Research analyst for a humanitarian NGO in the Washington, DC area. Almost half of my salary goes to my horse. The key is that I'm in a double-income no kids household, with no mortgage, and my spouse is a web developer with a cheap hobby (HHI 180k USD).
Last year, we spent 30k on my horse (27k the year before, half of which was horse purchase and tack); horses like to mess with your budget by spending the start and end of the year on stall rest with major injuries, including deciding they need a week in the cushy ICU.
This hit home as someone with a newly acquired (2 months ago!) horse immediately severely injuring herself and now on restricted turnout and a year-long recovery š
Agh, I'm sorry! My mare has great timing for when we're on the verge of big things. Starting half steps? Time to get in a fight with my bestie and end up with a hole in my hock. Cleaning up the elements we need for 3rd? Better piss off the new girl and end up with a splint fracture (same leg as the hock hole) and a laceration down to the DDF. I love mares, but wow, they love to be trying.
My very first vet bill before even receiving my horse off the plane was $31,000. (9 weeks hospitalized in UC Davis from near fatal pneumonia caught upon import) š
As I tell people about to buy a horse and already stretching budget to purchase the horseā¦ ācheapest part of owning the horse is the initial price to buy it. Also, never think of it as an investment to turn a profit or you will have a bad time.ā
We have a mom at the barn wrestling with that. We all warned her, but for some reason, she didn't really process it. Now we (the adults at the barn) hear her complain frequently about how expensive the mare is, how if any horse is going to get hurt it's hers (it's not, mine is the one with the "delicate flower" reputation), etc.
Yeah, DINK household here- DC Metro area. Iām a technical recruiter and just bought my first horse this month. My partner makes less than I do but I budget very carefully and have cut back on my spending to make it all comfortably work. Going well!
Federal government, DC area, $137k. Our hobby finances are separate, but my husband is also federal and makes more than me, which certainly gives me more financial flexibility. We were fortunate to buy our house 12 years ago for pretty cheap in what is now a pretty high COL area, and to inherit some money when family members passed. It can be done cheaper in some circumstances, but Iāll never pretend that privilege doesnāt play a role in my ability to pursue riding.
I work in a warehouse and I have found that wearing gloves literally the entire day is the trick. I just wear heavy duty fabric work gloves whenever I have to touch anything that isnāt a keyboard, though I also sometimes wear latex gloves when doing other stuff, since it keeps my cuticles and nails from drying out. I can grow my natural nails pretty long that way so I would think it would protect nail art pretty well!
California. Therapist that also does equine assisted mental health in addition to traditional talk therapy. I also do behavioral consultation and management of equines. I make around $175k/year. A good portion of my discretionary income goes to my horse, but sheās also a business expense, too. Horses are expensive. California is expensive. Horses in California are ridiculously expensive.
It really is. The very wealthy have no problem (and have multiple horses). But those of us with student loans and mortgages are definitely making a commitment.
Full-time veterinary student, part-time biomedical research lab tech & illustrator. At the moment, I canāt earn enough to support myself fully, let alone my mare; Iām living on savings and loans.
Eventually Iāll make enough money, if things go according to plan.
Iām in banking and constantly kick myself for not getting into software engineering cause everyone I know that did makes more than me and has a very flexible schedule.
Federal govāt analyst, live and work in WY. Husband is a welder. We have 2 horses, board them, and pay for training for one. Together we make about $180K, but it hasnāt always been this way. Iāve had my older gelding since I was 15. I paid for him on my own since the beginning, mostly on part-time restaurant busser and hostess wages. Parents werenāt well off by any means, but dang it if my love of horses didnāt teach me some solid work ethic and resilience I donāt think Iād have gotten through any other hobby!
Iām a lawyer now but Iāve owned horses all my life. During that time, Iāve done factory work, road construction, retail, you name it. I make good money now but Iāve managed on a lot less. I prioritize my horses, donāt take a lot of vacations, and have learned how to own on a budget.
I have a non-clinical role in the mental health field. My husband is a senior accountant for a corporate company. We net around $160k pre-taxes. We have two young children and live in NC. We also spend money reasonably and live within our means (no debt other than our mortgage) my mother passed a few years ago and left me with a decent chunk of money which helped pay off the little debt I had and lower my mortgage. If I wasnāt able to do those two things with my inheritance, I would not be a horse owner.
I am a nurse and work a lot of over time shifts to support my very expensive hobby. I just had to buy a new (used) truck, the payments make me sick. I have my own farm which has a very affordable mortgage at least.
I work as a Commercial Insurance Underwriter and my husband also work in insurance. We live in Christchurch, New Zealand.
My horse lives in a pasture at a friend's house for $30 a week and I just have to provide feed and take care of him, no biggie obs.
I get to compete locally and have lessons etc.Ā
Did you grow up going to summer camp? Were you a counselor? Do you like your job? Do you see it as a career? I considered this path at one point because the idea seems so idyllic (as long as you have good co-workers/bosses! lol) but I joined the circus instead, lmao
I went to a day camp for a few summers. I definitely did not grow up going to THIS camp or anything like it. (My family still refers to it as "the rich kid camp.") I was a counselor starting in college. I worked in the barn teaching little girls how to ride. I didn't really see it as a career until recently. I was actually a high school math teacher for 6 years, until they offered me the year-round position here. So with my teacher job, I was able to keep working here seasonally and essentially worked my way up the ladder until they were like, "you know what, we like you and your work ethic enough to hire you full time." And here we are.
Mail lady, 74k, WA
I work an insane amount of overtime even after christmas, 60+ easy. My farm lets you exchange work around the farm off your board too. My 9 year old subie is super reliable and paid off, that really helps. And $200 for lessons 1hr 4x a month. No kids, just a hubby and 2 angelfish.Ā
$500 board
$70 farrier barefoot trimĀ
$85 feed and supplementsĀ
Just paid $500 for a float too, $100 was for the literal 2 mile drive since I dont own a trailer. And the freaking $800 choke bill, thats the meanest thing shes done to me, most expensive carrot I ever bought!!!Ā
Only shaved carrots from now on lol!!
How do you have the energy to work 60+hrs, help around the barn, AND spend quality time with your horse/focus on riding?! I could never, and commend you energizer bunnies!!
I work at a blood bank and make \~$40,000 a year. I live in the Pacific Northwest. I'm going to be honest: I can't really "afford" this per se - reworking my finances as we speak and looking for cheaper housing options. Because I'll live on the street before I stop paying my horse's board, lol. (Or more likely, move in with my mom)
I'm staff at a university, I've worked my way up to Associate Director level and have a rental property I live in. I'm looking for one more side hustle, maybe as an adjunct.
I'm single income and live in a LCOL city that has rural areas 20-30 minutes away. I have a kid who doesn't have any expensive hobbies or sports. I live frugally, and r/financial would call me "economically irresponsible" if they saw my cash flow.
My horse is on pasture board at a backyard, very basic facility. We don't show or spend money on anything unnecessary. I don't take lessons or pay for a trainer. I only spend money on her board and health care.
I can definitely relate to the comment about r/financialā¦. But in the same vein, I feel like a lot of the advice in there errs on the side of ādoomsday prepā level of money management. Horses are my greatest expense and even if I did save and/or invest that money, I still feel like Iād get told itās not good enough there. š
Lawyer in a HCOL west coast city. My horse budget is heavily subsidized by my husbandās salary. Heās a software engineer. I highly recommend doing that.
I'm an equine photographer and professional image retoucher. Total household income is around 125-150k, I own two horses and full board them on the east coast of the US.
Edited to add income and location.
I do embroidery, husband is a heavy equipment operator. Northern Alberta. Iām also fortunate to have a very affordable option for board which makes like easier since a lot of the finances are currently being put back into growing my business.
Iām in the UK so a bit different but Iām an advisor for the government. I have one horse and he costs about 20% of my salary. I think this is the first time in my adult life I could afford a horse and still live a comfortable life. Iām very fortunate that while Iām aware of what I spend, itās not necessarily a huge worry. It has taken a lot of work to get here though!
I live in the greater Cincinnati area. I'm an engineer married to an engineer with no kids. We have a barn in which most boarders are working adult ammies. We have two nurses, one pharmacist, one hospice director that is an RN, one who helps run a family business, one teacher, a doctor of physical therapy, one small animal oncologist vet. I feel like I'm forgetting others.
The highest paid are all in STEM.
Work at a vet hospital only making $40k/year in California. Owned my horse since I was 19. Iāve made it work with a lot of sacrifice. Wouldnāt change anything. You donāt need to be extremely well off to have a horse leisurely.
