Horse information, please

We are thinking about moving to the country at some point...not sure when exactly, or if it will even happen. I'm trying to get details to help it along. One thing is, if we do move, I will be saving up for a horse. The thing is, I know NOTHING about horse stables and owning them.

For one thing...what does the stable/stalls need to be made of? The floor I mean. The barn I rode at looked like dirt and hay...but if the horse pee's..does it just soak into the ground? Doesn't it smell? How to do you clean that?? What sort of heating is needed for a stable? I only plan to have a small stable, 1-2 stalls only. Another thing is, what would you do with the horses poop? Sorry for such a weird question....At the barn I was at, he would put it all in a big pill outside and get it cleaned up every so often....I don't know how much I'd want a big pill of manuer in my yard......

As for costs...How much is it generally to own your own horse at your own stable? How often to they need vetting and farriers? I understand vetting is very expensive..what about food? They need some sort of seed/grain stuff and hay? twice a day?

What about winter? How do you exercise a horse in winter? Can they run in their paddock in the winter? Generally, how big does a paddock for one horse need to be?

So basically I don't know anything about owning a horse. I use to ride all the time, and help on weekends mucking stalls but that's all the experiance I have. I would like to know what I'm getting myself into...do I need to be rich to own a horse??? Do I need to ride it? If I don't ride it all the time, will it become green? I want ot ride, but I'm afraid to, so it would take some time for me.

okay, I'll try my best to answer your questions. xD

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Originally Posted by slleipnir

For one thing...what does the stable/stalls need to be made of? The floor I mean. The barn I rode at looked like dirt and hay...but if the horse pee's..does it just soak into the ground? Doesn't it smell? How to do you clean that?? What sort of heating is needed for a stable? I only plan to have a small stable, 1-2 stalls only. Another thing is, what would you do with the horses poop? Sorry for such a weird question....At the barn I was at, he would put it all in a big pill outside and get it cleaned up every so often....I don't know how much I'd want a big pill of manuer in my yard......

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It's best to have rubber mats as a base to your stall. over the rubber mats, you should have either wood shavings or wood pellets- if you have a tack or feed store near you, it's best to ask there. The hay that was on the floor of the horses' stalls was probably just leftover breakfast or dinner scattered around the stall. The stall needs to be mucked out daily, and the pee usually clumps and can be picked out the same way as the manure. This should all be shoveled into a wheelbarrow or something like it, wich can then be dumped into green garbage cans instead of being left in a pile in your yard. Stables around here don't use heating, but then again, it doesn't snow in California.

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Originally Posted by slleipnir

How much is it generally to own your own horse at your own stable? How often to they need vetting and farriers? I understand vetting is very expensive..what about food? They need some sort of seed/grain stuff and hay? twice a day?

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Keeping your horse at your own stable will obviously help with boarding fees, but you'll still need to purchase your own hay and supplements. They need to eat hay twice a day, normally oat hay and alfalfa hay, but sometimes timothy or grass hay. Horses should have occasional checkups, but not too often. The farrier usually comes out every 4-6 weeks, and shoeing costs about $100 American dollars each time. Not all horses need supplements, so you can talk to a feed or tack store about that as well.

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Originally Posted by slleipnir

What about winter? How do you exercise a horse in winter? Can they run in their paddock in the winter? Generally, how big does a paddock for one horse need to be?

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Well, a paddock should generally be larger than 24 x 24 (feet), and there's really no limit about how large it can be. They can run in their paddock during winter, but make sure a warm stall with fresh water is available to them at all times.

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Originally Posted by slleipnir

do I need to be rich to own a horse??? Do I need to ride it? If I don't ride it all the time, will it become green? I want ot ride, but I'm afraid to, so it would take some time for me.

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No, you certainly don't need to be rich to own a horse. You can find good horses for as little as $2,000 American dollars, and some people might even have stories of finding great horses for even less. horses should most definitely have exercise 3-5 times a week. Make sure you don't buy a horse for yourself until you're ready to make the commitment of riding it, or paying someone else to exercise it for you.

Thanks so much Devon :)

What about lungeing instead of riding??

Lungeing is good, if you have a sensible horse. You can't beat riding though. I agree with what most of flamepony12 said, and about the muck heap, which i don't think she mentioned, you can do different things with it...

1. Burn it. I know some people that do this, but fire is dangerous and you'll get a lot of smoke.
2. Sell it! Menure is the perfect fertiliser!
3. Keep it in a small pile and take it regularly to the tip. This takes a lot of trips back and forth, but it's probably the best way. Menure piles are annoying and not everyone wants one near their house;)

i suggest taking lessons and volenteering at a barn for a while befor egetting a horse unless you want it as a companian horse wich just means its out in the feild, companian horses are alot cheaper too and they dont need to be riden, companians are usually older horses, alos if you dont want to clean your stalls you can always hire someone to do it

I was just wondering if the barns around me are all just outrageously expensive or if they are all that expensive. What is that average board per month at barns around you? The place I take lessons at is $800 a month! :eek:

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Originally Posted by Suki Wingy

I was just wondering if the barns around me are all just outrageously expensive or if they are all that expensive. What is that average board per month at barns around you? The place I take lessons at is $800 a month! :eek:

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IMO> that is CRAZY!! I payed $30 a month for TWO horses, all we had to do was HELP clean the barn, that had about 7-9 horses regularly. :eek:

I will try to answer SOME of your questions. . .

