Babies... Babies...Everywhere...

Thinking about it, it was $17 a bail for orchard grass. The hay this year is terrible - the alph-alpha is so green it is giving the horses’ diarrhea, and we have had more then our usual share of colic this summer too.

$55 for shoes - we are almost twice that price - and think how many horses are in a string - people are easily spending a $1K every six weeks for shoes. In England it is even worse - the farriers are unionized, and will only shoe 3 horses a day. When you have a string of 10 it takes 3 days, while anywhere else in the world it take a morning if you keep providing coffee, and the odd biscuit.

Shavings are $7.50 a bag - however the grooms who clean the stalls just shovel so average consumption are 2 bags a week.

The cheapest board I have found is $275 a month, most expensive $450. The list can continue....
 
Yep, it is certainly much cheaper to keep equines here in the midwest. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Our farrier is quite good, there are others in the area that charge more than $55 for a reset but that's probably about average. Bag shavings are about $5.00/bag, we just bought 80 bags on a bulk shipment for $3.50/bag.

Board tends to run on average about $250-350 around here, that's for a box stall with daily turnout and usually an indoor arena.

And our farrier probably shoes about 15-20 horses a day!

Sarah
 
[ QUOTE ]

Board tends to run on average about $250-350 around here, that's for a box stall with daily turnout and usually an indoor arena.


[/ QUOTE ]

The numbers I was quoting are for pipe stalls, and we all know how bad those are!
 
[ QUOTE ]
The numbers I was quoting are for pipe stalls, and we all know how bad those are!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I know people in socal that pay $6-800/mo for a place with a box stall and full care. Price of a decent apartment around here! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Figure up some of the expenses, and it could easily cost more than I make per month to keep a good show horse out there, especially one in full training, and I don't do *too* badly!

Ok, sorry for the thread hijack, folks. Were we talking about babies? I've got a 24 year old, 1100 pound one... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Horses, Boats and Airplanes are the three biggest money pits known to man.

Unfortunatly I love all three. I'm doomed!
 
Hay IS bad this year I hear. One of my really good friends is a rancher in TX and he sells hay and they're having a bad 'blister beetle' problem in the region. A little blister beetle in your hay will kill your horse quicker than a glue factory.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Were we talking about babies? I've got a 24 year old, 1100 pound one... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I always say - treat your horses like a 2 year old - you have to be kind, gentle, slow and comforting - yet firm when needed.

[ QUOTE ]
Hay IS bad this year I hear

[/ QUOTE ]

I had to laugh - on JC talking about hay quality!! GOOD TIMES!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
A little blister beetle in your hay will kill your horse quicker than a glue factory.


[/ QUOTE ]

It sure will. Mostly a problem in alfalfa fields, especially those hayed with a combo mower/conditioner. About 10 years ago we were at a big show at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in OKC, and the grounds were selling alfalfa hay that had blister beetles (unknowingly) - 5 horses died at the show. Luckily we always take our own hay.

We've had a cool, at times wet summer, so our hay is pretty good and most people have been able or are going to be able to get a good 2nd cutting off their fields.

Now you want to talk thread hijack!!
 
And I always thought the biggest problem about bailing hay was the timing so it did not rain on the hay after it had been cut, but not yet bailed.
 
[ QUOTE ]
And I always thought the biggest problem about bailing hay was the timing so it did not rain on the hay after it had been cut, but not yet bailed.

[/ QUOTE ]

As we don't have so much a blister beetle problem up here with alfalfa as, say, OK and TX, that IS our biggest problem. First haying is always in June here, and that is one of our stormiest months so it's hard to catch a good break. Last time we had someone hay our pasture it got rained on. We had to then just put it up in big round bales for cattle.

If it gets rained on it gets moldy, or in extreme cases if baled wet, the bales when stacked tight in a barn can generate so much heat (fermentation, etc) that they combust.

Sarah
 
Here's a pretty cool UltraSound picture of our little girl coming soon. Could be pretty much anytime in the next few weeks.
Check it out: Just click on "Attachment" in the grey area above. I don't know how to put the picture up otherwise.
 
The latest thing under my care - well not really under my care. This is Lady, I was testing her out for a friend from up north, who might buy her. Really nice mare!

lady2.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top