Rescue Horse: Yay or Neigh?

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Hi guys. I grew up with goats, and now I own a few of my own. I feel very confident with goats, but now that I'm getting this new fence up and I'll have about 8 acres fenced in, my wife wants a pony or a horse or a miniature horse for our kids to tend to and ride for fun.

My daughters are young, but they've been to horse camp last summer and this summer and they love riding, brushing, and bathing horses at camp.

I know that buying a small horse is going to get expensive... But my wife wants to go get a rescue miniature horse or pony or donkey. She wants to go look and possibly adopt one this weekend.

Is a rescue horse going to be a big mistake? I'm getting nervous about getting an old horse and then having big vet bills down the road.
 
I would get a full-size horse so it will likely be calmer and they can ride it when they want to. In my experience small horses can be more nervous or have an attitude.
When we had two horses, our main expenses were food and hay, hoof trimming (ours did not have shoes, or that would have been a cost as well), Tooth filing (floating?), but never had any major vet bills other than when the really old one had to be euthanized (35 yo?). Maybe we were lucky. We have not had the same luck with the money we’ve had to spend on dogs and cats vet bills . :)
If we had the space to keep a horse now, we would definitely get one. Both of my girls would love to have one
Our older horse was so nice, I hate that he died when my oldest daughter was only eight months old.
The younger horse we had was really nice as well, but got lonely once the other horse died, so we sold her cheap to a friend who still has her now
 
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If i get a horse, will it make friends with my goats? Or do i have to get two horses?
 
Also, i have not built a shed for the animals yet. Can a horse live a few months with no structure to keep it out of the rain?

Or do i have to build a shed first?
 
If i get a horse, will it make friends with my goats? Or do i have to get two horses?
I guess anything is possible depending on the temperament of the horse (or the goats!), But I have heard about that a lot – goat for a companion for a horse working out great.
 
Also, i have not built a shed for the animals yet. Can a horse live a few months with no structure to keep it out of the rain?

Or do i have to build a shed first?
Where do your goats live For shelter now ?

I am no expert, but I would think you would at least want a minimal Horse-size roof for the horse to get under. Even if it is just a roof for now and you add walls later.
 
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I’d at least have a lean-to structure for it to get shade in the summer sun and out of the rain.

My mom has taken in some rescue large animals (horse, cow, donkey) and it’s ALWAYS been expensive
 
Right now, my goats are in a 10x10 dog pen under my back porch. They stay dry under the porch. And i let them out on a leash everyday to graze in my yard.

In a day or two, when my fence is done, they will be released into the pasture with no shed.

I hope to build a covered shed for them asap. But i just assumed the goats would be alright in the pasture even when it rains.

I was wondering if horses need shelter more than goats do.
 
See if that fence company can put 4 posts in the ground...with the fronts being taller and build you a lean to by just attaching a roof. Should be good enough for goats and a horse.

DS

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Horse people call "lean tos" "run-ins" shade is good, they don't really need a dry spot til the weather turns cold, and they're dumb, so they'll stand in the rain or snow anyway til they shiver, which is apparently bad, so you have to blanket them and increase feed.
Minis and ponys seem more prone to being temperamental, and kids will outgrow them, then they're just fertilizer factories.
I dunno how old my wife's two geldings are, like thecarman, feed, and hooves, are maintenance items, vet calls very rare, but my wife is pretty attentive.
I'm not a fan of the things.
 
Horse people call "lean tos" "run-ins" shade is good, they don't really need a dry spot til the weather turns cold, and they're dumb, so they'll stand in the rain or snow anyway til they shiver, which is apparently bad, so you have to blanket them and increase feed.
Minis and ponys seem more prone to being temperamental, and kids will outgrow them, then they're just fertilizer factories.
I dunno how old my wife's two geldings are, like thecarman, feed, and hooves, are maintenance items, vet calls very rare, but my wife is pretty attentive.
I'm not a fan of the things.
I own two horses and two mini donkeys. They require Veterinarians once a year that incurs a farm call fee of about $75.00 not including the shots per animal. There are about 5 shots at about $25.00 each per animal. Worming and worm checks done about twice a year, more since you own goats. Goats can cause injury as well as death if they are gut punctured by the horns of a goat. A vet visit in an emergency can cost $big buck$. Trimming or shoeing depends on the farrier you choose. Never choose a cheap one if you don't want your horse crippled. Horses are trimmed at every 6-8 weeks at $45.00 for a trim-more for shoeing. They require good quality hay, NOT cow hay, at 5-10 dollars per bale. I spend about $2000.00 per year for my four animals. Mine have decent pasture but still eat hay all year. YES they require shelter! If a horse needs doctoring they need a place to be kept up. Most important they require proper care from a knowledgeable horse person because it is a 365 a day responsibility. If you or your kids can't handle it, don't put yourself or the animal in a bad or unhealthy situation. Horses (and ponies) are much smarter than you think and smarter than most people I know....
 