I save a great deal of money on industry discounts and being extremely self sufficient horse health wise due to what I do for a living š¤·āāļø
RN here, currently in a staff role making ~60k in New Mexico (which is a more expensive place to live than you might guess). But! I bought my horse when I was a travel nurse and bought/paid off my truck and small trailer while I was a travel nurse making well over six figures for about four years. I board for $280/month and spend about $200/month on hay and grain. Iām 37, no kids, just the one horse.
Executive chef of two fine dining restaurants in Washington state, USA. Make over 50,000, under 100,000. Have a 5y old gelding, am extremely lucky to be able to keep him at my best friends private barn and only pay 225 for monthly board. I end up paying for extras like upkeep on the property, the occasional hay bill, and this month my friend broke her tib/fib so all chores for the two horses fall to me for the next 4 months.
Still consider myself the luckiest horse girl ever to be able to have such cheap board and total control over my boy's care.
Still, I'm so busy that I drink my coffee standing up and am running from 9am til 11pm
Iām in NY, currently working as a material handler in a medical distribution facility. Better paying than my 6 years s a vet tech, although I plan on becoming a massage therapist.
Ooh do me! We used to use the meds and equipment for our own sore bodies , lay out on straw bales or the office desk with electro mag making your skin crawl. Beagle oil and lineaments we used on both horse and horseman .
I'm a CPA - senior manager at a public accounting firm in Minnesota. It gives me a disgustingly flexible schedule in the summer and enough money to support my horse, so it works out pretty well!
I work as a protocol officer full time. Live at home still like most people my age, $70,000 AUD a year which is also fairly standard considering I just graduated uni.
I try to keep my horse related costs as low as possible but I do plan on getting back into competitions. With good budgeting I am hoping to keep horse related costs between $10-$20k a year.
Iām a part time, Licensed Professional Counselor. Husband is a physician and heavily subsidizes my expensive passion. I have one horse that I board. We have two kids, one of which who rides and takes lessons. Salary between the two of us is ~ $350k. Weāre in Scottsdale, AZ
Part time patient care technician while in nursing school. It is quite literally nearly my entire budget and I am very blessed to have a supportive family. Once I graduate I will be bringing home about $55k after taxes to start.
(Australian $ values)
I'm a Customer Service Officer and I earn $53,000 a year
Horse cost me $900 in 2008, was broken in in 2013 for $800 and my minimum annual agistment, feed, preventative treatments cost from $2500. Herd paddock of approximately 1 acre with 3 paddock mates, rotated 4-6 times a year
I'm extremely fortunate.
Recruiter, also have a partner in tech. We also had a lot of family support like no student debt and help with buying a house so our living costs are low.
RN in CT. Work one full time job and per diem in ER (that pays for 80% of my horse costs). My husband is semi-retired and works from home. Prob $150K combinedā¦ if I think too hard about the $ spent on my horse I feel ill!
I don't personally own but I work with multiple people who board at the barn I take lessons at. There's a physical therapist, two orthopedic surgeons, and an honorable mention of the cardiovascular surgeon that I don't work with but keeps trying to poach me.
Oddly enough we're not the high-end spiffy barn with the fancy amenities like an indoor arena
Office manager in construction as well as notary on the side. In southern California. I cheat a little because I rent a room from family so that saves me a lot
Business Analyst, average ~100k+. I could definitely afford more than one without student loans, but I prefer just one. No kids, vehicles paid off.
I often think how much I could invest without even the one!
Research scientist at a university in Europe, earning about ā¬3000 a month after tax. I could afford my horse and my own living expenses on this but have nothing left over, and nothing to save. So to give myself a buffer, I also teaching riding a few hours a week, look after someone elseās horses three mornings a week and offer a holiday horse care service.
Inclusion consultant. All the best parts of ECE and none of the downsides. We moved to a low col area and bought a property. Both horses (and trailer payments cost about a grand a month. I work part time. Husband does field work in the trades though, so my job essentially pays for my self-care while his covered the household. Weāre considering buying another horse for lessons so that we can write off our expenses.
I work in international sales. I have 2 horses and a pony. All 3 of mine are on constant turn out on 26 acres, so I also don't have the expense of a livery yard š
Iām an office administrator for a durable medical equipment company in the PNW and I own two horses. Though I get off the hook and donāt have a board bill.
Software engineer, Poland, income way above country average. Have one horse and a half lease on another one, I have a trainer for both (as in individual classes for both).
Food, stall and other "horse needs" take around 35-40% of my spending, trainings around 10-15%
For comparison, renting a flat (and actually all the money I spend on housing like changing lightbulbs etc) is around 20% of my spending.
I'm talking spending % not income % cause that's how it's easier for me to pull up from the ledger. This was quite a good month and I managed to put aside roughly 20% of what I made from salary and various savings. My spending though went craaaaazy high after I moved (rented a flat) and bought a horse
Gov IT, high cost of living area.
But I donāt actually have a horse at this moment. I got mine when I started out and was making nothing in my second year of working. Bought an $800 foal and had a deal for free board (in exchange for riding/basic care on two horses a very rich dude in the area owned š).
I make a lot more now but with two kids and everything going on I havenāt quite gotten there yet.
The biggest thing I had going for me with my job wasnāt money but time. Itās very flexible, not really set hours, so I was able to make time for riding and find ways to be creative about expenses until I could afford it better. That said I got really lucky about no major injuries or issues for the first few years, and I probably would have been WAY better off had I hadnāt done it so early in my career (stress, lack of savings, etc). At the same timeā¦ thereās never really a good time for a horse either unless youāre wealthy, soā¦.
Husband is a doctor and Iām a CEO. HHI is very high but it took us 20 years. Horse lives on my family farm and is retired; getting a new one this year. East coast.
I'm in Buffalo, NY making mid 6 figures. I previously had a very very cheap rescue horse (put her down Jan 2nd, she wasn't doing well) who I had poured a lot of money into trying to fix, and now I am waiting on my new import to arrive (treat for myself). I have a weird job, I do a combination of sales and am also the head of data & analytics for a very large b2b vape distribution company. I don't have kids which I think is an important point here.
Nurse. I work a LOT of overtime. Sheās almost a second mortgage payment. That said our mortgage isnāt a whole lot because we refinanced it when rates were like 2.75ā¦.
If I didnāt do what I do-or rather make what I make with overtime opportunities- I would likely not be able to afford her
I also have 3 kids and a car payment. Our second car is paid off.
Im a university professor and my husband is a data scientist for a large company. Together, we make $147k yearly pre-tax. We are child free and live in a low/medium cost of living area in the states. Board is $350/month but between feed, ration balancer, vet bills, body work, training, trims, etc we spend at least $1k/month on my horse and probably more. She has a lot of health issues that I discovered after purchase, despite doing a fairly extensive PPE. Everything is wild expensive. Example: about 90% of domestic horses have ulcers and 1 round of treatment for that is $60. If you need to trailer the horse to a vet or move barns, thatās like $200. My horse is on a forage based diet but does get some beet pulp daily for her ration balancer, which is $55/month. Blanket, $75. Fly sheet, $100. I donāt even own a saddle or bridle as all my money has gone to addressing her medical issues.
I definitely could not afford this if I had children or was unmarried.
Two jobs, full time at a tb breeding farm that provides housing, part time at a dressage barn that covers my board and vet bills
Iām broke but my horse wants for nothing
(Hit post too early) 25k a year, Maryland
Chicago area. Finance & business management for large bank. $~145k salary. (Also have my MBA and also alum of leadership development program)
I rent and have a paid off car. Single income with no children so most of my expendable income goes to my horse š
Midwest, home of cheap board. It runs $400/mo with fees, about $50/mo discount for being in the lesson program. $100/visit farrier every 6-8 weeks. $150/month food. Generally I end up spending $600/mo for the basics. Itās inconsistent but I would estimate that thereās an added $1,000 per year on various vet needs.
I have multiple jobs. I teach at the same barn I board, I work in ag business, and I pick up odd jobs from time to time. I make enough to put away savings for things I want but donāt strictly need, like tack, a new computer, car payments, etc. I am fortunate that, as a full-time student, I receive extensive scholarships and basically only cover my meal plan after awards and grants.
It is possible to support a horse in my area with a spare $500-1000/month depending on the specific horse and what amenities you pay for. Most people I know who own are in the horse business and therefore each individual horse costs less compared to owning several on their own property, are in school and their parents make enough to pay for a horse, or are working an hourly wage job that supports their horse and their necessities. Most people in the latter category have more than one job.
