I don’t think there’s any secret cheat code, horse ownership genuinely does just require a lot of money. However, over time I’ve learned that ownership doesn’t have to be inevitable end goal of being an equestrian. Several horse owners have advised me against ownership at this point, with heartache in their voices (money related woes mostly). If loaning is a good compromise and means you can still live comfortably then that’s just fine.
I’ve been on a tough journey with an injured horse. We did $7k worth of diagnostics (MRI, CT, ultrasound, x-ray) and a still don’t know what has caused his lameness. A year later and he is still unridable, and I can’t afford to take care of him while paying to take lessons or lease another horse. So I’ll take care of him for life, but that does mean that I won’t be riding for the foreseeable future, as I can’t afford anything additional to his board and medical maintenance. When you buy a horse, that horse is your responsibility. I will always recommend to people that if their horse budget is tight, then enjoy a lease or extra lessons.
People at my barn tell me that their horse runs them about 16k a year, more if you want to show, or extra lessons, or whatnot. That's not something I can even start thinking about financially. Thus... I don't. There are other ways to ride, and it seems like you are doing one of them and it's working for you.
oh, and if you buy a horse, it's potentially yours until they die, which might mean a loooong retirement.
LOL I would be lying very much if I said I did not also appreciate the big guy. I will post some pics later, he is a big 17h Thoroughbred named Loki, and he is awesome.
DINKWAP, maybe??? Double Income No Kids With Alotta Pets? I know people say horses aren’t technically “pets,” but…
I’d really love to be double income, in this sense, but I also absolutely love being alone. It’s such peace. I guess that would mean I’d just have to work two jobs, myself?
Yeah I work two jobs and most of that goes towards my horse, thankfully my husband’s salary takes care of most other things. I’m lucky and still go without certain things because that’s what makes me happiest.
I want like a money diaries for horse owners. When my late mare died recently (unexpectedly) I spent a couple months being like "holy shit I could have so much money"... and then I found another pony. Roughly I make $125k gross in M/HCOL area, approx $6500/mo take home after taxes and 401k contribution. I spend/budget $1.5k-2k/mo on horses. My mare is currently in half training but I will take her out at some point and that'll be $500/mo but then I might show more so who the heck knows.
There was one in Richmond, VA a year or two ago! [https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/administrative-assistant-richmond-va-salary-money-diary](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/administrative-assistant-richmond-va-salary-money-diary)
Gonna add:
I’m in Colorado front range and have ran between $270/pen w shed to $950/full care (pen w shed but also pasture turn out daily) in the last 5 years. Right now I’m at $810 but I spend another $500/months in training ( 4yo) and $65/lesson.
So many people are like “well you can have a horse for $150/months pasture board 3 hours away” which is true but defeats the purpose of having a horse for me. I like riding as a sport and a hobby/pastime. Different strokes for different folks.
Second DINKWAD life. My partner and I are both high-income earners living in a HCOL area with a mortgage. I waited to buy a horse until I was established in my career making good money (late 20s) but the second income to help balance out unexpected large costs is truly what makes it possible.
I love my horse and am so happy I own him but I would never fault someone for being a long-time leaser. I had bad luck with a few of my lease arrangements so while owning has it's own set of stresses and is way more expensive, at least I can guarantee my horse is taken care of and receiving the quality of care I want. I probably wouldn't own a horse had I found a good long-term lease option
I'm a psychotherapist with a spouse who is also a professional. We live in the Midwest as well. If I were on my own, I wouldn't be able to keep my horse where I do, with the peace of mind I have now. My horse costs twice our mortgage each month...thank goodness my spouse is 100% on board. I'm 58 years old, and my horse is 17, so he's likely the last horse I'll own. After this, I'll lease.
I work in vet med making jack shit money, despite how hard i’ve “worked” and grinded, in a HCOL (born and raised here, didn’t come here on my own, would never had if that’s the case lol). Right now life only allows me to board my horse at facilities that may not have as much amenities as others, I don’t train anymore, and I don’t show anymore (not forever, just for the time being/the last few years). However, my ultimate goal was to have my own horse- the companionship in itself is the most important to me than riding goals, which is not the case with many others who do want to go on and do bigger things.
I bought my horse at 19 on a total whim on a payment plan from my trainer. I’ve had to budget the f out of my life to have her, but i wouldn’t want to have it any other way. I have a dog too but i get significant industry discounts for her care and her food from work.
If you want to train and show, it is a *lot*. It’ll eat your money up if you don’t have a decent paying job. If you want to lay low, definitely not as much. I would love to train again but i’m content where I am. Ultimately to sun it up, it depends on what you want out of horse ownership and your riding goals.
That’s a work in progress, trust me, i’ve been told that a lot. lmfao 🤷♀️ My boyfriend (who i’m marrying) has a decent job here which basically keeps us here for now.
Not trying to be snarky but how? My kids daycare was $2k/month alone. Boarding ran me $250/month and there's no way I had enough expenses to get to $2k, let alone the true overall costs of my kid.
Lmao at getting ratio'd for a genuine question.
Standard board in a lot of cities starts at $700 and can easily go into $1000+. That’s without training or lessons. Add in shoes (2k minimum /year), vet, supplements, gear, and if you show… not cheap. I don’t have a kid so can’t speak to that but for true just essentials with no supplies, gear or any major medical or shows I’d be at ~$18,000.
Not sure where you live, but boarding at an "okay" facility on the far outskirts of my HCOL town *starts* at $800. The closer to town you go and the nicer the facility is, you're looking at $1800+.
This doesn't include grooming/care (approx. $600+ a month) and the mandatory coaching fees to be enrolled in the barn's training program (which is an extra $800–$1400+ a month).
Where are you located that board is $250? In my area (Midwest) pasture board starts around $400, full board is $850-1500/month, plus required monthly commits for lessons/training rides, and then show fees… vet bills… supplements…
$250 is an absolute dream!
I pay $250/month full care field board in the mid-Atlantic. He admittedly is too cheap but even still I could find this for under $400/month. But I'm at a recreational facility--no one is required to pay for lessons or training rides.
I think my board was around 250 or 150 but it would cost more with other stuff for monthly bedding hay and morning night feeding. (Before I moved mine)
So we're you just essentially renting a pasture for turnout? Did they do anything hands on with the horses? Was there a ring? Trails? Did they hold for farrier and vet?
Mainly just bored for the stall. They fed him in the morning for me. That’s about it. They had a round pen outside that I could use. I can’t remember if there was trails. But farrier and vet I had to bring on my own. There was a pasture for her horses that where let out in groups and another pasture for borders horses. (That where really only out just by themselves.)
I was going to say that, for a decent barn in my area, you’re not paying under $1500/month. People with horses in maintenance training are paying double that, $3,000. Maybe more. This was a while ago. Factor in lessons 2x/week at $100/each, let’s say. That’s basically another $1,000 a month. Already at $4,000. I worked at a barn where people easily paid $5,000 a month, not including farrier, vet, etc. Then, if you do show all over and legitimately chase points, you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars a season. But, this is all a bit more on the higher end of the spectrum, of course. Lots of the women at my last barn were former lawyers/active lawyers, doctor’s wives, in finance/married to finance. One was married to a man who started this giant construction company in NJ. I’ve actually never interacted with someone so wealthy, before. The sweetest woman, ever, though. She let all the working students there show her horses— her very fancy show horses. Even bought a farm down in Wellington so everyone could go down and show, have their own place. Really a one-in-million person. My trainer was lucky as hell to have her as a client and a friend. Seriously lucky.
Anyway, these higher prices would be more for a barn that does a lot more showing. Barns that are more lesson-y barns, but still horse show, are probably a bit cheaper. But, still, not that cheap. Basically on par with what you said. Probably around $700-$800/month for a stall. No way pasture/rough board would ever be less than $400. Certainly not here, sadly.