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Yea, I lived in W-S for over 25 years eddie0225, and owned and worked horses professionally for over 40 years. Tell me something about horses...:rolleyes:
 
I had a Shetland pony growing up, DO NOT get one of those for your kids.
Meanest little thing I had seen, lay down with me on it when it wanted me to get off.
Get a smaller full size horse, but plan on spending $$$.
No more firearms for you I'm afraid.
 
I have zero horse experience and pretty much the same when it comes to horse sense but here is my thoughts. My daughter did a rescue of a Min Pin(miniature pinscher). Great little dog but he has problems. He gets seizures and has to take daily meds to the tune of almost $100/month. Some one told us that odd breeds sometimes have medical issues. Don't know it that is true with horses or not but before you get one I would suggest you talk to someone who has one and to a vet and see if you are about to take on some big medical bills. Just a heads up.
 
Hi guys. I grew up with goats, and now I own a few of my own. I feel very confident with goats, but now that I'm getting this new fence up and I'll have about 8 acres fenced in, my wife wants a pony or a horse or a miniature horse for our kids to tend to and ride for fun.

My daughters are young, but they've been to horse camp last summer and this summer and they love riding, brushing, and bathing horses at camp.

I know that buying a small horse is going to get expensive... But my wife wants to go get a rescue miniature horse or pony or donkey. She wants to go look and possibly adopt one this weekend.

Is a rescue horse going to be a big mistake? I'm getting nervous about getting an old horse and then having big vet bills down the road.

My daughter used to ride quite a bit at Gaston Farms near Chester SC http://www.gastonfarmequestriancenter.com/ The owner there, Beth Gaston, has quite a few rescues. Some make better "everyday" riders than others. A lot depends on why/how they became rescues. I'm sure Beth would be willing to discuss her experience, if you want to reach out to her.

That said, purchasing of a horse is going to be the least expensive part of owning a horse. Upkeep of that horse far outweighs the initial purchase cost. So if it were me, I'd set my purchase budget around what I was comfortable with and try to find the best horse I could for that budget - weighing in age, general health, how easy it is with kids and how well it would fit into the environment you would be introducing it to (noisy vs quiet, other animals, etc.) Like people, each horse has it's own personality. And I would be sure my budget has room for the monthly expenses that follow.
 
We have horses. Well, my wife does. Have owned as many as 24. One as expensive as $60k. We have 5 total now.

She has friends that dabble in rescues. They can have life long issues that you may have to worry about. No telling what they are until you have them for a bit.

We have a mini that is an awesome lawn ornament. She’s sassy and will only just barely tolerate a saddle being on her. Good enough for pictures, but not to ride. She’s a great pasture companion.

We have a large barn, a small barn, and a big hay shed. Many folk around here have pasture horses set up with one of those metal carports as a run in shed. If you don’t have grass you’ll need a place for hay or grain storage.

We have a well managed herd. Blankets, specialty feed, warm water wash stall, farrier visits every three weeks, vet visits a few times a year. They are pampered. Silly amount of money is involved.

We took a trip up to North Dakota to my tribal reservation and the horses out there lived out on the prairie like olden times. Lol. Just horses and buffalo out in a field. No blankets. No hay racks. They weren’t huddling under a leanto or anything.

So all of that typing...and I have no guidance for you. Ha! Love your fence though. I’ll be contacting you for their info. :)

CHRIS
 
Take it from a man like some of these other guys that have had horses. Not only is there expense of vet bills but farrier bills every ? weeks, feed, supplements etc... You will go "horse Poor" quickly.Better off to keep your goats and let your daughters take care of them.
 
