# Cost of keeping a foal/Yearling



## bigchief (15 August 2008)

Hello everyone,

If possible can someone please list a breakdown of the monthly cost envolved in keeping a foal (Insurance, feed, clipping ,worming,vacs etc) as a rough guide.  I would greatly appreciate this.  

I have an idea, but want to ask the experienced members here at H&amp;H.  If someone could advise me on the cost of feeding a foal mainly.   

Thank-you

Martin


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## toffeesmarty (15 August 2008)

There is little difference between keeping a young horse and older horses unless you own your own land and don't have to pay livery fees! All horses, regardless of their age need worming, feeding and regular farriery visits. What is your experience of keeping horses?


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## Meandtheboys (15 August 2008)

I will be wintering my foal / yearling out costs will include adlib hay aprox £15 a week, small amount of hard feed aprox £8 a week, farrier to trim feet every 8 weeks £20, cost of DIY livery, Jabs £70- yearly, worming £15 every 8-10 weeks - my insurance is only £20 a month depends on your policy requirements
I hope this helps................


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## Springs (15 August 2008)

Hi,

do you have your own land or do you intend keeping at livery?


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## bigchief (15 August 2008)

anya01 and toffeesmarty Thank-you for the reply to my question.  

Thanks anya01 for the breakdown.  Yes I had thought as much, I seen a guide to feeding on various feed manufacture websites ilb per month as a rough guide to stud mix.  

Toffeesmarty to answer your question I have no experience in keeping horses, but have been riding for several years as well as reading.  I would like to make a start.  Springs I would be keeping the foal at home if I do decide to purchase.  

Thanks,

Martin


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## Springs (15 August 2008)

Keeping a foal at home you will need to think of the following:

Haylage is better than hay, a large bale (6 string) in Shrops will be between £13 and £20 each this will last 4 full sized horses 1 week through the winter. Hay is ok but be careful of the quality.

insurance will be aroung £10 per month (assuming you only attach a value of £2k ish

farrier shoud be £0 for the first year unless you have problems

passport will be up to £100 if you DNA etc

Vets should be no more than £75

rugs, budding and hard feed will be up to you


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## bigchief (15 August 2008)

Thank-you springs.  

I was quoted £50 per month for insurance, though I must admit I has added the value higher than 2k as you suggest.  What hard feed during the winter would you recommend?


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## toffeesmarty (15 August 2008)

I note you have ridden for a while and have read up alot- why are you looking at buying a youngster rather than a mature horse? If this is your first horse I would recommend buying an older one first. However, if you're set on a youngster the estimates given by the others all seem realistic to me - the difference needed between young and older animals is small. One thing to bear in mind is that younger animals can outgrow tack and rugs quickly so can be expensive.


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## The Original Kao (15 August 2008)

also if you're keeping any horse at home they really need company of some sort. better another equine companion, but a sheep, cow, goat would also be better than no company.


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## The Original Kao (16 August 2008)

i don't know exactly how much my youngster has cost to keep this last year, but here's what i do know

insurance-£16 a month, insured for 2k, inc vets fees, but with a high excess of £500.
farrier- every 10-12 weeks £15 a trim, was a lot cheaper when she was a foal as she had very little feet 
	
	
		
		
	


	




vaccinations- she needed started so she's had 3 lots of vets visits just for those.
so around £180 plus i needed a mortality certifiate so i could get insurance which was around £35.
rugs-a friend gave me a few of her youngsters outgrown so i only bought 1 at £40, this year i've spent nearer £80 as she's out grown those.
she's also picked up a bacterial infection so for swabs, sedation to be swabbed, anti biotics etc, vets bill is around £150 
	
	
		
		
	


	




feed- my old boss let me use her youngsters feed so i've no idea on price. and she's not fed at the mo, will get back to you in a month or so 
	
	
		
		
	


	




basically a youngster costs as much to keep as an older horse really, maybe minus the shoeing cost, but they need proper feeding for growth etc whereas an older horse might not even need a hard feed.


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## JanetGeorge (16 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
  Yes I had thought as much, I seen a guide to feeding on various feed manufacture websites ilb per month as a rough guide to stud mix.  

Toffeesmarty to answer your question I have no experience in keeping horses, but have been riding for several years as well as reading.  I would like to make a start.  Springs I would be keeping the foal at home if I do decide to purchase.  


[/ QUOTE ]

Martin - let me first say PLEASE DON'T start your horse keeping experience with a weanling!!

