An essential part of any rescue effort is to find new homes for equines in need. The big question is whether you should adopt a rescued horse. Here are some important facts, figures and opinions that will help you decide whether or not adoption is the right choice for you, and if so, how to go about it.
Do you definitely want to be a long-term horse-owner? Have you spent plenty of time caring for horses and are you willing to make arrangements constantly to provide for his care and safety?
Horses cost money - even adopted horses. Don't adopt a horse if you can't afford one. While you may think adoption is the inexpensive means to obtain an equine, remember that their needs are expensive: boarding, feed, medical bills, shoeing, and tack and equipment.
For what purpose will you use your horse? Are you looking for a trail horse, a hunter/jumper, a dressage prospect? At what level do you ride? Speak with the shelter owner to make sure your needs and expectations match your prospective horse.
When you look to adopt a horse, be less concerned with breed, color, size and sex of the equine than with his temperament and how he matches your riding ability. Those attributes are more important for long-term compatibility.
First see the related PetPlace.com articles: "The Right Breed for You"; "What it Costs to Own a Horse"; and "Equine Insurance." For a comprehensive book, you may want to look at Your First Horse: How to Buy and Care for Your First Horse. Jacqueline Dwelle BHSAI.
With the right questions asked early, you will be able to decide if adoption is the right decision for you and your family.
For a current snapshot of the adoption process once equines arrive at a shelter, consider these facts and figures.
More than half of all sheltered equines are adopted after an average shelter stay of about 5½ months, and they are most commonly adopted out to people intending to use them for pleasure riding.
Adoption fees are an important component of shelter income. The average high adoption fee is $865.00 and the average low adoption fee is $289 per equine. Many adoption fees are nominal. It largely depends on how well subsidized the shelter operation is.
Almost all shelters follow up and visit the adopted equines and their adopters at the new home. Most of their adoptions are successful, meaning that horses are not returned to the shelter for any reason.
Chief among the reasons that animals are returned are the owner's inability to care for the animal properly or the adoption not being a suitable match between animal and adopter.
Half of all shelters have policies requiring that the shelter be notified of a change of ownership. Another 40 percent of shelter respondents do not allow the transfer of the animal and/or retained ownership. They require that the horse be returned to the shelter should the adopter no longer be able or willing to care for him.
Less than 10 percent of shelter respondents do not require notification in case of change of adopters.
Shelter owners face a stigma attached to animals coming from shelters. The stereotype of a rescued equine is that of a broken-down horse. If the general public is made more aware of how shelters function and the valuable horses they offer, they may come to realize that many rescued horses are successfully rehabilitated and can flourish as athletes. Shelter respondents have reported that some of their horses even go on to compete successfully.
Successful horse ownership requires a team effort from you and your horse. The two of you will spend a lot of time together, and a lot of that time doesn't involve riding. It involves grooming, feeding, training, regular veterinarian examinations, exercising and hoof care, just to name a few things.
Your time also involves the less glamorous side of horse ownership, such as stable care and sanitation. (Yes, this includes manure pile management - which is an art unto itself.) If you plan to leave the basic care to someone else, you'll want to invest a lot of time finding the right livery, and consider the travel time to and from the stable. And you will still want to perform some basic care yourself, such as grooming, to bond with your horse. In fact, grooming is vital to maintaining a healthy relationship with your horse.
How much actual time - on a daily or weekly basis - a horse requires depends on a lot of things. If you lease a horse, a program called shareboarding, you will have fewer responsibilities. This type of lease is helpful if time or money is limited.
The bare minimum of time you can expect to devote to a horse is about 8 to 10 hours a week. If you're doing more of the work, plan on blocking out 14 to 15 hours a week. It all depends on your level of involvement.
Horses are wonderfully complex creatures. They are so complex that a person should invest a lot of time up front researching the age and type of horse they want and the care involved before "interviewing" actual equines.
A Morgan horse, for instance, is good for beginners because Morgans have a gentle demeanor and willing disposition. They are good as pleasure horses or for show, and can be ridden Western or English style. (If you are unfamiliar with these terms, take time to learn the lexicon of horse riding.)