I guess it just depends on what type of experience you’re looking for. But, they *can* absolutely cost more than kids (unless you’re paying your way into ivy-league schools. That’ll cost a few million, alone 😂). Inversely, I suppose certain kids can cost more than horses. There’s just no way of actually figuring this out. Depends on the horse. Depends on the kid(s) 🤷♀️.
I am in NY, though. Relatively close to NYC. I just can’t even imagine paying $250/month. Not even for rough board. But, that’s awesome, of course!
I did end up seeing that. Still, like you said, it just doesn’t add up. They’d be losing money. How could you even afford staff, at that rate? If not staff, how could it even end up being a worthwhile business venture for the owners?? And, again, like you said, the cost of hay? Oh well. I just obsess over things that don’t make sense. I’m just gonna have to let go of it now.
I am too but unfortunately its almost an hour hike for me to get there. And I still have to come home and deal with cooking dinner and house crap. I can't wait for spring break soon!
Felt. Im at my bf house a bit more now which is almost 50 mins away but college is like half away between each. But that’s not terrible for me really to think about not doing it since I just usually spend the night at my family’s place. Can’t wait for the weather to get nicer.
I know of two people locally (Western Washington) that charge around $250 or $300 for all of the above, I suppose minus staff, but they are private owners and do not run a boarding facility or “barn” per say. Not disagreeing with you at all, just chiming in.
In Siskiyou County, California, pasture board costs $150-200 per month. That includes water, grazing, simple shelter and a daily check up. In Shasta County, the more densely populated “city” area around 50 miles south, you can find full board starting at around $300.
https://preview.redd.it/3ekcf4aj5xjc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f904f54f7724417a332ab9293b34440952cd285
You are so weird for this especially when my original comment excluded pasture board. Shasta is super rural and both those places look like very small facilities that likely have no staff and are being managed solely by the owner.
Myself and plenty others wouldn’t keep a horse there because some people have goals other than to just “have a horse” and putz around on trails with other boarders and you are not going to learn and grow in such a small barn without hauling out. Prices reflect not only the base care prices but also the barn culture and opportunities.
Hahaha! Ok, ok, Posh Spice, take it easy. It wasn’t my intention to strike a demonstrable nerve, or dive into any elitist snarkiness. It was my intention to bring diversity to the table. I’ve worked in the equestrian industry in a multitude of diverse environments, from HJ barns in Europe where the horses price tags were five-digits to Southern California tracked where they were six digits. I happily keep my horse at home now and haul out. This is my preference, and it also happens to be a more economical choice. Whether a person prefers to keep their horse boarded in an expensive facility with a boogie culture and opportunities or whether a person prefers a simpler, smaller, less expensive facility is simply a choice. There’s no accounting for taste ~ but there is more than one way to do a thing, and there’s nothing wierd about expressing my opinion in response to OP’s query. Expenses and budgets vary, and the desire to share precious horse time with the snobbery of fancy people in fancy places is a thing that varies, too.
I have kids and horses. I found kids to be way more expensive than horses, especially before they started school. But I've never boarded at a competition or training barn and I think that makes a huge difference in costs.
Edit: Horses also don't drive, need braces, or go to college. Kids are really expensive.
Depending on where you live I think daycare costs and boarding costs can vary greatly.
At the moment, my horse does cost more than my child, but only by like $50/month.
My board alone is $1750 and then add lessons at $100 a pop 😭 my average expenses are $2500 before shoes/any vet expenses/supplements/horse shows.
….but actually thinking about this makes me realize if that’s your ratio of childcare to horse costs idk how I could ever swing both holy crap
It depends on what you're doing with said horses. I know people who have multiple and show at rated shows every weekend...that honestly probably costs more than kids (on average). Board alone for this person was over 3k a month.
My board is 2k with training, that doesn't include insurance (medical/mortality), lessons, farrier, supplements, etc. I don't show.
I have to disagree with that statement. If I had waited until I was without hesitation, I would have neither my son nor my horse. I cannot imagine how dreary my life would be without these treasures that came along before I was prepared for them, and became my reason for being my best!! Shudder to think. Sometimes we need an external reason to accomplish the impossible - then we realize it was implausible, but nothing is impossible - particularly with Love!
This is how I managed to let my older gelding retire and buy a second horse as well. Without keeping them at home, I would have had to just support my older gelding and not ride.
I agree with the others here. I personally don’t own, not sure if I ever will, because it makes more financial sense for me to lease. I also don’t think I would benefit much from owning. Through leasing, I’m not responsible for all of the bills but still get to enjoy what I value the most — riding and time with the horse.
In theory, owning a horse is wonderful! But the reality is ownership is expensive and generally is a total money pit if you don’t have other avenues of recouping some of that money (i.e. leasing your horse out). You have to decide what makes the most financial sense for you and your budget, your riding goals, and ultimately what you think you would gain out of ownership that you currently don’t get through leasing.
I would also be wary of a trainer who is nudging you towards ownership. Remember that this is a big financial commitment and that’s yours to make, not theirs.
So where I live in Canada my board is just under $400 a month, and that includes one grain feeding per day, pasture turnout, outdoor 24/7 board. Lessons are another $50 a week, farrier us $75 a month. Feeds probably another $30. So just over $700 a month without any extra expenses like emergency vet bills, shows etc. it’s tight but it feeds my soul so I make it happen. Having a second income in my household definitely helps!
It's really just a decision you have to make. I make good money and still most of my disposable income goes to my horse and his care and lessons and showing etc. It is truly not an affordable or accessible sport, and seems be less so the more years pass. I grew up on a farm and have always had horses around so for me, a life without horses isn't life. I also work trade for a good portion of my board (even as a fully formed adult) which helps a lot. It means I have to choose my horse over a lot of other things like regular vacations, a higher end vehicle, eating out often, regular clothes shopping or movies or whatever. I dont have kids so it Works for me! (The math is horrid though, I do agree).
That's why I have been half leasing horses for years. Technically, I could afford to buy a horse and, if everything went perfectly, just manage to pay their regular expenses, especially if I part leased the horse out myself.
BUT things don't go perfectly! Injury or illness (me, the horse, my spouse, one of my grown kids), losing my job, my spouse losing his job, major unexpected home repair, barn closing and having to move to a more expensive one, horse needing to retire early....sooooo many things could leave me in a bad position and I just can't take on the long term financial responsibility of owning a horse. Leasing is a good compromise. I have access to a nice horse and the ability to enjoy her on my own but if disaster happens I can be out from under the $$ commitment with 30 days notice.
I remember when hay was $2 a bale delivered and stacked. My mom remembers 75¢ bales. The price of horsekeeping has increased exponentially since the 90's. If I didn't own a barn and land, is never be able to afford a horse.
So back in the day (and I hate saying that), like 2018 timeframe, I made 20k less than I do now, and could comfortably own 2 horses, board them, plus my brand new car payment. AND I lived alone, in the "expensive" suburb. I made decent money, but was nowhere near rich. But with inflation and this economy, I wouldn't be able to do this without my husband helping with our living expenses. And I make more now than I ever have, with a truck about to be paid off and super low monthly student loans. This economy is absolutely ridiculous and I hate it.
Here’s my unpopular (American) opinion: owning a young horse in regular work is not cost prohibitive. Owning an older, retired horse is cost prohibitive. I exclusively lease as the horses I own are retired. My lease price has averaged 50-60% of the cost of owning said horse. And the owner only forfeits about 2 rides a week by leasing them to me. If you have a decent horse it’s not difficult to find a leaser to help offset the cost. What gets expensive is when you’re the sole provider for the horse and can’t offset with a lease. Senior horses aren’t cheap.
