for those who get free board or work for it?

Question

For those who get free board or work in exchange for board I have a finance question. How much do you spend monthly on your horse? There is a place I can work off board which would include the horse getting hay,grain,water, etc etc all as part of the board my only cost out of pocket would be the odd and end things like the farrier and vet. I'm not sure yet if I can afford it I had to buy a new car which was taking most of my pay but it's almost payed off which means I finally get all that money to spend on something else :)
It seems most farriers charge around $60 or so for a trim ( 6-8 weeks)
vet check I think are roughly $300 around here only needed once though at purchase time
emergency vet money (how much do you guys have saved up for this????)
Am I missing any thing that I would need up front for the general care of the horse.
I already own brushes and such
Also for those who work how much do you do in exchange for your board.
I'm leasing a horse from this barn and all I have to do is muck out 8 stalls 4 days a week in exchange for unlimited access to this horse and their facilities which I think is a major steal lol.
Thanks.
Oh and I don't need replies like if you have to ask your not ready because I already stated I'm not sure yet that's why i'm making sure first. I'm not going to buy a horse unless i'm 100% I can care for it for it's life time.

Answer 1

I think you'll be fine. It seems you have done your research.



If your gut says that the owners of this barn are decent people, go for it. You can usually tell just by walking through the barn and looking at the horses.



I worked for my board for many years while I was in school. It was always a lot of fun and I learned A LOT too! I was friendly with the owners and got many"perks" that the regular boarders didn't!



It seems you get out what you put in. BUT make sure you are NOT being taken advantage of. You sound like an itelligent person, you should be fine.

Answer 2

I pay $35 for a trim, but I had to have the veterinarian out because my horse was lame, which cost $220. She recommended a different farrier and for my horse to have special shoes, which was $180.



That's $435 alone this month without board, ouch!

Of course though, on my other horse (without board) I only spent the cost of the farrier, $35.



My point is, it can vary hugely from month to month.



You are getting a good deal in exchange for board, no doubt about that. If you are not paying for board, you greatest expense will be the initial purchase of the horse and all of the tack. HOPEFULLY your vet bills will be kept to a minimum. I could have saved that $435 if I had a better farrier. Just make smart choices and never skimp on the care of the horse, that is where the big bills come in.

Answer 3

Well My vet bill was $300 but I had his teeth floated, coggins done, yearly check-up and three of his annual shots that I could not buy. I spend $60 for trim and front shoes. If you are getting grain and hay included you dont have too much to pay for as long as you get the working off board IN WRITING! If not when the barn is low on income they will start charging you and or tell you that you owe them the money for the past months. It happened to me so I had to move my horse.

Answer 4

I bord my apendix quarter horse, I have to pay 175$ a month to board, plus, grain and hay, witch at the right place I got for about 360$ for 20 bales of(keep in mind I personally get the most expensive kind, that's ONLY because I'm puting weight on my boy, regular hay or regular cut alfalfa is a lot less) 1st cut alfalfa. and de-worming..about 10 dollers, depends what brand u get. And yeah horses are expensive, but in the end, with the right relationship, its worth it. If you get a deal to work over pay, it is a steal! I think you should go for it

Answer 5

First off you need to clarify whether the horse "getting hay and grain" means they buy it or you buy it. Most barns that allow work in exchange for free board aren't so liberal with their feed. If they were they would be losing money having the horse there which is counter-productive to running a business. If they are providing the hay and grain for the horse you plan on keeping there for free expect them to work you hard enough to get their money's worth.



Your vet/farrier estimations sound feasible. However, you can't ever count on the vet being a one-time expense. At minimum it's a once-a-year expense for shots, floating and routine check-up. It's also wise to plan for at least one emergency call a year at around $500 plus medication and follow-up visits, a yearly emergency fund of at least $2,000 is a safe thing to work in the budget.



As for major medical expenses like colic surgery or other ailments that can require a trip to a large clinic, you'll need at least $10,000 minimum if you wish to have the option open to pursue that type of treatment. The other option would be to prepare yourself to have to euthanize your horse in the event that the worst were to happen and you found yourself unable to pay for a lengthy and extremely costly surgery/treatment. Yeah I know, it doesn't happen to everyone but it can happen and it's best to decide before hand what life-saving measures you are capable of providing.



I know it's not economical for everyone to have 10, 15 or even more laying around in an account for expensive medical treatments. There are ways around it though. Keeping credit cards with large limits and zero balances are a good idea if you are in a position to pay them off should you have to use them. There is also the option of personal loans through your bank. Basically it comes down to how much debt you are willing to go into to save your horse, and if you have the credit to acquire the money. Not a pleasant way to think about it but it is what it is if you do not have the money saved up.



As for my personal finances regarding horse emergencies, I utilize several of the methods I described above. I squirrel money away in savings, an account I have to personally visit the bank to access. No temptation to hit the account with my ATM card when I'm broke, I pretend it isn't even there. I've got enough to get my horse in the door of the clinic without having to break out the plastic. If I drain that resource then I've got two credit cards with 5k limits kept at zero balance which are strictly emergency only. I've also been diligent with my credit score so I have the option of personal loans. I won't consider tapping these resources unless the bills are going to be higher than I could pay without putting myself in jeopardy of not being able to pay my other bills. I'm not above eating top ramen for a couple weeks in order to prevent from having to use emergency money for an unplanned vet visit. I'm actually eating top ramen now because I had a rather unexpected vet visit last week but I didn't have to use my credit cards or get into my savings.