Whether you’re a college student or just “horse poor” (or both), there comes a time when your horse’s budget isn’t always what you’d like it to be. There are many things you would like to buy for your horse or need for your horse, but right now you can hardly afford to feed both of them. Don’t worry because there are many options you can explore.
First, you may need to consider your current shipping situation. Depending on the part of the country where you live, the cost of shipping will vary. Can you really afford a full-care internship right now, or will you have to start doing some of the work? Find out if your current boarding school is willing to work with you. Will they allow you to make a partial care pension at a reduced rate or a pasture pension? Will they allow you to help them with some of their daily tasks and reduce the rent for their hard work? Is it time to move your horse? Look for smaller facilities that meet your needs, they will often have lower fees than other barns. Would you be willing to feed someone else’s horses? These options should be investigated and explored. I have been successful in running Thrifty Nickel newspaper ads that say “Will feed or ride to board.” I am currently on board for free because I take care of a couple’s farm as they leave town.
It works well for both of us and I have been at this facility for two years and have become great friends with the couple. Also, do you have friends or family who have land or other horses? Would they let you keep your horse there if you help them? The most important thing is that you always get an agreement in writing. This helps in the fact that both parties know the terms of the agreement and if something is to happen, you have your agreement in writing.
Second, let’s look at your horse’s diet. You need to consider what type of work your horse is doing and what its energy needs are. An adult horse only requires an 8% crude protein diet and this can be provided from a 100% hay diet for the maintenance of a lightly worked horse. A younger horse will need a 10-12% crude protein diet depending on whether or not he is training and growing rapidly or not. By feeding a balanced sweet food with good alfalfa grass or hay, you will be able to meet your energy needs. If you seem to lose weight, gradually increase your diet a little more until you stop losing weight. It certainly doesn’t require a diet high in added protein or fat, unless you’re doing strenuous work like lashing, cutting, or jumping. Most pet food stores carry a sweet staple that is 10-14% crude protein for $ 5 to $ 6 a bag.
If you live in the West Texas or New Mexico area, you know we are in a drought and hay prices have skyrocketed. Not to mention, the cost of gas doesn’t help much either. You can hardly find a round bale of Coastal grass hay for under $ 75 here. I suggest finding a hay wholesaler where you can load the hay yourself out of the field or into a barn for less than you would pay at the grocery store. If you have the space, stock up on everything you can for a few months. This will be expensive at first, but it is better than buying a few bales at a time.
Look up farriers and see what they are charging for a hoof trim. If you’re on a very tight budget, you should probably get the horseshoes out of it. He will like to go barefoot and will still be able to ride. Unless your horse has a limp problem and requires special shoes, it will be cheaper for you to pull on his shoes and trim regularly.