Looking at Mickey's list made me curious about the cost of horse owning
around the country. Of course, part of it is hugely dependent on 1.) What
you use your horses for and 2.) How you take care of them. I come from a
farming background and my horses are more livestock than pets to me - which
means no $5000 vet treatment for a $1000 horse. With the horses on the 7
acre pasture out the back door, round bale (1500 lb) hay, getting their
feet trimmed 4 times a year and ivermectin paste wormed 4 times a year, I figure
about $50/month/head including the once yearly tooth floating/ Coggins
visit and no emergency vet calls. I also only vaccinate (which I do
myself) for tetanus, encephalitis, and WNV, since at this point, my horses are
all pasture potatoes. That is also, of course, not counting the cost
of the land, fence or barn!
When I compete (and I use the term loosely) in 6-8
LD rides/year, the cost rises exponentially for shoes, supplements, entry/ fuel
costs, and tack improvements or replacement - I'd say to $200 -$250/ month
for a competition horse.
