Managing Your Horse on a Tight Budget

Most horse owners do not own horses as a business, or with the expectation of generating household income from their equine companions. Rather, most owners are more intent on maximizing the amount of pleasure received from riding and caring for their horses. Because owning a horse generates costs and little-to-no income for most horse owners, saving money when it comes to horse ownership is always important, but it is even more important when the economy is in a downturn and people are struggling with everyday bills. The American Association of Equine Practitioners has estimated that annually it costs $1,800 per horse, not including farrier and veterinary care. Participants (the majority with 2 to 4 horses) attending a Utah State University equine clinic covering this topic, indicated (49 percent) that they felt they would save from $200 to $400 in a 6-month period implementing these money saving tips. Keeping a horse healthy is a very important part of keeping costs down. In this informational fact sheet, horse management is discussed with the intent of saving owners money.