Always

Be

Careful

Around horses. Keep your wits about you. Keep closed shoes on your feet (boots are best)  and your eyes open. They can hurt you in a second and not even know that they did. But take it from me, you will know!

There is nothing at all basic about horse care. A horse needs a lot of attention during the day. Daily grooming is important, not only for the health of the horse’s coat, but because grooming your horse serves as an important bonding time for both of you. It also keeps you in touch with your horse, and allows you to spot injuries quickly.

Since my horses spend time out in the pasture at night going into their big run in stalls when they want to eat, when I groom them, I look for heat on the legs, or swelling, or cuts. After they get a good brushing, I pick their feet and then turn them loose in the pasture. In the summertime, I make sure and apply fly spray to them. Fly masks, well that’s another story for another time!

When I got my first horse I kept hearing the old adage “the cheapest part of owning a horse is buying one!” I didn’t buy my first horse, he was a horse trade. But after a few months of managing a feed bill, and vet care, and finding a farrier that would come out every 6 -8 weeks to trim feet, I began to understand that saying quite well. Now as I have two horses and they are growing. The hay bill is getting larger. We typically stock 7 tons of hay to get us through the winter, along with grain and supplements.

Add to that cost, a stock heater to stop the water in the trough from freezing, add a blanket or a rain-sheet to keep the horse warm when the temperature drops, then factor in vet bills, tack supplies, shoes, riding helmet, and other essential items, and your price for your horse can skyrocket. So indeed, the cheapest part of owning a horse is the initial purchase price.