Its time.....I guess for a horse

[HunterdonPaul]

OK so I have been promising my oldest daughter a horse for some time now. My wife and I have been discussing it and have decided to start looking around this year. Now we have a "horse property" but not alot of experience with horses (e.g. I know that they have 4 legs and need to be fed, but thats about it). My daughter loves animals. She has been taking riding lessons (English) for the past 2 or 3 years, but not on a consistant basis. Its the one thing that she doesn't seem to get bored doing. Her instructor tells me that she is a natural. I know that I will be stuck with the daily chores but I am willing to do that for her.

So if you can give me any information or advice on this venture that I am about to take part in, please do. Here are some questions -

1) Should we buy or lease?
2) How much $$$ should I pay for her first horse?
3) What is a typical monthly budget for keeping a horse?
4) She is just turning 10 in a couple of weeks but is big for her age. What size horse? How old of a horse? How large of a horse?
5) What other advice can you give me? Any would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[s1120]

Hi Paul.
If you ever go over to CBN, in the livestock fourm I asked about much the same thing awile ago. Its called "How much work is a horse" I have decided that it is not for me, but I got alot of REAL good info.[thanks guys! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif] Take a read, I bet they answer a lot for you.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

We bought a Tennessee walker mare (Sable) and a thoroughbred mare (Sydney) when we first bought our place, they were respectively 19 and 17 years old. They were excellent for first horses for the kids as they were mellow, had seen and done everything and didn't spook. The only time we ever had any trouble with them was when we seperated them (one being ridden, the other not) then whichever one was left in the pasture would go wild.

The madness to ride was constant for the first few months, then we started noticing horses left unbrushed, and saddles left laying in the yard, Sydney with sweat all over her put back in the pasture un-tended to. A warning was issued. An ultimatum given. No improvement was seen. So the horses were sold.

We had plenty of pasture and the feed cost us about five dollars a week. As long as there was good grass we only gave them sweet feed. We didn't know what we were doing but for the year we had them they were healthy and fat and happy. Fred did all the farrier work. We wormed them regularly. Sydney got what looked to be a urinary infection and I called the vet, he reccomended a dosage of pncln, which I administered once a day for three days and she was right as rain.

We paid a thousand dollars for both horses, but, the original price was a thousand dollars apiece which we couldn't afford. But like you we made the promise to the kids so we bit the bullet and did it. The reason the price went down is because the owner was a friend and she needed to move right NOW. So she gave us the break, and allowed us a little time to pay them off. We sold them for nine hundred, so we lost a hundred dollars onthe deal but gained the knowledge that we were not fit to own horses.

 

[dmccarty]

Paul,

Promised the kid? That is a tough one.

My wife had the horse bug a few years ago. She was taking
the riding lessons and all. Then she found a "deal" on the
perfect horse....

To try to keep this saga short. She bought the horse at about
the time I got the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif or should that be /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I tried to say no. I tried reason, the tractor does work and
will earn its keep. The horse costs us money to keep. We
are going to have children soon and you won't have time for
the horse.....

We bought the horse. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Room and board was around 200 a month. Maybe more but
my wife worked out deals with the stable owners so that they
used the horse for the "school." So it did not cost us a
fortune.

My wife rode the horse maybe twice before she could no
longer ride due to her pregnancy. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

One stable owner tried to steel the horse by crippling the
horse when it was reshoed. Took a fair amount of money
to heal the horse and move her to a new stable. Part of the
deal was that the horse was registered, could do all these
riding things, and was worth far more than we paid.

I can't remember the whole deal, errrr, nightmare, but the
women who we bought the horse from spent some time in
the "hospital" and she did not have all the paperwork from the
person whom she bought the horse. That person was a
college student who we could not trace. We never could get
the paper work and register the horse correctly....

Sooooo, after mucho time and money we sold the horse for
$500 or there abouts. We paid I think $1,000. I don't won't
to know what it cost with the visits from the vet, furrier, and
other fees.

When I mention the cost per hour ridden to my wife I get a
look. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The tractor has over 400 hours and from the work it has done
its paid for if we had had to pay someone to do the same
work. I can't, won't and don't mention the dollar per hour costs for the tractor vs the horse. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

At least the saga killed the horse riding bug my wife had. I
just hope that the two daughters don't get the bug. I WON'T
promise them a horse. The pasture to be is going to be
replanted in pine. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif In the long run the wife's horse
saga will have saved me money since I won't have to build
pastures, barns, fences, etc. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I think it will be cheaper to let your daughter ride at a stable.

But my grandmother promised my dad a horse if he passed
the fifth grade. He did and she did not buy the horse. He
never let her forget that horse..... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You are in one tough hard place Paul. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Good Luck!!!!!
Dan McCarty

 

[popeye]

I just got out of the horse business. The initial outlay of the horse is a small percentage of overall expense. Horses are suprisingly fragile animals. Resign yourself to the fact that it will be YOU or your wife who will ultimately be taking care of the animal. I kept my horse promise and of course she agreed she would take good care of it and for the most part she did Buuuutt!!! Guess what happened when she found boys!! Before you buy any horse no matter what the price take it to a vet first and have it checked out thoroughly. Could save you a lot of money in the long run. I could run on forever on that subject.
Just my .02
Mike

 

[EarPlug]

<font color="red"> Her instructor tells me that she is a natural. </font>

This is a trainor's way of saying "keep coming back, I need your money"

Jack

 

[Anonymous Poster]

That's funny, reminds me of when my chubby little darlin' girl decided to try ballet. The instructor, in this heavy thick french accent said,

"Oh....she has greet potential...look at thet fooorrm."

