How much does a HORSE or MULE cost in 2024? Everything you NEED to know! (Are they worth it??)
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
- Shop Merch Here: www.mtnbuiltmerch.com How much does it cost to own a horse? How much does it cost to own a mule? This video is going to give you a break down of what it costs to own a mule or horse for one year. We cover hay, grain, vet care, farrier care, boarding, property maintenance, pasture maintenance, a truck, trailer and other variable costs and an emergency vet fund and more! AND we answer the question, ARE THEY WORTH THE COST????
00:00 How much does a horse (or mule!) cost to purchase?
01:43 How to buy your first horse
02:50 All the costs to consider
04:05 How much hay does a horse eat?
05:25 How much grain does a horse eat?
06:30 How much does it cost to feed a horse for a year?
06:41 How much does it cost to board a horse?
08:28 How much does vet care cost for a horse?
10:26 How much does it cost to shoe a horse?
11:54 How much does colic surgery cost for a horse?
12:05 How much does a horse cost per year?
12:20 Are horses and mules worth the money?
We hope this gives you an idea of what it costs to own a horse or mule for one year, whether you just bought your first horse or mule or you are looking to purchase one. Please leave a comment with any questions, we would love to answer them!
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horse horses horse riding horse cost mule mules mule cost feed hay grain boarding vet farrier own a horse cost to won a horse cost to own a mule - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
Appreciate you taking the time to go over the #'s, you are pretty much dead on with the break down. You covered a few things I hadn't even considered good insight on your part. Yes, it is worth it to get out and be a part of life we find horseback riding very rewarding. So toss the TV, get going (only watch your favorite UA-cam channel). It's doable give up going thru the coffee drive through's 🙂its cheaper to own a mule or horse.
Haha exactly! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and leave such a nice comment, it’s appreciated! ☺️ and yes, they are SO worth it! ❤️
A great “heads-up” on being a responsible equine owner! More people have a ‘dream’ of owning a horse or mule than can actually afford it. This results in heart-breaking tragedy! For a happy experience, some planning and preparation are a must!
Thank you! I was hoping it would at least give new or interested equine owners an idea of what they cost haha!
Yes I’ve seen it and it is heartbreaking. These guys are spendy, worth it but spendy!
Thanks for the information, watched a sheep hunt you guys did… I like your channel 👍
Thank you for watching and taking time to leave a nice comment 😊 We really appreciate it!
Well done! Good Job!
Thank you!! 😊
Good video I just started wanting y'all.
My grandfather back in 1927 had 200 mules he was the largest road builder in Texas and they did it all with mules.
Wow! That’s incredible! I would love to hear some of the stories I bet he had! 😊
Thanks for watching and God bless you as well! 😊
That dun mule is the prettiest I’ve ever seen 😍
Thank you so much! We’re so thankful for our little herd 😊🙏🏼 They’re so fun!
@@MTN_BUILTi can see why!
Very informative ❤️
Thanks for watching ☺️
@@MTN_BUILT love watching you guys
Love to watch the Mules.
Thank you! 😊
Great video!!!! So similar to what I have going on with 4 beasts. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought as I've never broken it down for fear of the unknown. Haaaa. I clean houses for a living and I can barter with my vet which is unbelievably cool. Although a big ticket repair would be more difficult ,at least that covers teeth and Coggins etc.
If I was going to therapy because I had no equine, it would cost alot more. Heeeeheee.
Haha I like your logic!! 😂 we hadn’t broken down the cost so specifically, and we thought the same… well that’s not as bad as I thought! Haha
@@MTN_BUILT so much else not mentionable cuz it bridges over into multi purpose. But for equine specific......not bad at all! 🤑🦄
So, they're only a bit more expensive than two cats kept on a species-appropriate (non-grocery store sludge) diet. 😅 (I'm serious, I spend $100+ a month on food and litter for my two boys.)
If I ever manage to adopt a horse I'm going to invest in learning how to trim my horses' feet to save on that farrier bill - and also choosing a sturdier breed that has better harder hooves in the first place.