1.  You CAN'T keep a weanling/yearling on its own - in fact very few horses are happy on their own.
2.  A weanling/yearling may be 'easy' - or it could turn into the monster from hell in a matter of months!  Basic temperament will have some influence on which, but the socialisation and handling it gets - the former with other horses - the latter from you - will be the main decider! 
3.  If you DO get a weanling/yearling, do NOT - I repeat NOT - feed it stud mix unless you want to cripple it with OCD!!  Weanlings/yearlings need good quality hay/haylage (as much as they'll eat) and a small amount of a good Stud Balancer (in most cases, rather less than the manufacturers advise!!) particularly if you buy a 'sensible' sort of youngster (eg Native or ID cross.)

I breed 'sensible' horses - pure and part bred Irish Draughts - and I WANT to sell weanlings (hell, I HAVE to sell some of the ruddy things - I'm over-run!)  But I would NOT sell a weanling to an inexperienced horse owner who wanted to keep it at home - and frankly, no RESPONSIBLE breeder should!


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## Anastasia (16 August 2008)

Martin, could you give us a little more of your background knowlege of horses.  You said you have ridden for several years, so how would you class yourself as a rider, and at what level do you ride?

Can I also ask why you decided to go for a weaned foal?  This is just to get more information on your background.


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## JanetGeorge (16 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]


farrier shoud be £0 for the first year unless you have problems



[/ QUOTE ]

If the farrier doesn't trim regularly in the first year (and thereafter) chances are you (or the horse) WILL have a problem.  My weanlings are trimmed every 8-10 weeks FROM 8 weeks of age - more often if there is 'a problem'!!

Almost every adult horse with 'problem' feet started as a foal that wasn't trimmed regularly!


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## dozzie (16 August 2008)

I would also say dont do it. I have done it with years of experience and it still went badly wrong. Handling foals is for the experienced believe me. They can get into all sorts of scrapes, go through bulshy/stroppy stages and unless you have expert help around you it is a recipe for disaster. If you want a youngster look for something over 2 yrs old that has been well started and keep it somewhere where you have people on hand to help out when it decides to throw it's teddies out of the pram one day, which it will!!!!

Foals also need company so to keep it on its own could lead to further difficulties.

And as an extra if you want to pictures of my foal, they can be found in the "In memory of" section of the forum. 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Dont do it.


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## CrazyMare (16 August 2008)

To add to this - foals really do go through 'phases' mine is currently the witch from hell to bring in from the field. As a result, despite my OH and Dad being experianced, they aren't handling her, beacuse I want to stop this phase before it becomes more.

The horse in the stable next to mine is the serious horse from hell. It will kill someone. Why? Beacuse it was taught to play with people. Its now 17h plus and downright dangerous as it has no respect for people or objects.

I don't mean to put a downer on this, just I would hate to see more horses like the one above being created.


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## ischa (16 August 2008)

foal/weanling care and management is completely different from have a well schooled and mannered horse .
You got to consider your ambility to bring on that foal you have to consider the needs ,the money, time and the experience ,you have of bring that foal on such as handling , backing , schooling etc from a breeders point of view bring on a foal is not that easy of experiences you come a cross problems that you have to over come etc please if you are considering get a horse 
please go for something that suits you and if you have experience then good luck but from my point of having a youngster its not cheap


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## bigchief (16 August 2008)

Thank-you everyone for your replies.  Yes I can see your logic and understand foals are fragile.  It is advice like this which I like to hear as I can gain from your experience.  The foal was not going to be kept on it's own, it was going to be in with a retired 16yr mare owned by my uncle who had a foal in the past. I had planned to send the foal away for backing and schooling, I most certaintly would not have attempted this myself due to my lack of experience.  Yes I am planning on purchasing a horse as well, I am in the process of finding one also.  I was semi undecided on what decision to make, but you def have aided me.  I think I will stick with one purchase the horse for now, possibly I will have my foal day in the future.  

Thanks again everyone,

Martin


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## CrazyMare (16 August 2008)

Excellent decision! Focussing on a mature horse will enable you to have much fun with your first horse.


