A good friend of mine is pushing me to switch from dogs to horses because they're easier to take care of and live longer, among other reasons. She has prior experience owning horses and has offered to help me learn but more help is always preferable so figured I'd post up here to see if anyone would be interested in mentoring a potential new owner. Things to know before hand, what items/feed to look into getting, warning signs to look for, and anything else I don't even know to ask. Feel free to DM.
Looking to get a mini stallion
- Thread starter NickyNett
- Start date
I doubt that on the cost alone.
Bloit
Esteemed Citizen of ZV
Please don't just "get a horse" blindly.
Horses don't do well alone. It needs a buddy. They're quite fragile as far as intestinal problems go, so consistent and quality food is important. You need to be able to identify when a horse doesn't feel well, when they need to see the farrier, when they're cold or too hot...
Basically, get to know horses, before getting one.
Horses don't do well alone. It needs a buddy. They're quite fragile as far as intestinal problems go, so consistent and quality food is important. You need to be able to identify when a horse doesn't feel well, when they need to see the farrier, when they're cold or too hot...
Basically, get to know horses, before getting one.
RSampson
Citizen of Zooville
From a maintenance standpoint, horses are not an easy affair at all, even the mini ones. Don’t let their size fool you, they will still behave like, and require all of the extensive care that their large counterparts will require. Now, I am in no way trying to dissuade you from your endeavor, and if you are prepared for it, I truly wish you the best of luck. Just try to remember that they will require farrier work, expensive feed, a daily exercise regimen, outdoor housing, an area to graze in, etc etc.
You will want to have a fairly good sized amount of money saved up in case of any kind of unforeseen vet bills that may come down the road, god forbid. Vet bills for dogs can be a costly enough affair, but for horses, it can become astronomically high, so just be ready for that.
Also, one last thing, please bear in mind that horses are gregarious creatures, and will want some kind of company if they are to be left to their own devices for extended periods of time, so it is smart to think about having a companion creature or two to make sure they don’t lose their minds of boredom while you’re away. Most people think dogs are a good choice for this, but since horses are prey animals, and dogs are obviously not, another herbivore is the best choice here. Goats make excellent companions for horses, and are actually fairly easy to care for, especially compared to horses. I am speaking from experience, as I have kept horses as well as goats in past. Good luck in your endeavors!
Bloit
Esteemed Citizen of ZV
If you have the space and facilities to house one, yourself.
RSampson
Citizen of Zooville
In my experience, including the capital required to own the property to care for and keep a horse, the expense of keeping a horse far outweighs that of keeping a dog. Far. Hell, even without including the cost of the land required, horses are essentially a bottomless well of cost. I’m not sure how these folks found autopilot keeping horses where they cost less than dogs to maintain. I question the level of care the horse is receiving, at that point.