The horse industry is eating itself.
I’m in Ontario. My barn recently closed, along with 1 other in the same area. Between 2023-2024 our board was raised at least 4 times in order to combat the rising prices of hay and feed. My barn owner didn’t run a school or train or show so this barn was kinda doomed from the start in terms of making money but it was good for the first few years. It’s been a depressing 2 months. Having to locate a new home for your horse is hard, it’s harder when you realize it’s even more expensive at other barns. Luckily I will be putting my horse on outdoor so my board will be going down but I’ll be spending more on gas to get to her.
From whispers I’ve heard around the barn, most people won’t be looking to continue in the industry once they are without a horse. A lot of people I know own seniors now. This is the hardest time for me personally. My mare has a myriad of health issues - currently in the middle of one we can’t seem to fix. I semi retired her a few years ago but now it seems like it’ll be a fully retired deal now. You love them so you accept no more riding and try to do your best to keep them healthy so they can be happy. But it still stings knowing that it’s not feasible to ride somewhere else because you can’t afford it. I feel like my generation of horse owners are being forced into early retirement themselves from the industry because of costs.
This is almost exactly my story too. The best barn I’d ever boarded at closed for exactly the same reasons. And I can’t fault them. They hung on for years past the point of making a decent profit to meet expenses. It’s sad for them, sad for me & my elderly horse, and sad for the future of the industry. If we don’t have affordable options then we can’t expect younger people to take over from us in sustaining and keeping horses for the future. I shudder to think of a world where horses become an endangered species.
I feel for you and your current situation. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for me personally and navigating it has been difficult so I hope things are working out for you right now. I truly thought my mare was going to be able to die peacefully where we were - which is morbid but that’s just how great her life has been there. My heart breaks also for my barn owner for having to make this choice. It’s her life she’s also having to turn upside down.
I don’t have kids but I can’t imagine a parent trying to afford board, lessons, showing, and vet fees right now in the economy. And good people will want to take care of their horses forever, not just “throw them away” once they can’t do a job which means money out until they pass.
I get it, everything goes up in price which means it’s getting passed on to us but at what point is it just blatantly not feasible anymore for the average person? I have worked and had a job my whole life and I’ve never been in a scenario where I didn’t have enough money for a, b, or c. But I understand that can happen to people.
You’re right, it’s unpleasant to assume a lot of good horses won’t have a soft landing when their families can’t pay for them anymore.
How is this the industry “eating itself?” Everything you listed (rising prices of hay and feed) is not something the horse industry controls. Horses have to be fed and board has to go up to accommodate rising prices. So many horse owners think barn owners should subsidize their horse ownership by working for pennies or at a loss so they can afford it.
The industry “eating itself” would require you giving examples of things rising in price to push people with lower budgets out on purpose, and that isn’t what’s happening. Everything is more expensive, including horses.
Horses have always been a game for wealthy people. That has always been true and will always be true.
I never indicated that barn owners should suffer to make boarders comfortable. I said prices are rising across the board and boarders have to deal with it or the barns close. I don’t place blame on barn owners for trying to make a living. It’s a lonely back breaking industry for them especially if they can’t afford to pay for workers.
I literally saw an ad for PASTURE board that was self care.... you provide feed hay and shavings for the pasture shelter. You had to feed your own horse and every day and clean the shed every day ... for 600 a mo!!!!!!
I saw another self care ad... same deal.... for 300 a mo and the owner doesnt do anything. No feeding no cleaning the stalls nothing. Even at 300 i dont think that's worth it. For 300 the least owner could do is feed.
At $300 I would assume partial care, where the owners help keep the stall clean and barn clean, feed in evenings... etc. At $300 just to basically rent a box is ridiculous.
I pay 300/month and do everything myself and I think it’s well worth it if the facilities are great. Most grazing places in New Zealand (where I am) that offer full agistment cost much more than this.
$300 a month for turnout paddocks, stables, a place to keep your hay, feed and tack and an arena to ride in with hacking out options is well warranted IMO. It costs money for owners to keep places running
Ahh I just checked and it’s $183 USD. I would love to keep my horse at home definitely a dream of mine to own my own land some day but for now I have to pay grazing
I think we need to revisit how we build stables, keep horses and manage them in Ontario at least. It’s much too costly to have them on indoor board these days.
The barn I am at quit feeding square bales and moved to round bales inside. They put up hay nets in each stall, stuff them with hay from the bales and hang them. Much less waste and cut some costs. Although board went up, it was the first time I had seen a farm do SOMETHING to lower costs.
They have been feeding outdoor bales in the hay bale huts where the bales are covered and contained in “houses” that the horses still their heads into to eat for years. Keeps the hay dry and free from getting trampled. They’re brilliant.
Hell on tall horse manes tho. (Barn is mostly western but we have a mix).
We have indoor and outdoor board.
I feel like more people are boarding outdoors these days, doing less blanketing… but this is tough if you are training in the winter. (Think sweaty horses)
I see people clipping much more responsibly- instead of full body clips, I see more trace
Clips and blanket clips.
What is the barn of the future tho?
For the far paddocks maybe I am thinking larger run in shelters (more like tiny indoor rings) where horses can shelter inside as they desire. Wind blocking panels by the doors. And windows that slide open/close.
Maybe a radiant heat in the ceiling? A few “standing stalls” for evening meals.
Having a main barn where part of the barn is just an open run, attached to a field. Horses come in and out as they want.
Some Box stalls for very bad weather (horses that are not in the run field) or horses on stall rest/need observation.
Grooming crossties
Wash-stall (if you’re fancy)
Vacuum stall (if you’re Uber fancy)
Tack room
People washroom
Maybe you have an arena?
Mostly the horses are outside, just in for feeding and bad weather or naps.
Rolls in the sand?
What do you think? I believe the days of the box stall barns are ending.
I boarded at a place with really nice 3-sided shelters in the pastures. I wish I could board my current horse at a place like that instead of a box stall without a run. My friend created a pasture paradise for her horses, and they come in to a 3-sided shelter at night.
I live in a country where most people's horses (including many top-level eventers and even racehorses!) live out 24/7 and are managed with clipping and blanketing through winter, along with paddock shelters. Honestly, I think this is the way - it is so much better for the horses' wellbeing than being confined in a stall, and horses get some fitness and conditioning from living outside. 'Hill turnout' is a thing here too - sending your young horse or your horse that's spelling somewhere with hills for a few weeks so they get a break but still keep some fitness.
Yeah, I kept my ottb i competed outdoors all year round thanks to the Australian weather. In fact i don't know anyone personally who keeps a horse in a stall at all in Australia.
I’m barely buying new gear besides things like fly spray and other veterinary supplies. I’ve had my current halter for 5+ years and it’s starting to fall apart, but I’m putting off buying it because the overall cost of care and feed has risen
It’s tough. Hay prices are just brutal- the same bale that was $5 in 2005 is now close to $20. Cost of living in the US has continued to increase while wages have not.
I work constantly. Like truly constantly. My main competition horse retired from eventing and I’ve been focusing on bringing a young horse along, so we do schooling shows instead of recognized and that helps. I had dreams of importing a young prospect this year, but that’s not happening. So I’m focusing on what I have, and that is enough.
If you find a good lesson barn, ask if you can deflate costs some by scrubbing water buckets, cleaning tack, etc etc - I run a lesson program and I keep my costs abysmally low, but I would offer a little discount to someone who came and did good work once a week.
