Equine
Books and taxes for horse breeders.
Stud fees, foal and yearling sales, outside mare board, and the foaling season vet bill that hits all at once. Gus sorts every payment as it lands, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number each month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
March came in at $11,000. Two foaling emergencies meant an unusually big vet bill, and I kept it in reproductive care instead of letting it blend into routine horse care.
- Stud fee depositsStud fees
- Outside mare boardMare board
- Willowbrook Equine HospitalReproductive vet care
- Hay and feed orderHay and feed
- Registry registration feesRegistry fees
Why your books are different
A breeder's books go wrong when a stud fee, a foal, and a foaling emergency all get treated the same.
A generalist sees a check and calls it earned. Your farm runs on stud fees that sometimes pay out over two seasons, outside mares boarded alongside your own, and horses that are either purchased or raised on the place, never quite the same asset. When the books do not know the difference, one hard foaling season can look like the whole business is losing money.
-
1
A live foal guarantee turns a stud fee into a maybe
Many breeding contracts promise a rebreed or a partial refund if the foal does not survive, and booking the whole stud fee as final income the day it is paid ignores that part of it might have to come back.
What we doBooks the stud fee as income but flags contracts with a live foal guarantee, so a refund or rebreed later does not blindside the books. -
2
Outside mare board blends with your own broodmare costs
Mares shipped in to be bred to your stallion get fed and cared for right alongside your own broodmares, and if the board income and the feed costs both land in one bucket you cannot tell what your own breeding program actually costs versus what outside mares bring in.
What we doKeeps outside mare board income separate from your own broodmare and stallion care, so each side of the operation shows its real number. -
3
A raised foal and a purchased broodmare get treated the same
A foal born on your farm has no purchase price to track, while a broodmare you bought has a real cost basis, and mixing the two up muddles what each horse is actually worth when it is time to sell.
What we doTracks a purchase price and date for horses you buy, keeps homebred horses separate, and flags each for the accountant when it sells. -
4
Foaling season vet bills look like a bad month
Reproductive vet work, foaling emergencies, and neonatal care all cluster into a few weeks each spring, and one hard month of foaling costs can look like the whole operation is losing money.
What we doKeeps reproductive and foaling vet costs in their own line and tells you when a hard foaling season, not the business, is behind a rough-looking month. -
5
A multi-year stud fee contract pays out over two seasons
Some breeding contracts collect half the stud fee at breeding and the rest only when the foal stands and nurses, sometimes crossing into the next year, and counting it all as this year's income before it has landed overstates what you actually earned.
What we doTracks what is still owed on multi-part stud fee contracts, so income lands in the year it is actually collected.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a horse breeding operation.
Set up once for how a season's stud fees, sales, and mare board reach you. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Stud feesBreeding fees for your stallion, often collected in more than one payment.
- Foal, weanling, and yearling salesHorses you raised and sold, priced by age and pedigree.
- Outside mare boardCare for mares shipped in to be bred, kept apart from your own broodmares.
- Embryo transfer and insemination feesReproductive services beyond a live cover.
- Breeding contract depositsThe first payment on a multi-part stud fee arrangement.
Money out
- Broodmare and stallion careFeed, farrier, and routine vet for your own breeding stock.
- Reproductive and foaling vet careBreeding soundness exams, ultrasounds, and foaling emergencies.
- Registry feesBreed registry fees paid to register each foal.
- Hay and feedRound bales and grain for the whole broodmare band.
- Transport and shippingHauling mares or shipping chilled or frozen semen.
- AdvertisingStallion advertising and sale listings for young stock.
- Mortality insuranceCoverage on valuable broodmares and stallions.
What we watch for you
- Foal crop value
What this year's foal crop is worth against what it cost to breed and raise, so pricing reflects the real return.
- Outside mare board margin
What boarding outside mares actually nets after their feed and care, separate from your own program.
- Stud fee collection rate
How much of booked stud fees has actually been collected, so a strong breeding season is not mistaken for cash already in hand.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already know.
Ask Gus
Things horse breeders ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Yes, but I flag the guarantee so if a rebreed or a refund comes later, it does not catch the books off guard.