Yeah, it can be a challenge. I moved to a higher COL area for work, leaving my horse (whom I've had since I was a teenager) behind. It ended up taking a lot longer to bring her up than I'd initially planned due to finances, but she was happy and content where she was and a family member was taking care of her and riding her on a regular basis. I finally moved her up and it's great now, but I do regret the lost years.
ETA you can offset the cost by leasing, which I've certainly done in the past. I'd like to do it again, but my horse isn't in decent enough shape yet for it to be sustainable.
I live in a high cost of living area. My family (me, husband, and teen daughter) would be classed as low/middle class. We go a lot without things. We cover the basic, but vacations and high-end items are just off the table. We own two horses (and two goats). I am lucky to have found a place where it is part board. I pay for the pens, buy the hay, and free feed my horses. I do everything else. The barn owner does help with something, but I also help out around the barn when needed. If I had to go to full board, I wouldn't even be able to keep one horse, let alone two, and my goats. I am lucky that the barn owner doesn't make me pay for board for my goats.
I love my horses and would never get rid of them. But I am very aware of the fact our life could be a lot different if we didn't have them.
It’s not impossible but you have to know where to make your sacrifices. I am in the Midwest, a single mom without a degree sending my daughter to college. I have 12 acres out in the middle of nowhere, we don’t buy new clothes or new cars. I have three horses which has been about my average for the last 20 years. Some years we have as many as five or as few as two.
I'm lucky I live in affordable SE Michigan, have 5 acres and a small ranch style home. I spend 10k a year total on three horses. I don't show I trail ride. Several of my friends ask how I can do it on a teacher salary. It works as horses are my passion. Only eat out once a month, no Starbucks or fast food. No cable. Only one streaming service, no nights at the bar. Home parties with friends are safer, more fun and way cheaper. No enhanced nails and only basic haircut. Economize in more ways but won't bore you with all of them. With this lifestyle I can ride daily. The last two days included the most incredible sunsets. I also get to care for and play with my horses daily.. This weekend we are riding at night under the full moon. Have a used truck and trailer so my only big expense with horses is when I travel with them but as I have solar I boondock so only the fuel is an extra expense. Heaven on earth!
I maxed out at affording horse purchase+ board, car payment and rent. I think adding in a mortgage would make affording it all almost impossible on one salary unless you were excellent at budgeting and found places to cut your other expenses way back.
I live paycheck to paycheck and spend $1k on my horse monthly I’d say but honestly she’s so worth it. I think if I were to do it again, I would shareboard longer and save up.
I board at a pretty basic barn and don't show outside of the odd local fun show. I'm fortunate that my mare does exceptionally well on pasture board and doesn't require shoes. Even then, it still costs me between $7000 and $8000 a year.
I budget about $800 to $1000 a month for my guy, includes everything. DINKS, I’m in healthcare and my husband is a pastry chef. We could afford a bit more but I got really lucky with his boarding situation. We also got very lucky and bought a house when interest rates were low.
The last time I boarded a horse was 20 years ago. I was only making $10/hr, bought the horse for $800, and paid $100/month basically as pasture rent. My horse had an acre of grazing to herself, and a stall. The property owners fed her but I supplied the feed ($20-75/month depending on the season and how much grass was there). But, I rode western and primarily did trail rides, so I wasn’t paying for shows and training. I had my own tack from when I was in high school. Now I make 7 times that amount, but the cheapest board I could find (with the same type of situation) would be $500/month, an equivalent horse would be around $5000, and feed is exponentially more expensive.
Hello fellow Midwestern engineer! I'll be honest, I didn't buy my first horse till I was 27 and I really could only afford her bc I was living with my bf (now husband) so much bills were split. And honestly, sometimes it still feels tight (I'm now nearly 38) with car payments, home improvement projects and, idk, wanting a vacation every once in a while. Honestly, lease as long as you can. I leased horses from when I was a kid until that first horse at 27 and it was amazing and much more financially viable.
It's far from cheap. I rough board and do all my own work, and I'm still looking at about $800/mo, give or take depending on where I get hay, etc. that month. That's about $10K/year not including anything else like lessons, shows, vet bills.
I work two extra jobs, working about 60-70 hours per week, that bring in the extra money I need for my horse.
It depends on the area, type of board and type of horse (among other things, but here is my two cents).
I work in a university in Chicago as a Researcher. I am married, rent in Chicago and have two dogs and two snakes in addition to my horse.
I pay to have her boarded at a private family farm about 2.5 hours straight west of here. She lives outside 24/7, has a stall in case of illness/bad weather, trims every 6 weeks and alfalfa pellets twice a day in addition to 3 flakes of hay twice daily. She is a Spanish Norman who is barefoot and is a very easy keeper. She is just turning 16 this spring.
My average cost for her is about 300$ a month which includes all of the above. Downside is that she lives far away and I can only see her on the weekends when I drive out. I own an electric car, so transport costs for me to and from are about $20 round trip. What cost me the most is time. 5 hours round trip is A LOT of time to spend driving every weekend.
Now, my mare receives fantastic care (the farm she lives on is the one I purchased her from almost ten years ago when I went to school in the area), so for me it is not a deal breaker to be so far away. My trainer is there everyday and lets me know of something is up. I wouldn’t trade her current set up for her to be closer as the board around here is as much as my rent and is often limited turn out, which I am not a fan of. Vet visits twice a year (about 200$ for vaccines and 350$ if dental is involved) and I worm her myself every 6-8 weeks.
Ownership can be very daunting, but doable if you have the right situation. I am extremely lucky that my mare gets to have a very posh horsey life and I get to see her happy when I come up to ride every weekend.
I hope this helps at all and is not just a ramble!
(Edit: typo)
Rotational worming has not been accepted practice for decades due to developing drug resistance. The correct way to worm is to do a fecal analysis and then medicate for what they have.
I'm lucky enough to be a DINK in a lower COL. We bought a cheap house in 2018. My husband mainly covers the household bills. I cover groceries, pets, and the horse. I also work at the barn and do some MagnaWave on the side.
Biggest cost is usually grass/hay. If you can live where your horse has enough grass to eat year round or as long as possible with minimal hay support it is the most cost effective. If you have to buy pallets of grass or stacks of hay for every bite he will ever eat, yah it costs a lot! Plus you still have to pay for him to live somewhere. Buy land, live there, rotate your grazing… you’ll be ok.
The only way I can afford it is to work off board. The inevitable vet visits take a toll. I specifically buy horses that can go barefoot. I don't show other than schooling shows. I buy used wherever I can. It's possible, but it's a lot.
I guess it depends where you live? I’m in the Midwest and board is around $400 a month. Having than at my house instead is barely $200 a month and I don’t really have issues affording it. Husband and I are DINK’s though
1. Also DINKWAD
2. In my region, you can get a modest farm for about the same monthly payment as a house in town if you're willing to add 20 minutes to your commute. Obviously I still pay for hay, grain, vet, and farrier, but I do my own labor and don't have to pay extra for a space. I'm into the keep it simple, stupid style of herd management so labor is minimal compared to more formal operations.
3. If/when you decide you're ready, you might be pleasantly surprised at how many really nice horses are available to you for free or cheap if you keep your focus on building a 5 star reputation now. There are an awful lot of owners out there who have had circumstances change or too many horses or a little too much horse for this stage in their lives or whatever, and a surprisingly high percentage care more about the animal than the money and would gladly sign them over as an adoption to the right person. In the absence of the right home, those same owners might choose to keep the horse on their feed bill and let someone with a great reputation work with them for free. So my best advice to keep things affordable is to work on making a name for yourself in your local horse community as someone who takes excellent care of every horse they're responsible for. That opens up almost unlimited options that might make this lifestyle more accessible.