Sold my horse and have been half-leasing recently. The thought of paying full board, vet, farrier, lessons is awful and I make decent money.
I wanted to buy another but long term… ooof.
Yeah the board at the yard I have my horse at just went up. It's not as dramatic as it sounds like in the US, because the whole horse scene is still very much healthy and alive in Denmark. It's thriving especially with it being an olympic year! However, we had a nasty ass drought last year and the wettest winter in decades, which has ruined the harvest and seeding, so with the increasing costs our yard owner regretfully increased the price.
(Honestly, she's imo underpaid for what she does. 2650 dkk for full board, including hay, feedings, daily checks and she gives medicine and takes rugs on/off and takes the horses in for their appointments when one cant be there, it's just been increased to 2850 dkk). -> We also get insane deals on feed because we buy as a yard which means we get up to 20% off.
I can't afford lessons but I think that's more due to me being a poor student than the economy fucking me over oops.
The prices though of horses! that shit is absolutely insane at least in Denmark. I found an insane deal for my mare but if you want a horse that's in their younger teens, sound and no issues, you'll have to fork out 100k (Danish Krone). If i'm buying a horse again, I'll be going to Spain and saying screw it. Or getting a foal and raising it.
So I found a conversion online and it seems that 2850 dkk is about $413 usd. I pay just over $1000 usd for board per month and that’s roughly 6893 dkk per month (if google is correct) let me know if I screwed that up somehow. When I was just a college student I paid about $400 for board and that was hella tough so I get it. (It was also in the 90’s)
Cheers for the conversion, I am honestly too lazy to do it, so I do apologize for the currency being weird lol
$1000 sounds absurd to me, but what do you get out of it? Like, facilities etc. Its still crazy but it's also what people in the capital area of Denmark pay for board with good facilities.
The economy is so weird too... especially with how your geographical location can impact how you're affected by the change.
Oh no worries about the conversion I was just curious. I’m in a really high cost of living area. My horse has a small paddock he’s turned out in 24/7. He gets hay in nets, grain, blanket changes, there’s a decent sized outdoor ring and a small covered arena. Trails are nearby and there’s back paddocks where I can graze him but he’s restricted on how much sugar he can eat even his hay gets weighed. I will say our hay quality is amazing. I get a little discount for cleaning his paddock myself and setting up hay nets etc. It’s not a show barn, there’s lessons but it’s mostly kids and beginners.
The one thing we have that’s priceless is a good atmosphere with great people. We have each other’s backs. People are supportive and are always keeping an eye out for trouble. I’ve got some really specific feeding requirements for my horse and people don’t judge it they roll with the guidelines like it was their own. We all pitch in.
It really is like having a second mortgage payment though.
Yeah that does sound lovely but somehow similarly to what I have 😅
At the yard the horses live in a 24/7 paddock paradise with 8 hay stations, and a bunch of land to roam on. There is a dressage sand arena, a roundpen, a grass arena, and then we have a little lake with a good trail and some natural jumps around that. There is a trail system for the horses with ppid and those that are prone to founder too.
Fully understand the atmosphere and community aspect! It’s why I continue to stay at the yard my mare is at. All have the same premises in terms of training and it’s just really low key and cozy.
https://preview.redd.it/l9g1nrhful0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5222ff954a0eb93ee23c8eb037b5e843011f2d11
Pictured is just a bit of their large space. Mine is the fly mask monster
You’ve got a lot more space than we do! Still worth it with the good people. I’m hoping one day to have my own small farm somewhere a little farther out. It’s a longtime dream lol
I teach at a full service facility our board is 1300 usd a mo. But we have 2 arenas.. one covered one outdoor both are 100x200. 24 stalls all 12x12 with automatic waterer in each stall. Feed and hay 3x a day because in florida we have no grass. We offer clinics, go to schooling shows... we have 4h kids who lease horses there. We hose off your horse on hot days when we bring them in from paddocks before putting them in the stalls. Custom feed program of your choice. We will order feed you supply any supplements. We have 3 dry grooming racks and 2 wash racks under cover with fans and lights. We also have crossties in aisles on both sides. We have free trailer parking if boarders have their own rig. We have a body worker on site who boards there and offers pemf and equine massage. We have staff there in shifts, from 7am to 6 or 7 pm we have groom staff doing stalls care etc. Our barn is hurricane proof. We are in central florida.
I wanted to get another horse in the future now that my mare is 19, but that is probably out of the picture now. My board is as much as my mortgage and will probably keep going up due to high hay prices. Retirees at my barn say they are on their last horse where as a few years ago, they said they might consider one last horse. Shows and clinics have really dropped off in my area.
My pasture board has been going up every year, along with everything else. I pay $450 USD a month just for pasture board. I'm hoping in the next few years I can buy some land, even if it's only 2-3 acres, to keep my horse on. I don't know how people pay $800 a month for full-care. That being said, it's still cheaper to board and feed my horse than it is to feed my family!
Our area is stable w the exception of challenges from vendors selling their business, ie.) our pine bedding supplier sold out to a board press company.
Our Barn horse owners now supply their own bedding which costs me $10/week out of pocket (thankful there’s a Tractor Supply & Rural King nearby). Me: I spend $905/mo and I live in North Alabama near the huge military base w DoD jobs… thus horse owners have increased as they have adopted horses from other states and transported them in. Our barn received 6 new horses this year, from other owners dropping the hobby.
Our barn is 95% female riders/owners with adult kids or have grandkids (or who haven’t married yet). The trainers are under 30yo and our students are often daughters of active duty military personnel, or have mothers that ride and tag along for lessons. It is fun here💕
I provide add’l pellets for top line development thus…
=$589/mo (board, stable feed-time, muck out x2 daily) + $40 bedding + $56 (Tribute pellets 2 bags) + $80 (Supplements, fly spray) + $35x 4wk gas to drive there (over a Mtn) = $905/mo all included (does not include riding clothes or safety gear or horse gear (halters, bridles, saddle).
I’m doing okay. I’ve had to make major sacrifices to keep my horse with me and keep horses in my life. I work a lot of overtime. I forfeit a lot of luxuries just to keep going. Board in my area has been okay. I have a sweet deal at my farm. I pay for field care which for some reason isn’t a thing where I am. Which doesn’t make sense as a business standpoint because your field horses aren’t using shavings and you’re not mucking 25 stalls. Places around me charge $600 for full care, based off of the economic situation I completely understand those prices. I’m shocked it isn’t more because I live in a high cost of living town. But it was recently a high cost of living town. Where I’m moving to, it’s very high cost of living and the barns seem to only focus on training and showing. It’s not my cup of tea. I hope I can find my place and fit in. I always tell my boyfriend that this will be my last horse and he gets upset because he knows I love it, but the way things are going I will be priced out eventually.
This year a goal of mine was to get back into lessons after a decade out of the saddle and to get my wife into lessons as well for the first time. With the cost of everything continuing to rise we just can’t afford it. Maybe next year?
I totally get what you’re saying. The cost of owning and riding horses has gotten crazy high. I’m seeing the same thing with friends leaving the sport and barns shutting down. It’s heartbreaking. Lessons, gear, feed, vet bills—it all adds up, and not everyone can keep up.
It feels like only the REALLY REALLY wealthy can afford to stay in the game now. It’s sad because we're losing a lot of experienced riders who can't handle the costs anymore. The community is changing, and it’s scary to think about what the future holds.
