Introduction to Horse Management
by M. A. Russell and R. A. Kane, Department of Animal Sciences
Before experiencing the pleasure of owning a horse, certain decisions must be made if you are going to be prepared for this undertaking. One of the biggest decisions is choosing a place to keep the horse. Boarding a horse at a stable is the most convenient method, but it can be expensive. It normally costs from $75 to $150 per month, depending on the stable services, to keep a horse in a boarding stable. If there is an indoor arena, trails, or other expensive facilities, the price can be higher.
Certainly, boarding has the advantage of freeing you from the daily chores and management responsibilities as well as providing a nicer place to use the horse than you may have available at home. Most boarding stables charge extra for worming, vaccinations, hoof care, etc. There are stables where the cost is less if you are willing to clean stalls, provide feed, or feed your own horse.
The alternative to boarding is to keep the horse at home. Many owners derive great enjoyment from seeing their horses out the back window, and the convenience of using them. Keeping the horse at home, of course, requires space, time, responsibility for management decisions, daily care, equipment, and knowledge of the horse’s needs.
Depending on your location and the existing facility, it may not be cheaper to keep the horse at home. You need to plan for shelter, fencing, bedding, hay, concentrates, equipment and storage, manure disposal, and facility repair. Minimally, the mature horse will cost about $800 or more to maintain annually. Of course, if you intend to compete with your horse, it will cost more because you pay for a trailer, training fees, transportation, clothes, tack, etc.
It is the purpose of this publication to review the basic needs of the horse and those management considerations important to his comfort and health. References providing more detailed information are listed at the end of each section.
Housing
Before choosing housing for your horse, ask yourself the following questions:
•	What are the horse's needs? The animal only needs shelter from the wind and weather, and a dry place to eat.
•	What do I intend to do with my horse? If you want to show early in the year, you will need a place to ride all year, and possibly a more elaborate place to fit and condition the horse.
•	What can I afford? You can spend as much as you want to on a horse facility! Estimate $4 per square foot of floor space as the absolute minimum cost for an enclosed barn for horses.
Answers to these questions should help you find
housing appropriate for your horse. It is often possible to remodel an existing building to accommodate horses rather than to build a new one. If your horse is primarily a pet to ride in the summer or fall, then a three-sided shed or cold barn is adequate. As you expect more from the horse, you will have to provide it with more protection from the weather and with more elaborate working facilities.
Outdoor Shelter
Three-sided sheds with their backs to the north or west, or to the prevailing winds, provide excellent windbreak and shelter for pleasure animals. These shelters are normally 8 feet high and allow 100 square feet per horse. They can be built of oak or metal, or bought commercially.
Placement
Whatever structure you build, it should be built 1 foot above the surrounding terrain. This is especially true of closed barns for keeping horses indoors. Barns often become flooded if their drainage is not
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AS-434