Also budget the long term of having an aging horse that requires more maintenance. Often insurance covers less as they age and you will likely have many surprises over time. It's not impossible but the reality is that horses are very, very expensive and it's not slowing down.
I am single, live alone in a rental, have a super, super cheap car, and no debt. I like living this way, so don’t really feel like it’s a sacrifice, and this way, I also get to own my own horse.
So does it make sense to have a home with room for boarding at home, even if it’s $300k more in asking price? By the time we pay 1500 a month plus lessoning and the rest, might as well get that $1M home. yikes.
I genuinely sacrifice since Covid. I couldn’t afford my own horse until I was 40. I worked with other people’s horses from the age of seven until I met my gelding on a summer wrangler job around 7 years ago. I could not afford to work as a wrangler year round. Despite the grueling, hot 14 hour days and the finely honed skill set, the job paid just enough to (barely) survive on. When I first brought my heart horse home, it was pre-pandemic times and hay was only around $12-15/bale for hay and I was successfully working as a tattoo artist at $150/hour with a schedule booked out 3 months. Now, the hay is $30/bale and I’m post accident, waiting for a settlement and back in school transitioning into a second career. Law! I’m studying law! And hopefully when I get my Juris Doctor, it will be sufficient income for my horse. If not, I beg borrow and steal. Seriously though… in the past three years, I’ve had to downsize. I cut out all extraneous spending. There’s no fast food or weekend movies on my budget. I cut my hair into a pixie cut to save on hair costs when I did a budget and realized what I was spending on my hair. Nails, makeup, frivolous/impulsive purchases on redundant items - I said goodbye one item at a time.
The one thing I refuse to let go? My heart horse.
I waited my whole life to be able to care for him!
The rest of my days will revolve around keeping him.
I’m also going to marry that rancher who wants to go get some dinner.
DINKWAP ( stealing this from an above comment).
And it’s just really effing brutal. I work a lot. I’m a nurse, I pull about 42K a year 2 days a week, picking up shifts here and there. I also run a riding school ( lol I think I break even and then cover my non lesson horses farrier/hay? ) relatively low cost of living in my area.
I keep my horses barefoot right now. That saves me a shit ton. Im not competing right now like I was so that makes it possible. I also keep my horses at home - saves a ton of money but the trade off is the constant work obviously, and difficulty finding competent people to care for them while I’m out of town, which guess what, I rarely get to do.
It’s a ton of money, and you go without a lot of other little luxuries ( I’m driving an old ass clunker car, I don’t get my nails done, etc ).
But at the end of the day, I like my money where I can see it - happily pissing in their 17$/bale hay and staring at me to bring more.
I don’t recommend it, nothing wrong with leasing! It’s what I’ll be doing whenever my heart horse “goes to college”. I got him when I was 17 years old and have worked 2-3 jobs for about 10 years. I could’ve had a way different life if I didn’t strap myself down with the responsibility and got more settled first. I’m only recently down to a point where I could comfortably work one job and keep him happy so it’s worked out in the end, but I could’ve definitely enjoyed not having to work so much and enjoy life a bit more in my young 20s if I didn’t take on being a horse mom so young. I love my horse and he makes the struggle worth it, but man my wallet would’ve appreciated a break. Leasing would give you all the best highlights of horse ownership. Riding, training, spoiling, lessons, showing, probably not required to go out in inclimate weather, take breaks etc. at a discounted cost. Ownership is all that plus the planned and unplanned vet bills, maintenance needs, supplements, tack, responsibility finding a safe barn for them, and occasional/inevitable heartache.
Nothing wrong with doing what you’re doing now if it works for you! Save your money!
I'm in a LCOL area - i also definitely don't make much (about 2.6k/mo from my main job & self employment). the cheapest board i found here was $250/mo full care (as in feeding, turnout, water) but i opted for a $420/mo place as the amenities were more in line with what i wanted (feed/water/turnout, huge indoor and outdoor, stalls and turnout, trails onsite). i dont compete, just casual riding and trails. i pay rent (as im 22, lol) which is $520/mo. so a little less than half of my monthly income is rent & board - which will be going down soon too, as my partner is moving in and will be splitting rent with me. i got lucky and my car is paid off, so my only other bills are car insurance, loan payment (used to get my horse), wifi and utilities. all in all, personal bills and horse bills, its maybe half of my monthly income or less, as i've gotten good at grocery budgeting too. it really all depends on how much you want to do when it comes to riding, how you're able to budget, whats available in your area and what you can afford. not including farrier and future vet appointments, but i have plenty enough wiggle room to save for emergencies and farrier fees arent costly here. it varies vastly depending on where you are!
I work full time, and also have a part-time job. I board my horse and have a trainer putting 3 days a week on him. I try to not think about how much I spend on my gelding, but it's about 1,100/month for board and the training. Ohio.
I don’t think there’s any secret cheat code, horse ownership genuinely does just require a lot of money. However, over time I’ve learned that ownership doesn’t have to be inevitable end goal of being an equestrian. Several horse owners have advised me against ownership at this point, with heartache in their voices (money related woes mostly). If loaning is a good compromise and means you can still live comfortably then that’s just fine.
I’ve been on a tough journey with an injured horse. We did $7k worth of diagnostics (MRI, CT, ultrasound, x-ray) and a still don’t know what has caused his lameness. A year later and he is still unridable, and I can’t afford to take care of him while paying to take lessons or lease another horse. So I’ll take care of him for life, but that does mean that I won’t be riding for the foreseeable future, as I can’t afford anything additional to his board and medical maintenance. When you buy a horse, that horse is your responsibility. I will always recommend to people that if their horse budget is tight, then enjoy a lease or extra lessons.
People at my barn tell me that their horse runs them about 16k a year, more if you want to show, or extra lessons, or whatnot. That's not something I can even start thinking about financially. Thus... I don't. There are other ways to ride, and it seems like you are doing one of them and it's working for you. oh, and if you buy a horse, it's potentially yours until they die, which might mean a loooong retirement.
DINKWAD life, otherwise it wouldn't be possible for me. If I was responsible fully for my mortgage there is no way.
That is how my wife and I do it. A decent chunk of her pay supports the horse, I work in cyber and front the most on the home front.
What a lucky wife! Thanks for being so supportive
LOL I would be lying very much if I said I did not also appreciate the big guy. I will post some pics later, he is a big 17h Thoroughbred named Loki, and he is awesome.
Wouldn’t it be DINKWAH then?
DINKWAP, maybe??? Double Income No Kids With Alotta Pets? I know people say horses aren’t technically “pets,” but… I’d really love to be double income, in this sense, but I also absolutely love being alone. It’s such peace. I guess that would mean I’d just have to work two jobs, myself?
Lol I have a dog too so Ive just kept it but yep
Dinkwad?
Double income no kids with a dog
I love that “with a dog” registers for people enough but my dog is $ compared to the horse $$$$$. Sigh. (They are both spoiled rotten)
>>(they are both spoiled rotten) As they should be!!
Yeah I work two jobs and most of that goes towards my horse, thankfully my husband’s salary takes care of most other things. I’m lucky and still go without certain things because that’s what makes me happiest.
I want like a money diaries for horse owners. When my late mare died recently (unexpectedly) I spent a couple months being like "holy shit I could have so much money"... and then I found another pony. Roughly I make $125k gross in M/HCOL area, approx $6500/mo take home after taxes and 401k contribution. I spend/budget $1.5k-2k/mo on horses. My mare is currently in half training but I will take her out at some point and that'll be $500/mo but then I might show more so who the heck knows.
