. That's every single day, three hundred and sixty five days a year.

You also have to do your research and know everything that you can about horses in general, health wise. They're delicate animals and can suffer from all kinds of health problems if treated wrongly, even if it's out of love. Like if you just got a horse and didn't know that you can't feed them buckets and buckets of hard feed and then canter it for a couple of miles cross country, you could potentially kill it. There's many small things like that you have to be aware of.

So, assuming that you've thought about all the factors, the time, the cost, where you'll keep it, remember to pick the right horse for you. Most of all, remember to love it unconditionally, no matter how many times it stamps on your toes or pulls your coat over your head.

Because having your very own horse, who you love and who loves you back, is one of the most fantastic things you'll ever experience. :)

Good luck. Let us know if you want to know anything more specific.

[cajunrogue]

Hi, Emaline. Did you decide against getting a goat then, or are you getting a horse as well as goats?
Do you have your own land to keep them on?

If you really, really, really (times 10,000) want a horse, first thing you have to do is make sure you're thinking with your head and not just your heart before you make such a massive commitment.

Having horses is a lifestyle. It's a daily grind. (Unless you pay someone else to do the work for you, but if you want to make sure it's done to your own standards and that you keep your bond with your own horse, it's best to do all the work yourself.)

It's every single day, just like any other pet, except the poop's a lot more back-breaking to pick up. ;) You can't spend all day christmas or new year hung over and not wanting to move. You have to get out there and let your horse out, pick up its poop, do its hay/water/feed etc. That's every single day, three hundred and sixty five days a year.

You also have to do your research and know everything that you can about horses in general, health wise. They're delicate animals and can suffer from all kinds of health problems if treated wrongly, even if it's out of love. Like if you just got a horse and didn't know that you can't feed them buckets and buckets of hard feed and then canter it for a couple of miles cross country, you could potentially kill it. There's many small things like that you have to be aware of.

So, assuming that you've thought about all the factors, the time, the cost, where you'll keep it, remember to pick the right horse for you. Most of all, remember to love it unconditionally, no matter how many times it stamps on your toes or pulls your coat over your head.

Because having your very own horse, who you love and who loves you back, is one of the most fantastic things you'll ever experience. :)

Good luck. Let us know if you want to know anything more specific.

yeah agreed, like sadly i cant keep my horse at my house cause i live in a housing track but i go over to the ranch i keep her at every day for 8 hours a day. it is alot of work plus alot of people think ohh ill get on and go nothing will happen, remember it can be dangerous, getting kicked, getting thrown off, stepped on, bitten, they have bad days like us. not tryin to deter u from gettin one, but like wiz said they r like other animals, they have thir moments and you can and most likely will get hurt at some point. I know i did, im at the point that when i do i laugh. and if ou ever decide your going on a vaction or out of town for a few day make sure there is someone you can get to feed, water, clean up their stall and excersice them. No riding or excersice= VERY bad o.O horses go barn sour that way, and that is noooo fun. plus i have seen people who think they just get on and go.... it dont work that way. you dont get into a car and say go and it moves... its alot harder then people think. you have to always be on your gaurd when you are riding, be prepared for your horse to spooke, run or start bucking and kicking. As my trainer said, it might look easy riding, but it isnt. Sorry if i sound mean i guess for alot of the i dont want to say down sides but not soo pleasent i guess side of owning a horse but alot of people do not look at both sides of the scale when it comes to getting a animal, i dont care if it is a horse, dog cat or even a fish.

[Pet Pal]

I really want a goat to, but I don't think I can manage both. If I have to have 1 it will defiantly be a horse.
Heather? You have 1 horse right? About how much do you send on your 1 horsie per year (the whole kaboodle)? Can you keep 1 horse by its self? I heard they will get too lonely and die of misery. :confused: Ps. We have land, believe me! ;)

[cajunrogue]

you can have one horse, alot of people do. the best way to find out how much you would spend a year is find out how much it cost for the vet to go to your place for a visit, then how much they charge for shots, deworming, filling of the teeth in case your horse would need it. Then find out how much it cost for someone to come do your horses hooves, depends if you want it shoed all the way around, or just shoed in the front with a trim in the back or just all around trim, then find out how much feed is, which will depend on what you would feed it, would you feed it all Alfalpha or maybe Alfalpha in the morning and 3-way (hay) at night or vise versa. We do one slab of Alfalpha in the morning and one slab at night. then figure out how much it would cost per bale you get about 14-18 feeding per bale but it all depends on the grower and who you buy it from. you have to get deworming paste, depending on how often you want to give it depends. you have to buy Psyllium which can range depending on brand and its like a must cause you dont want your horse getting sand compaction colic, you would have to also buy Brand Mash which again depends on ho much you buy and what brand you buy. You are gonna spends thousands of dollers each year. you also have to think of emergencies, like what if you horse colics and now you got to call the vet out on emergency and they charge more for that. lets say he throws a shoe yuo have to pay again for the horse shoeer to come out and put a new one out. then if you hve no tack you would have to add up how much for a halter, lead rope, bridle, saddle, girth, which again depends on brand, style. it cost in the thousands a year to own a horse, hopeing nothing goes wrong. if things go bad a year lets say your horse throws a shoe lets 2 times in the year, and you have a emergency vet call and your horse needs his teeth floated and filled. You will spend evn more. its hard to say because you never know when something is going to happen. Im gonna say you will spend at least maybe $5000 depending on the price of items in your area. could be more, could be less but the people i know who keep their horses home spend at least $3000 if nothing goes wrong, but you can never count on nothing going wrong.