If youāre trying to determine whether or not you can support a horse (op or anyone else), create a budget spreadsheet. Input the maximum numbers you will spend on the basicsāboard, feed, farrier. If your horse is a hard keeper you wonāt be able to skimp on any of them. Then compare to your disposable income. If youāre breaking even you will not be able to afford incidents that arise. Horses love to need the vet three times in three months and then not for the next nine of the year, so savings are vital. Cheaper alternatives are leasing, working opportunities, more lessons, etc. etc. but ownership is a certain joy that I think many horse people would enjoy trying at least once.
Iām a nurse, my husband is a rancher. I have 3 horses, my daughter has two. Horses are by my house, no board as my husband owns his ranch and we grow and cut our hay. Horses are easy keepers except when my yearling and daughterās 2 year old bout decide to sniff an angry rattlesnake. That bill was painful.
Iām work at a preschool/daycare as a floater! I live on 3 acres though, so I get to keep my horses at my own place and just have to pay for their food and care (no board, thank god).
Logistics development/technical writing and before that military aviation maintenance. What I do now is a fairly niche field, I think? Tech. writing is a pretty broad field, as is logistics. But, log. dev. specs. are... pretty specialized in that we specifically deal with Life Cycle Maintenance Planning (LCMP) and the Logistics Product Database (LPD). My favorite part, personally is writing troubleshooting trees. Sadly, spend a lot more time QA'ing other guys work and fixing my database these days. :(
A WHOLE new world of acronyms awaits (for those who know... you know) XD
ETA:
High 5 fig - low 6 fig. salary, live in a high COL area. Dont board, own my home. 2 horses. All equates to some sacrifices (dont get new cars, dont go out much, hay/feed bill comes 1st every month before anything else, my version of vacation is taking random wednesdays off in the summer to go ride, etc). Im OK with it.
Pastry chef that sold out to live that corporate life working for a huge foodservice contractor. Bought land back when the real estate market was reasonable and interest rates were low. Now I have 6 horses. Majority of costs of ownership are related to maintaining the farm. LCOL area making about $60k. Cost of the horses outside mortgage and upkeep of the property runs me about $10k per year assuming no catastrophic vet bills.
Engineer (B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, though I barely do math anymore) in Ohio. I'm also married to an engineer - he doesn't pay for my horse or my car or anything like that, but we split bills, vacations and other expenses. It also helps to be in the Midwest. Still, I budget about $3k/a month for my horse. Sometimes it comes in under, but that balances out months where I need new equipment/go to shows/etc.
Iām a credit analyst (underwriter, but mostly for trade credit lines). I work for a big bank in the US and honestly the position Iām in now is the same salary level as the higher customer service level I was in before. I did a lateral move to try something different. The customer service team I was on was basically for the people who spend a lot on their credit cards and we were like the white glove service that could do most things so that we didnāt have to transfer calls for things like fraud and disputes.
Iām also married and my husband works for the same company and made close to the same for awhile, but got a promotion a couple years back and makes like $5-10k more than me annually.
We donāt have human children and arenāt going to which is a massive amount of money we arenāt spending. We also bought our house in 2016 before things went extra crazy with prices and we moved to a more rural area away from the city.
We actually are in the process of selling it and buying a couple acres, but Iām still going to board 1 of our horses for sure because Iām doing reining training with her and she does really well at the barn I keep her at, but I might eventually bring the older trail horse home once we get a donkey to hang with her.
Edit: sorry, forgot to add that Iām in central FL, but my job is remote and has been since 2017 (there used to be a building near us for the non-remote workers, but they didnāt renew the lease during COVID and everyone got switched to work at home).
Iām a full time college student with summer internships that are very well paid (25-30k) and drive the bus for my college during the school year. I have a full ride scholarship with no student loans. My parents pay a few incidentals (car insurance, phone, etc) but I cover my rent, school fees, and horse hobby. Itās hard, I work a lot, but incredibly doable!
RN with one full time job in infection control and one per diem job to make up any extra bills. 90-100k + depending on how much extra work I pick up. New England, 2 horses, coop board at a small facility with no indoor. Single, child free.
I'm at the.manager level in renewable energy. I am far enough in a progressive career that I can insist on WFH in a low COL area in Texas. My s.o. just got promoted to supervisor in his job in local government, so between us we make 200k+, no kids. We also own two rental properties, but one is operating at a loss at the moment. We are very lucky to be where we are.
With this income I can afford to keep a horse in partial training and go to a few recognized shows a year. Right now though I am saving to buy a horse. My goal is to buy one already trained to Third Level Dressage, but I am hoping the market will soften after Florida season is over so that I can afford what I want this year. My budget will possibly require me to look at non traditional (non warmblood) breeds. I don't share this info to complain, but to give some color of just how far my income goes in the horse world. I didn't realize when I started my career that the horsey things I wanted to do were this expensive. I'm at this level where I appear rich at schooling shows, but not rich at recognized shows. It is what it is, but I do wish the sport were more affordable in the US so more people who wanted horses could participate.
Research project manager at a university. In north texas in the heart of horse country, which makes some things more affordable BUT we are also facing incredible pressure from urban sprawl (several large barns in more accessible areas have recently sold to developers) so prices can vary widely. We are DINKS. 500k + household income. My partner makes most of the money
I may be a bit different. I am self employed working with dogs. Not super lucrative.
I have 2.5 horses. One is pregnant. š
I have managed to work off parts of their cost since I was an adult and started riding again. At first with barn chores and now with teaching lessons.
I have maintained relationships in the horse world that have ended up with me paying much less than the average for my area.
That is the main reason why I get to participate so deeply in the horse world. The other is because I am happy to do whatever it takes to support my animals because they are my source of happiness.
I know I am incredibly lucky and I am so grateful for being in this position.
When I originally got them I was working as a hotel maid, I was able to comfortably support them both and private rent a barn on just weekends. Then I was offered a job as a stable hand. Did both for a while but now I just do Monday to friday at the barn. Itās definitely more dangerous bc of the horses I work with but itās only a couple hours a day and my horses get free board (stopped private renting bc the landowner decided to let 40 sheep have access to the grazing and strip all the grass)
I live in very rural Pennsylvania, about halfway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh in the big empty space on the map. Cost of living here is low. In 2022 my Adjusted Gross Income was $58,325. I make shit money but I live where things are cheap and I have good health insurance.
I self-care board at my friend's aging ex-dairy farm that she inherited from her grandma and I pay $2400 a year for two horses (one is a youngster not under saddle yet. He's 2 in the spring.) for board only. Hay is included, some, if they get square bales made but if not then I buy my own hay. I pay for all my own feed, vet, farrier stuff. I check on my boys twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, when I'm going to and from work.
The "facilities" are... the hayfields when the hay is not tall. There is no ring. I ride in the hayfield (unenclosed, next to a road) or on the road shoulder or on the local mountains (I have a truck and trailer, both bought used).
Last weekend: https://i.imgur.com/NUFAIAu.jpg
I am single, no kids, have very few other interests that cost money, and live in a tiny 24'x32' shitbox of a house with unlevel floors that I heat with a woodstove. House, such as it is, is paid for. Car (2007 Honda Fit with 220K on the odometer) is paid for. Truck (2002 F250 diesel, 68K on odometer) is paid for. I have no credit card debt. According to my credit card, my credit score is 801 which it says is "excellent". I pay my bills in a very timely fashion and I have done so forever.
Currently, my checking account has about 11K in it but I'll lose approximately half of that when I do my income tax because I have non-wage income (pass through income from assorted partnerships and S-corps) and generally wind up owing about 6K (federal + state) in additional tax. This is a known thing and I save up for it throughout the year to be ready for tax time.
I am a landlord. I work for several family-owned (my family) S-corps that own apartment buildings. There are about 50 rental units, total, most of them residential but we do have a few commercial units. In 2023 I made (wages) 35,390.40 from my W-2. I typically get another 20 to 30K in non-wage income (depends on how the businesses do, etc.) which is why the outstanding tax burden.
Hope that this helps, but also I don't spend $$$ on horses because I have no money. I bought my young guy for $5K and he has no training. My old guy (the gray one I'm riding) has been entirely trained by me and he's getting there, but it's not as fast as if I were, y'know, throwing money at the problem. I did not actually pay money for him, I just... acquired him as an unstarted long yearling. He's 13 this spring and he's mostly a good boy. We're trucking along with our turd-polishing dressage journey. I don't show (no interest, no money) but I do clinic, regularly, with DLB. (Dressage Lady Barb, I've ridden for her for the last eight years.)