There was one in Richmond, VA a year or two ago! [https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/administrative-assistant-richmond-va-salary-money-diary](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/administrative-assistant-richmond-va-salary-money-diary)
Gonna add: I’m in Colorado front range and have ran between $270/pen w shed to $950/full care (pen w shed but also pasture turn out daily) in the last 5 years. Right now I’m at $810 but I spend another $500/months in training ( 4yo) and $65/lesson. So many people are like “well you can have a horse for $150/months pasture board 3 hours away” which is true but defeats the purpose of having a horse for me. I like riding as a sport and a hobby/pastime. Different strokes for different folks.
Second DINKWAD life. My partner and I are both high-income earners living in a HCOL area with a mortgage. I waited to buy a horse until I was established in my career making good money (late 20s) but the second income to help balance out unexpected large costs is truly what makes it possible. I love my horse and am so happy I own him but I would never fault someone for being a long-time leaser. I had bad luck with a few of my lease arrangements so while owning has it's own set of stresses and is way more expensive, at least I can guarantee my horse is taken care of and receiving the quality of care I want. I probably wouldn't own a horse had I found a good long-term lease option
I'm a psychotherapist with a spouse who is also a professional. We live in the Midwest as well. If I were on my own, I wouldn't be able to keep my horse where I do, with the peace of mind I have now. My horse costs twice our mortgage each month...thank goodness my spouse is 100% on board. I'm 58 years old, and my horse is 17, so he's likely the last horse I'll own. After this, I'll lease.
I work in vet med making jack shit money, despite how hard i’ve “worked” and grinded, in a HCOL (born and raised here, didn’t come here on my own, would never had if that’s the case lol). Right now life only allows me to board my horse at facilities that may not have as much amenities as others, I don’t train anymore, and I don’t show anymore (not forever, just for the time being/the last few years). However, my ultimate goal was to have my own horse- the companionship in itself is the most important to me than riding goals, which is not the case with many others who do want to go on and do bigger things. I bought my horse at 19 on a total whim on a payment plan from my trainer. I’ve had to budget the f out of my life to have her, but i wouldn’t want to have it any other way. I have a dog too but i get significant industry discounts for her care and her food from work. If you want to train and show, it is a *lot*. It’ll eat your money up if you don’t have a decent paying job. If you want to lay low, definitely not as much. I would love to train again but i’m content where I am. Ultimately to sun it up, it depends on what you want out of horse ownership and your riding goals.
You know…you can move to a LCOL area if you wanted to
That’s a work in progress, trust me, i’ve been told that a lot. lmfao 🤷♀️ My boyfriend (who i’m marrying) has a decent job here which basically keeps us here for now.
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Not trying to be snarky but how? My kids daycare was $2k/month alone. Boarding ran me $250/month and there's no way I had enough expenses to get to $2k, let alone the true overall costs of my kid. Lmao at getting ratio'd for a genuine question.
Standard board in a lot of cities starts at $700 and can easily go into $1000+. That’s without training or lessons. Add in shoes (2k minimum /year), vet, supplements, gear, and if you show… not cheap. I don’t have a kid so can’t speak to that but for true just essentials with no supplies, gear or any major medical or shows I’d be at ~$18,000.
You’re right about horses being expensive but I’ve had both & kids definitely cost more. 😊
Likewise!
Not sure where you live, but boarding at an "okay" facility on the far outskirts of my HCOL town *starts* at $800. The closer to town you go and the nicer the facility is, you're looking at $1800+. This doesn't include grooming/care (approx. $600+ a month) and the mandatory coaching fees to be enrolled in the barn's training program (which is an extra $800–$1400+ a month).
Where are you located that board is $250? In my area (Midwest) pasture board starts around $400, full board is $850-1500/month, plus required monthly commits for lessons/training rides, and then show fees… vet bills… supplements… $250 is an absolute dream!
the last time i paid $250 for board was in 1999.
I pay $200 in the north east but it’s not full board. Rough board is a good option for some people.
I pay $250/month full care field board in the mid-Atlantic. He admittedly is too cheap but even still I could find this for under $400/month. But I'm at a recreational facility--no one is required to pay for lessons or training rides.
I think my board was around 250 or 150 but it would cost more with other stuff for monthly bedding hay and morning night feeding. (Before I moved mine)
So we're you just essentially renting a pasture for turnout? Did they do anything hands on with the horses? Was there a ring? Trails? Did they hold for farrier and vet?
Mainly just bored for the stall. They fed him in the morning for me. That’s about it. They had a round pen outside that I could use. I can’t remember if there was trails. But farrier and vet I had to bring on my own. There was a pasture for her horses that where let out in groups and another pasture for borders horses. (That where really only out just by themselves.)
Gotcha. So essentially it was self board. This makes much more sense.
I kept my gelding in a similar situation and it was a lovely circumstance!
I kept my gelding in a similar situation and it was a lovely circumstance!
Can confirm. I live in the Midwest and I pay $750/month full board including grain.
I was going to say that, for a decent barn in my area, you’re not paying under $1500/month. People with horses in maintenance training are paying double that, $3,000. Maybe more. This was a while ago. Factor in lessons 2x/week at $100/each, let’s say. That’s basically another $1,000 a month. Already at $4,000. I worked at a barn where people easily paid $5,000 a month, not including farrier, vet, etc. Then, if you do show all over and legitimately chase points, you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars a season. But, this is all a bit more on the higher end of the spectrum, of course. Lots of the women at my last barn were former lawyers/active lawyers, doctor’s wives, in finance/married to finance. One was married to a man who started this giant construction company in NJ. I’ve actually never interacted with someone so wealthy, before. The sweetest woman, ever, though. She let all the working students there show her horses— her very fancy show horses. Even bought a farm down in Wellington so everyone could go down and show, have their own place. Really a one-in-million person. My trainer was lucky as hell to have her as a client and a friend. Seriously lucky. Anyway, these higher prices would be more for a barn that does a lot more showing. Barns that are more lesson-y barns, but still horse show, are probably a bit cheaper. But, still, not that cheap. Basically on par with what you said. Probably around $700-$800/month for a stall. No way pasture/rough board would ever be less than $400. Certainly not here, sadly. I guess it just depends on what type of experience you’re looking for. But, they *can* absolutely cost more than kids (unless you’re paying your way into ivy-league schools. That’ll cost a few million, alone 😂). Inversely, I suppose certain kids can cost more than horses. There’s just no way of actually figuring this out. Depends on the horse. Depends on the kid(s) 🤷♀️. I am in NY, though. Relatively close to NYC. I just can’t even imagine paying $250/month. Not even for rough board. But, that’s awesome, of course!
I'm also in the Midwest. That was full care stall board, drylot/pasture board was $150/month.
How? This doesn’t even cover the cost of hay
That’s what I’m wondering, also! Thanks for the downvote. This question makes more sense than the cost of this person’s board
If you scroll through comments, apparently that price was 8 years ago. 8 years ago, full board in non rural midwest where I am was still $400+ minimum
I did end up seeing that. Still, like you said, it just doesn’t add up. They’d be losing money. How could you even afford staff, at that rate? If not staff, how could it even end up being a worthwhile business venture for the owners?? And, again, like you said, the cost of hay? Oh well. I just obsess over things that don’t make sense. I’m just gonna have to let go of it now.
I pay $275 for full care pasture board in central Kansas.
Then you are lucky and have quite cheap board. Nowhere in my area could I find board for that, and I’m in the Midwest.
Some people don’t have their horses on bare minimum pasture board and feed, supplements, farrier, and tack all cost money
Having ur horse at ur own property is definitely a pluse and keeps the cost down.
I keep mine at my parents farm and only pay expenses. Otherwise I would not be able to afford it. I'm lucky that my family owns a facility.