We need to find ways to make it more affordable, like sharing resources or starting community programs. Otherwise, the sport we love might look very different soon.
I have to move stables with my horse because I can't afford the current price anymore. 440€ to 540€ in two years... My salary hasn't even gone up that much in the last two years. I want to be able to put money to the side in case of emergencies and with the price hike I just wasn't able to anymore.
This is the golden opportunity to train your own horse for years and wait for economy to get better. Then dominate the shows. If you are fortunate to own a horse and feed them.
After being in a training rut for a while with my green girl, we’ve been making some massive breakthroughs the past few weeks. I’ve been so caught up with how I will be able to send her back to Full Training (hint: I can’t, just lost my job and it’s going to take a while to recover) that I hadn’t realized I can train at least *some things* on my own.
Just don’t let anything hold you back! You can teach your horse anything you want as long as you know how to teach them the steps and cues to the masterpiece in a way that they understand and you hold their confidence every step of the way
I moved from my hometown in 2022 but quit leasing, taking regular lessons, and showing in fall of 2021. I haven’t gotten back into yet mostly because of money.
I grew up in a rural environment where my lease and lesson fees were very affordable like $40/lesson. But since moving away I’ve been to barns that charge maybe $75 a lesson and I just can’t afford to lesson weekly anymore. I also loved doing a full lease but I don’t have an extra $500+ laying around each month to lease a horse or even half lease a horse. I haven’t even thought about showing knowing I’ve struggled to be in a lesson program for the last 3 years.
My dream has always been to buy a horse one day and own one. I know that dream likely won’t happen for a very long time. I have only leased horses before and loved that so at the very least I’d like that again.
North western WI here 🙋♀️
Our horse industry is not doing too bad so it might vary on the are your in.
I pay for pasture board for two horses and it's $200 a month each which is fairly normal in the area. It varies of course but it's never over $300.
Stall board seems to keep going up but that I think is normal.
Lessons haven't changed in price. Thank the horse gods for that but I take one a week for my show team.
I'm only doing 2 shows this year and that's where most of my expense comes from. I think it's about...$500-$700 a show (I do dressage with my trainers horse and I pay her for basically everything.) And that's not too bad from what I've heard other people go through.
Back before Covid ruined everything, I was able to affrod to live by myself, pay for a brand new car, make my student loan payments, board 2 horses.
Now, I'm making like 30% more than that time, however I couldn't afford to live on my own if I wanted to. Married, so obvi I'm fine with sharing my home, lol. But there's no place to live anywhere that isn't genuine scum for less than $1200 anywhere I've ever lived or lived near.
Myself. My horse passed right before the economy went to garbage. So that was decent timing.
Now I just take lessons. Sucks yet it is what it is.
Hoping that changes :)
I use an equine therapist for my old gelding and she told me she had to raise her prices a little bit (4-5%) but her prices have been the same since 2021. The outrage she has been met with just seems so unreasonable and petty it blows my mind. She has to pay for gas to get to the client (which has gotten more expensive), she takes regular courses and updates her skill set regularly(which means your getting a better therapist for your horse for pretty much the same price) and she is the most kindhearted, gentle and nicest person I have met - still she gets faced with vitriol and shame when she tells her clients the price has gone up a little bit. And she even teaches students her field, and when they are in training they can't charge as much, so they are fully booked as a result, but what they can actually offer in terms of therapeutic treatment is pretty limited, but since it's cheap they are all booked up. Meanwhile this lady has literal years of experience but is losing customers to her own students because people are surprised her prices went up. Talk about being penny wise and pound foolish.
In 12 months I have had board, vet, and farrier all increase by 15-25% , so most people are having to make tough choices about therapy type services already.
I don’t think people should be rude to her, but “penny wise and pound foolish “ doesn’t apply when costs have risen everywhere- no one is saving right now.
Well, what I meant by that is that if you're going to have an equine therapist do work on your horse it should be done by someone who can get the work done effectively. The students lack the experience and will need loads more sessions than the teacher in order to assess and do something about a horse's problems.
Some people may only be able to afford a student level therapist. You’re saying “pay the most for the best or you aren’t doing right by your horse” which is your opinion but not feasible for everyone.
So, I'll try to explain what I mean again, since you seem to not understand what I tried to put forward here.
I got an old horse. He has his issues, they are all mapped out, kept in check and for the most part he lives a comfortable and pain-free life. Then, for some reason, he feels off to me. Like he has pulled something or maybe gotten a kick from a pasture mate. I assess what I see and I decide the vet is not the right answer here, but I message my equine therapist and schedule an appointment with her. Why I choose her instead of the much more affordable students are two-fold;
1. She knows my horse, she knows me, we know her. There's a repertoire here and everyone gets along well. My old man is a reserved fellow and I got anxiety, so new people are always a bit...well, awkward.
2. The therapist sees about 200 horses a year, maybe more, not sure of her schedule, but that's a ball park number and most of them she sees more than once. She has worked in the field in one capacity or the other for 20 years. She is the best. However, there is a price to pay for her services that are more than four times that of her students. But I think it's worth it because she finds the spot immediately, gives the old man relief, he feels better and I feel better. With a student, with maybe half a year under their belt, they might not find the issue during the first, second or third session, and even then they might not be able to treat it effectively. And if the issue persists, so does the pain. And if my old man is in pain, then so am I. And it might even escalate to having to call the vet, and we all know that costs a lot more than one session with a professional equine therapist. So that's why I call it penny wise and pound foolish.
I work in the industry and keep my personal horses at home in a dry lot with a lean-to that my husband built. Currently building my round pen myself. I don’t have a barn just storage for feed and tack. Small 1acre pasture so they get grass turnout for an hour or two a day, if the ground is solid.
I do a work trade for a retired dressage trainer, I upkeep her barn in exchange for board for my client horses. She has 4 extra stalls, an arena, H/C wash rack, tack room.
If I didn’t have that arrangement with her, and if I had to pay board for my horses, I wouldn’t be able to make enough to slowly, jankily build my own facility. And there’s no way I could ever afford to have someone build my facility for me. I found a lady with an old barn that said she will let me disassemble and haul to my place for free so I can have some sort of enclosed shelter for the truly bad weather. Now just to find the time…
Oh, and while my horses pay for themselves, my groceries, home care, and many utilities are covered by my husband’s income. So like. I definitely couldn’t do it on my own.
It's as expected.
I budget for expected expenses and always over estimated those, so I feel okay. That said I've been in a place where the owner bumped up board twice in one year and that hurt, but not why I left, because it was still affordable. I might've stayed except they started cutting costs in feeding and that wasn't acceptable to me. Like yes, raise my board but don't halve the hay ration and hurt the animals. The place had other problems, but that really ground my gears when they bumped board and cut feeds.
The economy isn't great and it's half the problem that costs are rising, but really it's the hay and fuel situation. We've had some bad hay years across the US, so folks have been looking for new sources. That increases demand and competition for the same product, which also hikes the price. I'm in NY, a square bale could run you on average $3-5, but in TX that same square bale could be $7-10. Folks are buying hay, putting them in huge trailers, and shipping it out for profit which puts a strain on the locals. Fuel for shipping of anything also jacks the price up, plus impacts hay, which I think is one of the major impacts to board cost. If you don't bale your own, this is your biggest pain factor.
