It all depends on the horses current health status, age, sex, and what you want to use them for. Show horses cost WAY more than the pasture pony that you occasionally take on trail rides. Show horses require boat loads of extra supplements, vitamins, minerals and sometimes special vet work. Male horses also require care that female horses to don't require- sheath cleaning. The older the horse gets the more money you will have to spend, just like all animals. Vet bills are the main kicker. Unlike mules, horses can get serious stomach problems if you do not feed them the correct diet (i.e. colic). They are also very prone to lameness and hoof problems if they do not get the proper farrier work done. Horses also need their teeth filed down by the vet to prevent sharp hooks from forming on them. Horses have to be seen by the farrier every six weeks to get their hooves trimmed and shoes put on, if they are needed.

Horses are A LOT of work, period, and there is no arguing that one. Every day you must groom horses even if you have no plans of riding them to keep them in tip top shape. The average monthly cost of owning a horse is around $1,000-$3,000- and all of that mainly comes from food- horses need lots of it!

If you are considering getting a horse, I suggest you check out a lot of books and read them. A really good one being "Horses for Dummies". And of course, do TONS of research. I have been researching and learning about horses ever since I started riding 9 years ago, and I don't plan on getting a horse for at least another 2 years. There is so much to learn about horses I do not even know where to being. There are some very complicated complex things about horses that the average person doesn't know. In fact, it is impossible to know EVERYTHING about horses because there is just too much to learn about them, you learn something new everyday.

Honestly, I could give you thousands of horse links, you should see my AOL Favorites list for "horses".
You Want To Own A Horse? Are You Sure?
Very good info on this site!:
So...You Are Interested In Owning A Horse?
Budgeting For A Horse
This only works if you have Adobe Reader...it's an excellent guide!!
Guide to First Time Horse Ownership
To get an idea of how much tack, grooming, stable, and other horse items cost, check out this site:
Stateline Tack
Good books to look at (you ARE going to have to get books, do not just rely on the internet for information):
Horse Books
The Basics of Owning a Horse