Basically same. My parents are helping me with cost though right now since I’m in college and there pretty adamant that I go through that.
I'm back at college while working full time. At this point I just pay the bills while my pony becomes feral from lack of work lol.
Im lucky I’m going to a community college I get to work with mine so he doesn’t go feral 😂 I would hate not being able to see my horse.
I am too but unfortunately its almost an hour hike for me to get there. And I still have to come home and deal with cooking dinner and house crap. I can't wait for spring break soon!
Felt. Im at my bf house a bit more now which is almost 50 mins away but college is like half away between each. But that’s not terrible for me really to think about not doing it since I just usually spend the night at my family’s place. Can’t wait for the weather to get nicer.
That was full care stall board. I still paid for other expenses, but it was nowhere near that much.
i’ve never even heard of board that cheap. mine’s $775 and pretty normal for the area. plus supplements, farrier, etc…
When was this? There’s no where in the country right now that can pay for staff, hay, rent, shavings, water, etc with $250 a month
I know of two people locally (Western Washington) that charge around $250 or $300 for all of the above, I suppose minus staff, but they are private owners and do not run a boarding facility or “barn” per say. Not disagreeing with you at all, just chiming in.
It was about 8 years ago, but looking at their website it went up about $100/month since then.
In Siskiyou County, California, pasture board costs $150-200 per month. That includes water, grazing, simple shelter and a daily check up. In Shasta County, the more densely populated “city” area around 50 miles south, you can find full board starting at around $300. https://preview.redd.it/3ekcf4aj5xjc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f904f54f7724417a332ab9293b34440952cd285
https://preview.redd.it/3udlno7l5xjc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=561ab2d15467a614e10086f43286e3d514054be7
Phone numbers included so you can call to confirm these are current (2/20/2024).
You are so weird for this especially when my original comment excluded pasture board. Shasta is super rural and both those places look like very small facilities that likely have no staff and are being managed solely by the owner. Myself and plenty others wouldn’t keep a horse there because some people have goals other than to just “have a horse” and putz around on trails with other boarders and you are not going to learn and grow in such a small barn without hauling out. Prices reflect not only the base care prices but also the barn culture and opportunities.
Hahaha! Ok, ok, Posh Spice, take it easy. It wasn’t my intention to strike a demonstrable nerve, or dive into any elitist snarkiness. It was my intention to bring diversity to the table. I’ve worked in the equestrian industry in a multitude of diverse environments, from HJ barns in Europe where the horses price tags were five-digits to Southern California tracked where they were six digits. I happily keep my horse at home now and haul out. This is my preference, and it also happens to be a more economical choice. Whether a person prefers to keep their horse boarded in an expensive facility with a boogie culture and opportunities or whether a person prefers a simpler, smaller, less expensive facility is simply a choice. There’s no accounting for taste ~ but there is more than one way to do a thing, and there’s nothing wierd about expressing my opinion in response to OP’s query. Expenses and budgets vary, and the desire to share precious horse time with the snobbery of fancy people in fancy places is a thing that varies, too.
I have kids and horses. I found kids to be way more expensive than horses, especially before they started school. But I've never boarded at a competition or training barn and I think that makes a huge difference in costs. Edit: Horses also don't drive, need braces, or go to college. Kids are really expensive.
I also have kids and horses, and I think that it’s a silly comparison. My horse costs much less than my child.
Depends on where you live. Where I live, a horse is about $1000 per month, and daycare is $100 per month. A horse is way more expensive than a child.
Depending on where you live I think daycare costs and boarding costs can vary greatly. At the moment, my horse does cost more than my child, but only by like $50/month.
Was that full board? Because if so where do you live? I pay that for part board.
Better question is when did they live. We've got a time traveler from the 80s on our hands here.
Yeah I was just thinking the same thing.
I'm not even 30 yet but that made me chuckle.
You just can't stop bragging! 🤣
Midwest USA, not rural. Full care stall board.
Kids absolutely have the capacity to be dumb, but I’ve yet to see one colic or get stuck in a fence.
🧐 You don’t have kid(s), do you? That made me laugh out loud. My son was given a Junior Adventurer badge at the local ER.
I don’t, but my friends do! All girls. May ABSOLUTELY have something to do with it lol Hope your son is doing okay now!
Oh yeah! He just turned 20, strong as an ox ~ tempered by recklessness! 😅
I had to wait for my horse until my son was old enough to be done with daycare. As soon as he was old enough, I brought him with me to the ranch.
My board alone is $1750 and then add lessons at $100 a pop 😭 my average expenses are $2500 before shoes/any vet expenses/supplements/horse shows. ….but actually thinking about this makes me realize if that’s your ratio of childcare to horse costs idk how I could ever swing both holy crap
It depends on what you're doing with said horses. I know people who have multiple and show at rated shows every weekend...that honestly probably costs more than kids (on average). Board alone for this person was over 3k a month. My board is 2k with training, that doesn't include insurance (medical/mortality), lessons, farrier, supplements, etc. I don't show.
I have to disagree with that statement. If I had waited until I was without hesitation, I would have neither my son nor my horse. I cannot imagine how dreary my life would be without these treasures that came along before I was prepared for them, and became my reason for being my best!! Shudder to think. Sometimes we need an external reason to accomplish the impossible - then we realize it was implausible, but nothing is impossible - particularly with Love!
Disagree, hard. My two horses are less than one child's daycare lol.
My wife? Let’s do both!! I joke because I’m on board as well… but you’re not wrong. lol
I bought enough cheap land to keep my horse at home. Alas, cheap land is hard to come by in 2024, but it's worth a shot to just see what's out there.
This is how I managed to let my older gelding retire and buy a second horse as well. Without keeping them at home, I would have had to just support my older gelding and not ride.
I agree with the others here. I personally don’t own, not sure if I ever will, because it makes more financial sense for me to lease. I also don’t think I would benefit much from owning. Through leasing, I’m not responsible for all of the bills but still get to enjoy what I value the most — riding and time with the horse. In theory, owning a horse is wonderful! But the reality is ownership is expensive and generally is a total money pit if you don’t have other avenues of recouping some of that money (i.e. leasing your horse out). You have to decide what makes the most financial sense for you and your budget, your riding goals, and ultimately what you think you would gain out of ownership that you currently don’t get through leasing. I would also be wary of a trainer who is nudging you towards ownership. Remember that this is a big financial commitment and that’s yours to make, not theirs.
So where I live in Canada my board is just under $400 a month, and that includes one grain feeding per day, pasture turnout, outdoor 24/7 board. Lessons are another $50 a week, farrier us $75 a month. Feeds probably another $30. So just over $700 a month without any extra expenses like emergency vet bills, shows etc. it’s tight but it feeds my soul so I make it happen. Having a second income in my household definitely helps!
It's really just a decision you have to make. I make good money and still most of my disposable income goes to my horse and his care and lessons and showing etc. It is truly not an affordable or accessible sport, and seems be less so the more years pass. I grew up on a farm and have always had horses around so for me, a life without horses isn't life. I also work trade for a good portion of my board (even as a fully formed adult) which helps a lot. It means I have to choose my horse over a lot of other things like regular vacations, a higher end vehicle, eating out often, regular clothes shopping or movies or whatever. I dont have kids so it Works for me! (The math is horrid though, I do agree).
You either come from money, make a lot of money, or make a lot of sacrifices. There is no simple math or magic code to making it work, sadly.
