All About Horses

By L. A. DeGeorge

In this book I tell the readers the unspoken code of the dealers and breeders. This book has factual information for beginners and how to purchase a horse, and about the daily care and feeding for different types of horses. I write about how to have your own boarding business, keeping your horse at home versus boarding it, as well as retraining problem horses. (Really it’s the people that are the problem!) In this book I share with the readers some personal stories from my experiences, so that they know what not to do.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L. A. DeGeorge
• Release date: Sep 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301421824

L. A. DeGeorge

I own a horse facility and I have a few hobbies. They include writing, making homemade "curly" soap, and helping people with their hauntings. I love to write because it transports you to wherever you want to go. Your imagination is the only limit !

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Horse Owners Secrets

By L. A. DeGeorge

Copyright 2013 by L.A. DeGeorge

Smashwords Edition

All Rights Reserved.

Unauthorized distribution or duplication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited

Smashwords Edition, License Notes.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase more copies. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

***Chapter 1 Keep A Horse At Home Or Board It?***

This is a big decision. It will change your whole life. Ask yourself a few questions before you embark on this journey into another world. Do not go lightly into owning these beautiful creatures!

The first questions to answer are: Do you have the money and the time to spend on horses? I say horses because they should be in pairs or with another grazing animal. They are meant to be in a herd and that becomes their family. There is a head horse, usually a mare (female), but if they are all males (geldings or stallions) one will step up to the challenge. There is also a second in charge and they take turns resting if in the pasture, always on guard for predators.

If it’s just a baby that was just weaned from the mother, they can be kept alone from the start without problems. But remember if they live alone for years, they may be terrified if put with other animals later in life or they can be hurt badly by the herd. They won’t understand what a herd does or about pecking order and the horse rules.

Now we will address the first part of the question, money. It will take money to board one, buy one or lease one, as well as possibly build shelters, etc. Board is a lot like apartment rent, complete with contracts and insurance (insurance is optional, but advised especially if the horse is expensive.) When you go to look for a horse some sellers will allow payments, however most want to be paid in 30 days, not 6 months to a year!

When you buy a horse, most haulers have insurance in case of accidents during the hauling, but it’s not a bad idea to get it before it’s shipped to you. If the horse is on your property it could be covered under your home owners’ policy, you should contact your insurance agent about this and they will tell you.

If you have the horse at your property, then you need money to build or renovate a barn or shelter(s). You also need to purchase good hay and grain, enough for a couple of months at a time. To feed a horse it is a small amount of money each month per horse. How much depends on how big the horse is and what diet they need to be healthy.

If it is a normal size quarter horse, in Winter it can eat 1 small rectangle bale of hay a day and 4 scoops of grain or so. This could be about $6.00 per day at current hay rates of $5.00 per small bale. Grain is sold in 50 lb bags or delivered. There are many kinds of mixes depending on what type of work your horse is doing. The prices vary greatly from $5.00 - $50.00 per bag or more. Feed mills can deliver in loos bulk to your hopper in your barn for the best deal. This only works if you have enough horses to eat it all before it gets moldy.

Any packaged and labeled grain is the most expensive, plus hauling it and your time. Some horses also require less or need supplements, etc. If it’s in the Spring or a wet Summer with nice green grass (and they are able to eat grass 24/7), then you may not feed except in the morning or just at night, depending if they are in due to the heat, etc. Your cost would be $3.00 or less per day approximately. If you have a horse that is larger than a quarter horse, they would need more hay and feed, if the horse is smaller they would require less. Each animal is different, just like people. Some gain weight easily and some cannot keep on weight.

You would also need bedding, if it’s shavings by bag it’s about $7.00 per 45 lb bag. You can buy it loose in bulk for less if you have a storage area for a truck load of loose shavings that won’t get wet! Straw bales are about $3.50 a bale picked up or in large quantity delivered. There’s also a pellet bedding that can be bought for $6.00 – 8.00 per 40 lb bag or discounted by truck load. Prices vary state to state but you get the idea. In a stall the size of 12 x 12, that has a base and a rubber mat, I would use 1 bag in the warm months and 2 bags in the cold months. If it was straw, I would use 1 bale in a stall, unless it was for a birthing stall. If I had a pregnant mare that was due any day, I would use 2 bales or more.

Boarding can be great if you aren’t at home much. Be aware that prices per month vary greatly. In Pennsylvania, for outside board it is $175.00 - $275.00. For a boarding place with all the bells and whistles, like a high-end show barn, it can be $800.00 - $1500.00. Then you have the trail riding barns that offer smaller pastures and a friendly home atmosphere at about $375.00 - $500.00. It all depends on what you’re looking for.

However, some farms have horses that they lease out. This means that they own the horse and you pay for its care plus some board. The rate is at about half of the regular boarding fees in most cases. Contracts vary from barn to barn. Some have you pay only half board and nothing else, while others have you pay for vet (yearly shots), farrier (hoof trim), wormer paste or pellets, and any other care needed. It’s as if it were your horse and not theirs, you just can’t take it to board elsewhere.

No matter if you board or have it at your house, it will also need some other things done to keep it healthy. It would need some shots yearly and other shots every so often, especially if you show your horse.

They will need their hooves trimmed every 6-8 weeks, prices vary but basically it’s $10.00 – 15.00 per hoof, some are more. This does not count shoes or corrective shoeing problems, if needed.

Then you also must use worming paste twice a year that is about $8.00 each tube or so, sometimes you can get it at quantity discounts or on sale. Please be sure to check the expiration dates! This tube is injected into the side of the horses mouth and into the back of his throat. (Some horses are very resistant to this procedure and put their head up and refuse). It is also available in pellet which can be cheaper and easier to do if you have a lot of horses. The pellets vary in price and size of bag. I recently bought a 1 lb bag for $8.00, the bag has directions on serving size per animal weight.