Likewise, the quarterhorse is an excellent choice for beginning riders because they are very calm and forgiving. Their gentle natures have made them the most popular horse breed in the world.
Next, age is a factor. A younger horse will require a lot of training time, while an older horse may have habits you'll want to change - again, more time. In general, an experienced horse that has been well-kept is easier to handle, especially for beginners. Depending on the age, older horses may require more veterinary care.
If you plan to take care of your horse yourself, become familiar with the time required to do it right:
You should pick out his hooves every day as well, regardless of whether he has been ridden. Schedule a farrier to trim your horse's hooves every six to eight weeks.
These are just a few of the things that require time. If your horse has any medical or behavioral issues, more time will need to be devoted to treatment. Finally, there's the life span of the horse. Horses can live more than 30 years, so this is a lifetime commitment. The time spent caring for your horse should be a labor of love, each and every day.
Only 100 years ago equines - horses, ponies, burros, donkeys, and mules - were a part of daily life in both urban and rural areas. They pulled our carts and carriages, plowed our fields, and delivered our mail via the pony express. They became part of American history and, like the wild mustangs, part of the American identity.
In the 1900s, with the increasing use of the automobile, tractors, and other motorized vehicles, the role of the working equine in the United States diminished. Today there are estimates that there are 6.9 million horses in the United States, according to The American Horse Council.
Today, equines are used in the professional racing and show industries, in research, in pharmaceutical production, and for recreational and personal use. The National Economic Impact Study (NEIS), commissioned by the American Horse Council (1998), subdivided their population estimate into the following categories:
Recreational uses of equines include pleasure riding and driving, companion animals, and non-professional showing. The show industry includes the professional exhibition of equines in dressage, stadium jumping, eventing, saddle-seat equitation, driving, halter classes, barrel racing, reining, and other divisions of these disciplines. Racing includes flat racing of thoroughbreds, Arabians, and quarter horses, harness racing of Standardbreds, and Steeplechasing. The category of Other Purposes includes working horses, such as cutting and calf-roping horses, carriage horses, and horses used for breeding, rodeos, and circuses.
Within all of these populations referenced above is an undetermined number of equines that are unwanted, neglected, or abused. Unwanted horses are thought to be a major source of horses relinquished for slaughter. These horses are relatively healthy, but may be sent to slaughter because they cannot perform as intended, and/or exhibit behavioral problems. Unwanted equines may not be directly sold to slaughterhouses; many "pleasure horses" or backyard pets may be sold to middlemen and destined for slaughter, unbeknownst to their owners.
Shelters sprang up to rescue these horses. Shelter as a verb can be defined as follows: "to constitute or provide a shelter for; protect" (Merriam-Webster). This definition is broadened to include the variety of equine welfare organizations operating today and their various functions "to protect animals from abuse, neglect, and cruelty, and to minimize relinquishment for slaughter." An organization that facilitates finding homes for unwanted equines (even if they do not physically take custody of the horse) are also considered a 'sheltering' organization.
One of the first shelters to open in the United States was run by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), founded in 1868 by Boston attorney George Thorndike Angell. Today the MSPCA runs seven small animal shelters and an equine and farm animal shelter, the Nevins Farm and Equine Centre in Methuen, Massachusetts.
Recently, there has been a surge in the establishment of equine shelters. Among their goals are to provide permanent or temporary shelter to unwanted equines, to provide an alternative to slaughter, to rescue and rehabilitate abused and/or neglected equines, and to change attitudes and legislation to better protect equine welfare. It is estimated that there are about 150 equine shelters in the United States and Canada.
Some shelters provide a permanent home for equines at risk, and call themselves 'sanctuaries,' while others focus on finding adoptive homes. Often, well-known humane organizations, like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Animal Rescue League (ARL), have an equine branch that have physical facilities for their animals. These organizations also have some degree of law enforcement capabilities, due to their strong ties with state and local law enforcement agencies.
There are shelters that specialize in rehabilitating, retraining or recycling certain racing breeds, such as thoroughbreds and standardbreds. There are for instance, shelters that facilitate the sale of thoroughbreds no longer wanted at the track, to buyers that want a horse for companionship or recreational riding. This organization has also bought unwanted horses that could no longer be housed at the track waiting for new owners.
