Can anyone afford to keep a horse anymore?

[cheekywelshie]

I’ve been on full livery this year. I went on it end of last year after being let down by a groom to the point it was affecting my work and causing me massive stress. Now I’m looking to go back to assisted but they are like hens teeth- well those that have decent hacking. Some actually work out the same as full livery especially when you add the petrol cost on.

I’ll never give up my boy as he’s an old boy now and will stay with me. But I’m not sure I’d have another! How is everyone managing with the escalating costs ??

 

[Flowerofthefen]

For me it's not so much the money side, at the moment, it's the worry. Not sure I will get another.

 

[conniegirl]

When currently pony passes i will be taking a break.

 

[milliepops]

it's definitely a concern! I am lucky that my ones at home cost almost nothing but the bills for the 2 at the yard just go up and up. My livery is affordable but the stuff like feed and bedding is spiralling. I def couldn't afford to be competing at the moment, in a way it's lucky that current ride is very much not ready for that because i don't feel hard done by. but not so long ago i had 2 out frequently to shows or arena hire etc. The cost of diesel plus household expenses rocketing has put paid to those ideas.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Im fine with what I have at the moment, my friend has space and the hacking is amazing on a private estate, she has two stables free but not in a hurry to fill them which is even more tempting for me ?

 

[ArklePig]

I was hoping to buy soonish but now I'm not. I'll hopefully have while left with share pony (who is 19) and reassess if that ever has to come to an end. I'm also hopefully starting my solicitor training contract next year so it's a stupid time for lots of reasons. With the way things are going it seems to be getting further out of reach.

 

[SEL]

Buying land was the best thing I ever did. Bang in the middle of covid and financially I should have said no - but it was the opportunity I'd always dreamt of and around here paddocks get houses built on them.

It doesn't mean there are no costs obviously (just paid the bill to have the road side ash trees pruned) but I'm protected from rising livery costs and as mine live out as much as possible then I can keep the costs of bedding down. I do miss having livery services though.

The land is now the bulk of my pension so I've told OH that if the worst comes to the worst we'll be putting a 'temporary' caravan on the fields and growing cabbages and potatoes.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I lost my boy last year - even with my new job which is 40% more money than my current one (the payrise pretty much exactly covers my mortgage and bills) owning a horse is a pipe dream for me now. There is no DIY in my area of Sussex unless you are friendly with someone with their own land, I can think of maybe 2 yards and they have waiting lists as long as your arm and if you go too much further out then the fuel cost is prohibitive.
The part livery is £600 on the cheapest end of the scale and more like £700-750 average cost - then you have the inevtiable vets bills on top, or the physio or saddle fitter or dentist plus farrier.. I think we all know there isn't a single month without something unexpected.

16.5 acres of grazing near me is selling for £330,000 and smaller parcels are again, like hens teeth. So that puts paid to that idea.
Oh wait just seen another one, if you want stables on that land (4 wooden, literally falling down with holes in) they would like £400,000 but for only 11 acres.. bargain.
Or you can get 3 acres with a shed about a mile closer to my house for £165,000...

 

[SO1]

Sadly I lost my wonderful pony last week at 20 he was starting to have some health conditions and with his special diet, supplements and needing to be on individual turnout whilst recovering from tendonitis and then when he had the gastric impaction he was costing me over £1200 a month if I include travel to the yard, insurance, shoes, assistance etc.

Luckily I could afford that but it was not easy especially with some of his vets bills not being covered by insurance.

I am now without a horse for first time in 15 years and it will be the first time that I don't need to worry about money but I would rather have my pony and the worry about money and restrictive lifestyle than having all the extra money in the bank.

YO has lost a few liveries recently due to people moving away and now my boy being PTS and I think financially difficult for yards. I am seeing a lot of spaces in part and full livery yards coming up.

 

[shortstuff99]

I did full livery for a year to help me out as I was working a shift job at the time.

A couple of months ago the livery price went up (50%!!) and as I'm now back in a normal job I moved back to DIY. I'm now at a yard with better facilities then the full livery paying less than I was when I was on DIY before all the financial stuff hit.

This means I am able to absorb increase in costs, for now.

 

[canteron]

I have my horses at home - but I think the hay costs will be at least double this Winter - my hay supplier is already using 2022 hay and it will have to be transported from Ireland/West country at huge cost!

 

[Peglo]

Mine are also at home so the only reason I can afford them. I cant think of anything better to spend my money on so happy with my 2.

 

[Dexter]

I'm currently absorbing the cost, I'd rather not, but luckily its doable. I did sell the tow car and trailer though. I couldn't justify driving a big gas guzzler with fuel prices, and then there was no point the trailer sitting unused. So competing is off the cards unless I hire a box now which is a bit sad, but it is what it is.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I lost my boy last year - even with my new job which is 40% more money than my current one (the payrise pretty much exactly covers my mortgage and bills) owning a horse is a pipe dream for me now. There is no DIY in my area of Sussex unless you are friendly with someone with their own land, I can think of maybe 2 yards and they have waiting lists as long as your arm and if you go too much further out then the fuel cost is prohibitive.
The part livery is £600 on the cheapest end of the scale and more like £700-750 average cost - then you have the inevtiable vets bills on top, or the physio or saddle fitter or dentist plus farrier.. I think we all know there isn't a single month without something unexpected.

16.5 acres of grazing near me is selling for £330,000 and smaller parcels are again, like hens teeth. So that puts paid to that idea.
Oh wait just seen another one, if you want stables on that land (4 wooden, literally falling down with holes in) they would like £400,000 but for only 11 acres.. bargain.
Or you can get 3 acres with a shed about a mile closer to my house for £165,000...

Try this part of Surrey, last October a 1.8 acre patch with 4 stables on went for just over 300k. Green belt, protected from any building etc, just a yard....
I've been offered 50% over that, for my yard! Scarey!

 

[maisie06]

I’ve been on full livery this year. I went on it end of last year after being let down by a groom to the point it was affecting my work and causing me massive stress. Now I’m looking to go back to assisted but they are like hens teeth- well those that have decent hacking. Some actually work out the same as full livery especially when you add the petrol cost on.

I’ll never give up my boy as he’s an old boy now and will stay with me. But I’m not sure I’d have another! How is everyone managing with the escalating costs ??

There's no way I would ever get another horse! I spent years keeping horses on a shoestring - they always had decent feed, hay farrier and a vet if needed but I had to scrimp and scape and as a result I have nothing to show for my life, Having horses is one of my biggest regrets.... I don't know how people afford it, Good salary and full livery I presume...horse people seem to be either time rich or cash rich never both!!!!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Try this part of Surrey, last October a 1.8 acre patch with 4 stables on went for just over 300k. Green belt, protected from any building etc, just a yard....
I've been offered 50% over that, for my yard! Scarey!

I so wish I was surprised! Sounds like you have a wonderful retirement nest egg there though, always a silver lining I suppose.

There's no way I would ever get another horse! I spent years keeping horses on a shoestring - they always had decent feed, hay farrier and a vet if needed but I had to scrimp and scape and as a result I have nothing to show for my life, Having horses is one of my biggest regrets.... I don't know how people afford it, Good salary and full livery I presume...horse people seem to be either time rich or cash rich never both!!!!

I feel similiar to this in ways, I love horses and couldn't imagine not ever being involved in some way again now, but if I could go back to being little and go another way I probably would. I am 26 and have only owned for about 8 years total (and shared/full loaned for the rest), but in those years I have spent out so much and would be in such a better position in life financially had I never started in the first place.

 

[Birker2020]

Well I will manage at the moment but I will be cutting down on other things and I'm not sure how long I will have a horse for anyway if I am not able to get back on him again, so he will be off on retirement livery but even then the price will be expensive and I can see the costs escalating. And it won't be until next Spring now anyway so I will see the winter out and that will give me an idea of costs!

If it doesn't work out with Lari then I will have another horse one day, maybe two as I will be left a considerable amount of money. This will mean that I will be comfortable and won't have to be doing everything on a shoestring. But I still won't go mad, when you are used to scrimping and saving and going without, the principles of 'value for money' still stay with you.

I do think the cost saving would be in having your own land with enough acreage to rotate your paddocks and to grow a bit of hay on the side. If shavings go up much more I will be looking at bedding on straw but this will be a last resort, my 22KG bale of Stable Choice is still at £8.00 a bale for now and I've used cat litter wood chip for pellets underneath which I'm changing only every 2 - 3 weeks at the moment.

 

[Birker2020]

There's no way I would ever get another horse! I spent years keeping horses on a shoestring - they always had decent feed, hay farrier and a vet if needed but I had to scrimp and scape and as a result I have nothing to show for my life, Having horses is one of my biggest regrets.... I don't know how people afford it, Good salary and full livery I presume...horse people seem to be either time rich or cash rich never both!!!!

Asset rich cash poor. If you can consider a horse as an asset, it certainly is an asset now when you look at the prices they are being sold for.

 

[Cortez]

I won't be getting any more horses, and I have my own land and facilities and have kept horses (for way, waaaay less than most people seem to pay) for more than 50 years. I really feel for people heading into this maelstrom of uncertainty with the responsibility of horses.

 

[honetpot]

I think families are going to have to decide as a family where they spend their money. If the children all ride and can share a pony, which what we did when our children were small, its good value entertainment, but if the rest of the family want to do other things, you still have to pay for things for them. Keeping a pony has to be £25 at week, if you haven't got your own facilities, and you need good hacking because a lot will get school sour if they just go around in circles, and fuel is still expensive, although I filled up today and it has come down a bit.
I think the keen will cut costs to the bone, and keep, it's the ones that were bought in lockdown with no real commitment apart from money I worry about. I have bought all my hay for my lot, mudcontrol mats saved on bedding last year, so I have straw left, so I should be OK.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm quite lucky mine are at home and I am home most of the time so I do them myself unless away, the cost of hay, feed and bedding has gone up though so I think everyone will feel it.

 

[Birker2020]

I think families are going to have to decide as a family where they spend their money. If the children all ride and can share a pony, which what we did when our children were small, its good value entertainment, but if the rest of the family want to do other things, you still have to pay for things for them. Keeping a pony has to be £25 at week, if you haven't got your own facilities, and you need good hacking because a lot will get school sour if they just go around in circles, and fuel is still expensive, although I filled up today and it has come down a bit.
I think the keen will cut costs to the bone, and keep, it's the ones that were bought in lockdown with no real commitment apart from money I worry about. I have bought all my hay for my lot, mudcontrol mats saved on bedding last year, so I have straw left, so I should be OK.

I still maintain that there will be a lot of horses available for full loan this winter, i.e. to be kept at loanee's yard and them to pay full costs. People will want to hold onto much loved animals and this way their future can be secured (more so than if they were sold) and its a win win for those who are unable to afford to purchase a horse at the moment or maybe even some people that fall into my catergory too.

 

[Xmasha]

Im saving as im not really competing at the minute, so my diesel and entry costs are very low. Just the odd inhand show for a bit. My daughter was paying a freelancer to help school Finn, but now has someone share him, so has cut those costs out too.
Haylage has cost me £5 a bale more to make this year, but we have spare and a friend is interested in buying a few so that should mitigate some of that.
Weve bought another field shelter and rubber matting for the stables, so im hoping that helps reduce the amount of bedding we use. Plus reduce the size of the muck heap.
Plus we are now able to do most of our land maintenance ourselves, so that should help as well. So i guess its just looking at your set up and see what can you change. I dont think its a bad thing if we feed less and get them turned out more,( if its possible )

 

[teapot]

I could buy something but wouldn’t have a chance of paying for full or part livery where I am, let alone everything else. I also wouldn’t want DIY for a couple of reasons.

So lessons it is when I can get one. I don’t want a formal loan or share for the same reasons I wouldn’t want DIY, so whether I’ll find something less official I don’t know.

The cynic in me suggests come the winter there will be awful lot of horses available put up for share or loan to ‘ease costs’ with restrictions in place, yet that new party ends up paying far more of their share than perhaps would be deemed fair.

 

[Spotherisk]

We’ve had our own land for since 2006 but prior to that I was always DIY, just meant an early start and later finish, liveries all helped each other out and no horses were ever left alone. You might do weekday mornings and your mate do evenings or vice versa. I was always skint, mortgage and a full time job plus cleaning and pub work, but I never regretted it, and 25 years later I still have Harley at home retired with me. All the two boys cost me is trims, teeth, wormer and RB Ready Mash Extra which they adore - we don’t pay for forage as the local farmer cuts and keeps the bales and if we need them, we collect. Last year I used one round bale (yes, really)!

edited to say there are still small parcels or pony paddocks for sale in Devon, this is typical and would have access to open moorland riding. https://www.onthemarket.com/details/12117605/

 

[TheChestnutThing]

I've just had a good friend take a half share on one of my horses who prefers dressage over jumping as hers has been retired for a year. I didn't realise just how much pressure that would take off me financially and allow me to do more with the one who loves his job. The rising costs are absolutely insane and with the new interest rate announced today I can see many people selling up. I for one can no longer afford to take my horses off DIY (when at the beginning of this year I was thinking about full livery).

 

[dorsetladette]

I'm worried.

I've got 3 this winter, which I've not done for at least 10yrs.

They live out 24/7, so hay is my main expense. I got it really cheap last year, but it hasn't kept well and is quite dusty. We've been soaking it but that is only going to work during summer when they only need limited amounts.
I've sourced a new supplier, who reduced their prices last week. It's good stuff but works out I'm spending a lot more than expected as was relying on the hay I have from last year.

My farrier has put up all his prices by £10 each, which doesn't sound a lot but that's an extra £30 a visit.

I've written off showing for the rest of the year. Its just an expense I can't justify.

 

[bonny]

If everything written on this thread was universally true then horse prices wouldn’t be way higher than they’ve ever been and the demand for them would be through the floor, which it clearly isn’t.

 

[dorsetladette]

If everything written on this thread was universally true then horse prices wouldn’t be way higher than they’ve ever been and the demand for them would be through the floor, which it clearly isn’t.

The increase in costs has only been recent. Horse prices have yet to catch up. I think in the coming months you'll start to see prices drop and lots of loans becoming available.

The rich will always be rich, but us normal people will either need to sell/loan or make sacrifices elsewhere.

 

[wills_91]

Just had to make the difficult decision of not buying our part loan pony and he's now up for sale. I have 3 (soon to be 4) kids and the increased costs of horse ownership was making me feel really uneasy. I'm sad he's going but I'm really proud of how well my step daughter has taken it. We will continue with lessons for now and hope in the future to get back into ownership.