Haha! Thats awesome! At least they’re well cared for 😊
And that’s a great idea, because that cost really adds up! We need to do that ourselves
Had I watched this a long time ago I might’ve opted for some pet rocks!😂
Glad I didn’t, they’re worth every penny..
Great show..
Bahaha!! Us too!! I was thinking we need to start feeding less grain 😂
Great video. Very informative. Thank you.
Thank you so much! We were actually a little surprised when we added it all up for the first time lol 😬
Thank you for another informative video! A lot of people don’t figure in the maintenance when they purchase an equine because they got such a great deal🥴
Thanks for the kind words! And it’s so true… there’s no such thing as a free horse (or mule)! 😅
I'm glad that my two Arab mares and stallion only cost me around 5k total to care for in a year. They eat a lot less hay as they are a very compact (yet very very strong!) breed.
That’s awesome! And yes, the cost can vary quite a bit depending on the specific animal and your location. How much hay/day do you feed them? (I may not see your response, because I don’t get notifications for replies, but hopefully I’ll remember to check later). Thanks in advance! 😊
@ILT In western WA hay can be anywhere from $10 to $33 a 2-string rectangular bale depending on quality/weight. Anything worth feeding to horses is around $17 to $25 on average. I have gotten really lucky and found a local guy who sells grass hay for around $15, $11 if I collect it myself from the field. Only problem is it's so humid that the hay needs to cure in the barn for 2 months before it's safe to feed to the horses because of the bacteria in it. With my 3 and my mom's gelding, we're going through around 60lb a day between the 4 horses.
I'm also not dealing with hauling out of state though so I don't need to pay for coggins and health certs very often.
I commend people who have the time, patience and money to own and keep up with the demand of training these animals. I know for a fact I couldn’t. I think I’ll stick with my Kawasaki Mule lol. Really informative video!
lol thank you! And a Kawasaki mule is fun too! And like you’re saying, you can park it in the garage and forget about it for months if you want to lol 😊
Well that was very informative I saw a whole lot of sheds behind you I watch all your videos so I saw the fence and the debt paid do you think of your mules as pets since they're cared for so we'll do you keep a close eye on your own expenses as well as that is admirable not many young people watch those numbers just curious how much did your mules cost you said 6 to 25 thousand I enjoy your videos always keep living the life you've chosen it's a good one thanks kray
Thanks Kray! We definitely think of them as pets/family lol
And yes, we definitely try to keep an eye on our finances to make sure we’re spending money on things that we really value 😊
We’ll probably do a full video on what our mules each cost, but Cedar (the red one) was 1,000, Reata (the Dun) was $2,700, and Clyde (the white one) was $5,500 😊
@@MTN_BUILT that's excellent it's very important that you don't overindulge when your young but always enjoy the time you have short as it is here on earth and the reward awaits you later as a child I collected bottles to turn them in for pennies but once in a while I'd find a bottle that paid me 25 cents life is kind of like that thanks kray
@@kraymississippi4388 that’s awesome! And I agree… there’s a lot of value in hard work and delayed gratification 😊
This Is Kool. Thanks For Sharing ❤
Absolutely! 😊 We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the info… 👌
Absolutely! I hope it was helpful 😊 Thank you for watching!
❤
You are fortunate to live in a fairly wet climate. Hay is more reasonable as its probably grown near you and you have some lovely pasture.
Here in the Gila Wilderness area (SW, US) its Very dry so no pasture for most of us. Irrigation is not an option as there is short supply of water. Our feed stores get $23/$25 per (90/100#)bale bermuda grass hay - 3 string. Feeds one mule 5 + - days. Hay is trucked in from southern AZ / CA.. a few hundred miles = $$$..
Also grain / sack feed is more costly as it to is not locally grown. Standlee is in ID. I like their sack feed.
Having mules is costly but equine is my "drug of choice". Life long habit that I don't plan to change.❤❤
Your videos are realistic and good information And much appreciated.
Sure envy all the Green you live in and awesome trails.