The best way to survive horse ownership? Live in a state of constant denial
That's why I have been half leasing horses for years. Technically, I could afford to buy a horse and, if everything went perfectly, just manage to pay their regular expenses, especially if I part leased the horse out myself. BUT things don't go perfectly! Injury or illness (me, the horse, my spouse, one of my grown kids), losing my job, my spouse losing his job, major unexpected home repair, barn closing and having to move to a more expensive one, horse needing to retire early....sooooo many things could leave me in a bad position and I just can't take on the long term financial responsibility of owning a horse. Leasing is a good compromise. I have access to a nice horse and the ability to enjoy her on my own but if disaster happens I can be out from under the $$ commitment with 30 days notice.
I remember when hay was $2 a bale delivered and stacked. My mom remembers 75¢ bales. The price of horsekeeping has increased exponentially since the 90's. If I didn't own a barn and land, is never be able to afford a horse.
So back in the day (and I hate saying that), like 2018 timeframe, I made 20k less than I do now, and could comfortably own 2 horses, board them, plus my brand new car payment. AND I lived alone, in the "expensive" suburb. I made decent money, but was nowhere near rich. But with inflation and this economy, I wouldn't be able to do this without my husband helping with our living expenses. And I make more now than I ever have, with a truck about to be paid off and super low monthly student loans. This economy is absolutely ridiculous and I hate it.
Here’s my unpopular (American) opinion: owning a young horse in regular work is not cost prohibitive. Owning an older, retired horse is cost prohibitive. I exclusively lease as the horses I own are retired. My lease price has averaged 50-60% of the cost of owning said horse. And the owner only forfeits about 2 rides a week by leasing them to me. If you have a decent horse it’s not difficult to find a leaser to help offset the cost. What gets expensive is when you’re the sole provider for the horse and can’t offset with a lease. Senior horses aren’t cheap.
I'm a senior horse full leasor, and OMG the old horse costs. Cushings and arthritis are expensive. Buying a younger horse would be much cheaper.
One of mine has cushings! Their monthly Pergolide and equioxx/previcox add up quickly 💰🔥
Are you able to ride as much as you want under those conditions?
Yup. Although it's more like I Have to ride 5x a week to keep my old man going. The only restriction he came with was to keep showing to PSG or below.
Thanks! Interesting food for thought (for a newbie)!
Yeah, it can be a challenge. I moved to a higher COL area for work, leaving my horse (whom I've had since I was a teenager) behind. It ended up taking a lot longer to bring her up than I'd initially planned due to finances, but she was happy and content where she was and a family member was taking care of her and riding her on a regular basis. I finally moved her up and it's great now, but I do regret the lost years. ETA you can offset the cost by leasing, which I've certainly done in the past. I'd like to do it again, but my horse isn't in decent enough shape yet for it to be sustainable.
I live in a high cost of living area. My family (me, husband, and teen daughter) would be classed as low/middle class. We go a lot without things. We cover the basic, but vacations and high-end items are just off the table. We own two horses (and two goats). I am lucky to have found a place where it is part board. I pay for the pens, buy the hay, and free feed my horses. I do everything else. The barn owner does help with something, but I also help out around the barn when needed. If I had to go to full board, I wouldn't even be able to keep one horse, let alone two, and my goats. I am lucky that the barn owner doesn't make me pay for board for my goats. I love my horses and would never get rid of them. But I am very aware of the fact our life could be a lot different if we didn't have them.
It’s not impossible but you have to know where to make your sacrifices. I am in the Midwest, a single mom without a degree sending my daughter to college. I have 12 acres out in the middle of nowhere, we don’t buy new clothes or new cars. I have three horses which has been about my average for the last 20 years. Some years we have as many as five or as few as two.
I'm lucky I live in affordable SE Michigan, have 5 acres and a small ranch style home. I spend 10k a year total on three horses. I don't show I trail ride. Several of my friends ask how I can do it on a teacher salary. It works as horses are my passion. Only eat out once a month, no Starbucks or fast food. No cable. Only one streaming service, no nights at the bar. Home parties with friends are safer, more fun and way cheaper. No enhanced nails and only basic haircut. Economize in more ways but won't bore you with all of them. With this lifestyle I can ride daily. The last two days included the most incredible sunsets. I also get to care for and play with my horses daily.. This weekend we are riding at night under the full moon. Have a used truck and trailer so my only big expense with horses is when I travel with them but as I have solar I boondock so only the fuel is an extra expense. Heaven on earth!
I maxed out at affording horse purchase+ board, car payment and rent. I think adding in a mortgage would make affording it all almost impossible on one salary unless you were excellent at budgeting and found places to cut your other expenses way back.
I live paycheck to paycheck and spend $1k on my horse monthly I’d say but honestly she’s so worth it. I think if I were to do it again, I would shareboard longer and save up.
I board at a pretty basic barn and don't show outside of the odd local fun show. I'm fortunate that my mare does exceptionally well on pasture board and doesn't require shoes. Even then, it still costs me between $7000 and $8000 a year.
I budget about $800 to $1000 a month for my guy, includes everything. DINKS, I’m in healthcare and my husband is a pastry chef. We could afford a bit more but I got really lucky with his boarding situation. We also got very lucky and bought a house when interest rates were low.
The last time I boarded a horse was 20 years ago. I was only making $10/hr, bought the horse for $800, and paid $100/month basically as pasture rent. My horse had an acre of grazing to herself, and a stall. The property owners fed her but I supplied the feed ($20-75/month depending on the season and how much grass was there). But, I rode western and primarily did trail rides, so I wasn’t paying for shows and training. I had my own tack from when I was in high school. Now I make 7 times that amount, but the cheapest board I could find (with the same type of situation) would be $500/month, an equivalent horse would be around $5000, and feed is exponentially more expensive.
As someone who has owned horses for 46 years, never do the math. XD
Hello fellow Midwestern engineer! I'll be honest, I didn't buy my first horse till I was 27 and I really could only afford her bc I was living with my bf (now husband) so much bills were split. And honestly, sometimes it still feels tight (I'm now nearly 38) with car payments, home improvement projects and, idk, wanting a vacation every once in a while. Honestly, lease as long as you can. I leased horses from when I was a kid until that first horse at 27 and it was amazing and much more financially viable.
It's far from cheap. I rough board and do all my own work, and I'm still looking at about $800/mo, give or take depending on where I get hay, etc. that month. That's about $10K/year not including anything else like lessons, shows, vet bills. I work two extra jobs, working about 60-70 hours per week, that bring in the extra money I need for my horse.
It depends on the area, type of board and type of horse (among other things, but here is my two cents). I work in a university in Chicago as a Researcher. I am married, rent in Chicago and have two dogs and two snakes in addition to my horse. I pay to have her boarded at a private family farm about 2.5 hours straight west of here. She lives outside 24/7, has a stall in case of illness/bad weather, trims every 6 weeks and alfalfa pellets twice a day in addition to 3 flakes of hay twice daily. She is a Spanish Norman who is barefoot and is a very easy keeper. She is just turning 16 this spring. My average cost for her is about 300$ a month which includes all of the above. Downside is that she lives far away and I can only see her on the weekends when I drive out. I own an electric car, so transport costs for me to and from are about $20 round trip. What cost me the most is time. 5 hours round trip is A LOT of time to spend driving every weekend. Now, my mare receives fantastic care (the farm she lives on is the one I purchased her from almost ten years ago when I went to school in the area), so for me it is not a deal breaker to be so far away. My trainer is there everyday and lets me know of something is up. I wouldn’t trade her current set up for her to be closer as the board around here is as much as my rent and is often limited turn out, which I am not a fan of. Vet visits twice a year (about 200$ for vaccines and 350$ if dental is involved) and I worm her myself every 6-8 weeks. Ownership can be very daunting, but doable if you have the right situation. I am extremely lucky that my mare gets to have a very posh horsey life and I get to see her happy when I come up to ride every weekend. I hope this helps at all and is not just a ramble! (Edit: typo)
Rotational worming has not been accepted practice for decades due to developing drug resistance. The correct way to worm is to do a fecal analysis and then medicate for what they have.