Other shelters address the special needs of equines in a specific life stage, such as the foals from facilities that collect mares' urine for the drug Premarin®, an American Brands pharmaceutical, or geriatric horses. There are also shelters that take in horses that are positive for EIA (equine infectious anemia, diagnosed via a Coggins test), a disease for which there is no treatment and no vaccine and for which euthanasia or life-long quarantine can be required by state law.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead
Shelters are important and they do important work. And they are always in need of help. There are many ways to offer assistance to shelters. Listed below are some opportunities, both paid and unpaid. Be creative. Identify your special skills, talents, areas of interest that may benefit others. Introduce yourself to a shelter and see where their needs and your skills may match.
Shelters need volunteers. They need your energy, your enthusiasm, your ideas and your commitment. On average, shelter owners that responded to a survey conducted at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine had one full-time employee, one part-time employee and nineteen volunteers per shelter. Only the very large shelters like the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah or Redwings in California were able to hire staff.
There are many ways to volunteer. Some shelters ask for a definite commitment; others can be less structured.
You can:
Finances were the number one problem encountered by shelter owners, according to the Tufts 1999 survey of U.S. and Canadian shelters. One of the greatest needs of shelters is for private donations.
The website for ERNet (www.equinenet.org/ernet) offers these suggestions for getting involved on the local and the state level.
If the agency or society does not have equine programs or is not familiar with equine abuse and you are knowledgeable in these areas, volunteer to help organize a program. If you are not knowledgeable yourself, find an individual or group in your area that would be willing to help.
Letters and phone calls can change legislation. For example, the governor of Virginia vetoed a bill putting a bounty on coyotes because he received so much mail against it.
How often do you suppose parents hear the following plea: "Mom, can I please have a pony? I promise to take care of him!"
Many children yearn for a pony and will ask, beg, bribe and plead with their parents to get them one. As a parent, you may be thinking of granting your child's wish. After all, a pony can make a wonderful companion for a child. Not only that, kids can learn many valuable life skills.
"Children who participate in riding develop many strong values such as discipline, responsibility, confidence, partnership, achievement, caring, and the list could go on and on," says Kay Hales, Vice President of Activities for the United States Pony Club (USPC).
"Children learn balance, trust and become stronger physically while riding," adds Pam Hunter, owner of Hunter's Pony Farm in Washington state. If children join an organization with their pony such as 4-H Club or the USPC, they also learn teamwork, she says.
Certainly a pony can have a positive influence in a child's life, but good relationships between kids and ponies don't "just happen." Parents need to lay the proper groundwork before buying a pony for their kids. Here are some steps you can take to foster a good friendship between your child and a pony.
Choose a pony that is the right size and has a suitable temperament for your child's age, weight and experience. Children around 5 to 7 years old typically are more successful riding smaller breeds, such as Shetland and Welsh ponies, whereas most 11- and 12-year-olds can handle the larger breeds, like Conamara and POA ponies.
"Generally, smaller ponies are less intimidating to young children than larger ponies or full-sized horses," says Marilyn Yike, Chairman of the Clinics Committee for the USPC. "They are easier to lead and groom. The rider's short legs will reach farther down around a pony, providing better balance and security. The smaller horse is easier to control while riding, and the rider is closer to the ground if he or she falls off."
Look for a horse with a good demeanor. "The younger the child, the more aged and experienced the pony should be," Hunter says. "If you want one that your 5- or 6-year-old can ride by himself without being led around, consider an older pony, one who has been used by children in 4-H, at a teaching stable or on a pony ring." She says most children do well with a pony about 5 to 10 years old.
Yike's guideline for selecting a pony is what she calls the "Rule of Twenty" - the age of the child and the age of the pony must add up to 20. This puts younger children on older, more experienced ponies," she says.
Enroll your child in riding lessons early on - preferably before you purchase a pony - so they can learn how to handle the animal and build confidence. "Lessons will give you and your child an opportunity to experience some riding and pony care, and to be sure this is what you want to do before making a commitment," Yike says.
Before your child even approaches a pony you should purchase a properly fitted riding helmet with the ASTM-SEI seal of approval.
