Xanthoria
Well-Known Member
Hi all
I dont post often as I live in the USA now, and wondered recently how much it costs to keep a horse in the UK and other places nowadays?
Ill give you my costs - add yours!
Area: Northern California, near San Francisco
Size of ranch: 60 acres
Number of horses: About 50
Monthly fee: $350-400 for pasture board (which is very hard to find. Theyre out 24/7 on 30 acres in a mixed herd fenced in smooth wire, some of it hot), $475-550 for a stall (box) bedded with wood pellets - considered pretty inexpensive for the area.
Whats included: About 15-20# of grass hay fed 2x a day to all horses, pasture or not, at 9am and 3pm. Stall horses can be turned out in 1/4-1/2 acre lots in small groups 9am-3pm for an extra fee. Trailer parking is $60/month. Big communal tack/feed room with 2 saddle racks and hooks + room for a tack trunk per horse - pay extra if you want to add a storage closet. Everyone keeps their hard feed in metal bins.
Access to a lighted arena that is groomed once a week and doesnt fare well in rain (is groomed and closed before rain), a lighted round pen, lighted wash rack whose hot water has been broken for a year
and some lovely scenic hacking up coastal trails. No trainers on site but trainers do visit to give lessons and clinics.
Whats not included: Grooming, hoof picking, blanketing/rugging. Extra hay or concentrate feeds (but you can pay for the latter if you supply bagged feed or hay: $10 per feed which is a lot IMO, so nobody does it) Any kind of exercise. Holding for farrier or vet. In fact, they usually don't notice if your horse is injured, but if it's very obvious they will call you...
Type of riders: Mostly trail riders/hackers, a few dressage and occasional jumpers.
Other places around here do full service (most horses stalled and in full training x days per week, with hard feed, blanketing, grooming, trimming etc either included or per use fees) and those range from $600-1500/month.
My routine: I live nearby so I go daily to feed an evening bucket to my two, and groom/ride. Sometimes twice a day if they need meds/blanketing. Some horses can live off the amount of hay the barn gives, but mine (old TB and young/huge WB) cannot. My barn friends sometimes help with a feeding etc. and we trade off.
Overall: I stay for the great barn friends and the convenience, but the facilities are so-so.
I dont post often as I live in the USA now, and wondered recently how much it costs to keep a horse in the UK and other places nowadays?
Ill give you my costs - add yours!
Area: Northern California, near San Francisco
Size of ranch: 60 acres
Number of horses: About 50
Monthly fee: $350-400 for pasture board (which is very hard to find. Theyre out 24/7 on 30 acres in a mixed herd fenced in smooth wire, some of it hot), $475-550 for a stall (box) bedded with wood pellets - considered pretty inexpensive for the area.
Whats included: About 15-20# of grass hay fed 2x a day to all horses, pasture or not, at 9am and 3pm. Stall horses can be turned out in 1/4-1/2 acre lots in small groups 9am-3pm for an extra fee. Trailer parking is $60/month. Big communal tack/feed room with 2 saddle racks and hooks + room for a tack trunk per horse - pay extra if you want to add a storage closet. Everyone keeps their hard feed in metal bins.
Access to a lighted arena that is groomed once a week and doesnt fare well in rain (is groomed and closed before rain), a lighted round pen, lighted wash rack whose hot water has been broken for a year
and some lovely scenic hacking up coastal trails. No trainers on site but trainers do visit to give lessons and clinics.Whats not included: Grooming, hoof picking, blanketing/rugging. Extra hay or concentrate feeds (but you can pay for the latter if you supply bagged feed or hay: $10 per feed which is a lot IMO, so nobody does it) Any kind of exercise. Holding for farrier or vet. In fact, they usually don't notice if your horse is injured, but if it's very obvious they will call you...
Type of riders: Mostly trail riders/hackers, a few dressage and occasional jumpers.
Other places around here do full service (most horses stalled and in full training x days per week, with hard feed, blanketing, grooming, trimming etc either included or per use fees) and those range from $600-1500/month.
My routine: I live nearby so I go daily to feed an evening bucket to my two, and groom/ride. Sometimes twice a day if they need meds/blanketing. Some horses can live off the amount of hay the barn gives, but mine (old TB and young/huge WB) cannot. My barn friends sometimes help with a feeding etc. and we trade off.
Overall: I stay for the great barn friends and the convenience, but the facilities are so-so.