Can a Senior High School Student afford a horse?

Answer 1

Depents on what kind of horse you want. A very experienced hunter, dressager or jumper kosts more than a little Shetlander. This depends. If you live in a city, you will need to consider stabling. Horses will need to be shod every 4-6 weeks. The more you ride, the more food a horse will require. If you're a beginner you should be taking riding lessons which aren't cheap. Sometimes accidents happen or horses get sick and the vet bills are usually expensive. Horses are a huge ongoing expense and without some support from your family your chances are almost nil. You also have to consider what happens to your horse when you go to university. It might be smart to consider leasing a horse. When you lease a horse you are responsible for an agreed amount of its care and upkeep, in return for being able to ride it. Sometimes this might be a 'share' arrangement where you split the feed, board and other expenses and both ride - this works well if neither person rides a lot so the horse is not overworked. At other times you are entirely responsible for feeding, stabling and caring for the horse, and may ride it whenever you wish. With this sort of arrangement the horse is not yours, and when you cannot look after it (or if the horse does not suit you) it is easy to give it back.