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Get a horse?
Aug. 12th, 2008 09:22 pmOK, after a somewhat lengthy discussion over on ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
avon_deer's LJ last week, I decided to actually compare this. The hypothesis offered by some was that soon it would be more cost efficient to use a horse instead of an internal combusion powered vehicle.
So I made some inquiries and checked some records. I'm in a good position to make the comparison, since I own a riding horse and a modest vehicle with an efficient 4 cylinder engine that does a bit better than the national average according to the EPA.
This comparison does not take into account the cost of my own time. In other words, I'd have to allow an hour of travel time between home and work rather than 25 minutes if I used my horse. Keeping the horse requires maintenance tasks, such as at least occasional stall and paddock cleanups, grooming, hoof care, and tack care. Those take more time than I normally spend on washing the car or checking the tires.
Estimated daily costs of keeping a horse and riding her to and from work:
Hay: $2
Grain: $0.50
(Water: call it free, since we have our own well)
Bedding: $1
Food supplements (vitamins and hoof builder): $1 (not cheap but she needs it)
Vet bills (amortized): $1.25
Farrier (shoes and hoof trim every 8 weeks): $2
Tack and grooming supplies: $0.10 (includes fly and mosquito repellent)
Total: $7.85 per day
Estimated daily costs of keeping my Ford Escape and driving to and from work:
Fuel (at current prices): $4
License fees: $0.22 (car only, not driver)
Insurance: $1.50
Oil and maintenance costs: $0.33
Tire wear: $0.28 (based on four tires every five years)
Total: $6.33 per day
It's actually getting closer than I thought. Of course, the horse costs are less because I live in a reasonably rural area. In an urban or suburban zone there would be additional expense for things like manure removal. Here we can just spread it in the gardens or the pasture.
There's another thing to consider, though. The vehicle cost me about $19,000 two years ago. The horse cost me only $3,000 seven years ago. Even adding in the cost of saddle, bridle, and riding gear, it doesn't reach $4,000. Tess is a purebred registered mare and was in foal to a champion stallion when I bought her. Without the foal, she'd have sold for $500 to $1000 less. An unregistered grade horse could be perfectly serviceable for my purposes and might have cost me only $1000 or so. Tess has an expected working lifespan, if properly cared for and all, of another ten years or more. That (considering the seven years I've already had her) exceeds the expectation for the vehicle, which cost considerably more in the first place.
So if you factor in usable life expectancy, initial cost of ownership, and rate of depreciation, the horse wins before she even gets out of the starting gate (hooves down!) But in terms of daily cost of ownership and operation, the internal combustion engine still comes out on top.
Note that all bets are off if the internal combustion vehicle is an overpowered truck or SUV, however. The horse already beats those on costs, but won't satisfy an owner addicted to instant spur of the moment starts and high acceleration or sustained speed. For a conservative driver like myself, though, who doesn't get any thrill whatsoever from speed, squealing tires, or roaring exhausts, the horse may look very attractive overall.
There are many reasons why I can't just ride Tess to work right now. Perhaps some of them will change if trends continue, but I rather doubt it.
avon_deer's LJ last week, I decided to actually compare this. The hypothesis offered by some was that soon it would be more cost efficient to use a horse instead of an internal combusion powered vehicle.So I made some inquiries and checked some records. I'm in a good position to make the comparison, since I own a riding horse and a modest vehicle with an efficient 4 cylinder engine that does a bit better than the national average according to the EPA.
This comparison does not take into account the cost of my own time. In other words, I'd have to allow an hour of travel time between home and work rather than 25 minutes if I used my horse. Keeping the horse requires maintenance tasks, such as at least occasional stall and paddock cleanups, grooming, hoof care, and tack care. Those take more time than I normally spend on washing the car or checking the tires.
Estimated daily costs of keeping a horse and riding her to and from work:
Hay: $2
Grain: $0.50
(Water: call it free, since we have our own well)
Bedding: $1
Food supplements (vitamins and hoof builder): $1 (not cheap but she needs it)
Vet bills (amortized): $1.25
Farrier (shoes and hoof trim every 8 weeks): $2
Tack and grooming supplies: $0.10 (includes fly and mosquito repellent)
Total: $7.85 per day
Estimated daily costs of keeping my Ford Escape and driving to and from work:
Fuel (at current prices): $4
License fees: $0.22 (car only, not driver)
Insurance: $1.50
Oil and maintenance costs: $0.33
Tire wear: $0.28 (based on four tires every five years)
Total: $6.33 per day
It's actually getting closer than I thought. Of course, the horse costs are less because I live in a reasonably rural area. In an urban or suburban zone there would be additional expense for things like manure removal. Here we can just spread it in the gardens or the pasture.
There's another thing to consider, though. The vehicle cost me about $19,000 two years ago. The horse cost me only $3,000 seven years ago. Even adding in the cost of saddle, bridle, and riding gear, it doesn't reach $4,000. Tess is a purebred registered mare and was in foal to a champion stallion when I bought her. Without the foal, she'd have sold for $500 to $1000 less. An unregistered grade horse could be perfectly serviceable for my purposes and might have cost me only $1000 or so. Tess has an expected working lifespan, if properly cared for and all, of another ten years or more. That (considering the seven years I've already had her) exceeds the expectation for the vehicle, which cost considerably more in the first place.
So if you factor in usable life expectancy, initial cost of ownership, and rate of depreciation, the horse wins before she even gets out of the starting gate (hooves down!) But in terms of daily cost of ownership and operation, the internal combustion engine still comes out on top.
Note that all bets are off if the internal combustion vehicle is an overpowered truck or SUV, however. The horse already beats those on costs, but won't satisfy an owner addicted to instant spur of the moment starts and high acceleration or sustained speed. For a conservative driver like myself, though, who doesn't get any thrill whatsoever from speed, squealing tires, or roaring exhausts, the horse may look very attractive overall.
There are many reasons why I can't just ride Tess to work right now. Perhaps some of them will change if trends continue, but I rather doubt it.
