Welcome to Horse Central

Having a horse farm can be a lot of fun and can be very satisfying, but it is also a lot of work. While it is true you can just put your horse in a pasture with barbed wire fencing, it really isn’t the safest environment for your horse. Before you purchase a horse, you really need to consider a lot of different things. What discipline or riding style do you wish to pursue? How much time do you have to spend with your horse? How much land do you have? And maybe the most important, how much money do you have to invest in your horse and farm?

Riding Discipline
There are numerous styles of riding, ranging from simple pleasure riding to Olympic level dressage riding and everything in between. The type and quality of your tack and equipment will be determined by your style of riding and level of competition. Profession riding will require better equipment to hold up to increased amount of usage. And there is a tremendous difference between a western saddle and a hunter jumper saddle.

Time To Spend With Your Horse
If all the time you will have available to spend with your horse is a few hours a week, it might be better to board you horse a boarding stable. They will keep your horse in a safe environment and ensure that he is fed a proper diet on a regular basis. However, if you have the time to spend caring for your horse, it is very satisfying to walk out the back door and pet him. Just remember, now you, not the boarding facility will be responsible for feeding him and cleaning up the stalls after him. It can be very time consuming caring for your horse, especially if you keep him in a stall.

How Much Land Do You Need ?
Just how much land do you need to board a horse? That depends on a lot of different things. For example, will your horse need to forage in the pasture for the majority of his dinner, or will you be feeding hay and grain? What are the codes in your city or county? In some states, it is common to have several horses per acre because they are kept in separate stalls and fed a lot of hay. In other states, you are required to have several acres per horse. You will need to check with the regulatory agencies in your area.

How Much Money Does It Take ?
It has been said that owning a horse is an endless money pit. You have feed bills, vet bills, tack and equipment. You have to build a barn, buy bedding, and keep the fences repaired. It takes a lot of money, especially if you are just starting out with a vacant field.

Exactly how much it will cost depends on where you live, what type of discipline you are pursuing, and how many horses you have. It can easily run into several thousands of dollars a year just to keep you horse. And if you what to compete at various shows, you will need a truck and trailer, entry fees, and the list just keeps on growing. So before you decide that you want a horse farm, you need to keep in mind what it will cost, both in time, energy and money. While it can be expensive, it is very satisfying and is money well spent.

This is just some of the information you need to consider before you get a horse farm.  We have tried to provide you with other information to help you learn more about how to care for your horse when you get him.