Things to Consider Before Buying a Horse
Owning a horse can be a rewarding experience; it is also a lot of responsibility and an ongoing expense. As any horse insurance customer can confirm, the cost of purchasing a horse is often a lot less than the cost involved in maintaining a horse for just one year. Before you jump into buying a horse you should make sure you have considered all aspects of what owning a horse means.
First off, a horse needs a regular supply of food. Usually they will need to have a pasture or hay to graze on during the day. Plus they will need additional grain feeding twice a day. On the average, a normal size horse will eat about twenty pounds of food a day and drink approximately eight gallons of water. Horses have relatively small stomachs and need to graze throughout the day rather than have just two large meals a day. Your horse will need access to a dry, safe and comfortable shelter to protect them from the elements. You need to have at least a three sided shelter that the horse can go into. You will also have to keep it clean and put down new bedding daily.
Your horse will also need regular veterinary care. At least once a year your horse will have to be vaccinated and also have routine dental care. Horses also need to be de-wormed every six to eight weeks. You will also have to find a farrier to provide regular hoof care about every six weeks.
Your horse will need exercise, besides the exercise that they will get when you ride them. A horse needs a paddock or pasture to relax and walk around in and should never be confined in a stall all day. The pasture has to be secure and safe with sturdy fencing so the horse can't get free.
These are just some of the ongoing expenses you will have if you decide to purchase a horse. Your horse will need care every single day of the year and a healthy horse can live to be thirty years or older. Just remember that having a horse can be a wonderful experience but it can also be very expensive in terms of both money and time, it is therefore so important to have considered these things very carefully.
You will also need to look into providing adequate equine insurance for you, your horse and saddlery and tack.
As the UK's fastest growing independant ethical insurance company, AFI have been dedicating all net profits to the welfare of animals around the world for many years now. We are proud to have added equine insurance to our product list. For an insurance quote on your horse, pony or donkey call our dedicated horse insurance team on 0844 57 32 100.
Do you have any advice for our readers before buying a horse? Animal Friends Equine Insurance would love to hear what you have to say. Please post your comments below if you would like to share your opinions with other members of Animal Friends Equine Community. Thank you and enjoy the blogs!
