Cost to tack you first horse???

I spent a fortune but over time. He had a bridle already but I got his saddle sorted first, £550 + fitting so say £600.

Then girth/ stirrups etc... After that bridle, ended up with an Amigo and John Whitaker so £130 ish.

But that was over a few months and I used EBay most of ye time so got some good bargains on girth, boots etc...

It depends how much you want to spend, what brand you want. I'd say £350/400 is a reasonable budget just shop around and try using auction sites.
 
Too much :D

I'd say don't make a list and rush out and buy everything on it - start off buying only what you really need, and add to it over time; otherwise you'll end up with a wardrobe of rugs in a make that doesn't suit, millions of grooming brushes that you never use ...

My grooming kit started off as a body brush, plastic curry comb and hoofpick in a bucket from B&Q. Did everything needed, and saved some pennies at a very expensive time!
 
vieshot said:
I think your lucky if you manage to spend under £1000. Assuming you want new stuff.
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I spent close to that with my mare and most of it was second hand! I already had the grooming kit/first aid kit but had to buy all new tack and rugs as I went from a 13.1 to a 16.2!
 
I'd say dont count it... Will only make you cry... :o

Agree with what others have said, you can get water buckets etc from supermarkets at a fraction of the cost, including grooming kit boxes for hardware etc (I got a new one of someone from Facebook, acts as a step too, fits everything in, and only cost me £12 - if I'd have gotten something visually identical from a horsey tack shop would have been over double the price...) shop around, and I got loads of cheap new and second hand (like new) saddlecloths from eBay... Fraction of the cost.

I'm lucky because my boy is on loan, and the owner is lovely he came with a full wardrobe. However somehow I've still managed to spend a fair bit... And I'm considering getting a second saddle (his is a dressage saddle, not very good for fast work and horrible if I wanted to jump him) and because he's got high withers I have a feeling even a second hand of the make that fits him well (Abion) will cost me a fair bit... (while I'm at it if anyone knows of any other saddle makes I can try please let me know... Think he's going to be a bit difficult to fit...)
 
6 years ago £1500 wasn't enough :( I did have to buy a new leather saddle though. We had to get literally EVERYTHING including mucking out tools, and dustbins for feed upwards (I nicked the garden wheelbarrow for the yard).

Quality secondhand items off ebay and from tack sales are your best option to spread your budget further. It is frightening how it all adds up.
 
We had all our tack and rugs stolen a few years ago, and had four equines at the time (and no insurance!). We replaced the basics ASAP, which were - saddle, bridle, bit, girth, leathers, stirrups, numnah, headcollars and leadropes, turnout rugs (initially used as stable rugs too) and a cooler rug. Oh and travel boots..

We have a really good second hand tack shop nearby that usually has about a hundred part ex saddles in stock, so I always go there for saddles. I got good quality, nearly new saddles (eg Jeffries falcon event) for £350ish. I bought new jeffries/sabre bridles off ebay for around £70 (couple were second hand so cheaper). End of stock but new Shires 200g turnouts for £40. Bits, stirrups and leathers added on a bit, then everything else was pretty cheap. Robinsons is your friend for cheap stable equipment and buckets/grooming kits. I bought cheaper saddles and leathers etc for the ponies as they would get grown out of fairly quickly! I reckon I did two horses and two ponies for under £2k, perhaps £1500. That was for the basics, and to replace everything we couldn't live without - obviously I've added on a fair bit more since then!!
 
Oh errr :rolleyes::eek::eek: i purchased my first horse about 18months ago and cost as follows:

Second hand Albion Saddle £700 incl fitting
Stirrup leathers (wangled them free with saddle)
Stirrup irons £10 ebay
Bridle £60 from ebay
Bit £5 from ebay
Medium Amigo rug £40
Heavy Derby house rug in sale £50
Light Derby House rug in sale £30
Saddle cloths £40 enough to rotate
Girth £25
Set of brushing boots £40
overreach boots £8

I already had grooming kit but around about £30.
Shampoo/hoof oil/first aid bits £30


Around about £1000 in total ish
 
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Varies HUGELY on what kind of things you're buying. If you're going for cheapo rugs, basic kit and a second hand synthetic saddle, you can easily do it in <£1000.

I spent a LOT more than that :o
 
I would say £1,000 easily. I found the perfect pony at the top end of my budget but he would come with no tack or rugs and being my first horse, I'd have to fork out for buckets, brooms, wheelbarrows, etc which really added up. I'd set yourself a budget and add another £100 on top :P
 
WOW! You have all spent loads... This will be quite a contrast!

I am on a big budget at the minute, and so am getting the essentials now (and almost everything second hand) and anything else I can beg / borrow / steal until I have money to buy it.

Saddle - £94 inc postage from eBay - secondhand English leather Antil saddle. A bargain if you ask me! I've always loved riding in an Antil saddle so very happy purchase!

Bridle inc half leather / half grip reins - £30 - new (will get a posh one at a later date)

Headcollar & rope - £8.50 - 'secondhand' but still new in bag (£17 new)

Amigo m/w turnout - £27 secondhand but looks brand new

m/w stable rug - secondhand - £17 (nothing posh but does the job)

Shires tack box and grooming kit bits and bobs - £50 inc p+p - new (I spoilt myself on this one)


So far that takes me up to £226.50

I'm really lucky that where I live in Cardiff there is a shop that does super cheap second hand everything (DM me if you want to know where it is, somehow people dont know it exists!!!) and the saddle was from eBay. I still have a few things to get:

Leathers (second hand but immaculate) £8.50
Bit - secondhand - £10
Girth - new -£25
Stirrup irons - new -£20
Polypad (the one I want is bloody £50 more or less!! I want the new Hi Viz one)

So in total that will be £340 and that is enough to get by on for my hardy little WPB hairy boy for now. He's never even been rugged so I feel as though i'm pampering him by getting those. Anything else we come across that we need we can get as Xmas pressies I think.

It can be done on a budget, and im more than happy that my horse will be just as loved, looked after and spoilt! Although will probably be a bit better co-ordinated once I win the lottery!
 
Thank you - I had a good read up on them before I bought one, theres a few posts on here about them too and things to look out for! It seems to have the correct stamps, studs and stuff of the older original ones (before they started making them abroad) so fingers crossed :)
 
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