"Your child should never get on the pony without a helmet," Hunter says. "Many kids have been seriously injured and killed while just sitting on the pony in the yard. One fall is all it takes and a head or neck injury can destroy a life in seconds."
In addition to the helmet, you should buy riding shoes or boots for your child. Yike recommends lace-up, leather shoes that cover the ankle and have a heel. "This will help protect the rider's feet while on the ground and prevent the foot from getting caught in the stirrup if the rider should fall off," she says.
Educate Your Child About Pony Care Educating your child about horse care is vital in developing a good relationship between your child and a pony. Bring home books and articles on this topic from the library or bookstore. Talk to your child about how often ponies need to be fed, groomed, bathed, exercised, etc. "The more your child knows about how to care for the pony, the better he or she will understand why the animal sometimes acts the way he does," Hunter says.
Allow your child to hand-feed pieces of carrot, apple or other horse treats (other than grain) to the pony. "The child should hold her or his hand flat so the pony can't accidentally bite the fingers or the palm," Hunter says. "This will be a way the child can bond with the pony and the pony will look at the child as a source of pleasure."
Get your child involved with grooming the pony. "This gives the child and pony a chance to be together while there are no demands made on the pony, only pleasure. The pony will again look at the child as a good thing, and look forward to those grooming sessions," Hunter says.
Let your child take the pony for walks on the lead rope, with an adult, to a green, grassy place to graze for an hour or less. This also helps the pony see the child as a friend, someone to trust and who brings pleasure.
Most young children need some help understanding how ponies do and don't want to be treated. It's a good idea to come up with a list of pony rules and jot them down on paper. Include such things as: Teasing, jerking, hitting, poking and tail pulling are not allowed. Never chase the pony. No rough-and-tumble play in the barn. Do not run up behind a pony without calling to him to let him know you are coming.
"The child should understand that the pony is a feeling entity," Hunter says. "Horses and ponies become very attached to their caretakers, so children should understand that if they do something to hurt the pony, like hitting it, they are damaging the trust between them."
A good relationship between your child and the family pony takes guidance, patience and understanding. "If it's done right, a happy child on a happy pony is one of the most positive influences on their life," Hales says.
Are you considering buying a horse, but are unsure which breed is for you? Would you like to own a horse, but don't have the time to care for one on a regular basis? Do you enjoy riding, but can't afford to buy your own horse? If so, leasing a horse may be a good option for you. Here are some points to consider before you sign on the dotted line.
Leasing comes in two main varieties: share-boarding and full leases. "With share-boarding, the owner leases his horse out to a lessee for riding on certain days each week," says Donna Ewing, founder and president of the Hooved Animals Humane Society. "On the other days, the owner may ride the horse himself or the horse may be leased out to a second lessee."
This is a good option if either time or money is limited on the part of the owner or the lessee. "Some people lease if they're really busy; they might not have a lot of time to exercise and care for a horse and by share-boarding they can still ride certain days but it's not an everyday thing," Ewing says.
They allow the owner to lease the horse completely and the lessee can ride the horse every day, just like it was his own horse. The owner may require the lessee to keep the horse on his property, or, in some cases, the owner will allow the lessee to move the horse to another location during the duration of the lease.
Often it's new riders who opt for full leases. "They may have just started riding and want to learn what horse ownership is about before purchasing a horse of their own," says Lori Maier, a horse trainer with Happy Trails Stables in Wauconda, Ill.
A full lease may come with an option to buy the horse at the end of the lease term. "By the time your lease expires, you will know if this is the horse for you or at least you will have a good idea of the qualities that you are looking for in a horse," Maier says.
The terms of either type of lease are usually negotiable. A lease might be for a set period of time, such as a year or six months, or, it might operate on a month-by-month basis, in which case either the owner or the lessee can terminate the lease at any time.
The fee to lease a horse varies. "Expect to pay between $300 and $450 a month for a full lease on an average pleasure horse," Maier says. Normally the leasing fee covers the horse's monthly board, shoeing, and routine veterinary care. With share-boarding, the cost to lease will be about half that of a full lease. If the horse becomes seriously ill or injured, typically the owner will be responsible for the horse's veterinary bills.
