Raising Horses

[RichZ]

Cowboydoc, or any other people with experience raising horses, I have a question. My wife and I have been searching for livestock to raise on our small farm, that doesn't have to be killed to make money from. We've eliminated llamas and alpacas (very limited market for wool), sheep (wool prices are now very low), so we're thinking of going back to our original idea of raising horses (or even minature horses). We've got about 4 acres of pasture of our own, and about another 10, our neighbor will let us use permanately. Do you have any suggestions about getting started? What breeds we should consider? We personally love draft horses, because of their personalities, but we're open to anything. Our funds are low, so we don't want to get into expensive breeds. We have a barn with several box stalls, already set up for horses, because we're temporarily housing our neighbors 3 horses. We actually don't want them to go when they build their own barn, because we really love them. Any advice would be appreciated!!

Rich

 

[gws]

Rich, Is your goal to make money or have fun in rasing animals? Sounds like your attached to the neighbor horses, so are you going to sell yours horses or just keep them? If you plan on keeping them, then why would llamas not be an option. If you simply want to keep animals, llamas can be a cost effective alternative. Low up keep, minimal vet cost and wide range of initial cost investment, Minimal shelter needs. With only 4 acres, even if there was a HUGE market for wool, you couldnt house enough llamas to make much money anyway. You can always raise llama and sell them. You can also build a market for what llama wool your do have. Forget your traditional wool marketplaces. Go to the craft and spinning folks directly.

if you havent figured it out, I own llamas

Hey, I am Gary

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Gary,

Tell me more about the llamas. Heard they'll protect the other livestock from predators. How effective are they? Do you need more than one? Also heard you have to trim their teeth every six months or so.

SHF

 

[RichZ]

Gary, we'd like to make some money raising the animals, as well as have fun. We are thinking about getting llamas in the future, just for fun, but we also want to raise some critters to make money on, in a gentle sort of way, i.e. not something to be killed for food. We're animal lovers, and couldn't bear to see something we've raised killed, even for food. But possibly selling horses to people who will love them, is appealling.
Regarding the llamas, we have another 10 acres of pasture at our disposal, so we could have quite a few, but the market for the wool doesn't offset the expense of the llamas, so we'll probably get a few as pets or companion animals in the future. Do you sell your llama's wool? If so, to who, and would you mind me asking what it goes for? Here in upstate NY, we were first told it goes for $10/ounce, but there's no way you can get anywhere near that. The only market here is to private spinner groups, and so many people around here have llamas, they don't want to pay enough to make the effort wothwhile.

Rich

 

[rf33]

There are a few different strategies for making money from horses. One of the most profitable would be to purchase a broodmare and breed her to an outside stud, and then raise and train the baby yourself and then sell the baby. This option takes some know how, but if you have a local equine vet, he or she can likely help you through the more difficult parts (for a nominal fee of course /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif). The price you can get for the horse depends on many factors such as the bloodlines, and the level of training you have put into the horse, as well as some more difficult to control factors such as the baby's disposition and coloring.
Another strategy would be to board horses for others. In many areas of the country, especially near large cities, there are many people who would like a place to keep and ride a horse, but without the expense of maintaining a seperate property of their own. This can be the easiest type of business to get going, but it takes careful attention to detail, as well as a dedication to the people, and horses. Minature horses are cute, but I think that the demand for them is limited in most areas as they are useful for little more than "Yard Ornaments", and as such, you migh have more trouble selling these (at least in the long run, as they seem to be one of those hot one day, cold the next "pets"). One additional piece of advice about the horses: Do not leave them in those box stalls for extended periods of time, as ths is very unnatural for the horse, and his/her attitude and willingness to work will likely suffer.

Ron

rf33

/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[RichZ]

Ron, thanks for the info. The three horses we have right now have access to one large box stall at all times. We have an electric fence in the pasture, which leads to the paddock, which leads to the box stall. The three horses are pals, and in bad weather or when its hot they hang out in the box stall, other than that they're in the pasture. I know keeping them in a box stall can lead to problems such as cribbing.

Rich

 

[Richard]

I don't know anything about this thread in detail, but from a conceptual point of view, I'd offer a thought to you.

You said "sheep (wool prices are now very low)"

Seems to me that could be the very time to start? Sort of like buying stocks. You want to buy them when no one else wants them and sell them when everyone is screaming for them.

