Neglect and abuse are the number one reasons that horse rescues even need to exist, followed closely by horses saved from the slaughter house.

Nice people can wind up neglecting horses and not even know it. It starts when they realize a lifelong dream to own a horse and then they think well horses will live just fine being turned out to pasture and eat all the grass they want. Sounds great, but you will most likely wind up with one ill horse.

Most abuse and neglect of horses isn't entirely intentional, it is simply a case of lacking the understanding of what really goes into caring for one of these great animals. Horses need a lot of work, they are social creatures and will need companionship from their owners or they will suffer emotionally. They also need clean water, a nutritious diet and daily exercise. They will also need regular grooming including their hooves and all horses need regular veterinary care including vaccinations.

As you can see, a new owner can find themselves quickly in over their heads. When a horse isn't taken care of, and they rely on their owners for their well being, they will lose weight and their hooves will become misshapen rapidly leading to lameness and other issues.

Some horses have been with owners that believed in whipping and beating to get their horses to listen and obey commands. This merely creates a horse that fears people and definitely wanders into the realm of abuse. Horses that have been rescued from these situations can be retrained through gentle methods and often make wonderful companion animals.

If you know someone that has a horse they may be neglecting or someone you know is considering getting a horse, make sure they understand what is involved and help them get the help they need to properly care for their horse and you might have just saved another horse from the necessity of being rescued.

If you're looking to own a horse, be aware they aren't inexpensive animals, but the companionship they provide is such a great reward for having a horse in your life.

The costs will be a little higher or lower in your area due to local pricing but what follows is a national average for how much it can cost to keep a horse. If you have a special needs animal that requires frequent medical care, expect those prices to go up drastically.

These costs assume you are keeping your horse or pony on your own land and they do not reflect the overhead of land taxes, insurances, maintenance to your property, barn and fence repairs.

The average horse will easily eat one half bale of hay per day add $1.50. Then consider a six month supply of loose mineral supplement at roughly 0.07 per day. A salt block will run roughly 0.04 per day.Two two cup servings of inexpensive concentrate per day $1.00; seeing a farrier every six weeks for a trim roughly 0.60 day.

Your horse will need to be dewormed regularly at 0.20 per day; teeth will need to be checked and floated once a year at least 0.20 per day; and horses require basic vaccinations of rabies, tetanus, equine influenza, and rhinomune vaccines at roughly 0.27 per day. This leaves us with the average minimum cost per day to keep one horse $3.88 per day or 1416.20 per year and those costs can escalate quickly if you feed more expensive concentrates and supplements, immunizations for West Nile, your horse requires shoeing, you use your horse in competitions or your horse is ill.

This also doesn't include boarding fees which can run from $100 to $500 per month depending on if you want to let your horse have access to an indoor barn or not.

As you can see, keeping a horse is a responsibility that if you're not ready for all the hidden costs, can quickly find yourself overwhelmed. If you have been thinking about getting a horse, consider the costs and if you realize your budget can't support a horse at this time, consider donating to the upkeep of the rescued horses for the time being until you can afford to adopt a horse of your own. It's a great way to contribute!