by Kathleen Hesketh

Created on: February 20, 2009

In speaking with a friend recently about her teenage daughter, I made the unfortunate remark that teenagers are self-centered. As I tried to backtrack and find a better choice of words, she quickly stopped me. "No," she said. "Self-centered is the right choice of words." Having teenagers myself, it caused me to reflect upon my assessment. Yes, teenagers are often inherently self-centered, but has owning her own horse made my daughter any different? I tend to believe it has.

Horses come with a hefty price tag. Without the space or facilities of their own, an owner will need to board. Boarding fees run from $400.00 to over $700.00 a month in a full board facility. These facilities feed your horse, clean the stall and may offer other services, usually at an additional fee. An owner can save money by choosing a facility without an indoor ring, but in states with cold weather, must sacrifice riding time in the winter when the temperatures are too cold or the footing is icy. Cheaper than full board facilities, are agreements for rough board. In these situations the owner is responsible for some or all of the upkeep. This helps to mitigate the cost, but consider the time involved in feeding a horse 2 to 3 times a day and cleaning the stall. Figuring they'll save time in travel over rough board, some owners choose to keep their horse at home. This may reduce some of the costs, but there are other drawbacks. Supplies must be delivered, and manure must often be hauled away.

Supplies and veterinary care do not come cheap for any animal but horses in particular. Owners can expect to spend money on twice yearly shots and the accompanying barn fee for seeing the horse outside of the clinic. Keeping horses healthy also means visits from the farrier. Horse's hooves grow continuously and must be trimmed on a regular basis. If a horse has shoes, as most do, this adds to the cost. Then there are the hundreds of incendiary items both large and small, tack, clothing, instruction and that purple halter with the cute little carrots that would look so perfect on her mare's head. Considering the cost of all these items, girls who own a horse often give up things their peers find important. They spend less time worrying about having the right clothes and more time finding the right saddle. They stay home on Saturday night while their friends are at the movies.

If owning a horse takes a chunk out of the family budget, what is the return? Caring for a horse is a big responsibility. Caring for one properly is an ongoing learning cycle. She must be devoted enough to continue educating herself and confident enough to stand up against others, often adults, in defense of her animal. While her friends are going to movies or the school play, she'll be doing the dirty work of mucking stalls and hauling hay. While these same friends are sound asleep inside a warm bed, she'll spend a night in a freezing barn because her horse has coliced or been injured. She'll learn important lessons- that to have something worthwhile, you often have to give up something else. She'll learn the meaning of hard work and that of sacrifice. She may get the purple halter with the cute carrots, but it will come from her own money or as her only birthday gift. Eventually, she'll grow up, move out, move on. Her equine friend will have to find a new home, with a new young girl and she will learn all of the same lessons. She will learn how to save for something important. How to work for something you love. How to learn deeply and how to share. Someday, she will even have to learn the heartache in saying goodbye. And in the end, it will be owning the horse that taught her these things.

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