If the market for wool is low now seems to me you might be able to acquire the sheep inexpensively? Since market is low, others might get out of market? When that happens, market goes up and here you are ready to sell. (could you "stockpile" the sheared wool for a while??)

Again, certainly isn't a perfect analogy but I thought I would throw in the idea for contemplation. I certainly don't know ANYTHING about acquiring/housing/shearing sheep but in the arena of stocks, seems most people don't go to the store when stocks are on sale. They typically wait until the sale is over before making purchase.

Richard

 

[gws]

SHF,
Llama can be trained as guard animals. They work well with sheep, goats and smaller animals. Lllamas are heard animals so you need at least two animals. In a guard arrangement the flock will act as its companion.
You need to remove their fighting teeth when they are young and might over time need to trim, but not every six months. You do have to trim there feet a few times a year depending on the hardness of your pasture.

Hey, I am Gary

 

[gws]

I only have 2 llamas so the amount of wool I would get is minimal. I only do a barrel shaving of my llamas and dont strip them bare like you would a sheep. I usually give the wool to the person doing the shearing.
I have no idea what it sells for. Operational cost for keeping llamas is very small. 1 bale/week per animal during the cold winters, unless you get over 4 to an acre, most pasture should handle the llamas 3 season needs.

Hey, I am Gary

 

[cowboydoc]

Rich,
First of all unless you can get some pretty expensive horses you are going to go in the hole raising horses. There are too many "mutt" horse out there now. You can go to the horse sales and buy good bred horses all day long for less than a $1000. Good older trained ones for $1500-2500. Now just to get that foal on the ground is going to cost you a minimum of $1000, so if you sell for $1000, which you won't, the day the foal is born you break even for 11 months of work taking care of the mare. Now if something goes wrong, and it will at some point you are going to have some expensive vet bills. The $1000 comes from the cost of keeping a mare for a year, vet checks, stud fees- not a very good stud at that, etc. Anyway I've done the math every year for too many years to count and it's always the same. Unless you have a very good foal you aren't going to get a $1000 from a low grade mare and stud. Plus there are too many good horses out there to add more "mutts" to the list. Now unless you know how to train horses add about $500 a month to get one broke and ready to sell. To get one trained really well you are looking at at at least 6 months and $2-3k. If you can train one yourself then you only have the about $50-100 a month it will cost you to keep a horse. ANYWAY what I'm trying to say is that unless you have high dollar horses you aren't going to make any money on them and will probably lose big time. And you only get one foal a year. You would be much better off to spend $1500 on some good bred dogs and sell puppies. You would make 50 times the money you would selling horses. I don't even consider buying a mare unless I know that I can sell her baby for at least $3-5k without training. My stud horse was $25,000 and that's cheap for a good one. Unless you can spend some big time money then it's not worth it to try and make money at. Most anyone who's honest about it will tell you the same thing.

Now as far as what Ron said about boarding there you could make a little money, but the work you'd have to do would not be worth it in my opinion, plus you have people with access to your place at all times. To full board a horse you are looking at between $100-500 depending on where your area is. You have guaranteed income there but it's alot to keep up with the horses. If someone is paying you to keep their horse they usually expect alot.

The draft horse and miniature market is the same. No depend for low quality horses and not worth your time to breed them. You have to spend alot to get started and have something that people will pay for.

If I was you as far as horses for money don't even think about it. It just doesn't pay.

As far as other animals that you can make money on without there ever being a consequence that's a tough one. Most animals are raised for either their pelt, their meat, etc. Anything that you could make money on is going to end up in some kind of product. You could raise chickens, but again alot of work and eventually they have to be culled when they start laying and well what else do you do wiht a chicken that doesn't lay eggs? What about raising a vegetable garden? Farmer's markets are huge around here. The small vegetable farmers bring their vegetables into parking lots, etc. on the weekends or specific days of the week and sell them. Nice profit there. Don't even think about wool though. There hasn't been any money in wool for 20 years and not looking good in the future. The problem with animals, unless you find a niche like dogs, is that anything that has some real value the corporations have all made it into a science and for you and me to try and raise anything and sell you operate on a thin, if any, profit margin.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but horses aren't the way to go with a money maker.