The best way to find out would be to talk to a breeder and/or a large animal vet. They can give you the best idea of how much a horse would cost to maintain.

Feeding wise, you can just about double what it would take to feed your average horse.

Average horse will use 5 100+ LB bales of alfalfa hay to feed a month. Cost of each bale, is $17.95/bale. So if you double that, then $179.50 to feed one draft horse for one month.

As for grain. An average horse uses up about 3LBS of grain a day. So at $20.00 for a 50LB bag, you’re looking at 180 LBS of grain a month so, $72.00 a month.

Shoeing is optional but I’ll betcha a trim which is normally about $35.00 for an average horse you can double for a draft. Shoeing should be the same thing at typically $75.00 for shoes all the way around, will probably be $150.00 or more.

I knew a gal who bought 2 Belgium cross mares thinking she’d have nice dressage prospects. Then found out that it was EXPENSIVE to feed these guys and short changed her other horses to be able to feed those two. Not sure what she did, but both draft mares died so did her two old geldings.

Well, for my Arab gelding I spend about $300 a month on board, feed, trimming, etc. Not including any vet costs. Board is $150 per month. Food is about $20 a 50 lb bag and he east a bag per month. Grass hay is $8 a bale and he eats 3 bales a week in summer and 4 per week in winter. So, that is almost $100 a month. Trimming as about $35 every 2-3 months.

I know that draft horses weigh double what my horse does and will eat double what my horse does. So, At least $240 a month in feed.

Find a local farm that owns draft breeds and ask them whats the average amount they spend on maintence such as vet bills, feed, farrier etc.

My cousin has mostly draft horses, clydesdales, gypsy cobs and Irish cobs e.t.c
It actully cost more to keep her one TB than I costs to keep her Drafts.
I’m going to compare these. We have a 15.2hh Gypsy cob X clydesdale and a 16.1 TB. They both showjump and are in the same routine. They are both 9.
Her TB has a morning feed with a full bag of hay, afternoon quater bag of hay and has a night feed with added supplements and another bag of hay. In a months his feed and supplement alone cost about £50(doesn’t include hay!)
He struggles to keep weight on and other than that he is very healty.
His shoes cost £80 all round and he gets them on every 6 weeks.

Her GyspyXclyde has a handful or Baileys Good Doer cubes in the morning and a full haynet. He has a couple of carrots in the afternoon because I spoil him! And he has another bag of hay at night and he is a big chubby boy! He keeps weight on VERY well!!!
He only gets his feet trimmed they are that hardy. He had front shoes on in the summer when showjumping in competitions but not now.
It costs £25 for all round trim and he only needs them done ever 10weeks but we get them done every 8 weeks because thats when most of the other get there done.

In my opinion it costs less. If we didn’t spoil Gypsy so much he would just need a grassy field to maintain him. FREE!

Most draft breeds are ‘easy keepers’ and can require less feed than a typical warmblood or TB. The cost of feed all depends on your property. I had a horse for 16 years and rarely had to give her grain. We had 10 acres of good grass and forage for her, and just fed her free choice hay in the winter. At my barn now (I don’t own a horse now, just ride and help with lessons) we have 4 halflingers (draft ponies) and 3 PMU draft crosses (2paint/percheron, 1paint/clyde) and they don’t eat anymore than the other horses (mostly quarters, paints, or appys). The biggest difference in price will be tack and farrier fees. Its hard to find good saddles and bridles that big! Not to mention the bit you want to use, halters, pads, martingales…etc! And the farrier fees are way more, and if they need shoes its even greater. Luckily they usually have very hard feet and don’t need shoes unless ridden hard, or on the road a lot.
Bottom line is horses are an expensive luxury! Really there is not ‘average’ fee. Some horses require expensive feed supplements to keep them healthy. Others seem accident prone, and each vet trip is hundreds of $$$. Tack wears out, you need bedding, grooming supplies. And would you keep the horse at home, or stable? I have a perfect set up now. I volunteer to help with lessons and feeding at a local therapeutic riding barn, in exchange for weekly riding time! I may even be able to show one of their horses at a local ‘fun show’ this summer. I would recomend something like this if your new to horse ownership.

well i have a Belgian about 17.5 hands and he doesn’t eat much at all.