My barn thing is dirt, and we usually put straw down. The floor of the barn that I used to keep our horses at, had a cement floor, and they put straw down. We cleaned out our stalls once a week, but the horses were only in them at night, other wise they were out in the pasture. My horses, are allowed to go in and out when they want. They have about 4 acres for our two horses.

We never heated our barns, and we live in Minnesota, it gets -30 F here. We burn our manure pile, and yes, it gets large if you have a lot of horses, but for our two horses, the horses usually walk on it (since its in their pasture) and it usually doesnt even make a pile. And no, our horses dont get burnt when we lite the pile, they are smart enough to stay away.

You cant usually say how often a horse needs a farrier, you just have to check his hooves, and when they look like they need a farrier, then you can make an appointment, unless you do it yourself. It costs me $20 american dollars to get my horses hooves done. As for the vet, I have a vet come out once a year. It usually costs $100 + american each year. My horses get 6 flakes of hay morning and night, they do not eat during the day, except for the grass in thier pasture. They get grain once a day, and they get about two large coffee cans full, and they have water available 24/7.

I ride horse in the winter, but not very often, maybe once every two weeks. Its not very much, but I get really busy. I just lunge my horse before I ride him, and he is fine. In the winter, I usually ride bareback, but thats something you need to deside. My sister rides with a saddle, but she has a young horse. I have learned to be able to gallop and stuff bareback. But, that takes a long time to get used to if you dont ride horse a lot.

I started out mucking stalls for my neighbors, when I was 5. When I was 5 I also rode thier race horses around the arena. Then we got our first horse as a gift from my nieghbors when we were 7 or so. And now, me and my sister show horses. We have gone a LONG way, and it takes a long time. Horses arent as hard to take care of as some people think, but they arent easy like a cat either. It takes a lot out of your time.

If you have any more questions, feel free to pm me! :) Good luck!

wow, The cheapest I have ever seen is the place I used to ride at and that was $360 a month

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Originally Posted by buttercup132

i suggest taking lessons and volenteering at a barn for a while befor egetting a horse unless you want it as a companian horse wich just means its out in the feild, companian horses are alot cheaper too and they dont need to be riden, companians are usually older horses, alos if you dont want to clean your stalls you can always hire someone to do it

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lol, maybe you didn't read my post....I have done both of those things for many years. However, it doesn't teach me how much I need to pay, or anything else I need to own a horse on my own. I don't mind cleaning the stalls, I just don't know what to do with it.

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Originally Posted by Suki Wingy

I was just wondering if the barns around me are all just outrageously expensive or if they are all that expensive. What is that average board per month at barns around you? The place I take lessons at is $800 a month! :eek:

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I'm not sure..lessons were around 200 a month and board is over 300 a month (I don't think that includes vetting or farrier!)

Also, don't you need a fire/burning permit to burn the manure? How do you ride in the winter when there is so much snow? We get a lot here...can't they hurt their legs from walking in deep snow, esp if it gets icey?

We dont need a permit to burn it here. . . :confused: but I dont know about that stuff where you live.

I just ride, normally. Lol. I guess it doesnt really hurt my horses to ride in the snow. If it was icey enough for them to hurt themselves, or fall or something you shouldnt be out riding anyways.

Oh, ok. I was just wondering if it would be too deep or something....I hope that someday I can own one :)

Hmmm, well where i live, we don't get a lot of snow, so i don't know too much about riding in snow. I'd suggest getting some thick boots for your horse, and try to clear paths that you want to ride on, and stay out of areas where there is really deep snow.

Also when horses have been riding in the cold, you can use my special bonding trick. Rub the horse's ears! Horse's ears are most vulnerable to cold, and rubbing them restores circulation. Horse's also love it, and will love you for it! Sory to mention that, snow being cold, just reminded me of it:rolleyes: :p

I think you can get an arena cover so that you can have an area clear of snow.

Can't help out too much with the snow...considering where I live...

Right now I'm paying $250/month for full board, but I'm moving my horse this weekend to a much closer place that is $300/month, plus she provides supplements. The average here is $300-$400/month, for your average boarding.

Where I worked and boarded, there was rubber mats down with wood shavings. Just scoop it out and keep it clean, you should be fine. I would say every other month take out all the shavings and spray some disinfectant down, and put completely new shavings in. If you build, consider where rain floods too, that's a huge issue down here. Wet stalls are not fun. And make sure there is running water in the barn, it'll save you a lot of hassle.