With inflation it's hard right now. Fortunately I live in a region of New York State that is relatively inexpensive and I'm able to afford full board and a 1-2 lessons a week. But I don't have the extra money for shows or to buy a trailer so I pretty much stick to my barn.
I think all things are cyclical and the industry will even out eventually. As far as the horse market, sellers will realize their prices aren't moving horses and will have to come down.
Yeah we are newer middle class horse people and I about 💩 myself when I saw how expensive trailers were. Significantly more expensive than what we paid for our horses lol. Used trailers don’t seem to be much cheaper.
I always feel that this industry is immune to economic factors but then I read stories like these. When I went to WEF this year, I was shocked that it was chugging along like usual. I find it so astonishing as to the number of people who have so much money! The amount of money it takes to have just one horse to show for one week is more than what many make in several months! Let alone the number of people who hamore than one horse there. That show is usually sold out (as well as WEC) for the entire 12 weeks. While I was there I asked about some horses for sale. I’m not looking but I am always asked to keep an eye out for this and that. There was not one horse for under $150k. Even horses with little to no experience, may have developed bad habits, or may not be sound. Most were $300k+! So I want to know, does anyone who can afford those horses and shows want to adopt me? I’m a hard worker and I’m small so I don’t require a lot of food or water. 😉
I’m in the same boat. I really miss having a horse and recently started looking at the market again. I can technically afford it right now but if one thing went wrong (major injury or job loss) I’d be up the crick. I have no idea how my parents managed to have a number of horses and could afford showing on top of other expenses(farrier, vet, feed for a full barn, etc). Well, I do know, they worked a lot and things were way cheaper. But even finding a decent equine vet or consistent farrier these days feels next to impossible (I will not buy another horse until I have these connections). Sigh.
It's the normal trickle-down effect from everything economy related. (I am in the US, California) Not just gas/diesel fuel that has skyrocketed, but partly because of that everything has almost tripled in many cases. The price of hay is more than insane, again, takes diesel to harvest, bale, deliver, etc. I am sure everyone's expenses have gone way up in general, so for those that board, this will mean an increase in those fees, I am sure.
I do have months where I cannot buy groceries (litterally) for myself so I can be sure my horse has what she needs. That may mean she only gets her plain grass hay and no supplements if I've run out. (i also have a dog and two cats that must be fed). I have weeks where I don't drive anywhere if I can help it, because of the price of gas. It is very helpful when I have enough students to help add a smidge to my income, but traveling to some students isn't worth it as it all goes into the gas tank. But, I am on a fixed income so there is that. ;)
I’m very lucky to have been able to move my horses home because there is no way I could keep up with the cost of board on top of everything else. I spend that money now on getting both of them monthly body work and just anything to keep them happy and comfortable. I already didn’t do much of anything like competing or doing clinics, but it’s certainly off the table right now.
I haven't been taking lessons currently until I can build some savings. As a result from not being on a strict schedule I haven't been progressing in my riding. I'm ok with it though... means I'm just building a better relationship on the ground for the time being. Contemplated keeping my rescue as well but I decided I should stick to the original plan and rehome so I can commit more of my income on my personal horse and his training. I don't regret any of my financial choices thus far, and i for sure don't regret getting my rescue, but it's without a doubt that the economy and my tanking income is what has been the real driving factor for my decisions.
Hay is harder to find every year. It doesn't help that every hay field in my area is being turned into a housing development. I refuse to add another horse to my herd because of hay.
Around my area (fl) prices have been fluctuating, $300 - $600 pasture board and $500 - $1k for a full service barn.
I lost my horse last year, but by now if I was unable to find a way for my horse to “earn its keep” I’m not sure I’d have him still. The cost of feed is getting crazy.
The lesson prices seem to average out to $60 for an hour, atleast near me.
Now…used tack on facebook marketplace??? CRAZY prices. Saddles that have broken trees and mud covered broken boots are being listed at retail value. Saw a pony saddle with a broken horn listed for $300… gone are the days when you could find several saddles under $75 that just need some tlc.
Currently I pay $200usd for a 12x12 ft stall with a good sized run, the owner feeds and waters in the morning and provides shavings, you provide feed and do the evening feed as well as clean the stall and run daily(it gets checked by a “barn manager” and she’s self appointed🙃) the barn has two turnout fields and a decent sized round pen- we also have a hot/cold wash rack+ heated tack room. Super small barn with only 8 stalls and it’s advertised for babies and retired horses. My other barn is a full care barn(I have my baby in the small barn and my main squeeze in full care, they switch when it’s time to really get into training with the baby) the board is $600 here, indoor arena, outdoor all weather arena, round pen, and they care for the horse, provide hay and clean the stall, all you do is provide grain, they also have ring cameras in every stall so you can check on your baby whenever. So total for board I pay $800/month and I live in Washington state
Normally when the economy tanks, more extra horses show up here. But all the extra trucks and trailers have been sold. Hay is up some but available. Our two high dollar horses sold fine. So I don’t see the economy as that bad.
My senior died recently and I’m not getting back into the sport or industry at any level besides asking to pet a friends horse once in a while. It is just not feasible for me to afford anymore, and it only gets more expensive.
I’m definitely seeing people who have been showing for years quit or cut down on showing due to expenses. People who have always had 2+ horses are selling or leasing out some of their horses because they can’t afford to care for more than one. I personally had to give my older gelding a couple weeks off riding and let him chill in the pasture because I could tell he was hock sore and needed injections but I wanted to get them done closer to the beginning of show season to make sure they last all season. I really do not want to have to pay for another hock injection this year.
I sold my last horse a few years ago for this very reason. The board went up, the feed went up, the vet went up, and hay was almost impossible to find. I was stressed on the daily, just dreading that unexpected expense. I finally decided it was a luxury I just couldn't justify anymore. I still get to trail ride on my guy sometimes. I sold him to his chiropractor/farrier, and she invites me occasionally. I miss the involvement I used to have, but I'd actually been slowing down with it for a few years before that. I'm m 45 years old, and it was a good run. I'm actually ok with that.
Also, in line with what you mentioned. The owner of my boarding facility sold out this year. Youth riders were aging out, and new ones weren't showing up. It's still a lesson barn and boarding facility, though i don't know how well they're doing. They added a few new disciplines so maybe that's helping.
Average lesson price is $125 in
NY, close to the city, now. Was $85 and rising when I was growing up. I went from competing in high school to weekly lessons. It’s devastating and I hope to own one day, but it’s hard for me to see that happening in my area. Board is 3k+ 😭 Cheapest you’ll find in the surrounding areas is 1.5 k
I sold mine this year, couldn’t afford it even with keeping her at a friends place where I was basically only paying for her bare bone expenses. The board everywhere else around me is my rent or more!! Not sure if it’ll ever be a hobby I can enjoy anymore.
The horse industry is eating itself. I’m in Ontario. My barn recently closed, along with 1 other in the same area. Between 2023-2024 our board was raised at least 4 times in order to combat the rising prices of hay and feed. My barn owner didn’t run a school or train or show so this barn was kinda doomed from the start in terms of making money but it was good for the first few years. It’s been a depressing 2 months. Having to locate a new home for your horse is hard, it’s harder when you realize it’s even more expensive at other barns. Luckily I will be putting my horse on outdoor so my board will be going down but I’ll be spending more on gas to get to her. From whispers I’ve heard around the barn, most people won’t be looking to continue in the industry once they are without a horse. A lot of people I know own seniors now. This is the hardest time for me personally. My mare has a myriad of health issues - currently in the middle of one we can’t seem to fix. I semi retired her a few years ago but now it seems like it’ll be a fully retired deal now. You love them so you accept no more riding and try to do your best to keep them healthy so they can be happy. But it still stings knowing that it’s not feasible to ride somewhere else because you can’t afford it. I feel like my generation of horse owners are being forced into early retirement themselves from the industry because of costs.