I looked. I saw a chubby little girl who had the form of a koala bear.

"Thees one is a prime candidate for private leesons!"

Yeah. Uh huh.

She was enrolled in the Little Sharks swim team the next day and ballet was never given another thought. Amazing the potential an instructor can see when they think you are willing to pay.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Paul, Hey buddy, thats a big promise. It's an even bigger promise if you plan on keeping the horse on your property. The bare minimum will be shelter, fence, hay storage, and watering equipment. (water could be buckets, twice a day in winter)

The first thing I would do is to buy some books.
http://www.brightranch.com/bookrack/horse_ownership.htm

After getting setup the costs will vary depending on the horse. My wifes horse costs considerably more to keep than mine does. A fact that I remind her of quite often /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Her horse eats over twice as much as mine and requires shoes every 6 weeks.($50-$70) Mine just gets a trim for $20.

Good feet are important!

Gets some books and depend on a local horse person to help you make the right choice when you are actually shopping. Looks can be deceiving. If you get stuck with a lame horse it won't be fun and it won't be cheap in the long run.

Good luck, Keep us posted!
Kevin
http://www.geocities.com/kevin_usa_us/home.html
visit our homepage for some pics of our horses!

 

[cowboydoc]

Well I'm going to give the other side to this story. I would take a horse over anything but my family. I'd rather have one good horse than any number of friends, tractors, cattle, land or anything. Just like anything you are going to get out what you put into something. The reason most people don't get along well with horses are 1. Lack of education about horses and 2. Buying junk. A horse is not something to take lightly. You also get what you pay for.

First of all education. Horses are no more fragile than any other animal or ourselves for that matter. Horse like schedules. When we are showing or rodeoing we keep our horses on the same schedule away from home as we do at home. Most people also kill their horses with kindness. Horses don't need every exotic feed out there. Horses need two things. Good hay and if they are thin or need more energy they need grain. This doesn't mean a $20 bag of exotic sweet feed. It means some good old fashioned oats. The next thing they need is FRESH water and a good mineral block. Not your water softener salt block but a good high quality mineral block. The next thing they need is fresh water. I don't know how many people I know fill their water tank once a week or longer. That water gets stale, stagnant and full of disease. How would you like to drink from the same glass of water all week that had bugs crawling in it, heat, etc.

The next thing that horses need is good quality vet care. Don't save yourself $40 by doing stuff yourself. Most people are not vets. Would you give your kids their vaccinations? No. So why treat your horse less? The next thing is doing your own trimming and shoeing. I see more horses crippled this way. Get a good vet. Have him give your vaccinations and do any other vet work. Next find a good farrier. If you can't afford quality care from professionals for your horse you shouldn't be owning one. There is a tremendous amount of responsibility with one.

The next thing is worming. Get with your vet for a quality program. There is more to worming than ivermectrin.

Now we come to one of my biggest pet peaves and that is buying junk horses, esp. for kids. You don't buy a $1000 junker car and expect to take the family vacation in it. Good quality horses are expensive. They don't sell for $500, 1000, etc. To get a well bred, well trained horse you are going to have spend some money. A well-bred, good quality horse is going to cost $3-5k at a minimum and up from there depending on how well trained they are and for what discipline. The biggest reason that people aren't happy with their horses is that they didnt' buy the right horse. That isn't the horses fault. Or people buy a baby and think they will grow up together and everything will be great. Well that only works in the movies!!

The next thing is education. Even the best of horses require tuning. Read all you can about horses and if you aren't interested go to a trainer once or twice a month to get lessons with your horse or have the trainer work the horse to keep them honest.

Now let's answer your questions. I definitely feel if you can get a lease for a horse that is the way to go. At a minimum get a 14 day or longer return policy. Most reputable horse dealers will allow this. I do this with every horse I sell. If you don't like him bring him back. I charge a small fee to cover the costs of reselling the horse. But it's much better than a person being stuck with a horse they can't use.

As far as work one horse will require about a half hour or less of your time a day. The best thing for a horse is a three sided lean-to, fresh water, and hay fed out of a ground feeder. Drag your pastures and rotate. One horse is not that much work. Stall your horse as little as possible. Anyway feed a couple times a day, maybe clean a stall, etc.

As far as your daughter goes I don't think there is anything better than ranchwork for teaching kids the right way to grow up. From day one let her know it's her resposnibility. As I am writing this my five and seven year old are up checking on calving cows, feeding grain, bottle feeding four calves, cleaning stalls, and watering. Kids can accept a tremendous amount of responsibility but you have to hold them accountable. My girls love it. I kid about moving to the golf course all the time and they will have none of it.

