How Much Does Boarding a Horse Cost?


Written by:  Howmuchisit.org Staff

Because most people are unable to accommodate the needs of a horse at their homes, owning a horse means that you must also find a place for it to live.

This is where a boarding facility will come into play.

The price of boarding a horse is going to vary according to the type of horse you have, the horse’s health, the location, the boarding company and the inclusions.

Country Life Farm by MdAgDept, on Flickr
Country Life Farm” (CC BY 2.0) by MdAgDept

How much does boarding a horse cost per month?

Horse boarding will usually be charged by the month and is going to range anywhere from $50 to as much as $1,200 a month; however, from our research, most boarding facilities are inside the $150 to $400 per month range.  Like boarding your cat or dog, the costs will go up based on the attention the horse needs.

A simple boarding facility that allows your horse to graze in a field, for example, may charge $50 to $200 a month, while a premium boarding facility that offers training, one-on-one care, health services and more can vary anywhere from $400 to $1,000 per month.

According to HorseKeeping.com, you should plan on spending anywhere from $50 to $500 per month to board your horse.  As mentioned above, it will really come down to what you want to have done to your horse.

The Spruce says the cost of boarding a horse will depend on the location, the facilities, amenities and services provided.  The article says you should expect to pay more if the stables were located in an urban area as taxes and land will be more than that of a stable located in a rural area.  With all of that being said, they said you should be prepared to spend about $700 per month if you lived in a major city.

Members on HorseForum.com talked about what they had paid to board their horse.  According to the forum thread, the costs could range anywhere from $250 for an indoor boarding facility to as much as $650 per month.

This Blogspot article broke down the costs of horse boarding, which included the boarding, hay, grain, shots, blankets, farrier, transportation to get the boarding facility, wormer and supplements.  With all of these factors factored in, she was paying close to $3,600 per year or about $300 per month.

Boarding a horse overview

A premium full-board boarding facility will often include health facilities, picking out the hooves regularly, exercise daily, deworming, vaccinations and close personal attention for each horse.  Premium care centers will also offer premium hay, grain and food.  Basically, a full-board facility will include everything your horse needs and will be higher in costs.

Cheaper self-care facilities, which can cost less than $400, will often let your horse roam through a fenced-in field where it can graze throughout the day.  During the night, the horse will be able to sleep in a designated stall.  With this type of facility, you will need to bring in your own feed, hay, bedding, and depending on the agreement, you may need to check on your horse throughout the week and may need to clean the stalls.

Most facilities, depending on the agreement, will clean the pen out at least every two to three days; however, there may be lower-end stalls which may require you to do the necessary cleaning.

Facilities can often include indoor arenas, wash racks, outdoor trails and automatic feeders.

Since this will be your own horse, most facilities will allow you to come by as you please during open hours to ride around.

What are the extra costs?

If you do not have any sort of health services included with your plan, the cost of any necessary vet visit or medical attention will be deferred to you as the owner.  The prices of vet care will vary depending on what needs to be done.  At a minimum, plan on spending at least $100 just for the vet visit.

As mentioned above, the more services that you want, the more you will pay monthly.  Ideally, premium services can include arenas, blanketing and grooming, and all, depending on what you need, can cost more.

If you need to provide your own food, plan on spending at least $50 to $100 per month on hay, salt and supplements.  Maintaining their hooves and shoeing should be considered as well.

Tips to know:

Many boarders may require you bring in your own food.  Aside from the food, it is always best to know what kind of faculties they offer for your horse.  Before you sign a contract, be sure to know what is going to be included in the price.

Talk with other horse owners in your area to see who they use.  You may be able to connect with a local farmer who’s able to let you use their fields for a certain fee.

How can I save money?

Talk with a number of boarders to see what each can offer.  Always make an attempt to visit the facilities rather than only asking questions over the phone.  If possible, try to show up unannounced so you can see what goes on a normal day.  Not only will you be able to see exactly how they run their services, you may also have the chance to meet other customers and ask them their opinion of the place.

In most cases, when it comes to boarding, you are going to get what you pay for.  If you want your horse to have 24/7 care, premium food and a lot of exercise, it is best to plan for a higher monthly budget.  If you do not mind your horse interacting and sleeping with others, you may feel comfortable spending a lesser amount.

If you have more than one horse, most facilities will be happy to offer a multiple horse discount.  Be sure to ask about this.

Helping around the stalls can often bring the price down.  For instance, if you clean the stall weekly, they may knock a few dollars off the bill.

If you are planning to have your horse trained anyway, it is better to find a boarding facility that offers this service.  If you combine your boarding, grooming, training, and feeding costs into one bill from one service, it will most likely cost you a lot less than paying for each thing separately.


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Average Reported Cost: $215

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0 %
Less Expensive $1 $1.5K $3K $5K $6.5K More Expensive $8k

How much did you spend?

Was it worth it?  

  1. RALPH PETERSEN (Sparks,  Nevada) paid $250 and said:

    Trying to get average cost in this area

    Was it worth it? Yes

  2. Dee (Clovis,  California) paid $180 and said:

    Outside pen with alfalfa and arena available

    Was it worth it? Yes

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