Yikes! Yeah, I’ve heard it’s spendy down there… that country looks amazing though! We would love to explore the Gila some day.
And we’re totally with you! They’re our drug of choice too 😊 It seems like it’s easy to waste money on things that don’t enrich your life, and for us, horses/mules are absolutely worth the financial sacrifice. They bring us a lot of happiness 😊
God bless y'all
Round here a horse or mule can be had for no cost. Good animals. The cost is in the keeping.
It’s so true! The purchase price is only the beginning 😬 We’re sure thankful for ours though! 🙏🏼
2:54 I'm dying now, lol! Replay that again and again, lol. Let me say any animal you get is an ongoing expense. IDK, just get a Jeep 4x4. You can always park that Jeep (or Toyota, if you like). It won't require any food while it is parked. Okay, if you're going to get these animals, they're really for a lifetime, and you really need to be basically obsessed, because it's going to take up hours per day, every day. You will live barn life. You will need to be always learning more and more to build your expertise. Even if you have someone else do the daily care work, it's going to cost upkeep. When you have them on your land, you end up buying a ton of equipment! Good management keeps your costs down. How about a stick horse (or mule)? How about Breyers, lol? Ha ha, Im just saying all this because I really don't like when people get animals they only see sometimes, or worse, sell off to anyone. I say keep them for life and know that those you are moving to another human go to people you vet well, and keep track of. This is a fantastic video that hit the basic nuts and bolts to give someone an idea.
lol you’re so right! It’s constant effort and expense, but for us it is definitely worth it! Spending time with them definitely enriches our lives 😊 We had to be horse-less for several years while we figured out our finances, and we are SO thankful to have them now 🙏🏼
I Like the way you present Information . I Don't Think people are prepared for the Expense , I Think it's a Lifestyle. The Time, Clean up, Keeping Equines, Healthy, Happy, Clean, Well Balanced in Feed , I Tell people to Volunteer somewhere, see how much work it is. I have 2 Appendix Q. Horses, 2 Mules, 2 Jacks , 1 Jenny, You need Covered Stalls, Really a Turnout, or more, Animals Suffer without Exercise, Boredom. Having a Good Equine Vet that Will Show Up Now, Laying your Eyes on Them Daily, Fresh 💦 Water Daily, Having the Money to do All of it. Farriers. It's is Serious Business Meeting Equines Needs. Even 1 , or 2 , They get Lonely by themselves. I'm Sorry to Come on Strong, I See Alot of Equines not Cared For. By the way Are you Using Psyllium
Yeah, you’re spot on! They take a lot of care, but they’re definitely worth it in our eyes! We’re fortunate to have them 😊🙏🏼
We don’t use psyllium and I honestly don’t even know what it is, but I’m going to look it up after this 😊
@@MTN_BUILT Psyllium husk, Fiber , I Noticed your Mules Eating off the ground, which is Hard to Keep them from it, as you know. My Vet is a Man from W. Texas in his 60s, He Always has Insisted, 7 Consecutive Days a Month, Cleans Sand, Debris Allows to Move Through Gut, Bowel. I have Checked with Other Senior Vets. they Concur. It's Hard to Find a Good Vet, Farriers, that you Like and is Dependable. Plus the Internet can have Mis Information, Some Horse 🐴 People Can Mislead. We are Always Learning, For me it's working at it, and Worrying Over their Welfare. You. Guys Obviously Live this,and are Extremely Knowledgeable, I Look forward to Learning more from you. Be Safe . Good Luck 🎉
How much land do mules typically need? If I were to ever get into equines I'd want to keep them on my own land and let them graze, is there a difference for how much space they need compared compared horses?
There’s not much difference between them and horses. They say you need 2-4 acres of pasture per equine. We’ve always had to buy at least SOME hay, but we’re thankful we have a little pasture so ours can get out and graze through the summer 😊
Typically the more pasture the better. I have 80 acres and 6 of my own horses and mules, and 4-5 more horses of people that board on my place. On wet years like this year, I have more grass than I could ever need, but on super dry years like last year I’m almost at my limit of equines with 10 acres per horse. You can do rotational grazing with electric fence to allow grass to recover from heavy grazing. But as a general rule of thumb, I would say get as much acreage as you can possibly afford. It’s much easier than having to feed all the time and worrying about overgrazing.
