Horse Sense

The Guide to Horse Care in Australia and New Zealand

Peter Huntington, Jane Myers, Elizabeth Owens, Jane Myers, Elizabeth Owens

• Publisher: Landlinks Press
• Year: 2004
• Print ISBN: 9780643065987
• eBook ISBN: 9780643099098
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Animal Husbandry
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Horse Sense provides an in-depth guide to horse care under conditions unique to Australia and New Zealand. It is written in an easy-to-read style to appeal to novices as well as experienced owners and covers all aspects of horse care and management.

This edition provides the latest information on new feeds and supplements, techniques for handling horses, safe riding, and treating injuries, diseases, worms and other pests. The book also incorporates the latest standards and guidelines for the welfare of horses.

CHAPTER 1

BUYING, SELLING AND
HAVING A HORSE

INTRODUCTION

Both the horse industry and horse ownership are flourishing in Australia and New Zealand, with an estimated contribution to gross domestic product in Australia of more than $6.2 billion each year. The horse industry has many disciplines and interest groups, but it all starts with the dream of having your own horse.

In Australia and New Zealand it is comparatively easy for that dream to come true because the cost of horses and land is cheaper than in many other countries. Keeping a horse, however, also requires knowledge and this handbook provides information from the initial stage of acquiring a horse to the level of professional horse management, written in a practical style for Australasian conditions.

COSTS OF KEEPING A HORSE

Costs will vary depending on the type of horse, the intended use, where it is kept, and the individual needs of the particular horse. You should not buy a horse unless you can afford the costs of its upkeep. If you are unsure, try leasing a horse for a while to find out if you are keen and able to sustain the financial burden or ‘time share’ a horse with a like-minded person or simply go for lessons or trail rides at a reputable riding school until the urge to own a horse gets too strong.

The horse

The price of a horse is determined by many factors and may not be high compared with the costs of initially setting yourself up with all of the gear and keeping the horse over the long term.

Feed

The cost of feed varies from one season to another and even within a season. It is often cheaper to purchase hay and other fodder at the time of harvest, but you must have storage facilities or the feed may spoil before it is used. A well-balanced, pre-prepared feed is often less expensive than purchasing and mixing all the ingredients required for a balanced diet.

Transportation

A float for transporting horses will cost approximately $2000–$6000 for a second-hand one and $6000–$10 000 for a new one. You must have a car or truck that can legally tow the float, and there is insurance and fuel as well.

Agistment

The cost of agistment depends on whether the property is in the city, suburbia or the country and whether you are taking ‘full agistment’, which would usually include the total care of the horse, or ‘paddock agistment’ in which you rent space in a paddock. Prices vary from $30/week for paddock only to $150/week for full agistment.

The advantage for the beginner of agisting at a centre is that there will always be other people around to ask for advice. Agistment centres usually have facilities such as round pens and arenas where you can ride your horse and many have either a resident riding instructor or a visiting instructor. It is usually easier to get a farrier to visit, because there may be several horses requiring attention, and this also applies to visits by dentists and veterinarians for routine care. Good agistment centres usually have rules and everyone is expected to contribute to the smooth running of the centre. The terms of the agistment may be set out in a written agreement that regulates the rights and liabilities of each of the parties (see the end of the chapter for useful contacts).

Cost examples

Although it is impossible to list the costs of keeping all types of horses, the following four examples are the most common uses, but prices are still only intended as a guide and the costs of feed and agistment have not been included. Many of the expenses, especially gear, can be reduced by buying second-hand items, except when safety is an issue (e.g. helmets).

Example 1. Family pony, junior pony club or trail riding

Cost of horse	$400–$2000
Equipment
Saddle, fully mounted	$400-$1000
Saddle cloth	$30-$70
Bridle, including bit	$80-$150
Headcollar and lead rope	$30
Helmet	$60-$100
Riding boots	$70
Jodhpurs	$70
Grooming kit	$30
Veterinary costs (yearly)
Worming	$70-$120
Visits (cuts, tetanus vaccination, teeth etc.)	$100-$1000
Farrier
If shod	$60 per 6 weeks
If trimmed	$25 per 8 weeks
Dentist (yearly)	$60
Pony club or riding club fees	$50 plus

Example 2. Senior pony club

Cost of horse	$1000-$4000
Equipment
Saddle, fully mounted	$600-$1200
Saddle cloth	$30-$70
Bridle, including bit	$80-$150
Headcollar and lead rope	$30
Helmet	$60-$100
Riding boots (top boots: rubber)	$80-$120
Jodhpurs, shirt, tie, jumper	$100-$150
Grooming kit	$30
Rugs x 2	$250
Veterinary costs (yearly)
Worming	$70-$120
Visits (cuts, tetanus vaccination, teeth etc.)	$100-$1000
Farrier	$50 per 6 weeks
Dentist (yearly)	$60
Pony club fees	$50 plus
Competition fees	$20/day plus

Example 3. Show pony

Cost of horse	$2000-$10 000
Equipment
Saddle, fully mounted	$1000-$3000
Bridle, including bit	$250
Numnah	$120
Other horse gear as per senior pony club horse
Rider attire
Jacket	$200-$400
Waistcoat	$90
Jodhpurs	$120
Boots	$150-$750
Shirt	$80
Tie	$15
Helmet	$60-$200
Gloves	$50
Cane	$50
Farrier, dentist and veterinary costs as per senior pony club horse
Breed Society etc. fees	$100 plus
Competition fees	$20-30 per event

Example 4. Event or Dressage horse

Cost of horse	$1000-$20 000
Equipment
Jumping saddle	$800-$2000
Dressage saddle	$800-$3000
Bridle, including 2 bits	$250
Breastplate	$30-$40
1 basic saddle cloth	$30
Numnah	$120
Rugs
Canvas	$120
Under	$100
Cooling	$70
Neck	$75
Clippers	$450
or per clip	$30-$70
Grooming kit	$50
Rider attire
Work boots	$50
Show boots	$150-$750
Jodhpurs x 2	$220
Jacket	$250
Helmets x 2	$150-$200
Gloves	$100
Shirt	$80
Tie	$15

Farrier, dentist and veterinary costs as per senior pony club horse

Competition expenses (membership of the Equestrian Federation of Australia or the New Zealand

Equestrian Federation is compulsory for riders wanting to compete in ‘official’ events. Cost may vary,

but full riding membership for an adult is between $120 and $170/annum)

BUYING, SELLING AND LEASING A HORSE

Although the information in this section is primarily for the person acquiring a first horse, if you have bought, sold or leased a horse before there are some helpful tips. The buying process can be stressful, but if you have some guidelines it can be a learning experience, even enjoyable, as y...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1: Buying, Selling And Having A Horse
• Chapter 2: General Horse Management
• Chapter 3: Safe Handling, Riding And Training
• Chapter 4: Describing The Horse
• Chapter 5: Feeding The Horse
• Chapter 6: Horse Health
• Chapter 7: Breeding The Horse
• Chapter 8: Horse Facilities
• Chapter 9: Transporting Horses
• Chapter 10: Working In The Horse Industry
• Bibliography and further reading
• Appendix 1: Welfare issues covered by Codes of Practice in Victoria, Australia
• Appendix 2: Safe riding on the road: Code of Conduct for horses on Victorian roads
• Appendix 3: Tick clearance policy: Queensland, Australia
• Glossary
• Index