controversial Post people who can’t afford their horse

[Celtic Jewel]

No judgement but I think this would be an interesting decision . I only asking because I have seen an increase in people looking for cheap livery and people complaining about their livery fees on Facebook . Are we getting to the point where people are getting into horse ownership knowing they can’t afford there horse but buy the horse anyway but keep there horses on a tight budget to the point when a yard puts up their livery fees people back is to the wall and they can’t afford it ? or Is the cost living pricing out normal people from owning horses to the point they could have to sell there horses in the future.

 

[AmyMay]

Well, I don’t know about now, but when I had horses I was always on a tight budget. It’s why when my last one went (10 years ago), I didn’t get another. It’s always been a luxury hobby, but even more so now.

 

[splashgirl45]

I had horses for over 50 years and was always broke with credit cards maxed out. I had a good job in banking but still couldn’t make ends meet. My horse always had everything needed , vet visits, farrier every 6 weeks , rugs etc while I did without any holidays or going out. I wouldn’t change anything as I loved being with my horse, except I would have liked fewer sleepless nights worrying about money. I now have no horse, but also no credit cards and can afford to have 2 weeks holiday each year in this country with my dogs . The trouble is that these days everyone has to have what they want but also want to keep the same lifestyle as before horse ownership and are not prepared to make sacrifices, that’s why so many have sharers which was unheard of in my day ..

 

[AmyMay]

I had horses for over 50 years and was always broke with credit cards maxed out. I had a good job in banking but still couldn’t make ends meet. My horse always had everything needed , vet visits, farrier every 6 weeks , rugs etc while I did without any holidays or going out. I wouldn’t change anything as I loved being with my horse, except I would have liked fewer sleepless nights worrying about money. I now have no horse, but also no credit cards and can afford to have 2 weeks holiday each year in this country with my dogs . The trouble is that these days everyone has to have what they want but also want to keep the same lifestyle as before horse ownership and are not prepared to make sacrifices, that’s why so many have sharers which was unheard of in my day ..

The same here. I had a very good job, a mortgage, credit cards and an overdraft. Now I’m self employed, earn a pittance and have never had so much money. Mortgage, credit card, overdraft all paid off and cold hard cash in the bank.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I think that as with many things, people probably bought a horse in easier times and found livery that they could afford locally. Then when Covid hit, some lost their jobs, others were furloughed and so lost some of their income, while others still had to give up work because they became ill. Then the COL went up, livery yards started to put up their prices to be able to maintain their standards
Those who couldn't afford to pay the increased prices were looking round for a cheaper option. Fuel prices also went up, so anyone who moved their horse further away had to.pay more than expected to get to the yard. Many yards have been sold for development, the owners of those horses have had to move.
It all adds up to some people who never expected to have a problem, struggling to afford to keep their horse.

 

[honetpot]

I have come to a point in horse ownership just about all I buy is food, I have enough kit to stock a shop, and can not be bothered to take them out. I have always kept them on a budget when I had six in DIY livery perhaps someone would spend the same amount on one.
There is just so much people are pressured to buy now, the right bridle,bit coloured numnah, matchy rug, the balancer that most do not need, that I just wonder if not being able to afford is because some of the money has gone on things that are not really necessary.
I always thought the passport system from a horse welfare POV was a waste of time, if they charged a larger amount, say £300, and it went in to scheme for end of life disposal perhaps it would make some people think more about breeding, buying and euthanisia.

 

[setterlover]

We have had horses all our adult lives but now retired we have made a decision that these will be the last. They are kept at home and we make all our own hay and haylege but have cut back by not replacing elderly horses as we have lost them so now down to 3 from 5 .Two are in their mid twenties and one is 19 .
Given their ages insurance is not an option.
We have already made the decision that should anything serious occur with them health wise we will have to PTS as at their ages dynamic intervention is not in their best interests.
When down to one we he will go into retirement livery and we will sell up and down size.
Horse ownership for pleasure in the future is going to be for the well off I fear .
I feel the cost of living will price a lot of people out of keeping horses.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

When I got my first horse I could afford weekly lessons and transport and competing most weekends, now I probably could afford to do that but not do much else

 

[Wishfilly]

Obviously when you buy any animal you have to budget for price increases, but I do think the last 12 months or so, the cost of everything has gone up whether bedding/feed/hay etc. I also think the quality of a lot of things has gone down- I bought a cheap rain sheet this winter and it's already torn, whereas I've had other rugs that have lasted me years and years at a similar price point. I also find even on expensive jackets and boots the zips are poor quality and break quickly! My insurance also goes up every year even though I've never made a claim!

I don't buy much new kit for my pony, but every so often something breaks and needs replacing, I try and keep him cheaply, but due to wet fields we are still bringing in at night which means costs are higher.

Overall my livery is very cheap for what it is, and I definitely wouldn't complain if prices went up, but equally I can understand that there are people who are under pressure financially who weren't, say, 5 years ago.

I'd also add that all my non horsey bills have gone up e.g. electricity, water, mortgage, petrol etc, which means less spare cash for horsey things. Again I fully appreciate that these bills have also gone up for yard owners, so of course they need to cover these costs.

But like I say, I can very much see people who've gone from "just about managing" to being tipped over the edge financially.

I also know of a few small yards that have closed because the owners are giving up horses/selling the land, which may also explain people looking for livery. If they've been on a small private yard where the owners are really just covering costs, then "commercial" fees may come as a shock?

 

[Ceifer]

I’ve said this before but I think in the late 90s there was a point where horses were a bit cheaper and a lot of farmers converted their farms into DIY yards.
This also coincided with people finding that actually why pay for one weekly lesson at a riding school when it could be considered better value for money to have a horse and ride multiple times a week.

The loss of many riding schools has meant that many people now have ownership/share/loaning as their only way of horse contact.

 

[canteron]

I think I am doing ok money wise, but still find horse ownership expensive. I can’t believe how many people can pay full livery (£800/ month that’s (£9600/year ) at the local livery yard, luckily I keep mine at home.

 

[Backtoblack]

I think part of the problem is that people have become used to cheap livery. I had my first pony in the 1970s. Shoeing and trims were about half the price they are now but food,hay etc and livery fees are much much cheaper than they were then. With the cost of fuel and repairs and so on livery needs to go up to a more realistic level but people think this is dear. There are many people who own horses who struggle to afford them and I can't see this changing any time soon.

 

[criso]

I think the increases recently have been very big, feed, hay, bedding and livery fees. Of the feeds I use one has gone from £7.99 to £11.20, another £18.75 to £28.35. I've seen people quoting 25% increases in livery. Add that to everything outside horses going up, mortgages, energy, food etc then what was easily affordable is now not.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Several friends on one yard have had their livery put up massively. The reason being living wage in crease for the staff and the facilities have been updated. My friends are all DIY so no staff to pay on their part and the facilities have been going down hill for years. They are now paying nearly £60 a week for a bitchy yard with horrendous turnout and awful surfaces in the schools. Unfortunately there is nowhere else to go.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

My wife & I with one daughter have had horses for 25 years, we had ponies before horses so we've had horses around us for around 26 years. At one point we had 3 horses but sold one & he was a wonderful showjumper. So now we have 23 horses who are getting on in years. One is in his 26th year & the other is in his 22nd year. We don't have insurance on them anymore because at their age the insurance companies put on so many exclusions that they are covering hardly anything. One of them was suffering from colic & we decided to have him operated on. He's very special to us, one of the family & the surgery was successful. He hadn't got a twisted gut, his internal organs & intestines had basically moved & the vet told us they wouldn't be removing anything they'd just put every thing back where is should be, That was 6 months ago & he's now totally recovered & is being ridden like nothing has ever happened to him. On the yard that we are on the stable & grazing has increased considerably. It isn't just the yard we are on, most in our area have increased similarly to ours. We have been on this yard for around 10 years and it suits us well, the horses know the routine & they each have their own paddock. These paddocks are quite large & we use electric tape & strip graze & by doing this they have grass almost all the year round, possibly 2 months when we subsidise the grazing with hay. There's no point in moaning about livery you either pay it or move to another yard that will be similarly priced. Forgetting about hay & feed & bedding we pay the best part of £500 a month for DIY livery. We pay the livery yard owner for doing some towards the livery as she needs a certain amount of money from each stable each month to ensure she makes sufficient to pay all the bills of the yard. Well livery is much like it's always been but there are less yards around now, many have been sold for houses to be built on. When our two horses eventually need to be put down we will not have any further horses. Wife and I are 70 yrs & almost 69 years and it's getting more difficult to look after the horses. Financially we have always helped my daughter, she's 37 yrs now & when the horses go she will have many things she wants to do which with the horses it's been almost impossible. She really loves the horses just as we do.

 

[94lunagem]

I keep two who mostly live out at home, and like some others have said I have accumulated enough “stuff” over the years that my outgoings tend to relate to feed and bedding, and one who is on half a Prascend a day. I have six acres which, around here, isn’t quite enough to get someone to come and cut for hay so I buy in bulk once a year. They have trims every 6-7 weeks, see the dentist and physio annually and I keep up with their vaccinations. They are thoroughly spoilt field ornaments.

I also have maintenance costs, there is always some fencing somewhere that needs mending (timber costs have shot up) or oiling, and I have someone in to fertilise/harrow/roll etc. I think people think having them at home is cheaper than livery, it’s not!

With mine being non-ridden I don’t have outgoings for the latest fashions and was never into the matchy matchy thing. I work full time and am fortunate to earn well, but I’m also single and solely responsible for my mortgage, car loan and bills.

I would certainly not have enough in the budget with costs as they are now to be out regularly training, competing and running a lorry in the same way I was 10 years ago.

 

[Cloball]

I understand why things have gone up but I do think it's the speed of change and the stagnation of wages. Mind you the people I find that complain most about the cost of hay and livery are the ones who have brand new cars and 4 holidays abroad a year.

 

[splashgirl45]

I understand why things have gone up but I do think it's the speed of change and the stagnation of wages. Mind you the people I find that complain most about the cost of hay and livery are the ones who have brand new cars and 4 holidays abroad a year.

Exactly that, years ago you either had a horse on D.I.Y. and had no other luxuries like holidays and nights out or you didn’t have a horse. Now they are not prepared to go without their luxuries and moan about the cost of the horse ..

 

[Surbie]

The costs have gone up hugely, even in the last 6 years that I've had my horse. I gave up my very well-paid job and am now self-employed. I don't take the expensive long-haul holidays I used to and I have a second job to afford my horse. It's very hard work, and a quieter life, but it is worth it.

 

[EventingMum]

The problem is also that you can't accurately forecast all the costs of being a horse owner, vet fees, needing to change/replace tack and rugs etc, forage costs can vary according to the weather, the list goes on and some people look at the cheapest scenario and then get caught out. Horses are also now often kept differently too with more costly feeds and supplements, more veterinary treatments available, owners requiring better facilities etc so obviously this increases prices.
i always say to anyone buying a horse the cost of buying usually isn't a problem but keeping the horse can be. One thing I hate is horses suffering because the owners can't afford things, I've had clients coming for lessons with really badly fitting saddles that are clearly causing the horse discomfort and they claim they can't afford to change it or get it checked, it that case stop riding until you can afford to rectify the situation

In recent years it feels to me as if there have been more increases than previously for feeds, shoes etc not to mention insurance. Running a livery yard is certainly a lot more expensive now, staff costs have increased dramatically, including workplace pensions, our utilities and rates cost far more especially since the 50% small business rates relief was removed so this has to be covered by livery fees. Even the cost of servicing my fire extinguishers has jumped up. It's just like most other things in life but for some reason some horse owners think they shouldn't have to pay more.

I am certainly glad we are no longer keeping several competition horses, paying training and entry fees, keeping a lorry on the road etc, we had great fun doing it and went without a lot of other thing like holidays but I suspect it would be a lot harder now.

 

[wiglet]

I moved from full livery to diy livery two years ago. Full livery was costing me over £630 per month and just wasn’t worth it - the standard of care was terrible and the turnover of staff was high, I never knew who was doing my horse and she was getting very unsettled.

DIY is a mere £160 per month, it’s bliddy hard work but, at least my horse is cared for.

I won’t be having another horse. I couldn’t afford to buy another and tbh, I just don’t want another. There’s no nice yards now - they all come with problems. I’m a mature lady and after a lifetime of horses, my body is done. My present yard is ok, the liveries are mostly polite but, I just can’t find my tribe anymore - nobody seems to think like me.

 

[Wishfilly]

I think the increases recently have been very big, feed, hay, bedding and livery fees. Of the feeds I use one has gone from £7.99 to £11.20, another £18.75 to £28.35. I've seen people quoting 25% increases in livery. Add that to everything outside horses going up, mortgages, energy, food etc then what was easily affordable is now not.

25% is a lot, although I do wonder if these are yards where livery has stayed at the same rate for years and years, hence the sudden increase? The most "commercial" type yard I've been on (i.e. the YO was relying on the yard to pay him an actual income) used to put his livery up 10% each year. I know some people moaned about it, but at least you knew where you were!

The problem is also that you can't accurately forecast all the costs of being a horse owner, vet fees, needing to change/replace tack and rugs etc, forage costs can vary according to the weather, the list goes on and some people look at the cheapest scenario and then get caught out. Horses are also now often kept differently too with more costly feeds and supplements, more veterinary treatments available, owners requiring better facilities etc so obviously this increases prices.
i always say to anyone buying a horse the cost of buying usually isn't a problem but keeping the horse can be. One thing I hate is horses suffering because the owners can't afford things, I've had clients coming for lessons with really badly fitting saddles that are clearly causing the horse discomfort and they claim they can't afford to change it or get it checked, it that case stop riding until you can afford to rectify the situation

In recent years it feels to me as if there have been more increases than previously for feeds, shoes etc not to mention insurance. Running a livery yard is certainly a lot more expensive now, staff costs have increased dramatically, including workplace pensions, our utilities and rates cost far more especially since the 50% small business rates relief was removed so this has to be covered by livery fees. Even the cost of servicing my fire extinguishers has jumped up. It's just like most other things in life but for some reason some horse owners think they shouldn't have to pay more.

