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Re: Re: HOW MUCH IS IT TO KEEP A HORSE??

Thanks for the advise cat.
I still dont know if i can get a horse yet but hopefully it will all go to plan and i'll be able to get one.
When i totalled up my costs it came to about £68 a month does this sound right to you, for a horse who is in light work, that stays in at night in the winter and the rest of the time out to graze?

Thanks again for the help.

Re: Re: HOW MUCH IS IT TO KEEP A HORSE??

Well, i have had my own horses for the past 8yrs & similar to you first got my own as a teenager. At the moment i have one 13.2hh mare (whos out on loan so she doesn't cost me a thing!!), a 16.1hh mare & a 17.2hh mare, all competed regularly. The following is what it costs me for the biggest horse as it would (hopefully) work out less for smaller horses & ponies especially...

Rent of DIY stable & grazing; depending on where you stable (ie condition of yard, facilities provided & region) this can cost anything from £10 to £35 per week.

Hay; roughly £3 per bale, my big'un uses around 3 bales p/wk in the winter (£9)

Straw; again, roughly £2 per bale, i use around 2 bales a week but depends how generous you are with bedding.

Feed; Depends what their fed & how much their fed. Most standard mixes/ concentrates cost around £8 per bag and chaff is similar although generally bigger bags. Sugarbeet is around £3 per bag. Also have to consider any supplements they require, i.e garlic, oil etc.

Shoeing; A standard new set of shoes will generally cost somewhere in the region of £50, remove & replace (where they replace the same shoes if still in good condition) is usually a bit cheaper. Simple trims of the hooves (if now shod ) are about £30.

Insurance; Cant remember exactly how much we pay but mine are all insured for a reasonably large sum, with a fair bit of tack & equipment thrown in, and i think it costs about £33 per month (but i may be wrong!?)

Veterinary; A standard visit (without inc treatments) are £25, the initial examination is around £20 not inc any medication. Jabs usually cost me a total of £45ish per horse for both flu & tet. If you wanted to get the horse vetted prior to purchase this can set you back anything from £50 for a basic check, to over £150 for a 5* vetting.

Basic Tack: Saddles can be anything from £100 fo a leather one, and a bit more expensive for a synthetic. Bridles can be anything from £15. Other equipment varies in price depending where you shop. But dont forget the little things add up, i.e not only will you need a saddle, but you will also need stirrup irons, stirrup leathers, girths (min.2) saddlecloths/ numnahs (min.2) which are all additions to the total.

Rugs; At the least you will need a stable rug (£25+), a turnout rug (£35+) and a cooler (£15+), also consider the cost of getting these cleaned & repaired each year (about £10 per rug worst case). Generally pony rugs are cheaper than horse rugs.

Other Equipment; Yard equipment (barrow, brush etc if not provided), Feed bowls (about £5 depending on quality) & water buckets, any reflective gear you require (ie tabards, exercise rugs,leg bands),

Transport; if you have atow bar you could try & convince your parents to invest in a trailer (usually £700+ for one in good condition). Although it sounds like an expense it can be inexpendable in times of emergency (ie needing to get a horse to the vet quickly), and you could always hire it out to gt some of the costs back. If not then hiring a horsebox could be an idea, either a self-drive or with driver. I have been charged upto £65 per day for the use of a horsebox.

Competition fees; Whatever discipline you choose, the basic riding club level entry fee is around £5 per class. Once you start on higher levels prices go up drastically!!

Other Costs;
Clipping- from £10 usually depending on the clip,
First aid Kit- to set up a good one usually costs in excessof £20, grooming kit- to set up a good one usually costs in excessof £15, any bandages or travel equipment,

HINTS & TIPS..

* If you stable at a place that allows, but hay & straw in bulk as it usually works out a fair bit cheaper.
*Rather than paying vast amounts for cod-liver oil from the feed mercehants we but the 2 litre bottles from supermarkets, it has the same effect at a considerably cheaper price.
*Try to share vet visits with other liveries/ horse owners at the yard as this will reduce the price as the cost is shared.
*Although 'local' saddleries are handy, they can often be quite expensive. We use a local saddlery that kindly lets us order directly from larger companies (ie shires, wetherbeeta) and we've found the ranges available & money saved very useful indeed, theres no harm in asking!!
*Shop around in £1 shops for bargains in the way of buckets etc as these can often save a great deal of £££!!

Hope that helps. I've listed everything i can think of right at this moment in time, but i'm sure there must be loads i've missed. But trust me, when you are used to haveing your own horse, you'll be used to having money dissappear

Re: Re: Re: HOW MUCH IS IT TO KEEP A HORSE??

thanks for the help and advice!

im still really trying to convince my parents to get me one.its gradually working on them! got any tips on making parets buy you a horse??!! hehe!!!

i totalled up a cost of about 70 pounds a month and then maybe extra costs each year for teeth checks and extra vet call outs. does this sound about right to you? im lucky enough to have a massive field right next to me but its full of cows! so we're checking with the farmer to see if its ok if we fence 2 acres off for a horse and also-i dont know if we'll beable to-but i was thinking of buying a stable too but i'll prob need planning permission won't i?!

i have loaned a horse before and i only had to pay a small amount of 10 pounds per week but the pony was only 13'2hh which i grew out of quickly. i was looking to loan another but there is hardly any for loan, i need quite a large horse and it needs to be about 10 mins drive from my house cuz my mum has to give me lifts, plus its got to be quite a big horse! i just can't seem to find the ideal one anywhere! maybe its cuz im too picky!1

thanks again for the help!!!!!

Re: HOW MUCH IS IT TO KEEP A HORSE??

AAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTT! lol. It looks like your ready for one but its more money than you think.

Re: HOW MUCH IS IT TO KEEP A HORSE??

Its alot of money!