Well, now that the plumber has gone and the bill was six hundred dollars instead of sixty thousand dollars for a new septic system, I feel a good bit less tense and more like writing.
I've been thinking about sharing with you what it cost to keep my horses during the past year, 2014. None of the costs shown will include the cost of the horses, truck and trailer, our humble stable or the cost to run water and electricity to it, or the cost of our little farm.
So here goes.
I've been thinking about sharing with you what it cost to keep my horses during the past year, 2014. None of the costs shown will include the cost of the horses, truck and trailer, our humble stable or the cost to run water and electricity to it, or the cost of our little farm.
So here goes.
The Basics:
Feed: $672.15
We use a combination of sweet feed and ADM StayStrong.
Bedding: $849.52
Callie's penchant for peeing in her stall bloats this figure.
Hay: $720.00
We buy our hay from the field at a considerable savings.
Salt: $15.98
Treats: $98.96
A friend says she spends more than this on her dog's treats!
Wormer: $128.56
I use a three wormer rotation.
Fly Spray: $264.85
There are two farms with cattle and horses nearby, not to mention our own manure pile.
Bute: $80.98
Callie gets about 1/2 scoop per day, much less than she has been prescribed, and she is doing well.
Taken New Year's Day. A horde of Harley's thundering by got Stormy's attention. I really like this picture of her.
Health:
Annual Vet Checkups and Shots: $566.00
Our vet is a bit pricey, but he shows up and the horses are not bothered by him. And I like him.
Farrier: $$720.00
Neither horse wears shoes, so we use a specialist in natural hoof care.
Miscellaneous:
Taken January third, just before an inch or two of snow fell and the temps plummeted. Otherwise, it's Callie and me. Looks like I have a black eye.
Middleweight Blankets; $309.55
A great buy. The girls only wear them when there are very low temperatures and a substantial wind-chill factor. They've been wearing them for the past three days. I'll take them off when this siege of bad weather passes. Both horses also have a full hair coat, so they won't be unduly cold.
Brushes, Hoof Picks, ETC.: $96.87
Trailer Tires (3): $366.87
Stall Mats; $135.97
Dan James Clinic: $315.00
Out Of Pocket Medical Bills (Mine): $873.63
This one hurt, literally.
Horse Blanket Cleaning: $46.00
Training: $360.00
Horse Blanket Cleaning: $46.00
Training: $360.00
Total:
$6620.89
This year, 2014, was unusual because of the James Clinic, trailer tires, the wrist injury, and winter blankets. If not for these, the total would have been more than $2000.00 less. I don't know about you, but I'm not a rich man. I love my horses, but this still looks like a lot of money to me. The satisfaction, companionship as well as the breathtaking foolishness they get involved in actually does make the expense worthwhile.