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## henryhorn (16 August 2008)

Probably a bit late to be adding my advice now but it may be helpful.
The main reason you shouldn't be buying a foal is for the foal's sake not your own.
yes I agree with all the possible problems the others have pointed out but for me the bigger problem is as a four year old and it#s just backed. 
Young horses learn incredibly quickly, 99% of the problems riders have are from not realising when a horse asks them a question and they either ignore it or give the wrong reply. If that sounds a bit technical basically any cock ups you make that horse will learn from!  
We specialise in backing and starting youngsters and have done for years . 
They leave here after around a month able to hack out confidently on their own, pop a log on a hack, ford the river willingly, be good in traffic etc and a sheer pleasure to ride. Their owners will tell you they can't believe how good they are.
That's because they don't ever learn bad habits or to argue, and this is what your youngster may learn from you if you are only ever used to riding expeienced horses. 
Being able to spot the signs of dissent and avoid confrontation if possible is an art not an aquired by lesson thing, and it takes a professional rider to "make" a young horse successfully.
Do you genuinely feel you have that level of training yourself? 
If not, then please buy something that will teach you first. 
I'm not saying don't ever buy a youngster, but you must be honest about your own capabilites when starting youngsters, and know that what you do is the foundation for the rest of their lives. 
Sorry if this comes across as a bit know it all,it isn't meant to bem more a bit more advice. 
Good luck with whatever you buy and if you are starting out with your first horse, choose a schoolmaster that will teach you if possible, ex eventers are ideal for that!


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## bigchief (16 August 2008)

Hello Henry

Thank-you for your reply.  Yes I can understand where you are coming from along with the other members of H&amp;H who have posted.  I appreciate honest blunt advice.  It is at the end of the day why such forums are so useful, to share an pass on solid advice.  

No I did not read your post as a know it all, just as someone stressing the importance of the difference in a horses development by correct trainning.  It was such risks which was leaving me questioning my decision.  

Thanks for the kind wishes towards finding a suitable horse. 

Martin


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## Amelia27 (16 August 2008)

Agree with what all the others have said but just wanted to add some of my experiences. 

I bred my first foal 2 years ago, I have ridden for over 20 years and have worked with foals/broodmares etc.  i prepared myself as muchas possible but my word it hasn't been easy!!!!  

The baby is now 2 - he eats twice as much as my mare, he uses twice as much bedding in the winter and he causes me a million times more agro!!  Don't get me wrong i love him to pieces and he is a very good boy most of the time.  But the learning is constant, I have to think about what I do with him every single second, if I let him get away with something once he will try and try it again.

I don't regret my decision for one second but if I were in your position I'd do as you've decided to do and buy a really nice adult horse who you can go and have lots of fun on.

Hope you find the right one soon, let us know when you have xx


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## toffeesmarty (16 August 2008)

It's great you have read the responses and taken them in the spirit intended. After 20 years (gulp) of horse ownership I have just bred my first foal. The help from the people here has been invaluable and none of us ever stop learning. Wishing you good luck in your future equestrian pursuit - keep coming back here for advice when you need it.


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## holt889 (14 April 2010)

JanetGeorge said:



			[ QUOTE ]
  Yes I had thought as much, I seen a guide to feeding on various feed manufacture websites ilb per month as a rough guide to stud mix.  

Toffeesmarty to answer your question I have no experience in keeping horses, but have been riding for several years as well as reading.  I would like to make a start.  Springs I would be keeping the foal at home if I do decide to purchase.  


[/ QUOTE ]

Martin - let me first say PLEASE DON'T start your horse keeping experience with a weanling!!

1.  You CAN'T keep a weanling/yearling on its own - in fact very few horses are happy on their own.
2.  A weanling/yearling may be 'easy' - or it could turn into the monster from hell in a matter of months!  Basic temperament will have some influence on which, but the socialisation and handling it gets - the former with other horses - the latter from you - will be the main decider! 
3.  If you DO get a weanling/yearling, do NOT - I repeat NOT - feed it stud mix unless you want to cripple it with OCD!!  Weanlings/yearlings need good quality hay/haylage (as much as they'll eat) and a small amount of a good Stud Balancer (in most cases, rather less than the manufacturers advise!!) particularly if you buy a 'sensible' sort of youngster (eg Native or ID cross.)

I breed 'sensible' horses - pure and part bred Irish Draughts - and I WANT to sell weanlings (hell, I HAVE to sell some of the ruddy things - I'm over-run!)  But I would NOT sell a weanling to an inexperienced horse owner who wanted to keep it at home - and frankly, no RESPONSIBLE breeder should!
		
Click to expand...

Interested in what you say about stud mix feed. I have a yearling who i am feeding D&H mare and youngstock to. He is CobX. Is that considered to be stud mix or is that the feeds designed for those yearlings going to the sales etc ? Just thought I'd ask as am trying to feed to correct food to avoid OCD and your post made me think...I checked all the feed maufacturers websites and was advise on this aswell at the feed store, or would the balancer be better. Mine is also out 24/7 now on not fabulous grass really ..should I move to be on better pasture or could I bring in at night and feed good haylage..would that be better...??? You seem to know about this so just thought I'd ask your opinion ! Thanks..


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