[Wiztherewoz]

I really want a goat to, but I don't think I can manage both. If I have to have 1 it will defiantly be a horse.
Heather? You have 1 horse right? About how much do you send on your 1 horsie per year (the whole kaboodle)? Can you keep 1 horse by its self? I heard they will get too lonely and die of misery. :confused: Ps. We have land, believe me! ;)

I have one horse, yes, but he lives with other horses. He would be miserable if kept all alone with no company. Horses need company. It doesn't have to be other horses, although that is the best. They can also get along well with donkeys, ponies, sometimes goats or other farm animals. I don't think it's fair to keep one horse all by itself all the time.

I don't know exactly what I spend on him, but it's hardly anything compared to what it would be if I wasn't lucky enough to not be paying for his board and his hay. (I realise that's not an accurately put sentence, by the way. Sorry about that. :p)
Seeing as you have your own land to keep a horse on, your costs will be a heck of a lot less than people who have to pay livery. So you're very lucky.

But cajunrogue is right, there are always extra costs that you can't always anticipate. So, if we're speaking loosely, the very basic costs would be: Hay and straw. Feed. Vaccinations. Worming. Insurance, if you were going to get insurance. Farrier. Dentist. You always need to have money set aside in case of a veterinary emergency. And I'm sure there's more that's just not coming to mind at this particular moment.

Of course there's the cost of the actual horse itself, and the initial big buy of all the equipment you need. Fork/wheelbarrow/tack/grooming kit etc.

Have you thought about where you'd keep a muckheap and how you'd dispose of it? All stuff to be considered.

Of course if the horse you get ends up with a health problem it'll cost much more to give it the necessary medications/dietary supplements. For example, as you already know, mine suffers from sweet itch, so there's the cost of the stuff I have to apply to him, as well as his fly sheets, his fly masks, his fly repellent dietary supplement, garlic etc. And because of the weather being as it's been around here lately (hot as heck one day, pouring down and cold the next) his hooves have needed oiling every day too.

It really isn't a cheap pet to have, but as I said, they're more of a lifestyle than a pet. And if you want one enough, you just somehow find a way to manage. But saying that: Do not get one if you don't think you can manage. It's not fair to the horse if it has to go without things that it needs because you simply can't afford them.

Hope that helps some with your thought process. :)

[cajunrogue]

I have one horse, yes, but he lives with other horses. He would be miserable if kept all alone with no company. Horses need company. It doesn't have to be other horses, although that is the best. They can also get along well with donkeys, ponies, sometimes goats or other farm animals. I don't think it's fair to keep one horse all by itself all the time.

I don't know exactly what I spend on him, but it's hardly anything compared to what it would be if I wasn't lucky enough to not be paying for his board and his hay. (I realise that's not an accurately put sentence, by the way. Sorry about that. :p)
Seeing as you have your own land to keep a horse on, your costs will be a heck of a lot less than people who have to pay livery. So you're very lucky.

But cajunrogue is right, there are always extra costs that you can't always anticipate. So, if we're speaking loosely, the very basic costs would be: Hay and straw. Feed. Vaccinations. Worming. Insurance, if you were going to get insurance. Farrier. Dentist. You always need to have money set aside in case of a veterinary emergency. And I'm sure there's more that's just not coming to mind at this particular moment.

Of course there's the cost of the actual horse itself, and the initial big buy of all the equipment you need. Fork/wheelbarrow/tack/grooming kit etc.

Have you thought about where you'd keep a muckheap and how you'd dispose of it? All stuff to be considered.

Of course if the horse you get ends up with a health problem it'll cost much more to give it the necessary medications/dietary supplements. For example, as you already know, mine suffers from sweet itch, so there's the cost of the stuff I have to apply to him, as well as his fly sheets, his fly masks, his fly repellent dietary supplement, garlic etc. And because of the weather being as it's been around here lately (hot as heck one day, pouring down and cold the next) his hooves have needed oiling every day too.

It really isn't a cheap pet to have, but as I said, they're more of a lifestyle than a pet. And if you want one enough, you just somehow find a way to manage. But saying that: Do not get one if you don't think you can manage. It's not fair to the horse if it has to go without things that it needs because you simply can't afford them.

Hope that helps some with your thought process. :)

you are also right, very good points, there is so much it isnt easy or simple. like you said, and i agree 110% its a life style more then anything. like heather said if you know you can manage, thats great if you dont think you cant, dont because i know where i used to bored my horses they couldny afford 150 a month, so thgey had to give them to the owner of the stable or try to give the horse away because they didnt have the time to sell them, and in alot of contracts for stables at least out here if you do not pay your boarding fee in so many months, they tak the horse as their own and if they want to they can sell it to try to get what you owe them. to me once you get a horse, its your ife style, and more or less your world. i show horses, and own and its so great and fun but i put at least 8 hours a day into training and riding. its alot of work, and if you know you can afford it, then awsome just make sure when you go to look at a horse take a vet, people will drug them so they are calm if they are hyper or not as good as they say, ive seen some do it, they drug the horse so you can ride happily but normally when you ride it is barn sour because of not being ridden and bad habits. i know right now where i live horses are $1000 and up, 1000 is usually foals, and either un trained horses or green broke, and need a good exp. rider so dont go with the first horse you see, look around and always take a vet to check them out. when i first got a horse i didnt but boy oh boy did i get lucky she wasnt drugged or anything she was in perfect health, and remember the horse will normally be alot more spooky and hyper when they get to a new place. I wish you all the luck and hipe this helps, i know heather has awsome advice! oh and this is advice i gave to my frind when she looked for a horse: find one thats right for you, dont get pay a good chuck of money for a horse that has great skill in a event say jumping, dressage, cutting if you dont plan on doing it. ive seen a friend do it and the horses skill wnt to waster, she ended up using her as a trail horse, and after a while she stopped riding and the horse went barn sour, but again good luck hope this helps.