I would like to get a horse someday. What is the estimate cost for food, vet care, farrier, training, and boarding per year on one horse? Here in Tucson, I have seen some boarding cost range from 150 to 350 a month and some would include bale, vet, and farrier cares. What things should I be aware of horse boarding places?

I know I will be committed to the horse for the rest of his or her life. Unfortunately I am pretty inexperience with horses and I know I will have to start somewhere. I want a horse that is going to be companion, riding, and trailing with my dogs in the desert. I am considering a foal to start with from PMU/nurse mare foal rescue. I have thought about doing marker training with a foal and find an experienced trainer.

There are way too many variables to compare. I would look into places in your area & see what they include with their board fee. I would go at a couple of different times of the day also to check out the atmosphire. Look into stalls & see if the horses are laying down,(usually shows a relaxed safe atmosphire as far as the horses are concerned), see if there is adequate shavings or straw in the stalls & they are clean, do the hosese have enough & clean water, what is the turnout like, are the horses turned out together or seperately, how many hours of t/o do they get in a day, are the turnouts safe (no broken fencing, nails, wire, horses able to reach out & fight over fencing with other horses etc)I could go on & on.

Usually at least where I am,(CT) all vetting & shoeing feed suppliments etc etc you are on your own. I personally preferr to use the vet & farrier of my choice, not the barns choice, as all farrriers are not good farriers & some are really terrible ( I am very fussy)& vets for horses are alot like dog vets & may not think they way that you do. Some places will not let you bring in your own pepople & that is a deal breaker for me. Ask people that have their own horses & see what they like about the places that they board.

I would not consider getting a young horse unless you are very experienced. It takes a long time to to train a horse to a level that you may want to enjoy. Also young horses like pups can be a bit of a crap shoot. I got my horse as a 4 yr old & he had only been under saddle for about a year & harderly knew anything. It took alot of time, patience & training to turn him into a x-country horse. I have ridden since I was 6 yrs old. He could jump the moon & is very bold,but you are not necessarily going to see that in a very very young horse unless you are experienced to know what you are looking at. I would also have a very good vet do the vetting out of the horse before you purchase it along with X-rays of feet, hocks, stifles.

I would share board or lease a horse for a year or more to be sure that you really want to take on the ownership. Trust me the ceapest thing about owning a horse is the purchase price. They can be true money pits. Think about paying board & having a horse laid up with an injury or sickness for months...the vet bills that this incurs not to mention that you will be paying out all this cash & NOT be able to ride. Some injuries can lay a horse of forever. Been there done that...(hand walked my horse for 6 months one time & several months another & other days or a week of layups) really makes think long & hard about if you want to own a horse.

BTW...my horse turnes 29 the end of this month. Ask me almost anything...I have most likely experienced it at one time or another.LOL

The best advice I could give you would be to find experienced help, but it sounds like that's already in your game plan. Lots of the expenses range immensely depending on your expectations. Do you want your horse to have a stall in a barn? Or do you want the horse to live outdoors? What kind of farrier work will your horse need? Four shoes? Front shoes only? No shoes? Corrective shoes? Can the shoes be reset or do they need to be replaced? I was never even able to accurately predict the costs for the same horse from year to year because it can vary so wildly.

It sounds like the boarding costs in your area are very different than in mine. In my area the average is about $400/month and that usually includes a stall, daily care, bedding, hay and grain. Vet, farrier, worming and training expenses are not included anywhere here.

You're already a dog person so your 'gut' will help you a lot in determining what's a good place and what isn't. I look for a clean place with healthy-looking horses and educated staff. Check water buckets; they should be clean and have plenty of water in them. Ask how often they clean them (the answer should be daily) Hay should have a pleasant smell and very little dust. Grain should be stored in dry, rodent-proof containers. Stalls should be clean with plenty of bedding. There should be no nails sticking out anywhere, no barbed-wire fences and the aisles in the barn should be fairly clear. If the horse lives outdoors exclusively, make sure there is an adequate shelter (trees aren't enough), and if the horse has to share, make sure the shelter is big enough for multiple horses. It's VERY EXPENSIVE to keep a horse, and usually you get what you pay for in this regard. Looking for inexpensive board doesn't usually result in good living conditions for the horse.

I usually don't recommend that an inexperienced person start with a young horse, but if you are a bold person with good nerves and solid, experienced help you can make it work, but it's not the easiest way to go for sure.

I have a lifetime of experience so if you have specific questions feel free to ask.

Beginning an involvement with horses is a huge but exciting new undertaking. I can't stress enough the importance of an experienced mentor. Once you find that person you'll be in good shape. Good luck and have fun

Do you already know how to ride fairly well? If not I would recommend getting riding lessons to start with. Try to find an instructor who will teach you how to handle the horse on the ground, tack him up, and teach you about basic management. While you are taking lessons you will see how the stable is run and get a good idea of what you do and don't like.

After you are proficient with the ground work and riding consider doing a part or full time lease on a horse.

When you are ready to get your own horse I would strongly urge you to get a steady, gentle, older horse. Take your riding instructor or mentor with you when you look at horses, and follow their advice.

