Horse information, please

[slleipnir]

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!

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!)

[slleipnir]

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?

[Toby's my baby]

We dont need a permit to burn it here. . . 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.

[slleipnir]

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

[Miss Z]

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

[Suki Wingy]

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

[areias]

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.

[dab_20]

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.