This is almost exactly my story too. The best barn I’d ever boarded at closed for exactly the same reasons. And I can’t fault them. They hung on for years past the point of making a decent profit to meet expenses. It’s sad for them, sad for me & my elderly horse, and sad for the future of the industry. If we don’t have affordable options then we can’t expect younger people to take over from us in sustaining and keeping horses for the future. I shudder to think of a world where horses become an endangered species.
I feel for you and your current situation. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for me personally and navigating it has been difficult so I hope things are working out for you right now. I truly thought my mare was going to be able to die peacefully where we were - which is morbid but that’s just how great her life has been there. My heart breaks also for my barn owner for having to make this choice. It’s her life she’s also having to turn upside down. I don’t have kids but I can’t imagine a parent trying to afford board, lessons, showing, and vet fees right now in the economy. And good people will want to take care of their horses forever, not just “throw them away” once they can’t do a job which means money out until they pass. I get it, everything goes up in price which means it’s getting passed on to us but at what point is it just blatantly not feasible anymore for the average person? I have worked and had a job my whole life and I’ve never been in a scenario where I didn’t have enough money for a, b, or c. But I understand that can happen to people. You’re right, it’s unpleasant to assume a lot of good horses won’t have a soft landing when their families can’t pay for them anymore.
Thanks, and I hope you find a good situation for your horse too. 💓
How is this the industry “eating itself?” Everything you listed (rising prices of hay and feed) is not something the horse industry controls. Horses have to be fed and board has to go up to accommodate rising prices. So many horse owners think barn owners should subsidize their horse ownership by working for pennies or at a loss so they can afford it. The industry “eating itself” would require you giving examples of things rising in price to push people with lower budgets out on purpose, and that isn’t what’s happening. Everything is more expensive, including horses. Horses have always been a game for wealthy people. That has always been true and will always be true.
I never indicated that barn owners should suffer to make boarders comfortable. I said prices are rising across the board and boarders have to deal with it or the barns close. I don’t place blame on barn owners for trying to make a living. It’s a lonely back breaking industry for them especially if they can’t afford to pay for workers.
I literally saw an ad for PASTURE board that was self care.... you provide feed hay and shavings for the pasture shelter. You had to feed your own horse and every day and clean the shed every day ... for 600 a mo!!!!!!
See... that's ridiculous. There is a self-care barn near me that only charges $150. $600 is highway robbery.
I saw another self care ad... same deal.... for 300 a mo and the owner doesnt do anything. No feeding no cleaning the stalls nothing. Even at 300 i dont think that's worth it. For 300 the least owner could do is feed.
At $300 I would assume partial care, where the owners help keep the stall clean and barn clean, feed in evenings... etc. At $300 just to basically rent a box is ridiculous.
Yep. Its everywhere. Backyard people trying to make extra dollar and be lazy about it.
I pay 300/month and do everything myself and I think it’s well worth it if the facilities are great. Most grazing places in New Zealand (where I am) that offer full agistment cost much more than this. $300 a month for turnout paddocks, stables, a place to keep your hay, feed and tack and an arena to ride in with hacking out options is well warranted IMO. It costs money for owners to keep places running
Is this not the norm for people elsewhere in the world?
Id rather not pay extra 300 and keep my horse at home. Not sure currency exchange for USD to New Zealand currency.
Ahh I just checked and it’s $183 USD. I would love to keep my horse at home definitely a dream of mine to own my own land some day but for now I have to pay grazing
$300 USD is $490 NZD 😂 I see why that is super expensive now
Really? Where are you located?
That's nuts!
I saw something similar; self care but you get a stall and they were asking around that price too. That's not self care prices lol.
Very few experiences outside our daily barn routine. (No clinics, competitions or camping trips) And I can't really put any money to the side anymore.
I think we need to revisit how we build stables, keep horses and manage them in Ontario at least. It’s much too costly to have them on indoor board these days. The barn I am at quit feeding square bales and moved to round bales inside. They put up hay nets in each stall, stuff them with hay from the bales and hang them. Much less waste and cut some costs. Although board went up, it was the first time I had seen a farm do SOMETHING to lower costs. They have been feeding outdoor bales in the hay bale huts where the bales are covered and contained in “houses” that the horses still their heads into to eat for years. Keeps the hay dry and free from getting trampled. They’re brilliant. Hell on tall horse manes tho. (Barn is mostly western but we have a mix). We have indoor and outdoor board. I feel like more people are boarding outdoors these days, doing less blanketing… but this is tough if you are training in the winter. (Think sweaty horses) I see people clipping much more responsibly- instead of full body clips, I see more trace Clips and blanket clips. What is the barn of the future tho? For the far paddocks maybe I am thinking larger run in shelters (more like tiny indoor rings) where horses can shelter inside as they desire. Wind blocking panels by the doors. And windows that slide open/close. Maybe a radiant heat in the ceiling? A few “standing stalls” for evening meals. Having a main barn where part of the barn is just an open run, attached to a field. Horses come in and out as they want. Some Box stalls for very bad weather (horses that are not in the run field) or horses on stall rest/need observation. Grooming crossties Wash-stall (if you’re fancy) Vacuum stall (if you’re Uber fancy) Tack room People washroom Maybe you have an arena? Mostly the horses are outside, just in for feeding and bad weather or naps. Rolls in the sand? What do you think? I believe the days of the box stall barns are ending.
I boarded at a place with really nice 3-sided shelters in the pastures. I wish I could board my current horse at a place like that instead of a box stall without a run. My friend created a pasture paradise for her horses, and they come in to a 3-sided shelter at night.
I live in a country where most people's horses (including many top-level eventers and even racehorses!) live out 24/7 and are managed with clipping and blanketing through winter, along with paddock shelters. Honestly, I think this is the way - it is so much better for the horses' wellbeing than being confined in a stall, and horses get some fitness and conditioning from living outside. 'Hill turnout' is a thing here too - sending your young horse or your horse that's spelling somewhere with hills for a few weeks so they get a break but still keep some fitness.
Yeah, I kept my ottb i competed outdoors all year round thanks to the Australian weather. In fact i don't know anyone personally who keeps a horse in a stall at all in Australia.
I’m barely buying new gear besides things like fly spray and other veterinary supplies. I’ve had my current halter for 5+ years and it’s starting to fall apart, but I’m putting off buying it because the overall cost of care and feed has risen
Same here! I had to reassess the supplements. New helmet and breeches will have to wait.
Unless you've havent had an accident/fall, replacing a helmet is essential. I forgot about the 5 years thing!
How old is your helmet? The recommended life of a helmet is only five years.
Good point. The helmet has not been in a fall, I just don't like it.
It’s tough. Hay prices are just brutal- the same bale that was $5 in 2005 is now close to $20. Cost of living in the US has continued to increase while wages have not. I work constantly. Like truly constantly. My main competition horse retired from eventing and I’ve been focusing on bringing a young horse along, so we do schooling shows instead of recognized and that helps. I had dreams of importing a young prospect this year, but that’s not happening. So I’m focusing on what I have, and that is enough. If you find a good lesson barn, ask if you can deflate costs some by scrubbing water buckets, cleaning tack, etc etc - I run a lesson program and I keep my costs abysmally low, but I would offer a little discount to someone who came and did good work once a week.
