Your Place or Mine?
The last topic in this series of articles on purchasing a horse will deal with where to keep that perfect horse when you do find him. Should you shell out $200 to $500 dollars a month to board somewhere, or move out to the country where you can keep him yourself? If you already live on a few acres, should you fence it in and build a barn?
On the surface it may seem like a simple question - or no question at all - depending on your individual circumstances. But this topic deserves a closer look; not just for economic reasons, but because of the way it will effect your experience of horse ownership and the environmental issues it raises.
For most of us, keeping our own horse on our own property is the ideal dream. We love the idea of nurturing and caring for our four-legged friend. We rationalize about all the wonderful values and responsibility our children will learn by taking care of their own horse. We long for the freedom to ride whenever we please and the privacy to spend hours of solitary bonding time with our equine.
I have very special memories of growing up on a horse farm. They include moonlight rides, taking refuge in a hay-filled manger while my horse's rhythmic crunching and sweet breath soothed my troubles, and racing across the wet morning grass to find a newborn foal.
But as wonderful as our farm was, by the time two of us three children had left home, economic circumstances and my mother's deteriorating health made selling the farm and boarding out the last two horses a better option.
How could it be more economical to pay board when we already had an established farm? Here are some of the hidden costs you must consider in keeping your own horse on your own property. The biggest expense (and one that puts many farms of all types out of business) is property taxes. Add in the cost of maintaining a tractor, bush hog and manure spreader. Add in the cost of fence repair. Add in the hay and grain expense and the expense of transporting it. Most importantly, add in all the time required to maintain the horses and property.
No matter where you keep your horse, this is not a cheap hobby. Developing a small (less than 5 acres) piece of property, especially for the novice horse owner can be a big mistake. The average length of horse ownership is three to five years. If you board a horse for $300 dollars a month in three years you will have spent $10,800 dollars. Figure out how much it will cost you to build a barn and fence in your property. Add in the cost of your equipment and the cost of feed. The less pasture you have, the more feed (especially hay) you will need. The more pasture you have, the more expensive your fencing will be. Now consider who will feed the horse twice every day, in all kinds of weather. Who will muck the stall everyday? What will you do with the horse if you want to go on a family vacation?
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