So you have decided to bring a horse breed to your barn that was kept by kings and had been prized for nobility? Yes! You guessed it, we are talking about the Andalusian horse. This pure Spanish breed is now usually brought to keep as an ornament.
In this article, we would be enlightening our readers on how much they have to pay to get one Andalusian horse and their upkeep cost.
But before giving you the figures, let’s briefly discuss why you should get an Andalusian horse in the first place? Well, if I have to answer you in one or two words I would say, for its stamina and athleticism. And if you are fond of driving, show jumping, and dressage, the Andalusian horse is the answer.
Now that you know why this horse breed is admired by horse enthusiasts. It’s fair to move ahead and discuss the amount of money you would have to have to get one for you and the sum of money you need to save every month to keep the horse. Starting with the price you have to pay first;
How much do you need to have to get one Andalusian horse for your barn?
As Andalusian is not an ordinary horse breed, so you just need to know that whether you are thinking of buying an Andalusian foal or a fully mature horse, it’s going to be expensive. The Andalusian horses typically cost around $10,000 to $60,000, trained Andalusian horses would be even more expensive.
Pro Tip; Placing an order online or buying an Andalusian horse from the auction would be most expensive, try making a local purchase. If you can not find this particular breed being sold in your locality, try finding websites that offer horses at a discounted price.
Fair enough to get this supernatural breed in the said sum of money? Well, if you think so, let’s talk about the upkeep cost (if you are not familiar with the term “upkeep cost”, it’s the cost you have to bear every day, week, month, or year, to keep the horse).
Upkeep Cost of an Andalusian Horse
As you are bringing a big high-maintenance animal home, you would have to spend a noticeable amount of money on feed, vet bills, training, shoeing, horse equipment, etc. Each of the above-mentioned monthly bills needs to be discussed separately.
Feeding cost
Horses, whether it’s Andalusian or not, need grass, hay, concentrates, salt, fruits, and vegetables(occasionally) to live a balanced life.
Providing proper nutrition in the shape of food would cost horse enthusiasts around $30 to $100 a month. (Source) As food is the main source of nutrients and energy, it would take a huge sum of money out of your pocket annually.
Water cost
A lot of you might be wondering, how can I add water cost as it free? Water is free but the source(electricity) that provides water is not. The monthly water cost would be a minimum of all other costs, hardly $5 to $10.
Veterinary bills
Veterinary bills are another major expense you have to bear to keep to an Andalusian horse at your barn. There would be some monthly and annual visits, so you have to save for both.
The monthly visits would not cost you more than $30 to $40 whereas, the annual visits that include teeth cleaning and vaccination, would be somewhere around $50 to $60.
Training
You can choose to avoid this cost or incur it to your advantage. Sometimes the horses are already trained, in such cases, you are paying the price at the time of purchase.
It’s hard to give you an estimate of how much do you need to save to get your horse trained as the cost depends on the reputation of the institution and the type of training being provided. The training cost can be as low as $100 or as high as $250 per month.
Shoeing
Since Andalusian horses are performing horses, shoeing is important to protect the hooves from injuries. A cheap horseshoe can be used for training but you have to use an expensive one for the performance. Even if you play smart, cheap shoeing would cost you around $60 to $70 per month, and the expensive ones can be bought between $110 to $140.
Farrier bills
No matter which horse breed you are bringing to your barn, you would be taking the horse to the farrier a lot. Hoof trimming is necessary to keep the hooves healthy and it can only be performed by a professional farrier.
Each farrier visit for hoof trimming would cost you $20 to $40. The horses that wear off the hooves naturally would make you pay less than the horses who spend most of their time being idle.
Tack and Grooming cost of Andalusian
To pamper the horse you would be needing a comb, hoof pick knife, face sponge, sweat scraper, brushes(hard and soft), saddle, pad, halter, bit, bridle, and lead. The tack and grooming supplies all together would cost you $300 to $1000. I know it’s a huge sum of money but fortunately, it’s a one-time cost.
Care-taker salary
It can be avoided if you are available full-time or minimized by hiring a part-time caretaker. It’s hard to get estimated how much a caretaker would demand? The average caretaker may demand $20 a day whereas a trained, experienced caretaker would not settle for $20 a day.
Housing
Even if you already have a barn built for horses, you would be needing a separate stall for the new horse. A new stall with all the facilities like stall fans, doors etc can be built for $600 to $1000. The fully equipped luxurious stalls can even cost you up to $2000.
Basic equipment Cost for Andalusian Keeping
Feeding bucket, watering trough, and some basic accessories are the right of every horse. These accessories are specifically designed for horses.
It’s mandatory to get the basic supplies delivered as they do not let the food and water get wasted. This equipment is quite cheap and handy, can be bought for $40 to $60.
It’s important to mention here that the first year would be heavy on your pocket whereas the rest of the years would make you take less money out of your pocket. The first year would cost you $80,000 to $90,000 and the coming years would make you save up to $6000 annually.
Related: Andalusian Horse Names
Summary
Andalusian is the oldest horse breed that was ridden by the kings. The noble prize winner breed because of their stamina and athleticism is now being used for driving, showjumping, and dressage. This exceptional breed can be bought for $10,000 and $60,000. The feeding cost, Veterinary bills, water cost, training, shoeing, farrier bills, housing, basic equipment, tack, and grooming cost would sum up to $6000 annually.
The first year would be heavier on the horse enthusiasts’ pocket whereas the rest of the years would barely be noticeable. Lastly, I hope I have conveyed the true information. I would like to confess here that this just a general idea, the exact figures can only be obtained from an existing Andalusian horse owner. Hope you have enjoyed reading, keep reading, sharing, and expanding your knowledge.
