Do draft horses cost more to ride?

November 30th, 2009 | by drafthorse |
draft horse
Sydney R asked:


I’m twelve and it’s always been my dream to ride a draft horse their beautiful, and I know it will be a little while before I’ll be able to because I am not that big but, PLEASE, HELP!!!!!

strongest draft horse
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  1. 8 Responses to “Do draft horses cost more to ride?”

  2. By Chris on Dec 1, 2009 | Reply

    they cost more to own, but not more to ride usually..

    I do not see why your size has anything to do with riding a draft… you should be able to ride one now.

  3. By Bosbrandje on Dec 3, 2009 | Reply

    Draft horses eat allot more.
    But they can stay outside in a pasture longer as they usually tolerate cold better. Pasture is cheaper than stable. Just be sure you have a good shelter in the pasture.

  4. By Roberts(315) on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

    Drafts cost alot of money you can usually guess to spend twice or more money on them plus they eat twice as more hay and grain that a regular horse.

    to ride there not any more expensive

  5. By SmoothlyRidingInSearchOfATroll on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

    The ycost more to won. I owned a draft that ate 2 bales of hay a day, 10 pounds of grain. ANd yes riding is more expenxive we had to get a custom saddle( double wide wintec) and special bits.

  6. By foxyeyes on Dec 5, 2009 | Reply

    draft horses are better built to pull. They can go lame easier from riding. I would suggest maybe a draft cross.

  7. By Bobbi on Dec 6, 2009 | Reply

    They definitely cost more to feed, and to have shod, but they cost nothing to ride…just joking a little, but yes, they do eat more and a farrier will charge you quite a bit more to shoe or trim your draft, other than that, and the fact that drafts are notorious for being hard on feeders and fences…they like to lean….I love drafts though, that is what I have.

  8. By DLD on Dec 8, 2009 | Reply

    I agree with the points brought up above. Tack is hard to find, farrier charges more and they eat a lot more. Additionally, trailering can be difficult due to height and weight.

    Part of the joy of a draft horse is the cold blooded (docile) nature of the breeds. However, there are lighter breeds of draft which are not so big (easier to feed, farrier and trailer) but retain the gentle nature. Look for fresian (if budget is not an issue) or Halflinger. They are on the smaller end of the draft scale but retain the gentle nature.

  9. By AMZ on Dec 11, 2009 | Reply

    I’m suprised at some of the answers your getting. I drive and own Percherons.

    Draft horses do not cost anymore than light breed horses. Price goes up with training and experience, just as it would with ANY breed. In my area, draft horses are going as low as $200, but when the market is good they usually sell for around $1500.

    Farrier costs vary. My Percheron does NOT have shoes. He rides and drives just fine without them. This costs me $20 every 6 weeks to have his feet trimmed.

    The most expensive part about owning a draft, is finding tack that will fit. Draft tack is usually pretty expensive…and you may be searching a while before you find a saddle with a wide enough tree.

    And just to show you that drafts are perfectly capable of jumping..here’s my guy at his first XC event.

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