No. I keep that board income and its feed costs separate from your own broodmares, so you can see what each side of the operation actually earns.
I kept those costs in their own line, so you can see it was a hard foaling season, not a bad business, behind the number.
The tax side
The tax side of a horse breeding operation.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing on stud fees and what a horse is really worth on the books, bought or homebred.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Multi-part stud fee contractsA stud fee collected partly at breeding and partly when the foal stands and nurses counts as income when it is actually collected, which can span two tax years.
- Cost basis on purchased broodstockA broodmare or stallion you bought has a purchase price that matters when it sells or is depreciated. A horse you raised on the farm does not carry the same kind of basis, and keeping the two straight matters at tax time.
- Gain treatment on horse salesHorses held for breeding purposes for a couple of years before they are sold can often qualify for more favorable tax treatment than one bred and flipped quickly. The specifics depend on the horse and belong with the accountant.
- Hobby-loss scrutinyBreeding operations often run loss years, especially in a buildout phase, and the IRS looks harder at horse breeding than most businesses when deciding if it is run for profit. Clean records of real business decisions are the best defense.
Deductions horse breeders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Broodmare and stallion feed
- Reproductive vet care
- Foaling supplies and emergency vet care
- Registry and registration fees
- Mortality insurance on breeding stock
- Farrier care for the herd
- Transport and semen shipping
- Advertising for stallion services and sales
- Fencing and foaling stall upkeep
- Continuing education and breed association dues
- Truck and trailer for hauling mares
- Liability insurance
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A horse breeding year, kept every month.
Foaling season, breeding season, and the fall sale season each carry their own numbers. Gus keeps the tax calendar straight through all of it. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, breeding contracts for the coming season get reviewed, and a monthly set-aside is planned.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, with the set-aside already covering it.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand after foaling and breeding season, and what this year's foal crop has changed.
- October
Before the sale season
A look at which young stock is ready to sell and what to do before December, ahead of fall sales.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for horse breeders. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions horse breeders ask first.
My breeding contracts include a live foal guarantee. How does Gus handle that?
He books the stud fee as it is paid and flags the guarantee, so a rebreed or partial refund later does not throw off the books.
I board a few outside mares while they're bred to my stallion. Does that complicate my own herd's numbers?
No. Gus keeps outside mare board separate from your own broodmare and stallion costs, so each side shows its real number.
How does Gus treat a foal I raised versus a broodmare I bought?
A purchased horse carries a real cost basis Gus tracks from the purchase date. A homebred foal does not carry the same kind of basis, and keeping the two straight matters when either one sells.
This year's foaling season had some rough vet bills. Will that make my whole year look bad?
No. Gus keeps foaling and reproductive vet costs in their own line, so you can see it was a hard season, not a struggling business, behind the number.
Some of my stud fee contracts pay out over two seasons. Does that create a tax problem?
It just needs tracking. Gus counts income when it is actually collected, even if a contract spans two years, so nothing gets counted twice or too early.
My books are years behind on a growing broodmare band. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements and any breeding contracts you have. Gus sorts it out, the accountant checks it, and most breeders know where they stand within a couple of weeks.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in equine
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Equestrian event venues & arenas
- Equine dentists
- Equine massage & bodywork
- Equine veterinarians
- Equine-assisted therapy & hippotherapy
- Farriers
- Horse boarding stables
- Horse trainers
- Horse transport companies
- Horseback trail ride outfitters
- Riding schools & lesson barns
- Show barns
- Tack & feed stores
- Agricultural drone spraying services
- Alpaca & llama farms
- Aquaculture & fish farms
- Berry farms
- Cattle ranches
- Christmas tree farms
- Corn mazes & fall festivals
- Custom harvesting & farm service contractors
- Custom meat processors
- Farm equipment dealers & repair shops
- Farm stands & CSAs
- Farm-to-table dinner hosts
- Goat yoga & animal experience farms
- Hay & feed producers
- Hydroponic & vertical farms
- Lavender farms
- Microgreens growers
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever