I know of people that have gotten a horse and discovered they’re expensive to feed and care for so they start looking for ways to save money. I understand wanting to save money, but some of the things that people do to try and save money when caring for a horse is going to cost them more in the long run.

These are some of the things I see and hear of people doing to save money when caring for a horse.

Feeding Cheap Hay – hay is one thing you do NOT want to buy cheap. The horses main diet is hay and it should be the best quality you can find. If you buy cheap hay it may have mold, stickers, or weeds which could cause lots of problems with your horse like colic. When buying hay ask for references then check them out.

Feeding Cheap Grain – If the horse is not growing, in foal, nursing a foal or doing a lot of hard work they don’t need grain. If you choose to feed your horse grain and they don’t meet the criteria I mentioned by all means don’t feed them a lot of grain or your going to have a horse that is full of themselves. Also make sure you don’t get the cheap sweet feed that stuff is horrible and will attract files in the summer time plus it is not good for their health. Think of it this way if you gave a child lots of candy what do you think they would be doing?

Neglecting or Doing Your Own Hoof Care – Don’t neglect your horse’s hoof care or try to do it yourself especially if you’ve not been trained how to properly trim the hoof. I’ve seen people trim their horse’s hooves and wind up causing their horse a lot of problems. If you don’t get their hooves balanced it will show up in other places in their body. This would be like you wearing a pair of shoes that had one heel missing, you would be out of balance. 

Buying Cheap Tack – if you buy cheap tack it will cause problems with your horse. An ill fitting saddle could cause your horse to start biting you when you go to mount up or they could start bucking. Another thing that could happen is your tack may break and leave you without a bridle or on the ground.

Training The Horse Without Professional Help – Yes you can watch videos, DVD’s, go to clinic’s or ask friends, but you can cause lots of problems with your horse if you don’t get help from a professional. You will be ahead of the game if you start the training out right by getting help from a professional. Turning behavioral problems around can take a long time so don’t take short cuts.

For more money saving tips read “Money Saving Tips For Horse Owners” on the About.com website.

P.S. If you’re thinking about buying a horse or know of someone who’s in the market be sure to watch my YouTube videos, they will give you lots of tips before you make that investment.