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06/03/2005 02:19:06 PM · #1 |
This is going to be interesting to say the least.
Ellie wants a horse and Gale thinks it would be a good idea as well for her to have her own horse. I know, cost! Well, once the horse is purchased/aquired there is room and board, which I more than earn at Gale's with my co-op duties, that includes a slip stall, bedding, hay and grain for one month. Then you have the shots twice a year, which isn't bad, I earn that on Ebay easily. And then the farrier, which I earn doing chores for Gale and worming, which is about $10 every 3-4 months. It's the cost of the horse that's holding us up. BUT I found a rescue place about 4.5 hours from here but before I put any money out towards application fees I want to have them checked out, physically, if possible. Here is the website: //www.adoptahorse.org/
I sent an email asking for a bit more information before committing and got a rather standard reply with no more real information. Is there anyone is the area of Freehold, NJ that might be able to check them out for me and save me an extra trip?
Deannda
This is an adoption fee I can afford |
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06/03/2005 02:42:13 PM · #2 |
Back in my horse days (mid to late 80s) paid room and board ran up to $400 a month. To keep one in the backyard was about $75 a month (vet, farrier, food, etc). The cost of the barn/fence not included.
You can get retired racehorses, some retraining needed. Being thorobreds they can be a bit delicate compared to say, a quarter horse or pony. The amish buy most of the trotter and pacers for buggy duty and they seem to hold up fine. Fed mostly hay and some grain a TB is not a hot animal. Fill em with sweet feed and then you ahve a Porsche looking for a place to let loose.
I know very little about rescued horses, but i'd wathc out for behaviour issues and mostly health issues.
What you plan to do with the horse is of course a consideration on what breed/age/condition you are after.
I know you have rationalized the cost of care ("i make that on ebay" - yes, but you spend it somepace else now...) be beware of the miisc costs - tack, shows, tranportation to shows if needed, etc. Worming you can do (the paste in the mouth works well). $10 for farrier seems low, but without shoes that might be reasonable.
The last friend that bought a horse spent $15,000, back in '89, for a 15 hand ..umm, hanoverian i think. She bought if for Dressage.
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06/03/2005 03:02:37 PM · #3 |
It certainly must be cheaper to keep a horse in the US! Herein UK I used to pay about £60 for a set of shoes every 5 weeks. To keep my mare at stables (full board) was about £50 -£70 and then there was insurance, tack, vet's bills.........
Anyway I had a look at the adoption site and I wasn't too impressed with the horses generally. A lot seemed pretty old and some weren't broken. I would be wary of putting a nine year old child onboard one.
In England there are often horses on loan - ones children have grown out of or got bored with but they do not want to sell them outright. I put my mare up for loan when I had to move and she was the total responsibility of the people who took her, financially and morally but I still owned her. We had a contract so I couldn't just take her away without notice and they couldn't move her stables and had to let me have regular reports on her and let me knoe if the vet was needed, It really works well.
Is there something similar in the US? These horses were advertised in horse magazines. |
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06/03/2005 03:15:43 PM · #4 |
We have two, an Arabian (wifes) and a Tennessee Walker (he's mine). Bought the TW for $1200 (7 yrs old), he is very easy going and fun to ride.
We get the hoofs trimmed every 3 months or so - $50 for both horses. Our biggest headache is pasture maintenance - keeping the weeds down, and cutting it. If the pasture isn't up to speed then we spend much more for hay (they get grain all year round).
I wish you the best of luck...
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06/03/2005 07:00:54 PM · #5 |
Thanks for the replies, first the worming is about $10, the ferrier would top out at $65 w/shoes. As for board, much cheaper where I live, much, much cheaper and I work it off. As for transportation back and forth to shows, I already work that off as well. Tack, being provided by Gale until we can get our own.
As for "I make that on Ebay", I spend it on the horses now, it would just be towards our own horse now :)
Deannda
Still waiting until I can either check the place out or get it check out |
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06/03/2005 10:35:06 PM · #6 |
| Hey Deannda. You might consider calling some vets in the area the horses are kept. They would know what kind of reputation the place has and whether if would be ok to adopt from them. Good luck. |
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06/03/2005 10:37:55 PM · #7 |
| Have you contacted the SPCA in your area? I'm pretty sure they thoroughly screen their rescued animals before placement. |
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06/03/2005 10:39:46 PM · #8 |
| well, I once went through the desert on a horse with no name... but on the third day I let it run free because the desert had turned to sea. Otherwise I would've given it to you. |
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06/03/2005 11:00:46 PM · #9 |
| I would suggest getting a pre-purchase exam done on any horse you might consider buying. This would include xrays of the legs, soundness check, and also having blood drawn to make sure the horse is not doped up. Depending on how much of this exam you might consider doing it could cost you up to $400. It is a good idea then you don't have any question of soundness after you bring the horse home. |
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06/04/2005 12:34:10 AM · #10 |
Recently on freecycle.com in my area there was someone looking for homes for 2 horses, but they were retired.. Post in your community that you are looking for one, they do this too here.. There are lots of horses around here too... About the site adoptahorse.org I think that is the same one that animal planet did a special show on awhile back... Good luck finding one.. Theres probably a reason for someone to always need to find another home for their horses like pets... patience in having the right horse will come to you and will be an award in the end...
edited because my eye is not seeing all...
Message edited by author 2005-06-04 00:36:08.
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06/04/2005 12:53:39 AM · #11 |
you could also ask the local farrier. he probably knows many folks with horses available for 'loan'.
I took care of 2 horses for 4 years, while the girl that owned them was at college. They were stabled at mom and dads house. I got free use of them and got quite an education at no cost to me.
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06/04/2005 01:00:14 AM · #12 |
It seems very likely from their website that these are competent and caring people who know their horses. Nothing I saw raises even the hint of a red flag for me.
Robt.
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