How Much Does A Horse Cost?

I went to a horse show recently, as I very often do.

I love seeing all the different breeds and types, and all the marvelous, beautiful specimens that people are able to breed.

One thing that always amazes me, year on year, is the price that some horses can go for, and indeed the price that pretty much any good quality horse will go for.

I had a vague idea from all the shows I’d been to, but I was wondering about what the average price of a horse is, so I decided to look into it.

So, how much does a horse cost?

The simple answer is that the price will vary tremendously depending on a lot of factors, such as breed, age and pedigree. In the U.S., the average cost is around $3,000, with some costing only a few hundred dollars and some costing tens of thousands. The price varies a great deal.

Obviously, as everyone knows, horseracing, in particular, is an incredibly lucrative industry, and the best horses will sell for large fortunes.

But there are of course many angles to this question, for the average horse owner, about the initial cost of a horse plus the cost of keeping it.

So, let’s look at both.

How much does it cost to buy a horse?

Not to rattle on this point, but buying a horse is always going to vary in how much it costs.

Let’s just look at what the average horse owner might be able to afford first.

In terms of the cost initial purchase, as I said, the average cost is around $3,000.

This is for regular, recreational use, such as riding your horse on trails.

Some horses cost as little as only a few hundred dollars.

This can be for a few reasons.

Standard workhorses, that aren’t especially big, may go for up to $1,000, because they’re more readily available, and the desirable traits are much easier to breed into it.

Compare this with the initial cost of purchasing the average racehorse.

This will set you back somewhere in the region of $20,000, again depending on age, pedigree and breed.

The thing about racehorses is that they generally don’t race for very long, and most are retired by the age of 5; racehorses tend to depreciate in value quite quickly, then.

But what about keeping a horse?

After all, the cost of a horse isn’t only about the initial purchase price.

How much does it cost to keep a horse?

Once again, this will be dependent on the horse’s needs, and in turn, your needs.

Your reason for buying a particular horse.

Obviously, larger horses will need more food, and more space to run.

Furthermore, no matter the horse, it is generally advised not to keep a single horse on its own; horses are highly social animals, and can become distraught without the company of other horses.

That said, on average, the cost of keeping a horse over the course of one year is usually in the region of about $3000-$4000.

This is for hay and grain, pasture maintenance, veterinary trips and medication, farrier costs, bedding, maintenance on the building, and training.

All of these things are really important to your horse’s health, and not cheap.

The cost for you may be higher or lower than the figures stated here.

If your need will only be fulfilled by a large work horse, then you’re going to be spending extra money on pretty much everything.

It will eat more, it will likely need more vet check-ups.

Ponies, on the other hand, are much cheaper usually.

They won’t eat as much food, and are less prone to problems and accidents that might mean they need to see the vet.

Whatever the horse, though, you’re looking at spending at least $2000 a year keeping your horse.

Racehorses can cost a lot more than this, naturally, so who was the most expensive horse ever?

Let’s find out.

What is the most expensive horse ever?

Compared to the kind of money that goes around in the horse racing industry, a few thousand dollars a year is peanuts.

There are many examples of famously expensive racehorses like Shergar, but which horse has the record for the highest price at auction?

In Coolmore, in Ireland, in the year 2000, a horse named Fusaichi Pegasus sold for a handsome $70 million.

That’s right, million. Pegasus was foaled in 1997 and had an incredibly successful racing career, winning the Kentucky Derby in the year 2000 and racking up estimated earnings of almost $2 million during its career.

I’m sure the cost of your own recreational horse seems a lot lower, now!

There’s lots and lots of money in breeding horses, then, whatever purpose you breed them for.

Of course, if you can breed a legendary horse like Shergar, then you’re looking at more money than most of us will ever see.

Shergar is, obviously, one in a million, though.

For your purposes, you’ll be able to buy and keep a horse for not more than a few thousand dollars for the initial purchase and few thousand dollars a year in maintenance.