You can have the manure hauled off, I think you can dump it, or just spread it in the pasture. They have nifty manure spreaders too, that makes everything really fine so it dosen't look horrible.

As for cost...if you have shoes on your horse (I don't) it'll cost you about $100/visit to get them done. If it's barefooted, a reasonable price is $20-$30, although it could be more in different areas.
Vet bills...you need coggins done once a year, that's around $50. You might want to have a rabies shot, $20. EWT is a good idea, I think it's $15. If you take the horse different places, it's a good idea to get the strangles done, which is $10. I have mosquitos here pretty much all year, so I get a west nile done every 4 months I think. I think maybe you could do it in early-mid spring and be okay until winter. I think that one is $20. That's just what I do with my horse-in different climates/areas it can be different.

You will also need the teeth done every 6 months-1 year, which is between $50-$100. If they need to sedate the horse it will be more. And worming every 2 months, about $10-$15/worming tube.

I would say my horse goes through a bag of feed every two weeks, but she only gets 3/4 of a scoop 2x a day. Two flakes of timothy alfalfa hay a day. Mine gets a joint supplement, plus a digestive supplement once a week, but then again she's 17 years old. I think the rule is one horse an acre, or two an acre. Your best splitting up a pasture into two sides, and switching them whenever the grass gets low on one side.

You don't need heating-just a nice warm blanket. If you have windows/openings in the stalls/barn, perhaps see if you can install windproof shutters and doors.

Good luck finding property and a horse!

EDIT: At some point the horse is going to get a bad cut, or poke it's eye on something, or come up lame. You might want to have a little savings tucked away just in case. ;)

Wow I read this board. I always wondered how much everything costs and all. Seems hard, and takes alot of money.


Where I rode in the summer for 1 week, well they dumped their manure, in the woods, they would get these big wheelbarrows and put it in their then just dump it in a pile in the woods.

I will add my two cents
Horse can cost anywhere from 200 to 200,000+. Be prepared to spend a few grand for a sound and safe horse.
where I board my horse it is $500 a month it is full board with an indoor. That is about the norm. Some barns charge 1000 a month for board and some charge 200 a month. The stalls are cleaned once a day. ideally the stalls should be cleaned 3 times a day if the horse is in all day or twice a day if the horse goes out during the day. The best footing for stalls is a dirt base not concrete because that is bad on their joints. There should be rubber mats over the floor. Then you need about 3-6 inches of bedding.
For farriers it really depend on what your horse needs. It your horse us bare foot then it useally coast $30 for a trim job, if your needs shoes it can cost anywhere from $80 - $250, depending on the horses needs.

For vetting. Horses should have spring and fall shots which is usally about $60. If their teeth need to be done that can cost up to $200. If anything happens to our horse that you need to call a vet expect to hand over a couple hundred bucks. Vets usally charge $60 for a farm call.

Other expenses you need to keep in mind is food, hay, bedding, lessons, blankets, buckets, muck buckets, pitch forks, etc...

Having horse at home is a huge commitment. You have to be there everyday to feed them in the am and the pm. It is a lot of work taking care of horses and a lot of money. It is very difficult to make money off of a barn with boarders.
Horse are a huge responsibility, ideally they should be worked 6 days a week. It doesn't have to be riding, but lunging, joinup, in hand , long lineing etc.. It is even more important that the horse gets worked almost everyday if it doesn't have regular turnout.

Another thing you need to think about is blanketing. If you clip your horse in the winter it needs to have blankets on. If you don't clip your horse, in the wnter you have to make sure your horse is completly dry from sweat before putting them away,or putting a blanket on them. If your horse is clipped an the temperature goes below freezing they should have at leat a 300 gram fill blanket which cost $200-300

Horse are a huge responsibility and I would not recomend having horse at home if you are afraid of them or have limited experience with them. I wouldn't even consider buying a horse until you are completly comforable around them. When working with horse you have to be assertive and you be to know what to do if the horse spooks or is acting spooky.

What I would recomend is looking in to some local barn and taking lesson and see if they have any horse available for lease.
Having horses is a finacial, and timely commitment. They don't go anway when its cold out or you don't feel like taking care of the, or are busy.

**forgot to add if your horse needs to be on any supplements these can become quite costly.

I'm not afraid of horses, I'm afraid to ride them. I use to vollenteer at a barn...and, I would be less likely to exercise a horse if it's far away from me. If it's in my own yard, I can make sure I take care of it everyday. I think it gets expensive to have the barn exercise your horse...

my donkeys stall/pen thing has a dirt floor with straw over it. He has alfalfa hay available all day, in a hay rack.

We don't heat our barn, and I live in Minnesota. (like tobys my baby said, it gets COLD here)

Ive got to go... I'll edit later.