Now the rewarding part. I couldn't be without my horses. I treat them with the respect they deserve and they do the same. Horses are amazing animals. However you treat and what you expect of them is what you will get from them. They are just like kids. If you don't insist on respect and obedience they will become wild and unruly. You don't have to be forceful or overbearing. You just show them the way. That is where the education comes into play. There is nothing like roping a calf in 7 seconds or stretching a steer team roping, or checking calves on a clear morning as the sun rises or having the sun set on your back riding home with your little girls, or taking a wild unruly two year old and molding that horse into a fine cowpony. Horses always listen to your problems and they can be your best friends. But you have to remember that a horse is a horse and you will only get out of the relationship what you put into it.

If you have your own place for the horse you are looking at $30-50 a month for hay, $10-20 for grain, $200-300/yr. for vet bills, $200/yr. for farrier work. Everything else is just what you want to spend. The other big mistake I see people make is buying cheap equipment. You don't have to buy the best but buy good quality equipment and have your horse fitted, esp. for saddles. Nothing makes a horse harder to ride than uncomfortable equipment, both for horse and rider.

As far as how big that all considers what she is looking to do with the horse. Let me know that and I can tell you. I wouldn't even look at ANYTHING less than 8 years old. It is at 8 yo that a horse really starts to mature mentally. I also wouldn't consider anything but a quarter horse. They are quieter, have better minds, and are much more suited to errors by riders than any other breed. They have been bred for their dispostion for years.

I know you'll have more questions and I'll be happy to help. You will probably look at alot of horses before you find the right one. The best advice I can give is wait for the right one.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Now finally something I know at least little about, cause I ceratinly am not a tractor expert /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We were in the same situation 3 years ago when we moved to upstate NY. My wife had owned a horse since she was about 11 and worked at horse stables as a kid but it was our first horse on OUR property.

We moved up here and had horse property with a small barn... well it started as 1, 2,3,4,5 and now a 6th horse is due to be born shortly. You probably arent't going to want to keep one lonely horse in the field. If you don't want multiple horses many people get a goat to keep the horse company. One horse is a kind of lonely looking.

You can buy or even adopt sound horses for very little money or you can spend as much as you like. A basic trail horse shouldn't be too much. If you are looking for some sort of performance horse, the sky is the limit. The one problem with adoption is thta most reputable palces want you too have had previous horse experience and some want the horese to have other hoses to socialize with. There is an organiztion in NK/NY and KY that is called Re-run the place many retired racehorses. The NJ locastion has mostly Standardbreds from the track, many are sound or have minor problems that will not hampoer them in non-racing activities. We adopted a terrific 4 year old TB from there KY location and he is the best looking, healthiest horse we have. RERUN

The expense is not TOO bad if they are on your own property, feed and hay are reasonable and we only shoe the horses that my wife and daughter barrell race. The big expense is sickness. So far only one real bad incident in 3 years but it cost 5k /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

As far as work, if you keep the horses in the pasture with a run-in shed for shelter the main chore (stall cleaning) doesn't exist. The horses we have outside really only take 5-10 minutes total a day for feeding and watering in the morning and night.

The 3 in the barn take maybe 30-45 minutes of work a day combined. That's turning out, stall cleaning, manure removal etc.

The other thing you will need to do on a regular basis is get the farrier (every 6-8 weeks), vet for shots and innoculations maybe twice a year and the other minor medical issues maybe 1-2 times a year. Worming the horses isn't really much harder than getting my Bulldog to eat his heartworm medication /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

In all honesty the horses in the pasture seem healthier and happier, not to mention being less work. With good shelters they made it throught he toughest, snowiest and coldest winter in years with flying colors.

When this tractor comes we may get several smaller temporary shelters and leave most if not all of these guys outside.

The horse work is not bad in warmer weather but in the winter water freezing, icing footing, snow on the barn roof, yard hydrants that freeze, etc. are factors to consider. When it's 4 degrees in the morning and the horses need fresh water and feed, it aint' that much fun. You will also need to snowblow/plow pathes to the barn, feed, water manure storage doing the winter. Where most guys are finishing plowing the driveway and heading in to watch the game I am just starting. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Last year it wasn't much but this year is was a job.

When the weather is OK the kids do help. If they aren't willing to help they don't need a horse. As it is now my wife and daughter do the daily horse care. My son says he wants to get more involved with the horses but then he needs to go out there on a regular basis to help care for the horses. We explained you can't just hop on the horse at the show after someone else has fed, groomed, cleaned up after, and tacked your horse.

The real sarifice is that you can't just decide to go away or spend the night somewhere without getting someone to care for your horse. It isn't like a dog you need someone who knows what they are doing.

With all this said the horses add something special to our family and to the appeal of the property and I am sure we will always have them. I hope you do get the horse but you are right to consider the work.

P.S. if you do go the horse route consider buying a 4horse(16" )stock bumper pull trailer and it will work to haul your tractor as well. They are no frills and pretty cheap.

Oh and when you buy the daughter the pony make sure that pony isn't pregnant /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif