What Does it Cost to Care For a Horse?
- Dentistry once a year at $125 or $0.35 per day
- Annual basic core vaccinations of rabies, tetanus, equine influenza, and other routine vaccines at $95.00 or $0.27 per day
Minimum cost per day to keep one horse is $5.01 per day or $1,828.65 per year.
Potential Cost Increases
- Feeding more expensive concentrates or supplements
- You have unexpected veterinarian bills
- Immunizing for other diseases such as West Nile Virus or Potomac Horse Fever
- A horse that requires shoes or special trimming
- Competing with your horse
- A horse that is ill or injured
- Breeding your horse to produce a foal
- Rapidly rising fuel prices
Your normally good pasture is hit with drought or the price of feed is driven up by bad weather or other circumstances
Boarding
Boarding a horse can cost anywhere from $100 per month for pasture board, with no inside stabling to over $1,000 per month in barns with stalls, individual turn-out, arenas, and other amenities close to urban areas. You will also pay for extras such as farrier and veterinary care, special feeds, or care such as removing and putting on blankets and fly masks. In self-care facilities, the monthly board is less expensive, but you will supply your own feed and bedding and travel to care for your horse daily.
Vet Bills
One thing that really can throw your budget is unexpected veterinarian bills. The cost for off-hour calls can be very expensive and something like colic surgery can cost thousands or tens of thousands, depending on what procedures you choose to do. It's wise to think ahead and plan how you might cope with a large vet bill.
