OWNING YOUR OWN HORSE &

LEASING A SCHOOL HORSE FROM EQUINE MAGIC!

Buying - You own and take full responsibility. Recommended once the riders are old enough to take care of most duties and you are confident it’s not a passing phase! Depending on the agistment you choose you need to see your pony daily!!!!

EXPENSES: Initial price (suitable pony for beginner child) - $1,000 - $3,000 + gear $300 - $1,000
Feed - $50 - $200 mth (depends on the build, age, health, pasture available and our rising feed prices)
Agistment - $100 - $180 mth (with riding facilities)
Trim/shoe & worming - $30 - $80 every 6-8 weeks
Lessons- $30-$50 per lesson (recommend for all riders to keep lessons going)
Vet, teeth, Extras - allow $40 mth
Total = $250 - $570 monthly + horse and gear $1300 - $4000 you can get some good buys etc.

A good stepping stone to buying a horse is leasing and a part lease is the ideal!

Leasing - You don’t own but you take on as your own therefore you are fully responsible for the pony incl. all expenses, no initial purchase price and sometimes you can even get to use some gear etc. and if things don’t work out you shouldn’t be stuck with a pony sitting in a paddock and not knowing what to do next.

Part lease - This is what we offer our students when they are wanting to increase there riding hours and learn even more on what it takes to own a horse. Supervision at all times, use of gear and we take care of the horse/pony whenever you are not there etc so there is less pressure. Come and ride 3 or 4 times a week and spend the afternoon or weekend with ‘YOUR’ pony.
Options for a part lease

CURRENT 'EQUINE MAGIC' HORSES AVAILABLE FOR PART LEASE!

SPEEDY- 15.3HH, BLACK GELD, PERFECT SCHOOLMASTER!

FLICK- 15.2HH LIVER CHESTNUT, FOR A 2ND HACK, VERY QUIET, SUIT DRESSAGE MOSTLY

SNOW- 12.2HH GREY MARE, PERFECT FIRST PONY

ALLEN- 13.3HH PAINT GELD, SUIT CONFIDENT BEGGINER

ROSEY- 13.2HH GREY MARE, SUIT BEGGINER

FEEDING!

Hopefully these tips will assist people with horses that are losing condition over winter.

Taking an average 500 KG 16.hh TB these are their daily requirements:

A horse on Maintenance, that is not doing any work, requires 100 % hay, 8.2 KG in weight per day.

A horse in Light Work, that is being ridden for less than 7 hours a week work, requires 65% hay and 35% concentrate. This means he needs 5.4 KG of hay per day and 3KG of concentrate.

A horse in Moderate work, that is 7-15 hours per week riding, requires a total feed intake of 9KG per day. That is 50% concentrate and 50% hay. 4.5 KG of hay and 4.5KG of grain.

This may seem very costly, however it is beneficial to both horse and your purse if you supply the best quality hay that you can. That way he needs less grain to make up his nutritional ration therefore lessening the risk of colic and making it more cost effective for you. It’s a good idea to weigh a biscuit of hay on your bathroom scales!

Doing a Ration Balance for your horse ensures he has no deficiencies or toxicities from his feed, which can contribute to health and some behavioural problems. If you are unsure how to do this consult an Equine Nutritionist or Equine Nutrition Consultant. It is important to assess the Body Condition Score of the horse, its workload and any concerns the owner may have with the horse when doing a feed ration. When looking at the current feeding program it is easy to ascertain exactly what types and amounts of nutrients the horse is gaining from his current feed. A revised and improved ration can then be done, keeping in mind the owners preferences. If buying a readily mixed sweet feed for your horse it is important to read the feed tag and follow the manufacturers recommendations. Feed companies can answer queries on this. There are low cost ways of gaining weight on a nutritionally deficient horse. Remember that your horses stomach is only the size of a soccer ball so small frequent feeds are the way to go! Remember, all horses are individuals and what may suit one may not be the same for another!

Carol Stewart-Smith
Equine Nutrition Consultant.
equinecarol@hotmail.com