How can you find a horse to lease? Contact boarding stables in your area to see if they lease out any of the horses they own. Check out "for lease" classified ads under the livestock heading in your local newspaper. Call local riding academies and horse trainers to find out if any of their clients are looking to lease out their horses.
When you find a suitable horse to lease, put all the details of the arrangement in a written contract that both you and the owner will sign. If the owner doesn't offer a contract, have an attorney draw one up for you. The agreement should cover the length of the lease and whether or not it's renewable; terms of payment; what may or may not be done with the horse; whether the agreement includes use of the horse's tack; and which party is responsible for veterinary and farrier (a person who shoes horses) bills. If you're share-boarding, the lease should state which days you'll have the horse and which days the owner or second lessee will be riding the horse.
Work out all the details ahead of time and put everything in writing. For example, make sure it is written into the lease exactly who is responsible for veterinary bills or other incidentals. This will give you peace of mind. In doing so, you better the chances that the following weeks or months will go smoothly for you, the owner, and your new equine companion.
Buying a horse - especially if it's your first - is a big step. Horses vary widely in temperament, ability, size and price. They can be eager to please or stubborn; relaxed or high-strung; affable or feisty; easy to control or a challenge to handle.
Depending on your needs and riding abilities, some horses are better suited for you than others. Remember, horses have experienced a chain of events prior to your consideration, including training, conditioning, feeding and human contact, that have patterned their behavior. This process of preconditioning along with their genetic makeup, although not irreversible in the long run, will determine the horse's short-term abilities to deal with exercise, stress and the environment.
There is often no way to know anything about the horse's history beforehand, so first impressions can be misleading. Generally speaking, you don't want to fall into the trap of buying a horse, especially for riding, just on first impressions. If you feel pressured into buying a horse, take a second look. Take your time, consider all aspects of the horse and try him out first. If you do your research and take your time understanding thoroughly your purchase, chances are you'll pick the right companion for you.
Different breeds display different temperaments. "Before you buy a horse, it's important to understand something about that breed's heritage and where he is coming from," says Dr. D.L. Proctor, an equine veterinarian in Lexington, Ky. "If you know what the tendencies are for the breed, you'll be able to anticipate what type of behavior problems you may have to deal with down the road and whether or not you're up to the challenge."
Another factor to consider is how you plan to use the horse. A horse ideally suited for cross-country competitions or harness racing, for example, probably won't be the best choice for trail rides or for a "backyard" horse for children to learn to ride on.
Of course each horse is an individual and you may see some variation among horses of the same breed. "You might meet a thoroughbred who is extremely calm or come across a Morgan who is a grouch," Proctor says.
Here's what to expect, in general, from some of the most popular breeds of horses:
Regardless of breed, it's most important to choose a horse that's healthy and safe to ride and in good condition, without a lot of bad habits. "Most any horse, no matter what the breed," Ewing notes, "can be an excellent companion animal if properly trained and cared for."
After many weeks or months of searching for the ideal horse, you're pretty sure you've found him. He seems to have a sound temperament and is just the right size. You've heard nothing but good things about his breed and you like the fact that he has been well-broken-in. But before you hand over any money, it's a good idea to have your dream horse examined by a veterinarian.
Dr. Julie Lucas, an equine veterinarian in Wauconda, Ill., says pre-purchase examinations are important for several reasons. "One, you need to know that the horse is not being misrepresented and that you're getting what you think you're getting," she says. "Two, you want to make sure the horse is healthy. Your veterinarian might discover that the horse is lame, has a respiratory problem or suffers some other serious defect."
Usually the buyer arranges and pays for the pre-purchase exam. Choose a veterinarian you know and trust to do the exam or select someone who's personally recommended by other horse owners. Most veterinarians charge around $200 or $300 to do the exam.
Before the exam starts, your veterinarian will want to know your intended use for the horse and will consider your plans as he conducts the exam. A horse who's expected to compete in horse races, for example, will be examined a little differently from one who's going to be used for trail riding.