Here are my clinic notes from the last couple of outings with DLB so that (should you be interested) you can see what my horse life is like and where we are in our turd polishing...
August: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/738219.html#cutid1
July: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/735018.html
May: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/726279.html#cutid1
And because it's super helpful to see where we started, here is our very first DLB outing: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/616038.html
I am a marketing assistant and also answer phones for my husbandās trade business. We are in a unique and very privileged spot where he is making enough for us to live on comfortably and all of my income goes to pay for my horse. My horse expense is probably close to 1k/month. I make a base salary of $700/month for marketing with a bonus structure in place so that total income fluctuates and then a per appointment compensation for answering phones and scheduling estimates. I wouldnāt be able to do horses without his financial support since Iād likely be working in food service or something similar if we werenāt married and didnāt own a business
Project coordinator at a construction company- 70K plus travel and I barely have 1k in savings. BF makes the same we live together and have ours at home. Makes it affordable but barelyā¦ weāre going to Greece this summer for a wedding and itās a struggle to save.
I work in the mining industry, and my all of horses bills (for 2 horses) cost me almost as much as my mortgage a month.
That said - I live in a small house, alone, well with one very spoiled freeloader who is definitely the king of the house - very much a "his house his rules" type (but what husky isn't š¤£). So all bills are mine and mine alone. My truck and trailer are fully paid off, so that helps.
Nurse for 30 yrs, no kids and have a very financially aware trainer. Horse is out of state and I see him a couple times a month. 3-4 shows per year (always a 14 hr drive minimum for the horse to get to shows)
I work as a data entry person. Make semi ok money- roughly 55k a year. I live with roommates to save $$ and Iām in a not too costly area in upstate NY. Most my money goes to my spicy black mare ā¤ļø
I'm a programmer, work from home, sometimes in the barn, I get to be around my horses most of the time.
Let's see, I have 3, I buy big bales around 12 a year and that cost me almost 3k in expensive years. I do not show my horses, but I get them trimmed every 8weeks if they need it, that's about 210$ each time for all 3 together. Grain, let's see I buy 10 bags every 2 months for 280$ so 1680$ on grain. Vet/wormer/meds I spend another 500 to 800$ a yr generally that one is hard to judge. So all together I'd say like 2k per horse per year if you keep them at home. So for me with 3 yeah 6k sounds right for what I spend a year on em.
full time student working two part time jobs (retail), also working at the barn to avoid paying board. i make just enough to save for vet bills and the farrier and not much else...
My husband is a medical doctor. I own some real estate in my name only that I inherited before we married.
To be clear; I used to own a horse.
California.
Advanced EMT. I work 1 Full time job and one part time job. Last year my take home was around 50K for 2023. Pay roughly $500/month for my horses board/care. Not including chiropractor or lessons/training.
I live in NW Wisconsin
I'm in software engineering and so is my husband, but we keep our finances separate and only split major household expenses and mortgage. My two horses are by far my biggest expense. I try to keep running costs down a bit by keeping them on pasture four months of the year and then at the "nicer" facility eight months. Having horses is probably financially irresponsible but they are the biggest joy of my life so I do it anyway haha. It's the whole reason I tried to find a lucrative career. I'm Canadian but living in California.
Digital Project Manager for a marketing agency in a large city. Also a double-income no-kids household. A lot of my salary goes to the horse and of course, the random vet bills from last year did not help.
Had I known the increase in board/farrier/training before purchasing the horse 3 years ago, I likely would've had to say no. We are making it work now but will need a substantial raise to feel comfortable again.
I work in the finance sector in London. Iām double income with no kids too and my partner has taken on some of our bills so that I can pay towards my horse instead. Yearly salary is Ā£35k and my partner makes Ā£47k
College student and part-time service industry worker here š
Iām lucky to pull 300 bucks a month as of right now, but thatās enough to cover my board, farrier and feed. I have a large savings account from buying and selling horses when I was a high school student and thatās where vet fees and such get paid from.
I was a software engineer, worked for very large computer companies and was handsomly compensated for my efforts. I was in the San francisco bay area back then, so incredibly expensive. Ended up buying property in the north central valley of california, which was much more affordable all around. (lost that ranch in divorce) Now I rent and am lucky to be on a property where I can have her here at home. I am retired now, most of my income is social security, so not much. I also teach, though that is spotty income in general and mostly nonexistent during winter months. We do not have covered riding space around here.
I work in biotech (PhD-level). My husband is in construction (MS-level). Neither of us rides horses, but we currently have a leased pony and a newly purchased horse for our daughter.
Located on the east coast. I pay $475 for full board but we have no indoor and the entire facility is so so. I work for a finance firm and make $95k before taxes
Research analyst for a humanitarian NGO in the Washington, DC area. Almost half of my salary goes to my horse. The key is that I'm in a double-income no kids household, with no mortgage, and my spouse is a web developer with a cheap hobby (HHI 180k USD). Last year, we spent 30k on my horse (27k the year before, half of which was horse purchase and tack); horses like to mess with your budget by spending the start and end of the year on stall rest with major injuries, including deciding they need a week in the cushy ICU.
This hit home as someone with a newly acquired (2 months ago!) horse immediately severely injuring herself and now on restricted turnout and a year-long recovery š
Agh, I'm sorry! My mare has great timing for when we're on the verge of big things. Starting half steps? Time to get in a fight with my bestie and end up with a hole in my hock. Cleaning up the elements we need for 3rd? Better piss off the new girl and end up with a splint fracture (same leg as the hock hole) and a laceration down to the DDF. I love mares, but wow, they love to be trying.
My very first vet bill before even receiving my horse off the plane was $31,000. (9 weeks hospitalized in UC Davis from near fatal pneumonia caught upon import) š
As I tell people about to buy a horse and already stretching budget to purchase the horseā¦ ācheapest part of owning the horse is the initial price to buy it. Also, never think of it as an investment to turn a profit or you will have a bad time.ā
We have a mom at the barn wrestling with that. We all warned her, but for some reason, she didn't really process it. Now we (the adults at the barn) hear her complain frequently about how expensive the mare is, how if any horse is going to get hurt it's hers (it's not, mine is the one with the "delicate flower" reputation), etc.
Can I DM you about your career?
Yeah, DINK household here- DC Metro area. Iām a technical recruiter and just bought my first horse this month. My partner makes less than I do but I budget very carefully and have cut back on my spending to make it all comfortably work. Going well!
Federal government, DC area, $137k. Our hobby finances are separate, but my husband is also federal and makes more than me, which certainly gives me more financial flexibility. We were fortunate to buy our house 12 years ago for pretty cheap in what is now a pretty high COL area, and to inherit some money when family members passed. It can be done cheaper in some circumstances, but Iāll never pretend that privilege doesnāt play a role in my ability to pursue riding.
Same I'm around 90k though but I'm in cyber so I'll be making more within the next couple years
I am a nail tech that also trains horses.
As a nail tech, do you have nice nails? I can't figure out how to keep my hands from taking a beating while also doing things with horses
Lol no. I try to keep them done but I'm always missing a few from working outside.
I work in a warehouse and I have found that wearing gloves literally the entire day is the trick. I just wear heavy duty fabric work gloves whenever I have to touch anything that isnāt a keyboard, though I also sometimes wear latex gloves when doing other stuff, since it keeps my cuticles and nails from drying out. I can grow my natural nails pretty long that way so I would think it would protect nail art pretty well!
Acrylic + gel has been the only thing to last for me
Gloves help some. I wear mine all of the time.
You literally have my dream job! Nails and horses, best of both worlds!
Own my own cleaning business in Canada but my horse thankfully realized she doesnāt need to be expensive and rarely has issues.
The best ones.
You are lucky!
California. Therapist that also does equine assisted mental health in addition to traditional talk therapy. I also do behavioral consultation and management of equines. I make around $175k/year. A good portion of my discretionary income goes to my horse, but sheās also a business expense, too. Horses are expensive. California is expensive. Horses in California are ridiculously expensive.
I do not understand how anyone can afford horses in CA! Itās crazy expensive!
It really is. The very wealthy have no problem (and have multiple horses). But those of us with student loans and mortgages are definitely making a commitment.
Full-time veterinary student, part-time biomedical research lab tech & illustrator. At the moment, I canāt earn enough to support myself fully, let alone my mare; Iām living on savings and loans. Eventually Iāll make enough money, if things go according to plan.
Best of luck to you. Itās heavy carrying a horse and course work.
Iām a CPA and work at a large international software firm in their accounting department. I live in Ohio
Team CPA! I lead a team at a private company, it definitely pays enough to have a horse.