You are an amazing lady and beautiful too. Your husband is a lucky guy
Super blessed! 😊
@@MTN_BUILT
Amen brother love the videos🙏🏼
Depending where you buy, auctions rescue or private
Yeah, there can be a ton of variance! 😊
The final number seemed way cheaper than I thought it would be this is the price of upkeep for a dog, cat, or rabbit
Oh that’s interesting! I’m thankful the number isn’t any higher! Lol
Oh obviously I don’t want this to be too expensive for horse owners I should have thought out my response a bit more
@@ffxfgxsfxxxg2419 I think your response was good! 😊 It’s really just a matter of perspective! And the cost that we came up with would be much different based on location… I’m sure owning a horse or mule in California would be about double what it is here in Idaho 😊
Yeah I just checked my area and it would be $8,700 in my area sooo a cat, dog, or rabbit would be way cheaper
@@ffxfgxsfxxxg2419 lol same here… thank goodness, because we also have two dogs! 😂
You forgot to say your not taking sixty thousand for Clyde
😂😂😂😉
hi there. just came upon your channel. i have a story on horse vs mule. i am 59. i realized my life long dream in march, 2021 and purchased my first horse, a then 15-year old "fully trained" icelandic mare. i live north of you, in vancouver, bc, canada. between the purchase price and tack, i laid out about $18,000 CDN. i full board her for $750 CDN/month, about 5 miles away. into my fourth year now, and i can say i have spent less than 5 hours in total in the saddle. i had undertaken a lot of training prior to this, i would like to add. i won't boast of being an expert rider, but i can manage. what i have learned so far, is this 'fully-trained' icelandic mare is not that. she is a sweetheart until anything, even as innocent as taking your jacket off in front of her, will send her into hysterical fear. within a month of owning her, even the sight of her tack freaked her out. it took 6 months to gentle her enough to take a saddle, and even now, she is in 'i-am-about-to-freak-out' mode. and then getting into the saddle, she will refuse to go forward. and even when i get momentum, anything that is unusual we come across, her flight mode kicks in, and that i am on her back, is of little concern. she only wants to run. i would be happy to have her walk me and her through the rest of our lives. now, i am afraid to get on her. 59 year olds dont recover from falls as well as my 20-something self did. i reached out to the seller, a well-known breeder of icelandics here in BC, to talk about my experiences. he flipped me off and told me i ruined her. sadness. i didn't. i have spent hours and hours, days and days, month-in and month-out for years to find the riding horse i thought i bought. i would be afraid to take her anywhere off property with an expectation that i would come back unscathed. since acquiring my horse, i have stumbled across many mule videos. had i known what i know now, about what i ultimately wanted for an equine friend, i think i would have went the mule route. i kind of feel trapped now. i don't want to give up on her and me, but at this point, neither one of us is progressing. and i don't want to give on my childhood dream. yes, i am 59, but i do not want to give up. thank you for hearing me out, and thankful that your channel popped up in my feed today. there are no coincidences. peace.
EDIT: the icelandic horse culture is very specific. i think for the die-hard icelandic breeders/trainers/owners, their main goal is to train icelandics to ride their 'gates', using a variety of weighted boots and shoes, tack, and bits. and the more i have learned about icelandics and the culture, this seems to be true. so, maybe what i got, when my horse was sold as "fully trained" was only fully trained to be that. i remember when i approached one breeder when i was starting to look, i mentioned, innocently i thought, that i was not going to shoe my icelandic. well, her reaction set me aback. she went up one side of me and down the other that she would NEVER sell me any of her stock if i was going to let it live its life barefoot. wowza! my plans for any horse of mine was to live a life on the soft trails of BC. and with proper and timely trims, i think that shoes are not necessary. and the boarding facility where my horse is, and i had already picked, is a barefoot facility, and the owner is a well-known and respected barefoot trimmer. my horse has great feet to this day, and remains barefoot. the one thing i get caught up on though, is the faciltiy owner is ANTI-bit. he frowns upon riders who use bits. my horse was trained and raised on a soft bit. yes, the facility owner says me riding with a bit would be OK, but i have not, and i think that might be part of my challenges with her. i ride her in her rope halter, with snap-on reins.
