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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RWS" data-source="post: 1366305" data-attributes="member: 12891">if you already have donkeys, you can start with one horse. they'll buddy up and keep each other company. how much good pasture do you have? if you have enough grass, the donkeys basically wont need hardly any feed unless the ground is covered in ice or snow. a horse will need a little more, but not much, unless you are riding him hard. maybe a gallon of grain a day or so . you will probably need to keep hay out everyday startin here pretty soon, and until march or april, depending on your grass. around a bale a day (square bale) for 3 head. thats grass hay, not alfalfa.the loafin shed will do fine for now as long as it has north and west walls. you might want some portable corral panels, so you can set up pens/stalls to seperate them when feeding and help catch them.the old roping/ranch horse idea is a good one. but if they are 15-18+, they may need special care, feed, etc., translating to higher expense. if and when you buy one, dont cheap out. horses are cheaper than hospital bills, and easier to replace than your wife or kids. you may find free ones, but there is probably a reason nobody wants them. geldings are best, but you can usually find mares cheaper. and absolutely no studs!a decent used saddle will start at about $300 minimum, and can go a lot higher depending on what you want. bridles, pads/blankets, etc., another $150+ or so. dont cheap out on the saddles & tack either. it'll save you a lot of trouble and money to get decent stuff to start with, not necissarily fancy or expensive, just good quality. buy a good used saddle, not a new cheap one. find someone knowledgable and hang out as much as you can with em. maybe even volunteer to help at the neighbors when you can.i build custom saddles, tack, etc. for a living, and have almost 20yrs experience in the saddle/tack buisiness. feel free to ask me any questions, thats how you learn. i will do my best to answer any questions HONESTLY, and not just try to sell you something.</blockquote>

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