I am certainly glad we are no longer keeping several competition horses, paying training and entry fees, keeping a lorry on the road etc, we had great fun doing it and went without a lot of other thing like holidays but I suspect it would be a lot harder now.

I do agree that the cost of buying horses is minimal compared to the cost of keeping one. And definitely people need the right priorities- I would always put saddle fit etc, over nice things to have like lessons.

Definitely staffing costs have shot up- the flip side of that is that I've seen some yards advertising for free livery in exchange for the person providing a couple of hours of services each day. But from a customer perspective that would worry me because I'd assume the insurance situation etc is unclear. What would happen if my horse was injured in their care? What if they were injured whilst providing services?

 

[criso]

25% is a lot, although I do wonder if these are yards where livery has stayed at the same rate for years and years, hence the sudden increase?

Just to clarify, I'm talking about yards that offer full and part livery.

The ones that were about £500 part are now about £700. The £700 higher end ones are approaching £1000. These are bigger commercial yards. I'm not sure how many jumps that was but someone was looking recently and I was shocked how much it had gone up.

It's an expensive part of the country.

 

[Jambarissa]

My yard is in the lower budget category, lots of people on benefits or with minimum wage jobs.

I've seen a lot of them cut out non essentials (massage, willy cleaning lady, paying someone to do their jobs) but then start to cut what most of us consider essentials such as dentist and regular farrier. One has just taken her rugs off and the horses are very thin, our haylage is unlimited so presumably she's cut feed. Another has stopped arthritis meds after years on them and yet another has stopped remedial farriery, both these horses are suffering.

It's so sad. Im not really sure what they're supposed to do since a lot of the horses couldn't be sold even if the owners were willing.

I do judge though, some of the above are still going on expensive holidays and getting hair/nails /botox done. I have much sympathy for those who just cannot afford to keep their horses as they know they should.

 

[Cortez]

Owning horses is expensive, end of. It always has been; when I was a kid (50+ years ago) horses were owned by wealthy people.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

This is what Dex has cost me so much this year, to the penny
You cannot plan to the penny which is where some fall foul I think, eg: the two saddles I have had to buy, or the emergency rug as one was leaking badly.



(Ignore Jan's 'stuff for me' - I was having an existential crises that my breeches were too big and my riding boots too small so thought f*** it and got some good quality things that I knew would last and I would love)
Happy to share the spreadsheet I made if anyone wants it too, it just does a double SUMIF off the month and the prefix so you don't have to faff about formatting or adding up

 

[ponyparty]

Ooh would you mind sharing the spreadsheet with me @AShetlandBitMeOnce ? I’ll pm you my email address.

Horse ownership is deffo more expensive than when I lost my old boy in 2020. But there have always been people who can’t really afford horses, having horses. I don’t know how they do it - well, some of them don’t pay for services they use, which I suppose saves them some money..! Or of course they cut corners or don’t get appropriate vet/farrier/saddler etc when needed.

(Side note: some well-off people also don’t pay for services, just ask my mechanic OH about how much he’s owed by various horsey folk for lorry repairs while they’re still gallivanting around )

I do it budget, buy second hand where possible, don’t care about matchy, am on DIY/grass livery, try to avoid buying too much “stuff”. And it’s still very expensive since I got back into horses I don’t go out as much (this is a good thing, my liver is very grateful), or go away as much, not going abroad this year… it’s the sacrifice I have to make, and I’m happy to, I realise I can’t have it all.

 

[Jambarissa]

If I recorded it all I'd have to asmit that the horses cost way more than my mortgage and would have a bit of a breakdown.

I plan it out for known costs so I know my minimum costs.

 

[McFluff]

When I was young (a while ago sadly!) horses were very much a luxury. Most people accessed them through riding schools. Owning was the next level up. When I was a teenager, I had a job in a supermarket that paid for my weekly lesson.
I had a few years out of horses (uni and post graduate work), returning to lessons in my 30’s. I thought the prices were very similar to my teenage years - particularly DIY livery - they didn’t seem to have gone up with inflation. It felt like owning became cheaper (assuming nothing went wrong) than lessons. I regularly got asked why I went for lessons when I could have a horse for the same money. But I couldn’t really - not once I’d added all the extras and an allowance for emergencies.
I didn’t go into owning till I was in my forties and in a better paid post. With more funds if I needed them (saddles, dentist, vet etc).
I do worry about how well horses will be cared for as riding schools get rarer, and livery yards struggle and close (we’ve lost half the yards in our region in the past two years).

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Ooh would you mind sharing the spreadsheet with me @AShetlandBitMeOnce ? I’ll pm you my email address.

Absolutely! No problem at all