Good evening! First off, thank you for taking time to reach out. I actually understand your situation very well because Alyssa and I are going through a similar one right now with our quarter horse, Timber. We’ve had her since she was a baby, and she’s always been treated very well, but when a saddle is involved she becomes very fearful and highly reactive. We’re in the same situation as you, where we REALLY want to work with her through these trials, but we don’t want to get injured- especially since we ride in the mountains a lot.
So I don’t know the right answer for you necessarily, but riding should be fun- especially for a relatively new rider. My gut is telling me that you’d be better off selling your Icelandic and getting a truly finished horse or mule. I don’t know you, but my hope for you is that you can achieve your dream of owning and riding your own horse- and smile when your saddling up- not be fearful and stressed out because I know from experience, that is no fun!
As far as the bitless deal, people mean well, and our goal personally is to be able to ride our mules in a hackamore. However, some horses aren’t to that level (our mules certainly aren’t yet), and it’s good to have control- especially if your horse is prone to running off with you. The main thing is to ride with soft hands and a good heart (as weird as that sounds).
I hope this helps. We made a video titled “Buying a horse or mule? Watch this first” you probably already know everything in that video, but it might be worth watching if you do decide to purchase another equine. 😊
A lot of times I don’t see “reply’s” on here, so if you reach back out, and I don’t respond, feel free to email me (it’s listed on our UA-cam home page) or just leave a fresh comment, and I’ll get a notification 😊👍🏼
And if you do decide to sell your current horse to get one that’s a better fit, don’t beat yourself up about it… it sounds like your heart is in the right place and it may just be the right decision.
Yikes, you have been unlucky. I know how heart-breaking and nerve shattering that can be. 15yrs already broke and still reactive sounds worrying, esp as you have been working on her. I had a younger mare but she'd done a bit of most things before we bought her. She was great, if you discounted she could be crazy! Discovered after we paid the money over? I guess someone had messed her up? I tried and tried to gentle her kinks out. One day, my Mum was there and saw one of her meltdowns. I couldn't spin better what she'd seen for herself. It came from nowhere and Mum was firm. Goodbye pony. She nearly killed us both under a bus. It was all very dramatic.
We didn't have the funds to send her away for retraining which is what she needed before we gave up. I always worried she would run through homes until she ran out of luck because she was dangerous. On the ground she was perfect to handle, (so loving gentle and soft) and ridden she was good, til randomly, she wasn't. It was easy to see the good. When we sold her we were honest and explained how bad, but she was good as gold on the trial and the people just saw what I'd seen when buying; A lovely sweet pony, well mannered and capable too. They fell in love with her just like we'd done. She wasn't obviously reactive and sharp (else I would never had chosen her) just randomly and terrifyingly insane. We said to bring her back if they didn't get on, so we have to hope all was well.
I taught her to ride bitless which was better for her but it wasn't the charm we hoped it would be. This pony showed me that I had at least one guardian angel and we kept him rather busy. Mum said, what she saw was a warning to take notice and get something safer just in case my Angel is on a break next time he's needed? She was right. Riding was a lot more fun riding something safer. Not that riding is ever properly safe I suppose, but you can minimise the risks?
In hindsight, despite how horrid it was saying goodbye, had I persevered, I suspect she would have at the very least, destroyed my confidence. I do think sometimes you do need to be pragmatic (something I couldn't do then) and realise when you need help or actually just need to admit your horse is too much for you. In my case, poor Mum had to be villain. It must have been tough because much as I wailed how she didn't care or understand, she really did.