It normally takes a veterinarian about an hour to do a pre-purchase exam. Most veterinarians have a checklist that they go through when they do the exam. Some of the key areas they look at include:
It's good news if your veterinarian doesn't find anything seriously wrong with the horse, but it's not a guarantee that the horse is 100 percent perfect in every way. "The veterinarian is only judging the horse's physical condition on that day," Lucas says. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that a month after you buy the horse he wouldn't go lame.
Even if your veterinarian finds a flaw or two, "that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be a good horse for you," Lucas says. "A horse that can no longer compete in any sport can make a very nice trail horse and be a wonderful companion."
Friends who are not horsepeople are always aghast when talk turns to selling a horse. "How can you sell a pet?" is the inevitable question. The answer is that it isn't easy.
We recently faced this decision when it became apparent that one of our horses was not happy with the job we wanted him to do. It's a difficult position to be in - you must either change the job or change the horse. In our case, the job was Eventing. Although he loved and excelled at show jumping in the ring, he was never comfortable jumping cross- country.
Now, if I had my way, $1 million and 50 acres, we simply would have kept him to cruise around show jumping courses and let him enjoy the good life in our lush pasture, which would be populated with other horses like him. But as my husband keeps reminding me, neither the million dollars nor the 50 acres are in the offing. Stalls aren't closets, he intones, and I can't "collect" horses like he collects golf clubs. Horses must be fed, vetted, shod and cleaned up after. And therein lies the reason we have to sell our "pets."
So, after a few emotional days, we consulted with several trainers with whom we regularly work and whose opinion we valued. Perhaps, they agreed, the horse could be "persuaded" to do cross-country. But it would take the kind of persuasion we don't like to use - as one put it, "the whips and chains."
I've always believed, and worked with trainers who expounded the theory that the horse should enjoy his job in order to do it well. Training should be a positive experience, not something that must be beaten into the animal. Training one's animals is similar to training one's children, after all - positive reinforcement works better than constant punishment. Discipline must be metered out when required, but it should not be the norm. If it is, you're trying to put a square peg into a round hole. And, no matter what you do, it never will fit correctly. Part of the "training" process is finding a job the horse does best.
The decision was made to market our horse as a show jumper, a job we knew he would do well. You'd think the hard part was over, but it was just beginning. We were eventers. Our contacts were with people in this arena, and the shows we attended were in our discipline. Where did one go to sell a show jumper?
My best advice to those beginning this process is to find someone you can trust involved in the discipline to which you are marketing. I was lucky enough to have a friend entrenched in the Hunter/Jumper world. She became my guru. I found that when it comes to selling, all horse sports are not alike. The tack is different; the terminology is different; even the style of riding is different. We were babes in the woods.
The first and smartest thing I did was to take the best color photograph I could find of our sale horse and construct a "flyer" on my computer, using the picture and pertinent information such as his breed, age, experience and price. My friend quickly informed me that I'd used all the wrong terms.
"You talk like an eventer," she chastised me. "Jumpers won't know what you're saying." Back to the drawing board. With my flyer finally complete and approved, I mailed it to the major show stables in the state, as well as tack shops.
I placed advertisements in publications that cater to the horsepeople I wanted to attract. This is effective, and we got many calls from all over the country. But be prepared, if you take this route: Most callers will ask to see a video of your horse. This adds to your cost because you must have a quality video made, copied and mailed to prospective buyers.
Eventually, I began to tell people that I would send them several photocopied pages of pictures of the horse in a variety of competitive situations and in hand. If they were interested after seeing the photos, I offered the video. This cut costs.
But the sale of our horse resulted, surprisingly, from my little homemade flyer posted in a tack store. And we were lucky. If we could have designed the home we wanted for him, this would have been it. We liked the family, the barn and the girl who was going to ride him. She has stayed in touch, keeping us posted on his progress, and loves him as much as we did. That makes it much easier when you stand there watching the trailer pull out of your driveway because they truly "are all our pets."
One major decision every horse owner makes is whether or not to insure his equine companion. If you own a pleasure or recreational horse, no matter how much or how little his purchase price was, you should consider equine insurance - not so much in the case of the horse's death, but for major medical and surgical incidents such as colic.