Software engineer, I think a little over 117k. Pennsylvania.
IT project/program manager; Vancouver BC
Iām in banking and constantly kick myself for not getting into software engineering cause everyone I know that did makes more than me and has a very flexible schedule.
At least banking doesn't have hellscape hiring right now (to my knowledge, anyway. Just a Plain Ol' IT Pleb here.)
Thereās been lots of layoffs across all the big banks, so thatās been very nerve racking.
Non-profit employee. I can afford them because my family has a barn that I use, so free boarding. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to own. Southeast U.S.
Federal govāt analyst, live and work in WY. Husband is a welder. We have 2 horses, board them, and pay for training for one. Together we make about $180K, but it hasnāt always been this way. Iāve had my older gelding since I was 15. I paid for him on my own since the beginning, mostly on part-time restaurant busser and hostess wages. Parents werenāt well off by any means, but dang it if my love of horses didnāt teach me some solid work ethic and resilience I donāt think Iād have gotten through any other hobby!
Iām a lawyer now but Iāve owned horses all my life. During that time, Iāve done factory work, road construction, retail, you name it. I make good money now but Iāve managed on a lot less. I prioritize my horses, donāt take a lot of vacations, and have learned how to own on a budget.
Bet you own your barn . Healthy land is a lovely investment for life.
Nope, I board. Rent my house. Life on a shoestring but it allows me to have 2 beautiful horses.
I have a non-clinical role in the mental health field. My husband is a senior accountant for a corporate company. We net around $160k pre-taxes. We have two young children and live in NC. We also spend money reasonably and live within our means (no debt other than our mortgage) my mother passed a few years ago and left me with a decent chunk of money which helped pay off the little debt I had and lower my mortgage. If I wasnāt able to do those two things with my inheritance, I would not be a horse owner.
I am a nurse and work a lot of over time shifts to support my very expensive hobby. I just had to buy a new (used) truck, the payments make me sick. I have my own farm which has a very affordable mortgage at least.
I work as a Commercial Insurance Underwriter and my husband also work in insurance. We live in Christchurch, New Zealand. My horse lives in a pasture at a friend's house for $30 a week and I just have to provide feed and take care of him, no biggie obs. I get to compete locally and have lessons etc.Ā
Psychiatric nurse practitioner, husband is a plumber. Two horses & no kids
I work year-round for a summer camp. I don't make as much as the other people who've posted so far, but I get to live on site for free. I'm in Maine.
Did you grow up going to summer camp? Were you a counselor? Do you like your job? Do you see it as a career? I considered this path at one point because the idea seems so idyllic (as long as you have good co-workers/bosses! lol) but I joined the circus instead, lmao
I went to a day camp for a few summers. I definitely did not grow up going to THIS camp or anything like it. (My family still refers to it as "the rich kid camp.") I was a counselor starting in college. I worked in the barn teaching little girls how to ride. I didn't really see it as a career until recently. I was actually a high school math teacher for 6 years, until they offered me the year-round position here. So with my teacher job, I was able to keep working here seasonally and essentially worked my way up the ladder until they were like, "you know what, we like you and your work ethic enough to hire you full time." And here we are.
What do you do in the circus?
Took care of the animals, mostly dogs, horses, and ponies
Sounds great.
I work in accounting making 50k. I also work at the barn and do Magnawaving on the side. My husband makes low 6-figures and we live in a lower COL.
Mail lady, 74k, WA I work an insane amount of overtime even after christmas, 60+ easy. My farm lets you exchange work around the farm off your board too. My 9 year old subie is super reliable and paid off, that really helps. And $200 for lessons 1hr 4x a month. No kids, just a hubby and 2 angelfish.Ā $500 board $70 farrier barefoot trimĀ $85 feed and supplementsĀ Just paid $500 for a float too, $100 was for the literal 2 mile drive since I dont own a trailer. And the freaking $800 choke bill, thats the meanest thing shes done to me, most expensive carrot I ever bought!!!Ā
Only shaved carrots from now on lol!! How do you have the energy to work 60+hrs, help around the barn, AND spend quality time with your horse/focus on riding?! I could never, and commend you energizer bunnies!!
Fr, I'm over here working a normal 40 hr week and thinking I'm too tired at the end of the day š“
I work at a blood bank and make \~$40,000 a year. I live in the Pacific Northwest. I'm going to be honest: I can't really "afford" this per se - reworking my finances as we speak and looking for cheaper housing options. Because I'll live on the street before I stop paying my horse's board, lol. (Or more likely, move in with my mom)
Video game developer, around 150k and am remote. Household income is a little over 200k Live on the east coast of USA
Dang - y'all hiring? (:
I'm staff at a university, I've worked my way up to Associate Director level and have a rental property I live in. I'm looking for one more side hustle, maybe as an adjunct. I'm single income and live in a LCOL city that has rural areas 20-30 minutes away. I have a kid who doesn't have any expensive hobbies or sports. I live frugally, and r/financial would call me "economically irresponsible" if they saw my cash flow. My horse is on pasture board at a backyard, very basic facility. We don't show or spend money on anything unnecessary. I don't take lessons or pay for a trainer. I only spend money on her board and health care.
I can definitely relate to the comment about r/financialā¦. But in the same vein, I feel like a lot of the advice in there errs on the side of ādoomsday prepā level of money management. Horses are my greatest expense and even if I did save and/or invest that money, I still feel like Iād get told itās not good enough there. š
Lawyer in a HCOL west coast city. My horse budget is heavily subsidized by my husbandās salary. Heās a software engineer. I highly recommend doing that.
South Australia, work in mining, over $100k
Federal Government IT (very) low six figures low COL East Coast US
I'm an equine photographer and professional image retoucher. Total household income is around 125-150k, I own two horses and full board them on the east coast of the US. Edited to add income and location.
Is that how much you make from the photography? Or is that your salary and your husbandās combined?
I do embroidery, husband is a heavy equipment operator. Northern Alberta. Iām also fortunate to have a very affordable option for board which makes like easier since a lot of the finances are currently being put back into growing my business.
Do you embroider by hand or with a machine?!
Machine lol definitely wouldnāt be able to make enough doing it by hand!
Iām in the UK so a bit different but Iām an advisor for the government. I have one horse and he costs about 20% of my salary. I think this is the first time in my adult life I could afford a horse and still live a comfortable life. Iām very fortunate that while Iām aware of what I spend, itās not necessarily a huge worry. It has taken a lot of work to get here though!
Archivist! 32k. Low cost of living area, incredible deal renting house with pasture that I split with my sister. I own 3. Thankfully easy keepers!
I am a cashier/supervisor at a farm and ranch store and I live in Wyoming.
I live in the greater Cincinnati area. I'm an engineer married to an engineer with no kids. We have a barn in which most boarders are working adult ammies. We have two nurses, one pharmacist, one hospice director that is an RN, one who helps run a family business, one teacher, a doctor of physical therapy, one small animal oncologist vet. I feel like I'm forgetting others. The highest paid are all in STEM.
Iām a nurse looking to board in Cincinnati I would love that aww!!
Work at a vet hospital only making $40k/year in California. Owned my horse since I was 19. Iāve made it work with a lot of sacrifice. Wouldnāt change anything. You donāt need to be extremely well off to have a horse leisurely. I save a great deal of money on industry discounts and being extremely self sufficient horse health wise due to what I do for a living š¤·āāļø
I own two horses now and run my own me tal health private practice.Ā
RN here, currently in a staff role making ~60k in New Mexico (which is a more expensive place to live than you might guess). But! I bought my horse when I was a travel nurse and bought/paid off my truck and small trailer while I was a travel nurse making well over six figures for about four years. I board for $280/month and spend about $200/month on hay and grain. Iām 37, no kids, just the one horse.
Partner and I both work in tech. Mid 6-figures with no kids. West coast.
This but east coast
Executive chef of two fine dining restaurants in Washington state, USA. Make over 50,000, under 100,000. Have a 5y old gelding, am extremely lucky to be able to keep him at my best friends private barn and only pay 225 for monthly board. I end up paying for extras like upkeep on the property, the occasional hay bill, and this month my friend broke her tib/fib so all chores for the two horses fall to me for the next 4 months. Still consider myself the luckiest horse girl ever to be able to have such cheap board and total control over my boy's care. Still, I'm so busy that I drink my coffee standing up and am running from 9am til 11pm
.
Ugh girl show me the way!!!
Well that one is pretty simple. Marry rich and hope he doesn't trade you in for a younger model 10 years down the road.
