First-year horse owner: barn, feeding and vet-bill basics

Short answer: in your first year, three things decide most of your costs and most of your horse’s health: feed forage first and change feed slowly, set the barn up so it stays dry and clean, and find a vet before you need one. A 1,000 lb (454 kg) horse needs at least 10 lb (4.5 kg) of hay a day and drinks 10 to 12 US gallons (38 to 45 L) of water (University of Minnesota Extension). Everything below is detail on those three.

We run horses on our own place outside Sherwood Park, Alberta. This guide replaces four older posts of ours on feeding, barn maintenance, horse health and vet bills. We kept what held up, corrected what did not, and put a source next to the numbers. It is general information, not veterinary advice.

Feeding: what matters in year one

1. Water first. Keep clean, fresh water in front of the horse at all times. A 1,000 lb horse typically drinks 10 to 12 US gallons (38 to 45 L) a day, more in heat or work. Water between 7 and 18 °C (45 to 65 °F) encourages drinking, and troughs need cleaning weekly, even in winter (University of Minnesota Extension).
2. Forage is the diet. Feed at least 1% of body weight in hay or pasture a day, and ideally 1.5 to 2.5%. For a 1,000 lb horse that is 15 to 25 lb (6.8 to 11.3 kg) of hay (University of Minnesota Extension).
3. Go easy on grain. Keep cereal grain to 0.3–0.4% of body weight per feeding, which is 3 to 4 lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg) for a 1,000 lb horse. Grain is for horses whose energy needs hay cannot meet, and Minnesota Extension suggests an equine nutritionist or a professionally balanced commercial feed over a home-built ration.
4. Change feed slowly. Replace 20 to 25% of the old feed with the new every other day, so a full change takes a week or more. A sudden change can upset the gut microbes that digest forage (University of Minnesota Extension).
5. Slow-feed the hay. A round bale fed with no feeder is about 57% wasted, an open ring 13–33%, and a netted feeder 5–6% (University of Minnesota Extension). The maths is in how much hay a horse wastes and what it costs you a winter.
6. Check condition by hand. Put your hands on the horse; looking is not enough. A body condition score of 4 to 6 is the target, and amounts change with activity, weather and hay quality (University of Minnesota Extension).

The barn: keep it dry, clean and airy

• Floor and bedding. Rubber mats reduce the bedding you need for cushioning, and ammonia at floor level can damage the lining of a horse’s throat and lungs because horses spend so much time with their heads down (Penn State Extension). Wet bedding is where ammonia starts, so choose absorbent, low dust bedding such as Simply Shavings, and put a mineral deodorizer like Sirocco Stall Fresh under it. Sizing and pricing for mats are in our stall mat guide, and the range is on the stalls and flooring page.
• Fresh air. Penn State Extension calls inadequate ventilation the most common mistake in modern horse facilities. Dust and ammonia sit near the floor, so check the air at floor level as well as at head height. If you smell ammonia when you walk in, the barn needs more air or drier bedding.
• Rodents. Feed rooms attract them. Penn State Extension recommends a feed-room floor that is easy to clean of spilled grain; add lidded, rodent-proof bins. We use snap or cage traps and avoid poison bait where cats, dogs or livestock can reach it.
• Fire. Penn State Extension reports that careless smoking is the estimated root cause of 95% of preventable horse barn fires, with faulty electrical systems high on the list, and that most barn fires happen in winter. No smoking, have wiring checked, and check newly baled hay twice a day for heat, because most hay fires happen within six weeks of baling.
• Roof, fences and gates. Check the roof after a storm. Once a month, walk every fence line and try every gate latch. A loose rail is a five-minute job in September and an hour in January. Our winter barn prep list covers the rest of the seasonal jobs.

Health: the basics that prevent the expensive problems

• Vaccines. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) lists tetanus, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus and rabies as core vaccines. Your vet sets the schedule for your area, your horse’s age and how much it travels.
• Teeth. The AAEP says mature horses should have a thorough dental exam at least once a year, and horses aged 2 to 5 twice a year. Sharp points form as teeth wear, and routine floating prevents painful chewing; severe pain can put a horse off its feed (University of Minnesota Extension).
• Movement. Turnout is the cheapest health product you will buy. Horses stalled for days can stock up, and the veterinarians quoted in The Horse call more turnout the single best fix. We explain the difference between harmless swelling and an emergency in stocking up and lymphangitis in horses.
• Know normal. Learn your horse’s resting vital signs and behaviour while it is well. Penn State Extension treats a rectal temperature over 101.5 °F (38.6 °C) as a fever sign.

Uncle Jeeter says: “Buy the boring things first: water, hay and a vet’s number on the barn wall. The fancy halter can wait.”

Keeping vet bills down without cutting corners

1. Have a vet before you need one. Penn State Extension warns that practices often cannot send an emergency vet to a horse that has no established veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Keep the number on the barn wall.
2. Prevent first. Vaccines, a yearly dental exam, good hay, dry bedding and daily turnout cost less than treating what they prevent.
3. Call early. A phone call is cheaper than a farm call and often tells you whether to wait. New owners should call earlier than experienced ones (Penn State Extension). Call straight away for severe colic (rolling, thrashing, a heart rate over 50 beats a minute, pale gums), a deep or heavily bleeding wound or one near a joint, tendon sheath or eye, a rectal temperature over 102 °F (38.9 °C), or sudden severe lameness. Do not give medication until you have spoken to the vet.
4. Share the call-out. Ask your vet whether neighbours can book the same day so the call-out fee is split.
5. Price insurance while the horse is healthy. Policies differ on pre-existing conditions, so read the exclusions.
6. Do not delay to save money. A small problem left alone often becomes a bigger, dearer one.

Questions people ask

How much hay should a horse eat in a day?
At least 1% of body weight and ideally 1.5 to 2.5%, so 15 to 25 lb (6.8 to 11.3 kg) for a 1,000 lb (454 kg) horse (University of Minnesota Extension). Weigh a few flakes once so you know what your flakes weigh.

How often does a horse need the vet?
At least once a year for vaccines and a dental exam; the AAEP says horses aged 2 to 5 need a dental exam twice a year. Anything on the urgent list above is a same-day call.

Does my horse need grain?
Not necessarily. Forage should make up most of the diet, and grain is for horses whose energy needs hay cannot meet. If you feed grain, keep it to 0.3–0.4% of body weight per feeding (University of Minnesota Extension).

Are stall mats worth it for one horse?
Penn State Extension says mats reduce the bedding needed for cushioning, which is part of their payback. They are heavy and need a level base; the numbers are in our stall mat guide.

What goes in a first aid kit?
Penn State Extension suggests, among other items, gauze squares, roll cotton and brown gauze, non-adherent pads, vet wrap, scissors, white tape and duct tape, a stethoscope, a tested thermometer, antiseptic, gloves and a flashlight. Ask your vet what medications to keep.

Sources: University of Minnesota Extension, Ten things you should know about feeding the mature horse and Feeding horses with a round-bale feeder; Penn State Extension, Horse Stable Flooring Materials and Drainage, Horse Stable Ventilation, Fire Safety in Horse Stables and When to Call the Equine Vet; AAEP, Vaccination Guidelines and Learn to Recognize Your Horse’s Dental Problems; The Horse, All Stocked Up.

Next step: if you buy one piece of feeding gear this year, make it the one that stops you throwing hay away. The Adjustable Poly Hay Ring with net is a one-time purchase, and the hay feeders and nets page has the smaller options. Not sure where to start? Message the barn with your horse’s size and your set-up.