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We’ve had as many as 8 full size horses at one time and as low as 1. Thorobreds, draft and draft crosses, quarter horses, mustangs - you name it. My advice.....

Realistically, plan on allocating 1K per month if you have thoroughbreds. Most months you won’t spend that but then you’ll get hit with a colic of some other problem that cost you big bucks. And if it’s a “rescue”, plan on it having problems (of the expensive kind).

Second, for many young girls, a love affair with horses can become a life long passion. Girls that are into horses are usually not into drugs or boys (which can be a good thing).

On the other hand, if your girls don't really get into horses then you are stuck with some very expensive lawn ornaments.

My advice would be to get involved with a stable and see how attached the girls become over a 3-4 year period. If it becomes their passion, then consider acquiring one at that time.

Re shelter, a run in shed is inexpensive and practical. Build it deep enough so that you can put a round bale feeder inside, and orientate it some that the opening faces NE (away from prevailing wind). 16’ deep and 32’ wide is a good size for 1-2 horses.
 
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Horses have personality... spend some time with them to see type of horse it is. They are also like dogs with a bit of Cat (if they are standoffish)
... if the horse likes you, you will have a life long buddy and will do anything for you.
 
I was raised on a dairy farm. We had all the farm animals you see in the first grade school books, including horses.
I live in Polk County, home to the World Equestrian Center. We don't have a Biltmore House you-know.
Horses are big here, undoubtedly the largest draw to the area.

I can tell you this. The only folks in my area that do not own livestock, are the ones that were raised on a farm. The others seem to think that livestock (alert: horses are livestock) is akin to having a pet.
Although you may bond with them in some fashion, they are not pets.
And livestock is expensive to maintain. We did it on the farm because they made us money. It was a business.

Do what you like, everyone is different. But I would remind you that asking your neighbors to watch your livestock while you go on vacation to Florida for two weeks..is very poor form and likely to thin-out your circle of friends in short order.
 
All I can add is that my in-laws have 2 older horses and their budget is $1000 month to take care of the horses which include daily meds and special food. My MIL spends at least 6 hours/day taking care of the animals which is really nice when we visit so I don’t have to listen to her irritating voice and stupid opinion.
 
I really appreciate all of y'all's responses.

THANK YOU! Please keep replying...

My fence was completed today. See my other thread for updated pics on that...

Today, my wife, kids (5yo and 7yo), and I went to the local animal rescue place.

It was amazing. They had tortoises as big around as a 55ga drum, emus, rheas, kangaroos, wallabies, horses, ponies, donkeys, miniature donkeys, sheep, goats, peacocks, parrots, horses, wild stallions, retired racing horses, puppies, turkeys, chickens, pheasant, zebras, llamas, alpacas, etc. I had no idea there were so many exotic animals to choose from.

We looked at and petted all the animals. My daughters rode a few miniature donkeys and miniature ponies bare back.

We asked lots of questions, said thanks, and we left.

We haven't made any decisions but my 7yo daughter is begging for a 5yo miniature horse that she saw there. The horse was sweet, but skittish. Not trained for riding, even by a kid. I heard all the cliches: "I'll feed it. I'll clean up after it. I'll train it. Etc." I told her to leave me alone and I will make a decision when I am ready and begging will make me say "no".

The place has a return policy. If you adopt an animal and after 90 days it still doesn't seem like a good fit then you can return it and get a refund on your adoption fee or trade it to them for another animal and hope for a better outcome.

I'm still not 100% sold, but it doesn't seem like a horrible idea either...
 
Also, to clarify...

I'm sure we can afford to take care of a horse, pony, donkey, whatever...

My real question is: Should I get one from an individual (or livestock auction) or should I get one from a Rescue Organization? I'm just nervous that a rescue animal will come with more issues, vet bills, etc...

But i also realize that it may be more noble to adopt rather than buy...
 
Also, to clarify...

I'm sure we can afford to take care of a horse, pony, donkey, whatever...

My real question is: Should I get one from an individual (or livestock auction) or should I get one from a Rescue Organization? I'm just nervous that a rescue animal will come with more issues, vet bills, etc...

But i also realize that it may be more noble to adopt rather than buy...
That's not true. Just because they're a rescue animal doesn't mean they will come with problems.
 
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