By Photo: Lauren Connell/USFWS / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
The purchase price is usually the smallest part of owning a horse. In Northern Colorado, where good pasture is limited and hay has to carry most horses through a long winter, the monthly bills add up quickly. Here is a way to build a realistic budget before you buy, with the questions to ask and the public sources to check.
1. Where the horse will live
Boarding stables in Larimer and Weld counties generally offer three levels:
- Pasture board: the horse lives outside with a herd, with shelter and water. Ask whether hay is included in winter.
- Self-care or partial board: you rent a stall or pen and supply feed and labor yourself.
- Full board: stall, daily feeding, cleaning and turnout are included. Ask what extras cost, such as blanketing or holding the horse for the vet.
If you keep a horse on your own land, check county zoning and any subdivision covenants first, since many limit the number of animals per acre. A common rule of thumb from extension specialists is that dryland pasture on the plains cannot support a horse year-round without a lot of supplemental hay.
2. Hay
Hay is the biggest variable cost. An adult horse eats roughly 2 percent of its body weight in forage each day, or about 20 to 25 pounds for a 1,100-pound horse, which comes to several tons a year. Prices rise in drought years and late in winter. The USDA’s weekly Colorado and Wyoming hay reports show what horse-quality hay is selling for by the ton. Buying a winter’s supply in summer, if you have dry storage, is usually cheaper.
3. The farrier
Most horses need hoof trimming every six to eight weeks, and shod horses need resetting on a similar schedule. Ask local farriers for their rates for a trim and for a full set of shoes.
4. The vet
Plan for an annual wellness visit with vaccinations, a dental exam and floating as needed, deworming based on fecal egg counts, and a Coggins test for equine infectious anemia, which is required for travel and for many shows and boarding barns. Set aside an emergency fund as well. Colic surgery and serious injuries can cost thousands of dollars, which is why some owners buy major medical insurance. The James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University in Fort Collins handles emergency and specialty cases for the region.
5. Paperwork and travel
Colorado requires a brand inspection when a horse changes ownership and when it is moved more than 75 miles within the state or across state lines. Owners can buy a permanent travel card from the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Brand Inspection Division so they don’t need a new inspection every trip. Wyoming has its own rules, set by the Wyoming Livestock Board.
6. Tack, trailer and the rest
Add saddle and tack, blankets, supplements, lessons or training, entry fees and, if you haul, a truck and trailer with their insurance and maintenance.
A simple budget worksheet
Write down the monthly board (or land and feed) cost, divide annual hay by 12, then add farrier visits per year times the rate divided by 12, the annual vet estimate divided by 12, and a monthly amount for an emergency fund. If that total fits comfortably, you are ready to start looking.
Sources: Colorado State University Extension, equine publications; Colorado Department of Agriculture, Brand Inspection Division; Wyoming Livestock Board; USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Market News hay reports; CSU James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
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