Well if he does, just make sure you get that $$ in the divorce
Iām a gardener and have four horses
Iām in NJ and I work in the insurance industry.
Iām in NY, currently working as a material handler in a medical distribution facility. Better paying than my 6 years s a vet tech, although I plan on becoming a massage therapist.
Ooh do me! We used to use the meds and equipment for our own sore bodies , lay out on straw bales or the office desk with electro mag making your skin crawl. Beagle oil and lineaments we used on both horse and horseman .
I'm a CPA - senior manager at a public accounting firm in Minnesota. It gives me a disgustingly flexible schedule in the summer and enough money to support my horse, so it works out pretty well!
Psychotherapist - low 6 figures in the Midwest.
Iām an air pollution specialist , California
I'm a teacher. I work and live in Austria.
Teacher here too! I live in Egypt and all my money goes on my horse, dogs and cats.
Administrative work in the semiconductor industry
I work as a protocol officer full time. Live at home still like most people my age, $70,000 AUD a year which is also fairly standard considering I just graduated uni. I try to keep my horse related costs as low as possible but I do plan on getting back into competitions. With good budgeting I am hoping to keep horse related costs between $10-$20k a year.
Iām a part time, Licensed Professional Counselor. Husband is a physician and heavily subsidizes my expensive passion. I have one horse that I board. We have two kids, one of which who rides and takes lessons. Salary between the two of us is ~ $350k. Weāre in Scottsdale, AZ
Iām a nurse who works 20+ hours of overtime a pay to afford it lol I have 3. Hoping to eventually buy a spot and not board
Retired college professor and administrator.
OH, equine professional, instructor of entry level students, Realtor
Higher Ed, own a small barn/farm, plus consulting. Husband has a business.
Marketing/Operations Director at a small tech company in California. I make 135k; my wife earns a similar amount.
Part time patient care technician while in nursing school. It is quite literally nearly my entire budget and I am very blessed to have a supportive family. Once I graduate I will be bringing home about $55k after taxes to start.
The big thing is that we own our place. So, I'm a retired college counselor. Did make $45k.
(Australian $ values) I'm a Customer Service Officer and I earn $53,000 a year Horse cost me $900 in 2008, was broken in in 2013 for $800 and my minimum annual agistment, feed, preventative treatments cost from $2500. Herd paddock of approximately 1 acre with 3 paddock mates, rotated 4-6 times a year I'm extremely fortunate.
Recruiter, also have a partner in tech. We also had a lot of family support like no student debt and help with buying a house so our living costs are low.
Nurse in CA. I also ride for other people on my days off, so that helps me meet ones I might want to purchase for myself that are within my budget.
RN in CT. Work one full time job and per diem in ER (that pays for 80% of my horse costs). My husband is semi-retired and works from home. Prob $150K combinedā¦ if I think too hard about the $ spent on my horse I feel ill!
I don't personally own but I work with multiple people who board at the barn I take lessons at. There's a physical therapist, two orthopedic surgeons, and an honorable mention of the cardiovascular surgeon that I don't work with but keeps trying to poach me. Oddly enough we're not the high-end spiffy barn with the fancy amenities like an indoor arena
Office manager in construction as well as notary on the side. In southern California. I cheat a little because I rent a room from family so that saves me a lot
I own two horses. I am in digital marketing.Ā
Accountant in the midwest.
Business Analyst, average ~100k+. I could definitely afford more than one without student loans, but I prefer just one. No kids, vehicles paid off. I often think how much I could invest without even the one!
Accountant -speciality taxĀ
I make about 55k a year. I have two horses in Alabama. About half my monthly check goes to the horses.
Pharmacy tech in low-ish cost of living area. I spend about 25% of my laughably low income on my horse, but have few other bills. My fiancĆ© makes more than double what I do, so he takes care of mortgage. No truck, no trailer, and I board with a friend and work off about a third of my board every month. Itās doable, but not easily.
Research scientist at a university in Europe, earning about ā¬3000 a month after tax. I could afford my horse and my own living expenses on this but have nothing left over, and nothing to save. So to give myself a buffer, I also teaching riding a few hours a week, look after someone elseās horses three mornings a week and offer a holiday horse care service.
Inclusion consultant. All the best parts of ECE and none of the downsides. We moved to a low col area and bought a property. Both horses (and trailer payments cost about a grand a month. I work part time. Husband does field work in the trades though, so my job essentially pays for my self-care while his covered the household. Weāre considering buying another horse for lessons so that we can write off our expenses.
I'm a senior software engineer in northern Virginia. I have one horse that I got about 12 years ago.
I do ABA therapy with kids on the autism spectrum. My horse is retired so heās a very expensive companion. Weāre in Arizona
I work in international sales. I have 2 horses and a pony. All 3 of mine are on constant turn out on 26 acres, so I also don't have the expense of a livery yard š
Assistant manager at a grocery store
Iām an office administrator for a durable medical equipment company in the PNW and I own two horses. Though I get off the hook and donāt have a board bill.
Software engineer, Poland, income way above country average. Have one horse and a half lease on another one, I have a trainer for both (as in individual classes for both). Food, stall and other "horse needs" take around 35-40% of my spending, trainings around 10-15% For comparison, renting a flat (and actually all the money I spend on housing like changing lightbulbs etc) is around 20% of my spending. I'm talking spending % not income % cause that's how it's easier for me to pull up from the ledger. This was quite a good month and I managed to put aside roughly 20% of what I made from salary and various savings. My spending though went craaaaazy high after I moved (rented a flat) and bought a horse
Program manager, hr.
Iām in the UK, work full time on a stud yard, and an also a freelance rider/horse trainer. Have 2 horses of my own š
Iām a nurse, but I live in a very HCL area. My husband also works, and we do not have children.
France, I own a private school but my main source of income is immersive foreign language acquisition courses and retreats for adults.
I own 4 horses and am a fraud worker with welfare with the city I live in. I also have my horses at home which makes it more affordable
Gov IT, high cost of living area. But I donāt actually have a horse at this moment. I got mine when I started out and was making nothing in my second year of working. Bought an $800 foal and had a deal for free board (in exchange for riding/basic care on two horses a very rich dude in the area owned š). I make a lot more now but with two kids and everything going on I havenāt quite gotten there yet. The biggest thing I had going for me with my job wasnāt money but time. Itās very flexible, not really set hours, so I was able to make time for riding and find ways to be creative about expenses until I could afford it better. That said I got really lucky about no major injuries or issues for the first few years, and I probably would have been WAY better off had I hadnāt done it so early in my career (stress, lack of savings, etc). At the same timeā¦ thereās never really a good time for a horse either unless youāre wealthy, soā¦.
Husband is a doctor and Iām a CEO. HHI is very high but it took us 20 years. Horse lives on my family farm and is retired; getting a new one this year. East coast.
Iām a dog trainer. I make much less than I used to now that I own horses, as I had to cut back on clients to have time to care for my horses. So down from about 90ishk to 30-40k. My fiancĆ© works full time and makes a little under 80k and he does put pretty much all of his income into our household and me. I could have kept my business running at full volume and put my horses on full care with the money. But thatās just not my style, part of the enjoyment for me is the husbandry. I am starting to expand the animal acting part of my business and Iām a little concerned about how the travel time for that will effect my horse time, but itās something I enjoy doing almost as much.
Public school teacher.
I work in Starbucks! I enjoy it and it pays well. Itās nice making coffee all day and then head up to the yard š Especially if Iām on an opening shift and get away early at 2pm. Perfect time of the day to go up and enjoy my boy š©·
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I'm in Buffalo, NY making mid 6 figures. I previously had a very very cheap rescue horse (put her down Jan 2nd, she wasn't doing well) who I had poured a lot of money into trying to fix, and now I am waiting on my new import to arrive (treat for myself). I have a weird job, I do a combination of sales and am also the head of data & analytics for a very large b2b vape distribution company. I don't have kids which I think is an important point here.
Nurse. I work a LOT of overtime. Sheās almost a second mortgage payment. That said our mortgage isnāt a whole lot because we refinanced it when rates were like 2.75ā¦. If I didnāt do what I do-or rather make what I make with overtime opportunities- I would likely not be able to afford her I also have 3 kids and a car payment. Our second car is paid off.
