(08-01-2012, 11:05 PM)amanda509 Wrote: it depends on the horse, if you have a horse that keeps weight up easily, and you have a fair amount space with enough grass for all the animals, then the horses can be kept out all the time and wont need grain. in the winter they will need hay because the grass will be hidden under the snow and they work harder to get it. a round bale will usually last the herd for about 2 weeks and they cost $20. if it was a single horse, it would probably last a month or longer. alot people argue that horses need special care all the time, and "need" a stall and all the other expensive things people do to them..but they dont. they need enough food to keep their weight up (not ribby looking) a vet check once a year, and feet trimmed every other month. its actually cheaper to keep a horse on your own land if you have alot, than to board :/
From what you have said, then it's not really very expensive to keep a horse. Where I live, we don't have the problem of winter at all. So the horse can graze the whole year round. Now how much land planted with grass is needed to feed a horse?
