5 Places You Don’t Have to Splurge For Your Horse

Yes, your horses deserve the best… but that doesn’t have to mean most expensive.

Horses already cost an arm and a leg, so why not flush more of your money down the toilet on them? (This list is meant to be tongue-in-cheek based on my experiences — you and your horses’ tastes might be different.)

1. Treats

Horses are happy eating the same thing day in and day out (hay). They act like they haven’t eaten in years during every feeding time. Why buy some fancy $20 treats rolled in flax seed and unicorn dust? They’ll definitely enjoy them, but then again they’ll enjoy a cheap old apple too.

2. Horse shampoo and conditioner

Yep, your horse needs to have his mane and tail looking its best. So, you need that expensive bottle of XYZ horse shampoo that definitely costs more simply because it’s designed for horses… or you could just go buy a bottle of VO5 because the last time I checked the ingredients were the same.

(Yes, if you have a horse with skin sensitivity, you may need special formulas. We feel your pain.)

3. Horse shoes

I’ve bought the the overpriced St. Croix horse shoes and I’ve bought the cheapee Diamond brand. They both work the same and yes, they’re both lost or thrown the same too.

4. Dewormers

Ivermectin is Ivermectin. You can spend $12 a tube for the name brand, or you can spend $1.99 a tube on the generic variety. Worms don’t have that refined of a palate to know the difference.

5. Trailer tires

I just had a blow out on my $200 name-brand trailer tire (it sounded like a shot gun going off in my truck — I can’t imagine what my mules thought since it was right below them). The $95 Carlisle that I bought, on the other hand, is still hanging in there. You would think that the more you spend, the more reliable they are, but that’s not always the case.

Go riding!