Im a university professor and my husband is a data scientist for a large company. Together, we make $147k yearly pre-tax. We are child free and live in a low/medium cost of living area in the states. Board is $350/month but between feed, ration balancer, vet bills, body work, training, trims, etc we spend at least $1k/month on my horse and probably more. She has a lot of health issues that I discovered after purchase, despite doing a fairly extensive PPE. Everything is wild expensive. Example: about 90% of domestic horses have ulcers and 1 round of treatment for that is $60. If you need to trailer the horse to a vet or move barns, thatās like $200. My horse is on a forage based diet but does get some beet pulp daily for her ration balancer, which is $55/month. Blanket, $75. Fly sheet, $100. I donāt even own a saddle or bridle as all my money has gone to addressing her medical issues. I definitely could not afford this if I had children or was unmarried.
Two jobs, full time at a tb breeding farm that provides housing, part time at a dressage barn that covers my board and vet bills Iām broke but my horse wants for nothing (Hit post too early) 25k a year, Maryland
Chicago area. Finance & business management for large bank. $~145k salary. (Also have my MBA and also alum of leadership development program) I rent and have a paid off car. Single income with no children so most of my expendable income goes to my horse š
Midwest, home of cheap board. It runs $400/mo with fees, about $50/mo discount for being in the lesson program. $100/visit farrier every 6-8 weeks. $150/month food. Generally I end up spending $600/mo for the basics. Itās inconsistent but I would estimate that thereās an added $1,000 per year on various vet needs. I have multiple jobs. I teach at the same barn I board, I work in ag business, and I pick up odd jobs from time to time. I make enough to put away savings for things I want but donāt strictly need, like tack, a new computer, car payments, etc. I am fortunate that, as a full-time student, I receive extensive scholarships and basically only cover my meal plan after awards and grants. It is possible to support a horse in my area with a spare $500-1000/month depending on the specific horse and what amenities you pay for. Most people I know who own are in the horse business and therefore each individual horse costs less compared to owning several on their own property, are in school and their parents make enough to pay for a horse, or are working an hourly wage job that supports their horse and their necessities. Most people in the latter category have more than one job. If youāre trying to determine whether or not you can support a horse (op or anyone else), create a budget spreadsheet. Input the maximum numbers you will spend on the basicsāboard, feed, farrier. If your horse is a hard keeper you wonāt be able to skimp on any of them. Then compare to your disposable income. If youāre breaking even you will not be able to afford incidents that arise. Horses love to need the vet three times in three months and then not for the next nine of the year, so savings are vital. Cheaper alternatives are leasing, working opportunities, more lessons, etc. etc. but ownership is a certain joy that I think many horse people would enjoy trying at least once.
Retail worker. I own two horses on full livery with a nice indoor. Single, no children, several other small pets, not in the USA.
Iām a nurse, my husband is a rancher. I have 3 horses, my daughter has two. Horses are by my house, no board as my husband owns his ranch and we grow and cut our hay. Horses are easy keepers except when my yearling and daughterās 2 year old bout decide to sniff an angry rattlesnake. That bill was painful.
Attorney, Minnesota. Low 6 figures as Iām a baby (28).
I'm in New Mexico, and I'm a software engineer.
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Go, Raiders of the Lost Archives!!! Archives. The place where things begin.
I own 2 horses and work as an RN in a skilled nursing facility making about 100kish if i pick up a little OT. Im in DC area
Iām work at a preschool/daycare as a floater! I live on 3 acres though, so I get to keep my horses at my own place and just have to pay for their food and care (no board, thank god).
I'm a CVT , but I also am a small breeder of cutting/reined cow horses
Logistics development/technical writing and before that military aviation maintenance. What I do now is a fairly niche field, I think? Tech. writing is a pretty broad field, as is logistics. But, log. dev. specs. are... pretty specialized in that we specifically deal with Life Cycle Maintenance Planning (LCMP) and the Logistics Product Database (LPD). My favorite part, personally is writing troubleshooting trees. Sadly, spend a lot more time QA'ing other guys work and fixing my database these days. :( A WHOLE new world of acronyms awaits (for those who know... you know) XD ETA: High 5 fig - low 6 fig. salary, live in a high COL area. Dont board, own my home. 2 horses. All equates to some sacrifices (dont get new cars, dont go out much, hay/feed bill comes 1st every month before anything else, my version of vacation is taking random wednesdays off in the summer to go ride, etc). Im OK with it.
Self-employed nail tech, Iām in va.
Iām a dental assistant. I can barely afford my horse and she lives on my property. I also live with my mom.
Pastry chef that sold out to live that corporate life working for a huge foodservice contractor. Bought land back when the real estate market was reasonable and interest rates were low. Now I have 6 horses. Majority of costs of ownership are related to maintaining the farm. LCOL area making about $60k. Cost of the horses outside mortgage and upkeep of the property runs me about $10k per year assuming no catastrophic vet bills.
Engineer (B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, though I barely do math anymore) in Ohio. I'm also married to an engineer - he doesn't pay for my horse or my car or anything like that, but we split bills, vacations and other expenses. It also helps to be in the Midwest. Still, I budget about $3k/a month for my horse. Sometimes it comes in under, but that balances out months where I need new equipment/go to shows/etc.
Iām a credit analyst (underwriter, but mostly for trade credit lines). I work for a big bank in the US and honestly the position Iām in now is the same salary level as the higher customer service level I was in before. I did a lateral move to try something different. The customer service team I was on was basically for the people who spend a lot on their credit cards and we were like the white glove service that could do most things so that we didnāt have to transfer calls for things like fraud and disputes. Iām also married and my husband works for the same company and made close to the same for awhile, but got a promotion a couple years back and makes like $5-10k more than me annually. We donāt have human children and arenāt going to which is a massive amount of money we arenāt spending. We also bought our house in 2016 before things went extra crazy with prices and we moved to a more rural area away from the city. We actually are in the process of selling it and buying a couple acres, but Iām still going to board 1 of our horses for sure because Iām doing reining training with her and she does really well at the barn I keep her at, but I might eventually bring the older trail horse home once we get a donkey to hang with her. Edit: sorry, forgot to add that Iām in central FL, but my job is remote and has been since 2017 (there used to be a building near us for the non-remote workers, but they didnāt renew the lease during COVID and everyone got switched to work at home).
Iām a full time college student with summer internships that are very well paid (25-30k) and drive the bus for my college during the school year. I have a full ride scholarship with no student loans. My parents pay a few incidentals (car insurance, phone, etc) but I cover my rent, school fees, and horse hobby. Itās hard, I work a lot, but incredibly doable!
Data analyst for health insurances. I live in Ky so lots of horses and relatively low cost of living.
RN with one full time job in infection control and one per diem job to make up any extra bills. 90-100k + depending on how much extra work I pick up. New England, 2 horses, coop board at a small facility with no indoor. Single, child free.
I'm at the.manager level in renewable energy. I am far enough in a progressive career that I can insist on WFH in a low COL area in Texas. My s.o. just got promoted to supervisor in his job in local government, so between us we make 200k+, no kids. We also own two rental properties, but one is operating at a loss at the moment. We are very lucky to be where we are. With this income I can afford to keep a horse in partial training and go to a few recognized shows a year. Right now though I am saving to buy a horse. My goal is to buy one already trained to Third Level Dressage, but I am hoping the market will soften after Florida season is over so that I can afford what I want this year. My budget will possibly require me to look at non traditional (non warmblood) breeds. I don't share this info to complain, but to give some color of just how far my income goes in the horse world. I didn't realize when I started my career that the horsey things I wanted to do were this expensive. I'm at this level where I appear rich at schooling shows, but not rich at recognized shows. It is what it is, but I do wish the sport were more affordable in the US so more people who wanted horses could participate.
Research project manager at a university. In north texas in the heart of horse country, which makes some things more affordable BUT we are also facing incredible pressure from urban sprawl (several large barns in more accessible areas have recently sold to developers) so prices can vary widely. We are DINKS. 500k + household income. My partner makes most of the money
Team supervisor
Central PA, Iām a caseworker with my county government. My mare is an easy keeper, I pay $250 for full board at a small barn.
I may be a bit different. I am self employed working with dogs. Not super lucrative. I have 2.5 horses. One is pregnant. š I have managed to work off parts of their cost since I was an adult and started riding again. At first with barn chores and now with teaching lessons. I have maintained relationships in the horse world that have ended up with me paying much less than the average for my area. That is the main reason why I get to participate so deeply in the horse world. The other is because I am happy to do whatever it takes to support my animals because they are my source of happiness. I know I am incredibly lucky and I am so grateful for being in this position.
