Horses and $$$$$

I answered what I could...

2 - # horses you currently own
4 generally, but in hard times they go out on 250 or so. - acreage per horse
300/year - average annual veterinary + farrier costs
amount of money you set aside for veterinary emergencies
4 separate pastures, 2 stalls, 2 run in sheds - describe facilities you have on your property--barns/paddocks/pastures/etc
right outside the city limits of shreveport, which is pop 400,000 - describe where you live--what area, is it rural, etc...

Fugly put a link to a cost calculating site once...
http://fuglyblog.com/?p=2728
the comment section might be helpful ^_^

______ # horses you currently own
Two Ponies in the 13hh range

______ acreage per horse
3/4 acre per horse...a bit more maybe as we sometimes fence in about an acre of our yard with temp fencing for extra grazing in the summer

______ annual cost of feed
I spend about $50 every 2 weeks on "extras", $800 per year on hay (less this year as prices went down for me!!)

______ average annual veterinary + farrier costs
around $200/year on vet costs, some years more, some years less. I do a lot of my own vaccinations, but still figured in the prices of what I pay.
farrier is $60 every 5 weeks. I only get trims done, no shoes.

______ amount of money you set aside for veterinary emergencies
I started off with about $500, and I chuck in at least $25 every payday, more if I don't have a lot of other stuff I need to be buying. If I take a chunk out, I try to replace it quickly

______ describe facilities you have on your property--barns/paddocks/pastures/etc
Two stall barn with hay mow. Pasture is sectioned into two parts, but usually leave the gate open in between. Electric fence "paddock" type area in front of all that. Temp fencing up for another acre or so in the summer.

______ what sort of trailer and/or trucks have you had to purchase
I actually do not own a trailer, and my mom just bought a truck that I've started using to haul feed with. I've got a friend I can pay to trailer my horses if the need were to arise. My hay is delivered to me and put up at no extra charge.

______ describe where you live--what area, is it rural, etc...
Out in the middle of nowhere in Southern Ohio.

I live in a metropolitan area and I board. Feed, hay and acreage are included. My basic boarding costs were $5000 a year, for field board 45 minutes away. That is a reasonable amount for my area at that distance. Basic farrier costs are $200-300 a year for trimming and/or front shoes (not a full set). Basic veterinary costs (deworming/vaccines) are about the same. Personal veterinary costs for the past year and a half are in the $5000 range due to an infected puncture would in one horse, and a bout of strangles with another, who is still in rehab. Basic tack and supplies to start with were about $500-600 and then another $100/year (i.e. flyspray, etc.); however, tack was used and/or obtained from friends at a discount. Veterinary visits range from $35 - 130 for the farm call and then whatever services are provided. Dentistry is $200-600/year depending on what needs done.

All in all, I would say I sink in $6000-8000/year on 1 horse, and I would like to have a comfortable $3000-6000 cushion for problems.

*I should say that those board costs are in the past, and the facilities were minimal. Trails attached to a national park, and one small ring, which was not maintained. Stalls were available for feeding times, but never used otherwise. My current board is different because my horse is in rehab. It was $350/month for an isolation paddock, and once he is out, $240/month for field board. It is $40 per trim. The horse is 63 miles away from me (one way) so this situation is not permanent. Once I bring him in closer, that board is going to go up. I have another horse, who is boarded with friends in another state. That cost is minimal and they take care of everything for me, so it is about $1500/year.

Were I to have both horses up here at a decent boarding facility with basic care and an hour or less from my house, my costs would be more than double (figuring in extra tack, supplies, etc).

______ # horses you currently own
1 (pony)

______ total cost of ownership per year per horse (include anything you can think of)
No clue.

______ annual cost of boarding, if applicable
I exchange work for board

______ acreage per horse
About an acre or so

______ annual cost of feed
~$750-800 for hay, $80-120 for minerals, $50 in salt

______ average annual veterinary + farrier costs
I do my own vet work so I just pay cost on supplies
Farrier= $30 every 4 weeks so ~$400 a year
I do pay around $150-200 for chiropractic work.

______ amount of money you set aside for veterinary emergencies
Not a lot; the only major cost would be for disposal in event of mortality.

______ describe facilities you have on your property--barns/paddocks/pastures/etc
I board at my former bosses house. Three stall shed with combination 3 wood board and woven wire fencing. About 1 acre of grass turnout.

______ what sort of trailer and/or trucks have you had to purchase
I borrow as needed.

______ describe where you live--what area, is it rural, etc...
Rural rapidly being eaten up by suburbs. My costs are actually incredibly cheap for the area I live in.

that's the one thing I forgot to say--the area you are in will greatly affect the prices you pay. Take hay for example. The same type of hay I'm paying 2.50/70 lb square, a friend in FL is paying $4 a bale for...a friend in CA says she would be paying over $6 for the same type.

same goes with vet costs too. I had an emergency call out fee on a holiday that was also on a Sunday that was also after hours (mare choked, I couldn't resolve it myself within a certain time frame). Ended up using my backup vet who is further away (1 hour drive). The cost? $70. When I worked at the BSA camp just 3 hours north of me, we had something similar--Holiday weekend (4th of July), horse choking, vet lived a mile down the road....the fee? $280 or so. In both cases the same care was given.

If you know the area you will be living in/keeping a horse in--the best thing to do is call around and get prices for stuff.

______ # horses you currently own
one horse one pony

______ total cost of ownership per year per horse (include anything you can think of)
4000.00 for horse, 500.00 for pony

______ annual cost of boarding, if applicable
3000.00 for horse, 00.00 for pony

______ acreage per horse
10 ac. for horse, 1/2 ac. for pony

______ annual cost of feed
1000.00 for horse (included in board), 500.00 for pony (double that if we had to feed hay year round, we have good pasture for about 5 1/2 mo.)

______ average annual veterinary + farrier costs
budget 500 for each, EIA, vax, Fecals, Dental etc. I do my own trimming every 2-4 weeks

______ amount of money you set aside for veterinary emergencies
500.00 for each for things like sutures, do my best to avoid colics and laminitis with muzzles/rotational grazing/equilix etc.

______ describe facilities you have on your property--barns/paddocks/pastures/etc
where we board the mare they have 10 acres cross fenced with woven field wire, plank topped with a hot wire, 12x12 stalls (although the horses are on 24 hour turnout, they can access them in case of bad weather.) A round pen, a catch pen, LGD's, Hay and Trailer storage, heated water, electrical for clippers, grooming vac, etc.

The pony has an 8x8 stall with the door always open to her 16x40 paddock, a 16ft "round pen" that we move 2x every day for rotational grazing meals in the summer, and in winter a slow feed hay box, a spinning pellet dispenser, and an Amazing Graze for veggie treats.

______ what sort of trailer and/or trucks have you had to purchase
We have a 1998 Dodge Diesel 2500 and have recently upgraded from a 1972 2horse bumper pull WW (500.00) to a 1990 fully enclosed 4horse bumper pull slant (1000.00) that needs the slant panels and a new floor...

______ describe where you live--what area, is it rural, etc...
We live semi-rural 6mi outside of a 100,000 large town that is growing over us.

Don't forget clinic fees, playday entries, tack upgrades, magazine subscriptions, etc.