Some horses may need supplements to survive and be healthy, so you would need to purchase those as well. Supplements can be cheaper if bought in larger amounts. If you have the cool dry storage, it will save you time and money in the long run. They can be bought in 5 gallon tubs or in smaller quantities, prices vary greatly depending on what it is.

Last, but not the least, vet care. Need I say more? All I will say is, stuff happens. If you have a horse that keeps getting hurt when out, get your pocket book ready. You may have a horse that has digestive issues or one that has lameness on a consistent basis. Be prepared for bills that are $500.00 or more per visit, depending on what’s going on.

The initial startup may be larger than boarding, but in the long run it could be better to have them on your property, if you can. This also depends on your age and how long you will be keeping them. If you are 60 years old, building a $200,000.00 barn is not a good idea. You wouldn’t see a return for your money. However, if you are 30 years old and able to have boarders, teach, hold lectures, etc. It would be feasible to get a return on your money. Plus tax benefits as well on depreciating your buildings, etc.

It’s best to buy a farm already with buildings and fence and the most practical if you are older. It means less start-up money and people would already know it is a farm. Some horse farms already have clients boarding at the facility and you would just take over as an example.

On the other hand, board never stops increasing, like all rentals. Whereas your house will be cheaper once the barn and fence are finished and paid for. You can do the figuring, this is just a tool to start you in the right direction.

The next question of importance is time. Do you have the time it takes to care for horses at your home? I clean out stalls once or twice a day, depending if they are inside a lot or have foals with them. This can take 15 minutes per animal, plus the time to feed them and/or take them in and out of pasture. Some horses don’t like to go into a barn and others don’t like to go out. Some barns hire help, this will cut into profits, but free you to do other things.

When I had 8 stalls it would take me about an hour and a half to feed and clean in the mornings when I cleaned the stalls. If I only fed at the night time meal it took about 30 minutes. This means that there was manure from the day before by morning, so there is more to lift. At the time I had nobody that was on supplements and no other feeding times for older or sick horses. Cleaning out daily also saves time, as it isn’t as deep or as many trips to the manure pile! If you clean only once a week it will take about 35 minutes or more to clean the same stall.

Some of my horses were out 24/7, but in the snowy months needed grain, hay and to crack the ice on the water troughs. Remember, depending on where you live, Winter can be hard to deal with an outside pet! Especially one that drinks gallons of water each day! The horse supply places have heated buckets and even heated hoses to ease your pain. But digging a tunnel through the snow to your barn is still tough! If you can’t hire a neighbor kid or your own kids, then my advice is to get a good snow blower! Especially if you’re over the age of 50!

Remember, the horses are relying on you to feed them EVERY day, twice a day or more. They don’t care if you’re sick or have a business meeting that day! They need fed and cleaned out without fail. This is why some barns clean out stalls only once a week, on Saturday. They work full time and do it themselves when time allows. Some other barns hire help and have them do it every two days, etc.

The horses health and welfare are at stake. Even if you are having Thanksgiving at your house for 25 people or want to go to the movies, etc. Remember to plan ahead and feed as close to their routine as possible. I feed after my kids go to school in the morning and after our supper time. Try to space out your meal times to about 8 hours or more. This is because they will have all night with no food and it has to last as long as possible.

In most cases horses will eat what they really like in about an hour or so. They will pick or graze at loose pieces all night, but mostly they’re just killing time. In the Winter or if they are on a special diet to lose weight, I feed more frequently and divide up the normal rations. If extremely cold I would increase the hay intake by a couple of flakes depending on size of the horse. I would feed at 9am, 1pm, 6pm, and 11pm. This is when I have an older horse that takes more care, if it’s very cold or I have a new foal, etc.

When you’re feeding them or cleaning the stall, don’t forget to talk to them and pet their noses. Bond with your animal as much as possible, this is why you have them! I do my training in the afternoon when the horses like to nap, it’s easier to get their attention. I used to do it before feeding times, but it wasn’t always successful! Sometimes with all of the work involved you forget to enjoy yourself, like owning a swimming pool. When it’s in your backyard all you do it seems is clean it! You hardly ever just enjoy being in the pool and floating around anymore. That’s why when looking at ads some will say, I just don’t have time for them anymore or another big one is I’m going to college this coming year. These ads are true.

When I used to board my horses elsewhere I knew when I went to the barn that I was going to ride. We rode in groups and had a great time. When you have your horse at home you’re on your own, unless you run a boarding barn! Being by yourself can be lonely, this I know first-hand! Who do you share the cute little horse moments with? Do you bore your spouse or friends with them at dinner? This is something to think about.

If you decide to help a friend out and have them board with you, I offer a word of caution on this one, don’t do it! Your friendship will suffer, they won’t pay you, they tell you what to do with your barn, and the list goes on and on. It may work if you own the horses and they come to ride occasionally, but make sure they sign waivers just like a boarding or lesson barn. You don’t want to be sued, in case of a terrible accident, etc.

If the horse you buy is to be boarded or leased, and not at your home, somebody else is doing the feeding and the cleaning, thus freeing you to just enjoy the fun part. The neighbors won’t be coming over to get a free pony ride, or complaining about your horse manure pile. Your homeowners insurance won’t go up either, although you may still have insurance for the horse itself. Boarding or leasing is a great beginner option. This way you can walk away without the huge expense, if it doesn’t work out for you.

Before making your big decision