If you are devoted to your horse, it doesn't matter if you paid less than $5,000 for him when he's sick and you're struggling to pay medical bills. And, once he has been ill, insurance costs skyrocket. It's really locking the proverbial barn door at that point.
Most equine insurance companies base their premium on the amount of money you paid for your horse. So, if you paid $2,500, your mortality premium will be much less than that of a horse whose purchase price was $10,000.
Equine insurance companies have a "minimum" mortality coverage they require you to take, but it's usually no more than a few thousand dollars. This will cost you roughly $100 a year, depending on the insurance company you choose. But mortality insurance allows you to choose the very important option of adding major medical and surgical coverage - an additional $150 annually with most companies. So, for $250 a year, your horse can be covered for costly surgical procedures.
For example, colic surgery in the Northeast costs well in excess of $5,000 - if there are no complications. Horses requiring this type of surgery also must be kept in an equine rehabilitation facility, where they are administered medication and other after-care. In short, most equine colic surgeries run from $6,000 to $10,000. It's great to be insured and not have to worry about this huge costs if they come.
It's important to do your homework before signing on with an insurance company. There are many, and all provide different benefits with varying premiums. Don't jump to the conclusion that the company with the cheapest premium is the best buy.
For instance, some companies offer $7,500 coverage for colic surgery, while others provide only $5,000. Other companies offer an additional $3,000 in colic coverage if you also have mortality insurance, for a total colic surgical coverage of $10,500. This could be a real benefit, since that figure is much more realistic for colic costs.
Major surgical coverage, of course, also protects you for less severe incidents. If your horse needs stitches, for example, your insurance will cover that cost minus a typical deductible.
There are exceptions, too. If your horse has a pre-existing condition, that may be excluded from your insurance coverage. For example, if he had a bone spur in one leg, the insurance policy may exclude that leg from further lameness treatment. This seemingly paradoxical act of insurance companies is a very sticky point. They are not going to pay for pre-existing conditions. In fact, if your horse is diagnosed with a problem, the problem may be excluded from coverage when the horse is reinsured next year. So be careful assuming that insurance will cover a problem even after you insured you healthy horse.
Some insurance companies demand a yearly examination by your vet before renewing the policy. Unless you can coordinate this check up with a regular visit for spring or fall shots, it will add to the cost of your insurance. Many companies no longer require the yearly form to be completed by a vet; owners are allowed to do it.
The bottom line is that by being an informed shopper, you can insure your horse for an annual premium of about $250, depending on the amount of mortality coverage you request. If your priority is to have major medical and surgical coverage, take as low a mortality premium as the insurance company will allow.
Many breed and discipline organizations sponsor insurance plans for their members. Investigate these first if you belong to one because they usually offer good deals. Otherwise, look through the ads for equine insurance in national equestrian magazines.
Once your horse is sick, veterinarians will be tremendously relieved that your horse is insured for medical and/or surgical conditions. They're going to do their best either way, but it reduces the anxiety of having to explain unexpected overruns in medical costs later on.
Paying for an appropriate insurance policy is small price for your horse's well-being and especially your peace of mind.
Good horses don't come cheap. If you're in the market for a horse, you may be checking out newspaper ads, equine forums on the Internet, your state's agricultural bulletin, notices on tack and feed stores or livestock auctions - all in search of the right horse at a good price.
Depending on the animal's breeding, health, age, size and ability, a recreational riding horse can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to many thousands. The initial cost of the horse, however, is only the beginning.
"Many times, the purchase price of a horse is small compared to the amount of money you'll need to spend on his care," says Dr. Julie Lucas, an equine veterinarian in Wauconda, Ill. "If this will be your first horse, you should go in knowing about all of the routine maintenance costs before you buy the animal."
Expenses vary, depending on where you live, how you plan to house your horse and whether or not you'll be showing. When you add it all up, you can easily spend $10,000 a year (or more) to keep your new horse healthy and happy. Here is a general idea of the kinds of expenses you'll encounter. Of course, amounts will vary tremendously, in particular as a function of the region you live in and the type of board you demand.