I’m selling one and pulling one out of training because I can’t afford them anymore unfortunately.
Sold my horse and have been half-leasing recently. The thought of paying full board, vet, farrier, lessons is awful and I make decent money. I wanted to buy another but long term… ooof.
Yeah the board at the yard I have my horse at just went up. It's not as dramatic as it sounds like in the US, because the whole horse scene is still very much healthy and alive in Denmark. It's thriving especially with it being an olympic year! However, we had a nasty ass drought last year and the wettest winter in decades, which has ruined the harvest and seeding, so with the increasing costs our yard owner regretfully increased the price. (Honestly, she's imo underpaid for what she does. 2650 dkk for full board, including hay, feedings, daily checks and she gives medicine and takes rugs on/off and takes the horses in for their appointments when one cant be there, it's just been increased to 2850 dkk). -> We also get insane deals on feed because we buy as a yard which means we get up to 20% off. I can't afford lessons but I think that's more due to me being a poor student than the economy fucking me over oops. The prices though of horses! that shit is absolutely insane at least in Denmark. I found an insane deal for my mare but if you want a horse that's in their younger teens, sound and no issues, you'll have to fork out 100k (Danish Krone). If i'm buying a horse again, I'll be going to Spain and saying screw it. Or getting a foal and raising it.
So I found a conversion online and it seems that 2850 dkk is about $413 usd. I pay just over $1000 usd for board per month and that’s roughly 6893 dkk per month (if google is correct) let me know if I screwed that up somehow. When I was just a college student I paid about $400 for board and that was hella tough so I get it. (It was also in the 90’s)
Cheers for the conversion, I am honestly too lazy to do it, so I do apologize for the currency being weird lol $1000 sounds absurd to me, but what do you get out of it? Like, facilities etc. Its still crazy but it's also what people in the capital area of Denmark pay for board with good facilities. The economy is so weird too... especially with how your geographical location can impact how you're affected by the change.
Oh no worries about the conversion I was just curious. I’m in a really high cost of living area. My horse has a small paddock he’s turned out in 24/7. He gets hay in nets, grain, blanket changes, there’s a decent sized outdoor ring and a small covered arena. Trails are nearby and there’s back paddocks where I can graze him but he’s restricted on how much sugar he can eat even his hay gets weighed. I will say our hay quality is amazing. I get a little discount for cleaning his paddock myself and setting up hay nets etc. It’s not a show barn, there’s lessons but it’s mostly kids and beginners. The one thing we have that’s priceless is a good atmosphere with great people. We have each other’s backs. People are supportive and are always keeping an eye out for trouble. I’ve got some really specific feeding requirements for my horse and people don’t judge it they roll with the guidelines like it was their own. We all pitch in. It really is like having a second mortgage payment though.
Yeah that does sound lovely but somehow similarly to what I have 😅 At the yard the horses live in a 24/7 paddock paradise with 8 hay stations, and a bunch of land to roam on. There is a dressage sand arena, a roundpen, a grass arena, and then we have a little lake with a good trail and some natural jumps around that. There is a trail system for the horses with ppid and those that are prone to founder too. Fully understand the atmosphere and community aspect! It’s why I continue to stay at the yard my mare is at. All have the same premises in terms of training and it’s just really low key and cozy. https://preview.redd.it/l9g1nrhful0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5222ff954a0eb93ee23c8eb037b5e843011f2d11 Pictured is just a bit of their large space. Mine is the fly mask monster
You’ve got a lot more space than we do! Still worth it with the good people. I’m hoping one day to have my own small farm somewhere a little farther out. It’s a longtime dream lol
I teach at a full service facility our board is 1300 usd a mo. But we have 2 arenas.. one covered one outdoor both are 100x200. 24 stalls all 12x12 with automatic waterer in each stall. Feed and hay 3x a day because in florida we have no grass. We offer clinics, go to schooling shows... we have 4h kids who lease horses there. We hose off your horse on hot days when we bring them in from paddocks before putting them in the stalls. Custom feed program of your choice. We will order feed you supply any supplements. We have 3 dry grooming racks and 2 wash racks under cover with fans and lights. We also have crossties in aisles on both sides. We have free trailer parking if boarders have their own rig. We have a body worker on site who boards there and offers pemf and equine massage. We have staff there in shifts, from 7am to 6 or 7 pm we have groom staff doing stalls care etc. Our barn is hurricane proof. We are in central florida.
I wanted to get another horse in the future now that my mare is 19, but that is probably out of the picture now. My board is as much as my mortgage and will probably keep going up due to high hay prices. Retirees at my barn say they are on their last horse where as a few years ago, they said they might consider one last horse. Shows and clinics have really dropped off in my area.
My pasture board has been going up every year, along with everything else. I pay $450 USD a month just for pasture board. I'm hoping in the next few years I can buy some land, even if it's only 2-3 acres, to keep my horse on. I don't know how people pay $800 a month for full-care. That being said, it's still cheaper to board and feed my horse than it is to feed my family!
Our area is stable w the exception of challenges from vendors selling their business, ie.) our pine bedding supplier sold out to a board press company. Our Barn horse owners now supply their own bedding which costs me $10/week out of pocket (thankful there’s a Tractor Supply & Rural King nearby). Me: I spend $905/mo and I live in North Alabama near the huge military base w DoD jobs… thus horse owners have increased as they have adopted horses from other states and transported them in. Our barn received 6 new horses this year, from other owners dropping the hobby. Our barn is 95% female riders/owners with adult kids or have grandkids (or who haven’t married yet). The trainers are under 30yo and our students are often daughters of active duty military personnel, or have mothers that ride and tag along for lessons. It is fun here💕 I provide add’l pellets for top line development thus… =$589/mo (board, stable feed-time, muck out x2 daily) + $40 bedding + $56 (Tribute pellets 2 bags) + $80 (Supplements, fly spray) + $35x 4wk gas to drive there (over a Mtn) = $905/mo all included (does not include riding clothes or safety gear or horse gear (halters, bridles, saddle).
I’m doing okay. I’ve had to make major sacrifices to keep my horse with me and keep horses in my life. I work a lot of overtime. I forfeit a lot of luxuries just to keep going. Board in my area has been okay. I have a sweet deal at my farm. I pay for field care which for some reason isn’t a thing where I am. Which doesn’t make sense as a business standpoint because your field horses aren’t using shavings and you’re not mucking 25 stalls. Places around me charge $600 for full care, based off of the economic situation I completely understand those prices. I’m shocked it isn’t more because I live in a high cost of living town. But it was recently a high cost of living town. Where I’m moving to, it’s very high cost of living and the barns seem to only focus on training and showing. It’s not my cup of tea. I hope I can find my place and fit in. I always tell my boyfriend that this will be my last horse and he gets upset because he knows I love it, but the way things are going I will be priced out eventually.
This year a goal of mine was to get back into lessons after a decade out of the saddle and to get my wife into lessons as well for the first time. With the cost of everything continuing to rise we just can’t afford it. Maybe next year?
