Working out a budget is a very good idea not only is it easier to keep track of what you have spent, in the long run it can save you money. There are endless costs that just keep coming in, you need to be prepared to pay for things like vet bills and farrier fees. This is a list of most of the costs.
-Feed You will probably need to feed your horse during winter, but depending on were you live the cost of feed may vary. Feed can cost anywhere from $10-$70 per week.
-Farrier If your horse needs shoeing it will cost you at least $80 so have $80 to $100 available, but if you are leaving your horse barefoot it will cost you about $25-$40 every 6-8 weeks.
-Worming Horses need to be treated for worms every 6-8 weeks and that will cost about $10 – $20 each time.
-Tack After a while it gets boring riding bareback all the time, so you will need a saddle and a bridle, you will also need a halter, lead rope, and a grooming kit. Second hand gear is also available to help cut down costs.
-Rugs Most horses will need at least one rug to keep them warm during thoses cold winter months, but it really depends on their breed. I would probably say from $100 to $300 for a good quality cover that will last.
-Transportation If you need to take your horse to shows, lessons or pony club you will need some type of transportation to get there, you can hire a horse float for $40 to $100 for the day, or you can buy a good quality horse float for around $4000.
-The actual horse!!! An old saying is “bad horses cost the same to keep as good horses,” this is really true. But some times bad horses can cost a lot more, as you might have to fork out for retraining, but in the worst case you might have to sell it for a lot less than the original price you brought it for. In the long run it wil be cheaper to spend the extra money and get a well trained, and educated horse. People can often pick up a bargain, but you get what you pay for!
This long list of cost could stretch quite a lot further depending on what you will be doing so these are just the basic costs. So as you can see horse riding is a very expensive hobby!
Check back tomorrow for Part 3 of the series!!!
