I noticed that there aren't many, if any threads on horses here. Kinda curious as to how many of you folks have horses, or plan on gettng one. Maybe as an actual form of transportation, pack animal or even a pet.

i once thought about getting a  horse and discovered just how expensive they are to maintain.  get a quad you only need to feed it when you use it.

My brother lives in  a RURAL  area and he once thought of horses . His kids wanted em and such .

Once he looked into it however Horses are ALOT of work and maintaince  just to have around . Not like a dog . ( WaY  BIGGER )  they have to EAT and DRINK every day , Housing , fences , VET Bills etc .  Just to ride once in a while ???
 Fun YES . Worth it ?? Prob not
My quad on the other hand ... not so much .

I already have a horse. I dont feel that care for a horse is all that bad. I have a place to pasture her and I dont feel hay/grain is all that pricey, Water is easy enough. I have a garden hose.
I keep Sadie well fed and healthy, so she doesnt need to see a vet often. Then again, I did kinda grow up around horses, so im used to the requirements, I guess. Im not a big fan of quads. Not to say that a quad isnt fun or useful, Im just not a quad guy.

Horses are expensive and require maintenance and care.  If you are already into the animal raising lifestyle, you will notice less impact if you bring one home.  If you don't raise animals they can have a steep learning curve.  All that aside, they can be fun and if you like to ride, there is no substitute.  A good trail horse or a good mule can be a large source of enjoyment and could serve as transportation in tough times.
I look at them like reloading.  If you are trying to reload .223 on the cheap, thats gonna be tough because decent ammo right now is affordable and you probably can't do it cheaper.  If you want custom loads though, you can roll your own for that purpose.  And just to have the capability, its worth the investment.
Such is the way of horses and mules.  They are not a money saving source of transportation but they can be used when gas is unavailable.  Plus, as noted earlier, if you like animals and like to ride, they are fun.  
Don't think you'll save any money owning one though.

My 13yr old daughter takes weekly riding lessons for the past three years or so and does the odd competition now and again...
We don't own the horse(s) the stable does and well... It's gonna stay that way.
The place she rides is somewhat "upscale".. boarding your own animal there STARTS at $850 a month which only covers the very basics... 'You want extra stuff done you come do it yourself or pay to have it done...
Then yeah... Vet bills, ferrier, feed, etc...

Horses are a rich mans luxury...

I dont know about being a rich man's luxury, Only reason I made more than 40k this last year was ALOT of OT.  Im not planning on saving money by riding horses, either. Think of all the money one could save by not shooting. It's kind of a relative thing. To me, having a cabin on 100 acres just for hunting would be a  rich man's luxury. *shrugs* But to answer my own question, I guess none of you have horses, or plan on getting one. (or wish you didnt have one)

I've owned horses for about 10 yrs now, and at times it can get expense (had 4 horses at once).  We are down to only my wifes quarterhorse paint here.  Right now we're boarding him for $400 a month with all feed and a stall.  But have kept them with us before and does require daily work that isn't too time consuming (ie, feeding, watering, clean stalls, etc)



We're considering moving out to Colorado which then we'll buy 20-40 acres for the horses and small game hunting.  Course I'll have to have my range set up.  I do miss riding at times.  Only thing I ride now days are steel chariots.

CD

 We had horses when I was growing up.  My neighbor has 4 and we help with them some when they are gone.   Like I said, if you like them and want to ride, go for it.  One other thing to consider is that a good riding horse is a real relaxer.  Nothing like a good easy ride on a nice day to unwind.  They can be a big cost but then lots of things are.  It depends on where you live and how much to want to mess with them.

Edited to add:  CD, those are some nice looking horses.

Those are some fine looking animals, CD.
Anyone else that would like to post pics of thier horse, or horses, are welcome.
I apologize if I sounded a bit "defensive", I just figured there would be more interest in horses here.

Depends on your situation I guess. I have had horses for 25+ years because my wife grew up on horse ranch. I doubt I would keep one if she were gone, I’d keep the goats. The last few horses have been Nevada Mustangs. They are tough as hell and smart.

We have irrigated pasture we grow hay for sale on. The grazing animals actual improve your stand if you manage it properly. IE: higher yield + lower mechanical maintenance.

Expenses: I don't know how you evaluate the cost. I get the hay put up for $2.50 a bale and can sell it for $7.50 - $10.00. Does it cost you $2.50 or the lost profit for the winter hay we keep? We do almost all our own vet stuff. We run them bare foot and do some of the trimming our self’s. Overall pretty cheap for a 'stand improver', a transportation device proven to cross-mountains and deserts in all climates, we ride and have a cart, I have used them to move a 10’x12’ garden shed, etc. And probably 500# of meat dressed out.

Have had up to 6  over the last 20+ years.
(same amount of time I've been with my wife, as she's always had horses.)

Just buried the last one this past November.
I never really rode all that much, but wife and kids enjoyed them.
I do sort of miss having them around.

I have seven horses two kids that ride and me.  I have pasture for the warm months and $700 or so per year for hay for the winter.  They get me places I can't take a quad.

If you buying hay, how can you buy enough for 7 horses in an Idaho winter for $700? I bale my own hay, and have 13 horses, and $700 wouldn't cover my fuel to bale enough hay for just our horses. And that's for NW Arkansas. I didn't have to hay them till December, and they've already ate 62 bales.

I have a 40 acre section of land that has about 15 irrigated acres on it with a creek and the balance in dryland.  I do not put the horses on this until the grass has had a good frost and they spend the entire winter on it.  I will feed hay only if the snow get to deep for them to dig through it.  In the spring I bring them back to irrigated 10 acre pasture that is divided into three pastures and rotate them through the spring summer on that.  Think of the big pasture as unbaled hay.  In six years I have never fed more than 6 or 7  tons per winter and pay between 75 to 100/ton