If you have enough land, you may be able to keep your horse on your own property. Most people, however, board their horses at a barn. Some barns offer only a stall and pasture: You do the work, caring for the horse and cleaning out the stall. At a full-service barn, grooming, feeding and cleaning are all done for you, and the feed and hay are included in the price. Use of a horse trailer, turning your horse out, training, cleaning your tack or other services may also be included in the monthly fee. Depending on the location and the services offered, boarding costs usually range from $3,000 to $12,000 annually.
For example, in many parts of the country, $250 per month ($3,000 per year) will only pay for "rough board," i.e. taking care of the stalls and turnout yourself. For $660 per month ($8,000 per year), you can expect a place with an indoor arena and nice facilities.
With the addition of training, the sky is the limit, but $1,000 per month ($12,000 per year) is realistic. This board should also include access to an indoor arena, beautiful trails and/or other sophisticated services. Layup barns that provide a number of rehabilitative and exercise facilities can easily exceed $1,000 per month. Many barns charge item by item for additional services, such as blanketing, holding the horse for the vet, night checks, leg wraps, so make sure you know what these cost.
Veterinary costs usually run between $200 and $300 a year for routine care, providing the horse stays healthy. This pays for two annual vaccinations, the cost of de-worming every six to eight weeks, and having your horse's teeth floated (rasped) once a year.
It's interesting that equine vets, unlike their small animal counterparts, cannot usually perform a routine examination of every horse each time they give shots. This is due to the fact that there are so many horses to see on a routine vaccination/deworming/floating teeth day. Therefore, they are also not charging for this service as they do in small animals practice. So it is not possible to compare the routine costs between a horse and dog, for instance.
Two of the most common veterinary calls, colic and lameness, can bring you an additional $150 to $250 per visit, including minor medications. If the colic or lameness workup is extensive, be prepared to spend $750 to $1,000 easily. Better to get medical insurance because it only goes up from there for proper care of a serious problem.
You'll have to pay a farrier to trim and reset the shoes on your horse's hooves every six to eight weeks. Expect to pay between $100 and $400 annually at a minimum. If there are new or corrective shoes to deal with, you might expect the farrier to charge more like $100 for each reset, and that starts to add up to $800 to $900 a year.
You'll need grooming equipment and tack: a saddle, a bridle and a saddle pad; other supplies may include a horse blanket if you live in a chilly climate. Tack and equipment will cost you $500 at the low end and all the way up to $10,000 or more at the high end. If you plan to show your horse, you could end up spending even more. Most competitive riders maintain at least two sets of tack: a moderately-priced bridle for everyday riding and a more expensive bridle for showing.
Plan on a riding lesson once a week from a reputable instructor throughout the first year - at least - that you own your horse. Some horsemen recommend starting lessons a year or two before you purchase your horse. Weekly lessons cost, on average, anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 a year. Of course, if you are taking intermittent lessons, for example, at the more advanced stage of dressage training, you may pay considerably more per lesson, but the annual amount will be about the same with a few exceptions.
Plan to buy clothes specifically designed for riding. Riding gear can cost you $150 at the low end (for a pair of decent boots) to $5,000 or more if you plan on showing.
You'll need mortality insurance - which pays when your horse dies - and medical insurance (to cover unexpected accidents or illnesses). Premium costs for mortality insurance usually run about four percent of the insured value of the horse, so if your horse is valued at $3,000, you would pay $120 annually. Medical insurance usually costs another $150 per year.
If you add this all up, you might be surprised at how expensive it can be. The average costs would be about $11,000 per year. To recap, each year it would cost about $100 for clothes, $1,750 for riding, $7,500 for board, $250 for routine veterinary care, $300 for farrier care and $350 for mortality and medical insurance (for a horse valued at $5,000). It is clear that for the healthy horse, the board will be the biggest expense. If you're not going with "rough board," make sure you're getting all you can for that money and lay the expenses out so you can see the big picture before you commit.
WARNING
UNDER TEXAS LAW (CHAPTER 87, CIVIL PRACTICE AND REMEDIES CODE), AN EQUINE PROFESSIONAL IS NOT LIABLE FOR AN INJURY TO OR THE DEATH OF A PARTICIPANT IN EQUINE ACTIVITIES RESULTING FROM THE INHERENT RISKS OF EQUINE ACTIVITIES.