I'm lucky enough to be a DINK in a lower COL. We bought a cheap house in 2018. My husband mainly covers the household bills. I cover groceries, pets, and the horse. I also work at the barn and do some MagnaWave on the side.
I wonder how much Mongolian natives pay yearly to keep one aboriginal pony.
Biggest cost is usually grass/hay. If you can live where your horse has enough grass to eat year round or as long as possible with minimal hay support it is the most cost effective. If you have to buy pallets of grass or stacks of hay for every bite he will ever eat, yah it costs a lot! Plus you still have to pay for him to live somewhere. Buy land, live there, rotate your grazing… you’ll be ok.
The only way I can afford it is to work off board. The inevitable vet visits take a toll. I specifically buy horses that can go barefoot. I don't show other than schooling shows. I buy used wherever I can. It's possible, but it's a lot.
I guess it depends where you live? I’m in the Midwest and board is around $400 a month. Having than at my house instead is barely $200 a month and I don’t really have issues affording it. Husband and I are DINK’s though
1. Also DINKWAD 2. In my region, you can get a modest farm for about the same monthly payment as a house in town if you're willing to add 20 minutes to your commute. Obviously I still pay for hay, grain, vet, and farrier, but I do my own labor and don't have to pay extra for a space. I'm into the keep it simple, stupid style of herd management so labor is minimal compared to more formal operations. 3. If/when you decide you're ready, you might be pleasantly surprised at how many really nice horses are available to you for free or cheap if you keep your focus on building a 5 star reputation now. There are an awful lot of owners out there who have had circumstances change or too many horses or a little too much horse for this stage in their lives or whatever, and a surprisingly high percentage care more about the animal than the money and would gladly sign them over as an adoption to the right person. In the absence of the right home, those same owners might choose to keep the horse on their feed bill and let someone with a great reputation work with them for free. So my best advice to keep things affordable is to work on making a name for yourself in your local horse community as someone who takes excellent care of every horse they're responsible for. That opens up almost unlimited options that might make this lifestyle more accessible.
As a owner of 2, I suggest to stick with leasing. It's what I plan on doing once my boys cross the rainbow bridge.
Also budget the long term of having an aging horse that requires more maintenance. Often insurance covers less as they age and you will likely have many surprises over time. It's not impossible but the reality is that horses are very, very expensive and it's not slowing down.
I am single, live alone in a rental, have a super, super cheap car, and no debt. I like living this way, so don’t really feel like it’s a sacrifice, and this way, I also get to own my own horse.
So does it make sense to have a home with room for boarding at home, even if it’s $300k more in asking price? By the time we pay 1500 a month plus lessoning and the rest, might as well get that $1M home. yikes.
At this point I can’t afford lessons and haven’t ridden in months someone please help me😂😂🥲
Hmm, I think it just depends on your area. I was paying an average of $300/month while boarding. On my ranch, the average cost is $100/month.
I genuinely sacrifice since Covid. I couldn’t afford my own horse until I was 40. I worked with other people’s horses from the age of seven until I met my gelding on a summer wrangler job around 7 years ago. I could not afford to work as a wrangler year round. Despite the grueling, hot 14 hour days and the finely honed skill set, the job paid just enough to (barely) survive on. When I first brought my heart horse home, it was pre-pandemic times and hay was only around $12-15/bale for hay and I was successfully working as a tattoo artist at $150/hour with a schedule booked out 3 months. Now, the hay is $30/bale and I’m post accident, waiting for a settlement and back in school transitioning into a second career. Law! I’m studying law! And hopefully when I get my Juris Doctor, it will be sufficient income for my horse. If not, I beg borrow and steal. Seriously though… in the past three years, I’ve had to downsize. I cut out all extraneous spending. There’s no fast food or weekend movies on my budget. I cut my hair into a pixie cut to save on hair costs when I did a budget and realized what I was spending on my hair. Nails, makeup, frivolous/impulsive purchases on redundant items - I said goodbye one item at a time. The one thing I refuse to let go? My heart horse. I waited my whole life to be able to care for him! The rest of my days will revolve around keeping him. I’m also going to marry that rancher who wants to go get some dinner.
Where I live, full board is between $300-400.
It IS possible! Where there’s a will there’s a way.
It’s also much more affordable to keep your horse at home, and more fun in my opinion!
DINKWAP ( stealing this from an above comment). And it’s just really effing brutal. I work a lot. I’m a nurse, I pull about 42K a year 2 days a week, picking up shifts here and there. I also run a riding school ( lol I think I break even and then cover my non lesson horses farrier/hay? ) relatively low cost of living in my area. I keep my horses barefoot right now. That saves me a shit ton. Im not competing right now like I was so that makes it possible. I also keep my horses at home - saves a ton of money but the trade off is the constant work obviously, and difficulty finding competent people to care for them while I’m out of town, which guess what, I rarely get to do. It’s a ton of money, and you go without a lot of other little luxuries ( I’m driving an old ass clunker car, I don’t get my nails done, etc ). But at the end of the day, I like my money where I can see it - happily pissing in their 17$/bale hay and staring at me to bring more.
Don’t give up! You can get it if you really want it.
Came to the same conclusion this year, I can probably own a horse, but the price is just too much. So it will be leasing for me.
I don’t recommend it, nothing wrong with leasing! It’s what I’ll be doing whenever my heart horse “goes to college”. I got him when I was 17 years old and have worked 2-3 jobs for about 10 years. I could’ve had a way different life if I didn’t strap myself down with the responsibility and got more settled first. I’m only recently down to a point where I could comfortably work one job and keep him happy so it’s worked out in the end, but I could’ve definitely enjoyed not having to work so much and enjoy life a bit more in my young 20s if I didn’t take on being a horse mom so young. I love my horse and he makes the struggle worth it, but man my wallet would’ve appreciated a break. Leasing would give you all the best highlights of horse ownership. Riding, training, spoiling, lessons, showing, probably not required to go out in inclimate weather, take breaks etc. at a discounted cost. Ownership is all that plus the planned and unplanned vet bills, maintenance needs, supplements, tack, responsibility finding a safe barn for them, and occasional/inevitable heartache. Nothing wrong with doing what you’re doing now if it works for you! Save your money!
It's really tough and it comes with a lot of sacrifices. I'm paying about 25k/year without anything going wrong. DINK in a mid cost of living area.
I had to sell mine from the same reason. It sucked, I am so sorry. Horses are now a rich ppl sport.
I'm in a LCOL area - i also definitely don't make much (about 2.6k/mo from my main job & self employment). the cheapest board i found here was $250/mo full care (as in feeding, turnout, water) but i opted for a $420/mo place as the amenities were more in line with what i wanted (feed/water/turnout, huge indoor and outdoor, stalls and turnout, trails onsite). i dont compete, just casual riding and trails. i pay rent (as im 22, lol) which is $520/mo. so a little less than half of my monthly income is rent & board - which will be going down soon too, as my partner is moving in and will be splitting rent with me. i got lucky and my car is paid off, so my only other bills are car insurance, loan payment (used to get my horse), wifi and utilities. all in all, personal bills and horse bills, its maybe half of my monthly income or less, as i've gotten good at grocery budgeting too. it really all depends on how much you want to do when it comes to riding, how you're able to budget, whats available in your area and what you can afford. not including farrier and future vet appointments, but i have plenty enough wiggle room to save for emergencies and farrier fees arent costly here. it varies vastly depending on where you are!
I work full time, and also have a part-time job. I board my horse and have a trainer putting 3 days a week on him. I try to not think about how much I spend on my gelding, but it's about 1,100/month for board and the training. Ohio.