Spirit Horse Equine Rescue and Education Center

What does it cost to run an organization like Spirit Horse? Depending on our equines' needs, that amount can vary greatly. What you see below are general costs we incur regularly. Donations are critical to the existence of Spirit Horse. Any amount is greatly appreciated. We are an all volunteer organization, so one-hundred percent of all donations received go directly to the care and feeding of the equines.

Hay - A horse in normal weight condition will eat approximately one-half bale of hay per day. That works out to 182.5 bales a year. At a cost of $4 a bale, our expense is $730. We generally maintain about 35 equines in the rescue, so our annual hay costs can exceed $20,000.

Additional Feed - Many of the equines that come to us have special needs when it comes to feed. Hay cubes, senior feed, grain and fat supplements are all on our weekly "grocery list". One senior horse or horse in poor condition will cost $50 per week to feed. That calculates out to $2,600 per year per equine.

Farrier - We generally have our equines' hooves trimmed every eight weeks. At $30 per trim, that comes out to $180 per horse per year. With our standard of 35 equines in our care, it compounds to over $6,000 a year.

Veterinarian Costs -We incur four types of veterinary expenses:
• Routine veterinary care includes vaccinations, coggins tests and dental floats.
• Non-emergency calls for conditions such as hoof abscesses, gelding a colt or stallion, removing growths, biopsies etc.
• Emergency calls for colic, choke, injuries, etc.
• Hospitalization with possible surgery

A typical horse's routine annual care costs about $400. Treatment of a hoof abscess will be around $200, gelding costs about $200. One emergency visit for colic with nasal gastric tubing comes to approximately $500. Hospitalization has averaged $1,500.

Dewormer - We deworm our equines four times a year, unless the foster home has them on a strategic deworming schedule. With a typical dewormer costing $12, that adds up to almost $1,700 annually.

Stall bedding - Whenever possible, equines are kept outdoors with a shelter. Sometimes do to health or other issues, an equine may need to be stalled. We bed with wood pellets or shavings. A bag of pellets or bale of shavings cost about $5. Each stall takes about 4 or 5 bags depending on the size of the stall. Stalls are cleaned and refreshed daily, so costs can add up quickly, to over $1,000 a year per stall.

Transport/Travel - We generally visit an equine we've been asked to take so we can make an assessment. If we accept the animal, we need to pick it up. We also make barn visits for potential foster homes and adoptive homes. Gas is a significant expense for us.

If you would like to help us out in our mission, you can donate through Pay Pal or send a check to our mailing address:

Spirit Horse Equine Rescue
4107 N. River's Edge Drive
Janesville, WI 53548

Your donation is tax deductible. Please contact our treasurer if you wish to receive a receipt.