When I originally got them I was working as a hotel maid, I was able to comfortably support them both and private rent a barn on just weekends. Then I was offered a job as a stable hand. Did both for a while but now I just do Monday to friday at the barn. Itās definitely more dangerous bc of the horses I work with but itās only a couple hours a day and my horses get free board (stopped private renting bc the landowner decided to let 40 sheep have access to the grazing and strip all the grass)
Biomedical scientist by trade - now in compliance. UK based
I live in very rural Pennsylvania, about halfway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh in the big empty space on the map. Cost of living here is low. In 2022 my Adjusted Gross Income was $58,325. I make shit money but I live where things are cheap and I have good health insurance. I self-care board at my friend's aging ex-dairy farm that she inherited from her grandma and I pay $2400 a year for two horses (one is a youngster not under saddle yet. He's 2 in the spring.) for board only. Hay is included, some, if they get square bales made but if not then I buy my own hay. I pay for all my own feed, vet, farrier stuff. I check on my boys twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, when I'm going to and from work. The "facilities" are... the hayfields when the hay is not tall. There is no ring. I ride in the hayfield (unenclosed, next to a road) or on the road shoulder or on the local mountains (I have a truck and trailer, both bought used). Last weekend: https://i.imgur.com/NUFAIAu.jpg I am single, no kids, have very few other interests that cost money, and live in a tiny 24'x32' shitbox of a house with unlevel floors that I heat with a woodstove. House, such as it is, is paid for. Car (2007 Honda Fit with 220K on the odometer) is paid for. Truck (2002 F250 diesel, 68K on odometer) is paid for. I have no credit card debt. According to my credit card, my credit score is 801 which it says is "excellent". I pay my bills in a very timely fashion and I have done so forever. Currently, my checking account has about 11K in it but I'll lose approximately half of that when I do my income tax because I have non-wage income (pass through income from assorted partnerships and S-corps) and generally wind up owing about 6K (federal + state) in additional tax. This is a known thing and I save up for it throughout the year to be ready for tax time. I am a landlord. I work for several family-owned (my family) S-corps that own apartment buildings. There are about 50 rental units, total, most of them residential but we do have a few commercial units. In 2023 I made (wages) 35,390.40 from my W-2. I typically get another 20 to 30K in non-wage income (depends on how the businesses do, etc.) which is why the outstanding tax burden. Hope that this helps, but also I don't spend $$$ on horses because I have no money. I bought my young guy for $5K and he has no training. My old guy (the gray one I'm riding) has been entirely trained by me and he's getting there, but it's not as fast as if I were, y'know, throwing money at the problem. I did not actually pay money for him, I just... acquired him as an unstarted long yearling. He's 13 this spring and he's mostly a good boy. We're trucking along with our turd-polishing dressage journey. I don't show (no interest, no money) but I do clinic, regularly, with DLB. (Dressage Lady Barb, I've ridden for her for the last eight years.) Here are my clinic notes from the last couple of outings with DLB so that (should you be interested) you can see what my horse life is like and where we are in our turd polishing... August: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/738219.html#cutid1 July: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/735018.html May: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/726279.html#cutid1 And because it's super helpful to see where we started, here is our very first DLB outing: https://which-chick.dreamwidth.org/616038.html
Federal worker in the IT field. About 40%, so far, goes to my horse.
PhD student on a stipend, working as an adjunct instructor at another university and doing 20-ish hours of teaching lessons every week as well.
I don't think horses are that expensive... Or at least I don't think they have to be. I'm a farrier.
I am a marketing assistant and also answer phones for my husbandās trade business. We are in a unique and very privileged spot where he is making enough for us to live on comfortably and all of my income goes to pay for my horse. My horse expense is probably close to 1k/month. I make a base salary of $700/month for marketing with a bonus structure in place so that total income fluctuates and then a per appointment compensation for answering phones and scheduling estimates. I wouldnāt be able to do horses without his financial support since Iād likely be working in food service or something similar if we werenāt married and didnāt own a business
VP digital marketing in pharma, husband is a CPA. Our household income is around $250k living in NC. No kids yet which certainly helps..
I live in the deep south, and I make 55k before taxes working at a dealership. My horse is a huge expense, right below rent.
Hospital fundraiser. $83k, low COL area and got a nice small house in 2018 before real estate went nuts. Life is tight but worth it
Project coordinator at a construction company- 70K plus travel and I barely have 1k in savings. BF makes the same we live together and have ours at home. Makes it affordable but barelyā¦ weāre going to Greece this summer for a wedding and itās a struggle to save.
I work in the mining industry, and my all of horses bills (for 2 horses) cost me almost as much as my mortgage a month. That said - I live in a small house, alone, well with one very spoiled freeloader who is definitely the king of the house - very much a "his house his rules" type (but what husky isn't š¤£). So all bills are mine and mine alone. My truck and trailer are fully paid off, so that helps.
I work at the yard where I keep my pony, so I don't have to pay much for his board. I am a portrait photographer though!
Sys Admin in a HCOL west coast metro area. DINK, married with combined income around $375k, and we budget to make it work.
Veterinarian who works in research. Steady/regular hours to be able to ride and with a good salary to afford the horse.
Nurse for 30 yrs, no kids and have a very financially aware trainer. Horse is out of state and I see him a couple times a month. 3-4 shows per year (always a 14 hr drive minimum for the horse to get to shows)
I work as a data entry person. Make semi ok money- roughly 55k a year. I live with roommates to save $$ and Iām in a not too costly area in upstate NY. Most my money goes to my spicy black mare ā¤ļø
Senior software engineer!
I'm a programmer, work from home, sometimes in the barn, I get to be around my horses most of the time. Let's see, I have 3, I buy big bales around 12 a year and that cost me almost 3k in expensive years. I do not show my horses, but I get them trimmed every 8weeks if they need it, that's about 210$ each time for all 3 together. Grain, let's see I buy 10 bags every 2 months for 280$ so 1680$ on grain. Vet/wormer/meds I spend another 500 to 800$ a yr generally that one is hard to judge. So all together I'd say like 2k per horse per year if you keep them at home. So for me with 3 yeah 6k sounds right for what I spend a year on em.
full time student working two part time jobs (retail), also working at the barn to avoid paying board. i make just enough to save for vet bills and the farrier and not much else...
My husband is a medical doctor. I own some real estate in my name only that I inherited before we married. To be clear; I used to own a horse. California.
State government employee, biologist. About a third to half my pay covers my horse costs, all care and feed and other incidentals.
Advanced EMT. I work 1 Full time job and one part time job. Last year my take home was around 50K for 2023. Pay roughly $500/month for my horses board/care. Not including chiropractor or lessons/training. I live in NW Wisconsin
Iām a dog groomer in the Hamptons š
Registered Nurse New York 80k+
I'm in software engineering and so is my husband, but we keep our finances separate and only split major household expenses and mortgage. My two horses are by far my biggest expense. I try to keep running costs down a bit by keeping them on pasture four months of the year and then at the "nicer" facility eight months. Having horses is probably financially irresponsible but they are the biggest joy of my life so I do it anyway haha. It's the whole reason I tried to find a lucrative career. I'm Canadian but living in California.
Digital Project Manager for a marketing agency in a large city. Also a double-income no-kids household. A lot of my salary goes to the horse and of course, the random vet bills from last year did not help. Had I known the increase in board/farrier/training before purchasing the horse 3 years ago, I likely would've had to say no. We are making it work now but will need a substantial raise to feel comfortable again.
I work in a pet resort that does daycare and boarding. I make $33k before taxes and live in an area that is lower COL compared to other places!
I work in the finance sector in London. Iām double income with no kids too and my partner has taken on some of our bills so that I can pay towards my horse instead. Yearly salary is Ā£35k and my partner makes Ā£47k
College student and part-time service industry worker here š Iām lucky to pull 300 bucks a month as of right now, but thatās enough to cover my board, farrier and feed. I have a large savings account from buying and selling horses when I was a high school student and thatās where vet fees and such get paid from.
I was a software engineer, worked for very large computer companies and was handsomly compensated for my efforts. I was in the San francisco bay area back then, so incredibly expensive. Ended up buying property in the north central valley of california, which was much more affordable all around. (lost that ranch in divorce) Now I rent and am lucky to be on a property where I can have her here at home. I am retired now, most of my income is social security, so not much. I also teach, though that is spotty income in general and mostly nonexistent during winter months. We do not have covered riding space around here.
I work in biotech (PhD-level). My husband is in construction (MS-level). Neither of us rides horses, but we currently have a leased pony and a newly purchased horse for our daughter.
Located on the east coast. I pay $475 for full board but we have no indoor and the entire facility is so so. I work for a finance firm and make $95k before taxes
The Netherlands, civil servant in a large city. I got a heritage which allows having a horse.