Owning a horse: Expect to spend time and money

People who want to purchase their first horse need to do their homework.

To start, determine your money and time budget, and what your fear quotient is.

Horses are expensive hobbies, and if you can’t spend a lot of time riding, you may want to consider a less expensive animal companion, or to volunteer at a horse rescue group.

As for risk, you will notice that barns require riders to sign a document acknowledging that riding is a dangerous sport. Some types are more so than others. Jumping, for instance, is much more dangerous than trail riding. Choose a sport, and steed, that you can handle.

You can opt for supervised practical experience first to ensure you really want to take the big step. Example: take lessons on a school horse rated safe for novices.

Acquiring a horse is not the biggest expense unless you want to go wild. In that case, you can pay tens of thousands of dollars. But you can get good, solid horses for anywhere from free to a few thousand dollars. There are bargains out there now because of the recession and the skyrocketing cost of hay over the last few drought-stricken summers.

The biggest expense of horse ownership is maintenance. If you can’t keep the horse at home, you’ll need to find a place to board him. The cheapest option is pasture board, where the horse is in a field with no barn access. You are responsible for buying feed and feeding the horse daily. That board may be as low as $100 monthly. You may find a deal, too, where the horse has access to a barn but you’re still in charge of food and stall cleaning.

If you want full-service, i.e., a barn with someone buying the hay/grain, feeding the horse, putting the horse in and out of the pasture, and cleaning his stall, you are looking at $300 on up. If you’re a busy person, the more expensive choice is the most practical.

Additionally, you are likely to have to shoe the horse too. Baby needs new shoes every six weeks, which can be $50 or more each time. And vet bills for biannual shots and whatever might ail the horse.

A money-saving alternative is to half-lease a horse. It’s like a time-share. You can ride the horse on specified days and split the costs with the owner.

You will need lessons, too. Non-riders should never get a horse and jump on without lessons. It’s a safety thing. Expect to pay at least $30 per lesson, depending on the length of the lesson, whether it’s private or shared, and the experience of the teacher.

Whether you half-lease or buy your own, consider your riding ability and fear quotient when selecting a mount. I read about a first-time buyer who bought a Thoroughbred off the track for her 50th birthday. After 1½ years, she had yet to get on the horse herself. That’s a long time to pay board and trainer fees for no ride.

Horse publications, barns, classifieds, big-animal veterinarians, friends who ride, and tack stores are good places to find information on horse, board, and trainer possibilities. I highly recommend visiting barns to learn about the facilities themselves as well as to obtain recommendations on a trainer. Many people go horse shopping with a trainer. If you do, make sure you have a trainer you work well with, one that has your interest first and foremost. I once bought a horse under the guidance of a trainer, and discovered afterward that the trainer received a discount on her horses bought at the same sales barn based in part on my purchase. Such a scenario can create a conflict of interest.

As for sales barns, I don’t favor them; others swear they find good horses there at good prices. Personally, I like to acquire a horse with a known background from an individual or rescue group.

If you do the research, take lessons, and wear a helmet, you can ride off into the sunset. As the TV cowboy Roy Rogers sang, “Happy trails to you!”