@@AL-lz1hb thank you for sharing your story here, with me, and the channel. appreciated. i can relate to much of what you said with your pony and my experiences with my horse. sadly, although i believe in God and angels, i do not think i have a guardian angel on my side. i remember once, while riding her at her boarding facility, in saddle, we walked past her paddock, which she tried to walk into. i corrected her to move on, and she did, but as we were clearing the paddock gate, my foot brushed the gate. pretty innocent. well, just with that, she freaked out and i was thrown to the ground, violently. how violent, i would find out a few days later. when it first happened, i was a bit dazed, and immediately checked to see if anything was broken. thankfully, no breaks, but i kid you not, i had a bruise, so purple, green, blue, and so big, that it ran from my buttock crease (TMI?) to above the rear of my knee, and wrapped the entire backside of my leg. a friend noticed it, when i was in shorts, seated down, and he saw the bruise sticking out. i wish i could attach the picture he took that day. as a follow-up here, i reached out to an icelandic horse breeder/seller here in BC yesterday, to make arrangements to have her moved up to her ranch, and put up for sale on consignment. i will never get the money back that i paid for her, but at least she can move on to a better life, as will i, as difficult as that is to navigate at the moment. i am not sure what my equine future looks like, but if i do enter it again, i do think it will be a mule. like i said in my original post, i would be happy to just walk through life with my equine best friend. and yes, as you said in your post, there is no such thing as potentially danger-proof riding and mounts, and all one has to do is sit on the back of an equine to understand and feel the power and strength they possess, and that we, as riders, are vastly disadvantaged, if push comes to shove. again, thank you for your input, thoughts, and experiences. i think sharing stuff like this benefits us all. peace. david.
@@david_fl507 Ha, you made me laugh with your magnificent bruise. I remember them well. All the various stages, so pretty And look, no broken bones!! I was tough in those days. It feels like Guardian Angels are not overly concerned with guarding us from knocks and scrapes and making mistakes, just keeping us alive and on course until our allotted time. Daft huh?
Thank you for sharing your update. I'm so sorry for how hard this parting will be for you both. I still feel it. However it is sensible. If a bad thing happens, people once again blame the sport as being dangerous and the horse too. I'm sure the professional will do their best and yes, hang the money. You are still in one piece and have some interesting memories and stories to tell.
I think trusting your instincts helps make life safer and the same with horses.
The bond and connection humans can have with their horses is something truly magical. I'm so glad to have had that. I hope you don't let this experience cause you to feel you should give up, no doubt it is just preparation for your next adventure.🏇
@@AL-lz1hb thank you AL. i will come back to this post with updates as they occur, and hit you up. cheers.
I have mules . For more than 30 years End they cost me to feed a year about 100 € a year . A mule . The male mules have seen one time in their life a veterinary two by castration . Bye prays one year old 800 € . Shoes I do my self . Now new fensy gear . Make End repair myself . Fencing 50 € a year . Don't have tracks and trailers . I read were I won't to go . Maybe
That’s awesome! I don’t know the conversion to USD, but that seems really affordable! And yeah, it helps a lot if you can do farrier work yourself 😊🙌🏼
I think that’s conservative if we were talking about out horses. I swear horses can get hurt on a balloon.
lol it’s really true! I used to have a horse like that- thankfully the mules are pretty hardy. Hopefully our filly will learn from them! 😊🙏🏼
Do llamas and mules get along.? 😸
I would think they would get along some of the time! I know surprise llamas on the trail can be pretty spooky though lol
Depends on the mule
? 350 a ton more like 1200
Yikes! 😬 Thank goodness we don’t have to pay that much here!
Ahahhaha 60 000$. Girl for such money, you will import like 100/200 of them from ANY east eu country. Muricanos will never stop to amuse
lol I’m not sure where we said $60,000 in this video, but that would be too much for us! Our most expensive was about 1/10th of that. It’s pretty cool that they’re $300 to $600 in Eastern Europe though! 😊
@@MTN_BUILT 0:30
lol I gotcha! Yeah, that mule was crazy expensive… another couple went for over $50k at a sale last week as well
A Riding Between Horses and Mules in USA.
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