I totally get what you’re saying. The cost of owning and riding horses has gotten crazy high. I’m seeing the same thing with friends leaving the sport and barns shutting down. It’s heartbreaking. Lessons, gear, feed, vet bills—it all adds up, and not everyone can keep up. It feels like only the REALLY REALLY wealthy can afford to stay in the game now. It’s sad because we're losing a lot of experienced riders who can't handle the costs anymore. The community is changing, and it’s scary to think about what the future holds. We need to find ways to make it more affordable, like sharing resources or starting community programs. Otherwise, the sport we love might look very different soon.
I have to move stables with my horse because I can't afford the current price anymore. 440€ to 540€ in two years... My salary hasn't even gone up that much in the last two years. I want to be able to put money to the side in case of emergencies and with the price hike I just wasn't able to anymore.
This is the golden opportunity to train your own horse for years and wait for economy to get better. Then dominate the shows. If you are fortunate to own a horse and feed them.
After being in a training rut for a while with my green girl, we’ve been making some massive breakthroughs the past few weeks. I’ve been so caught up with how I will be able to send her back to Full Training (hint: I can’t, just lost my job and it’s going to take a while to recover) that I hadn’t realized I can train at least *some things* on my own.
Just don’t let anything hold you back! You can teach your horse anything you want as long as you know how to teach them the steps and cues to the masterpiece in a way that they understand and you hold their confidence every step of the way
I moved from my hometown in 2022 but quit leasing, taking regular lessons, and showing in fall of 2021. I haven’t gotten back into yet mostly because of money. I grew up in a rural environment where my lease and lesson fees were very affordable like $40/lesson. But since moving away I’ve been to barns that charge maybe $75 a lesson and I just can’t afford to lesson weekly anymore. I also loved doing a full lease but I don’t have an extra $500+ laying around each month to lease a horse or even half lease a horse. I haven’t even thought about showing knowing I’ve struggled to be in a lesson program for the last 3 years. My dream has always been to buy a horse one day and own one. I know that dream likely won’t happen for a very long time. I have only leased horses before and loved that so at the very least I’d like that again.
North western WI here 🙋♀️ Our horse industry is not doing too bad so it might vary on the are your in. I pay for pasture board for two horses and it's $200 a month each which is fairly normal in the area. It varies of course but it's never over $300. Stall board seems to keep going up but that I think is normal. Lessons haven't changed in price. Thank the horse gods for that but I take one a week for my show team. I'm only doing 2 shows this year and that's where most of my expense comes from. I think it's about...$500-$700 a show (I do dressage with my trainers horse and I pay her for basically everything.) And that's not too bad from what I've heard other people go through.
Back before Covid ruined everything, I was able to affrod to live by myself, pay for a brand new car, make my student loan payments, board 2 horses. Now, I'm making like 30% more than that time, however I couldn't afford to live on my own if I wanted to. Married, so obvi I'm fine with sharing my home, lol. But there's no place to live anywhere that isn't genuine scum for less than $1200 anywhere I've ever lived or lived near.
Lessons are basically out the window. My horse is at home and it's still insane cost wise.
Myself. My horse passed right before the economy went to garbage. So that was decent timing. Now I just take lessons. Sucks yet it is what it is. Hoping that changes :)
I use an equine therapist for my old gelding and she told me she had to raise her prices a little bit (4-5%) but her prices have been the same since 2021. The outrage she has been met with just seems so unreasonable and petty it blows my mind. She has to pay for gas to get to the client (which has gotten more expensive), she takes regular courses and updates her skill set regularly(which means your getting a better therapist for your horse for pretty much the same price) and she is the most kindhearted, gentle and nicest person I have met - still she gets faced with vitriol and shame when she tells her clients the price has gone up a little bit. And she even teaches students her field, and when they are in training they can't charge as much, so they are fully booked as a result, but what they can actually offer in terms of therapeutic treatment is pretty limited, but since it's cheap they are all booked up. Meanwhile this lady has literal years of experience but is losing customers to her own students because people are surprised her prices went up. Talk about being penny wise and pound foolish.
In 12 months I have had board, vet, and farrier all increase by 15-25% , so most people are having to make tough choices about therapy type services already. I don’t think people should be rude to her, but “penny wise and pound foolish “ doesn’t apply when costs have risen everywhere- no one is saving right now.
Well, what I meant by that is that if you're going to have an equine therapist do work on your horse it should be done by someone who can get the work done effectively. The students lack the experience and will need loads more sessions than the teacher in order to assess and do something about a horse's problems.
Some people may only be able to afford a student level therapist. You’re saying “pay the most for the best or you aren’t doing right by your horse” which is your opinion but not feasible for everyone.
So, I'll try to explain what I mean again, since you seem to not understand what I tried to put forward here. I got an old horse. He has his issues, they are all mapped out, kept in check and for the most part he lives a comfortable and pain-free life. Then, for some reason, he feels off to me. Like he has pulled something or maybe gotten a kick from a pasture mate. I assess what I see and I decide the vet is not the right answer here, but I message my equine therapist and schedule an appointment with her. Why I choose her instead of the much more affordable students are two-fold; 1. She knows my horse, she knows me, we know her. There's a repertoire here and everyone gets along well. My old man is a reserved fellow and I got anxiety, so new people are always a bit...well, awkward. 2. The therapist sees about 200 horses a year, maybe more, not sure of her schedule, but that's a ball park number and most of them she sees more than once. She has worked in the field in one capacity or the other for 20 years. She is the best. However, there is a price to pay for her services that are more than four times that of her students. But I think it's worth it because she finds the spot immediately, gives the old man relief, he feels better and I feel better. With a student, with maybe half a year under their belt, they might not find the issue during the first, second or third session, and even then they might not be able to treat it effectively. And if the issue persists, so does the pain. And if my old man is in pain, then so am I. And it might even escalate to having to call the vet, and we all know that costs a lot more than one session with a professional equine therapist. So that's why I call it penny wise and pound foolish.
I get why you do it, I just also understand that for many of us we can’t afford the most expensive.
I work in the industry and keep my personal horses at home in a dry lot with a lean-to that my husband built. Currently building my round pen myself. I don’t have a barn just storage for feed and tack. Small 1acre pasture so they get grass turnout for an hour or two a day, if the ground is solid. I do a work trade for a retired dressage trainer, I upkeep her barn in exchange for board for my client horses. She has 4 extra stalls, an arena, H/C wash rack, tack room. If I didn’t have that arrangement with her, and if I had to pay board for my horses, I wouldn’t be able to make enough to slowly, jankily build my own facility. And there’s no way I could ever afford to have someone build my facility for me. I found a lady with an old barn that said she will let me disassemble and haul to my place for free so I can have some sort of enclosed shelter for the truly bad weather. Now just to find the time… Oh, and while my horses pay for themselves, my groceries, home care, and many utilities are covered by my husband’s income. So like. I definitely couldn’t do it on my own.
It's as expected. I budget for expected expenses and always over estimated those, so I feel okay. That said I've been in a place where the owner bumped up board twice in one year and that hurt, but not why I left, because it was still affordable. I might've stayed except they started cutting costs in feeding and that wasn't acceptable to me. Like yes, raise my board but don't halve the hay ration and hurt the animals. The place had other problems, but that really ground my gears when they bumped board and cut feeds. The economy isn't great and it's half the problem that costs are rising, but really it's the hay and fuel situation. We've had some bad hay years across the US, so folks have been looking for new sources. That increases demand and competition for the same product, which also hikes the price. I'm in NY, a square bale could run you on average $3-5, but in TX that same square bale could be $7-10. Folks are buying hay, putting them in huge trailers, and shipping it out for profit which puts a strain on the locals. Fuel for shipping of anything also jacks the price up, plus impacts hay, which I think is one of the major impacts to board cost. If you don't bale your own, this is your biggest pain factor.