I agree with what everyone else has said. My 2 cents is to find a place to take weekly lessons. Then find a horse to shareboard or lease for 6 months to a year. Then find yourself a well broke 7-15 year old gelding that is in good health and has good feet. The raising a foal deal is WAAAY over-rated! If you want to mess around with foals and colts, Im certain you can find someone with one for you to lead around and brush...because the owners of them get tired of it since thats all they can do. Having a well broke, experienced horse is such a treasure. You can go out at any time and saddle up and head out...even on your own if you wish. No worries, just pleasure.
I've been there and done all of the above, including foals and breaking colts and the dead broke ol' trusty's are the way to go for sure.
As far as expenses, that varies greatly with the area you live in. Hay in AZ is more expensive than it is here in IL but if you lease or shareboard for a while, you will be exposed to all these things and have a real good idea by the time you move on to your own. When you purchase your own, getting one with no known health issues makes a big difference in cost of care too. Some horses are hard keepers and require grain on top of their hay, some require daily meds, some require special shoeing...all these things can really add up.
When looking at boarding facilities, I look for a place that has someone living on site vs some places that are just a stand alone barn or field. Try to show up unannounced and walk thru the barn. Look in the stalls to see how clean they are, look in the water buckets to see that they have water and are clean. The aisle ways and tack rooms should be well kept and orderly. See if they will have a place for you to securely keep your tack or if you'll have to keep it in your vehicle and haul it each time. The outdoor runs should also be in decent shape as far as poop being cleaned up and water should be clean and avaialable. Check the fencing and what the stalls are made of.
Again, if you shareboard or lease for a while, you'll get a sense of what you like and what will work for you.
Please, don't get a foal.
Lastly...DO IT! The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a human. They smell good. Their eyes are soulful. Barn work and riding burns and average of 700 calories and hour. It's an amazing feeling to be one with such a big, powerful animal. You'll always wish you had done it if you don't.

I will also add that starting a young horse is not for the weak of heart or body. I spent tons of the time that I could have be riding, working on ground work & manners work, since he basically had none to speak of. When I first started taking my boy out for trail rides he would shy from one side of the trail to the other just about the whole ride at new things & sounds. Remember that horses brain lobes are not attached. When a horse sees something going down the train one way that spooks him, he will do the same thing on the way back thinking that he has seen it for the first time again. It didn't matter if we went out alone (it was worse) or if I went with friends with very experienced horses...his reaction was the same. I can tell you that it gets VERY old fast!!! You can not let down your guard for one second, because you have to be ready to 'handle' whatever your young horse dishes out & be able to calm them. It was many, many months before he felt comfortable out there & was able to actually be able enjoy the rides. If you are not an experienced enough rider you will add to your young horse aprehensions & fears not help them. Because you need to be able to relax & yet be ready, but yet not be tense.

I have also had friends purchase foals & yearlings & lived to seriously regret it. Will adnmit I was never that crazy. Like Ange said, lots of hands on & ground work stuff with little payback for a long long while. Plus there is no guarantee that the youngster will grow to be the reliable, fun, SAFE horse that you ultimately are looking for. An older experienced horse will allow you to fully enjoy the things that you wish to do & give you more options for fun things to do together with your horse.

Remember the commitment to a horse is very time consuming. If you don't go ride you horse doesn't get ridden. (unless you want to pay someone to do it) T/O doesn't take the place of ridding your horse. I was at the barn 5-6 days a week for years & years. After work every day & weekends. This didn't stop until I retired my horse 5 years ago at 24 years old, at which time he could only be ridden for very light work. Some horses are very difficult to handle if not ridden almost daily. Mine was one of those. T/O did nothing to take the edge off of him. Only hard work did.

ETA...I would not trade one minute of the time that I have had enjoying my horse. We are truly one together. Some of the best times of my life have included my horse. Special rides on the beach, competitions, & trail rides in the woods during winter snowfalls & just hanging out sitting on the ground reading a book while he grazes next to me on a lunch hour & sitting next to him in his stall while he lays down & takes a nap. Horses are food for the soul.

 Quote: Anne Jones

I would not trade one minute of the time that I have had enjoying my horse. We are truly one together. Some of the best times of my life have included my horse. Special rides on the beach, competitions, & trail rides in the woods during winter snowfalls & just hanging out sitting on the ground reading a book while he grazes next to me on a lunch hour & sitting next to him in his stall while he lays down & takes a nap. Horses are food for the soul.

sigh....

leih

 Quote: leih merigian

 Quote: Anne Jones

I would not trade one minute of the time that I have had enjoying my horse. We are truly one together. Some of the best times of my life have included my horse. Special rides on the beach, competitions, & trail rides in the woods during winter snowfalls & just hanging out sitting on the ground reading a book while he grazes next to me on a lunch hour & sitting next to him in his stall while he lays down & takes a nap. Horses are food for the soul.

sigh....

leih

I wholeheartedly second that. Nicely put, Anne.

~Natalya

The depth of a horses trust of humans is nothing like what you find with even the average dog. Lightening fast, super reactive, always fear in their hearts.
Buck Brannaman(Google him) is a great resource.
The danger factor cannot be overlooked. We were all experienced, and in our family alone our injuries included
broken facial bones, concussions, husband broke his leg.Sons in the ER.
Horses don't so much respond to "nice". They just want a leader, someone they know 100% is in charge and therefore watching out for the lion in the woods, the lion they think might appear at any moment. With a leader, they can relax, let their guard down, be sweet. Their leader controls their movement, the movement of their feet, that's how you get to be the leader.
They are so different from dogs.

Prey (horse) Predator (dog). That is a BIG difference as to what & why they do or don't do what they do. Did that make sense?!

My horse was always a strong willed herd leader mentality horse with all that this can encompass.....fighting to keep his status when living in herd enviroment, protecting me from other herd memebers that were nasty horses out in the field, always testing me to be sure that I was not giving up my leadership role in our partnership. He is ingellegent not real people horse but loyal to me & loves me as much as I love him. It was sometimes a challenge to train him, as many trainers would tend to 'bully' a horse like this to 'bend' his will, I would not do that,I loved his spirit & often got creative in ways to kinda sneak in the 'back door' so to speak to avoid confrontation & let him think things were his idea. His trust is one of the most precious things that I have ever had in my life & once it was given he would do anything for me.

And yes Betty, riding is an inherently dangerous sport. Any of my injuries were sustained ridding & not on the ground.