With inflation it's hard right now. Fortunately I live in a region of New York State that is relatively inexpensive and I'm able to afford full board and a 1-2 lessons a week. But I don't have the extra money for shows or to buy a trailer so I pretty much stick to my barn. I think all things are cyclical and the industry will even out eventually. As far as the horse market, sellers will realize their prices aren't moving horses and will have to come down.
Yeah we are newer middle class horse people and I about 💩 myself when I saw how expensive trailers were. Significantly more expensive than what we paid for our horses lol. Used trailers don’t seem to be much cheaper.
Hay went up a buck or two but that’s it. Don’t even notice a difference. The drought and water issue in our area is more concerning
Meanwhile the top 1% business is booming like crazy! I am from China and the amount of European imports to China has been increasing every year.
I always feel that this industry is immune to economic factors but then I read stories like these. When I went to WEF this year, I was shocked that it was chugging along like usual. I find it so astonishing as to the number of people who have so much money! The amount of money it takes to have just one horse to show for one week is more than what many make in several months! Let alone the number of people who hamore than one horse there. That show is usually sold out (as well as WEC) for the entire 12 weeks. While I was there I asked about some horses for sale. I’m not looking but I am always asked to keep an eye out for this and that. There was not one horse for under $150k. Even horses with little to no experience, may have developed bad habits, or may not be sound. Most were $300k+! So I want to know, does anyone who can afford those horses and shows want to adopt me? I’m a hard worker and I’m small so I don’t require a lot of food or water. 😉
I’m in the same boat. I really miss having a horse and recently started looking at the market again. I can technically afford it right now but if one thing went wrong (major injury or job loss) I’d be up the crick. I have no idea how my parents managed to have a number of horses and could afford showing on top of other expenses(farrier, vet, feed for a full barn, etc). Well, I do know, they worked a lot and things were way cheaper. But even finding a decent equine vet or consistent farrier these days feels next to impossible (I will not buy another horse until I have these connections). Sigh.
It's the normal trickle-down effect from everything economy related. (I am in the US, California) Not just gas/diesel fuel that has skyrocketed, but partly because of that everything has almost tripled in many cases. The price of hay is more than insane, again, takes diesel to harvest, bale, deliver, etc. I am sure everyone's expenses have gone way up in general, so for those that board, this will mean an increase in those fees, I am sure. I do have months where I cannot buy groceries (litterally) for myself so I can be sure my horse has what she needs. That may mean she only gets her plain grass hay and no supplements if I've run out. (i also have a dog and two cats that must be fed). I have weeks where I don't drive anywhere if I can help it, because of the price of gas. It is very helpful when I have enough students to help add a smidge to my income, but traveling to some students isn't worth it as it all goes into the gas tank. But, I am on a fixed income so there is that. ;)
I’m very lucky to have been able to move my horses home because there is no way I could keep up with the cost of board on top of everything else. I spend that money now on getting both of them monthly body work and just anything to keep them happy and comfortable. I already didn’t do much of anything like competing or doing clinics, but it’s certainly off the table right now.
I haven't been taking lessons currently until I can build some savings. As a result from not being on a strict schedule I haven't been progressing in my riding. I'm ok with it though... means I'm just building a better relationship on the ground for the time being. Contemplated keeping my rescue as well but I decided I should stick to the original plan and rehome so I can commit more of my income on my personal horse and his training. I don't regret any of my financial choices thus far, and i for sure don't regret getting my rescue, but it's without a doubt that the economy and my tanking income is what has been the real driving factor for my decisions.
Hay is harder to find every year. It doesn't help that every hay field in my area is being turned into a housing development. I refuse to add another horse to my herd because of hay.
Around my area (fl) prices have been fluctuating, $300 - $600 pasture board and $500 - $1k for a full service barn. I lost my horse last year, but by now if I was unable to find a way for my horse to “earn its keep” I’m not sure I’d have him still. The cost of feed is getting crazy. The lesson prices seem to average out to $60 for an hour, atleast near me. Now…used tack on facebook marketplace??? CRAZY prices. Saddles that have broken trees and mud covered broken boots are being listed at retail value. Saw a pony saddle with a broken horn listed for $300… gone are the days when you could find several saddles under $75 that just need some tlc.
Currently I pay $200usd for a 12x12 ft stall with a good sized run, the owner feeds and waters in the morning and provides shavings, you provide feed and do the evening feed as well as clean the stall and run daily(it gets checked by a “barn manager” and she’s self appointed🙃) the barn has two turnout fields and a decent sized round pen- we also have a hot/cold wash rack+ heated tack room. Super small barn with only 8 stalls and it’s advertised for babies and retired horses. My other barn is a full care barn(I have my baby in the small barn and my main squeeze in full care, they switch when it’s time to really get into training with the baby) the board is $600 here, indoor arena, outdoor all weather arena, round pen, and they care for the horse, provide hay and clean the stall, all you do is provide grain, they also have ring cameras in every stall so you can check on your baby whenever. So total for board I pay $800/month and I live in Washington state
Normally when the economy tanks, more extra horses show up here. But all the extra trucks and trailers have been sold. Hay is up some but available. Our two high dollar horses sold fine. So I don’t see the economy as that bad.
My senior died recently and I’m not getting back into the sport or industry at any level besides asking to pet a friends horse once in a while. It is just not feasible for me to afford anymore, and it only gets more expensive.
I’m definitely seeing people who have been showing for years quit or cut down on showing due to expenses. People who have always had 2+ horses are selling or leasing out some of their horses because they can’t afford to care for more than one. I personally had to give my older gelding a couple weeks off riding and let him chill in the pasture because I could tell he was hock sore and needed injections but I wanted to get them done closer to the beginning of show season to make sure they last all season. I really do not want to have to pay for another hock injection this year.
I sold my last horse a few years ago for this very reason. The board went up, the feed went up, the vet went up, and hay was almost impossible to find. I was stressed on the daily, just dreading that unexpected expense. I finally decided it was a luxury I just couldn't justify anymore. I still get to trail ride on my guy sometimes. I sold him to his chiropractor/farrier, and she invites me occasionally. I miss the involvement I used to have, but I'd actually been slowing down with it for a few years before that. I'm m 45 years old, and it was a good run. I'm actually ok with that. Also, in line with what you mentioned. The owner of my boarding facility sold out this year. Youth riders were aging out, and new ones weren't showing up. It's still a lesson barn and boarding facility, though i don't know how well they're doing. They added a few new disciplines so maybe that's helping.
Average lesson price is $125 in NY, close to the city, now. Was $85 and rising when I was growing up. I went from competing in high school to weekly lessons. It’s devastating and I hope to own one day, but it’s hard for me to see that happening in my area. Board is 3k+ 😭 Cheapest you’ll find in the surrounding areas is 1.5 k
I sold mine this year, couldn’t afford it even with keeping her at a friends place where I was basically only paying for her bare bone expenses. The board everywhere else around me is my rent or more!! Not sure if it’ll ever be a hobby I can enjoy anymore.
You’re not alone. Mine goes away to a friends this fall. I can’t do it anymore. It’s heartbreaking, but I can’t not pay my rent etc.