Have you ever added up what your horse costs you in a year? :-o

[Morgan123]

I just did this (including everything: hay, straw, insurance, saddle checks, feet trimming, worming, teeth etc).
Both my horses are at a nice cheap DIY yard - pretty basic - and live out all year. I have one stable between them to use if I want but basically they live out and they are both barefoot. They cost:

- elderly TB mare, semi retired: £1820 per year
- hardy welsh sec D, lives on thin air (but insured) £1900 per year
- And then I spend a further £1200 per year on lessons, competing, transport to comps, etc etc.

Total £4920.

OUCH, that was eye opening. I always wonder how I have so few holidays compared with other people.

Ever done this?! What do yours cost?

 

[Marydoll]

Dear god no, ive got 4 , 2 retired and 2 ridden, id rather not know

 

[*hic*]

I have six at home and one, on daily medication which I provide, out on loan. I don't even want to begin thinking about the cost!

 

[Polos Mum]

Don't do it!

Actually my companion was £350 last year, big horse a bit more as shod BUT I cheat as we keep them at home so no livery (I don't count the extra mortgage which is a big cheat!), we get free straw from neighbour farmer and make our own hay which we sell some of to cover the cost of making it so that's free too, I don't insure or feed hard feed.

WHen I had a proper competition horse on livery he was easily £5000 a year on his own (but I was single then so had nothing better to send my cash on!)

 

[tase1965]

I have always pushed it to the back of my mind....
However I got an Iphone at Christmas and went a bit 'app' crazy, one of those was Horse Budget and I have put every thing on, first step was to password protect (would like to keep my husband), next step is to delete it as I would like to keep my sanity.. living in denial is the way forward..
I have a very good doer Welsh D on DIY...

 

[Frosty89]

It's quite scary when you add it all up.

Livery (including hay) = £2,299.92
Livery extras such as turn out/ bring in = around the £1000 mark, but this changes as it's not the same every week.
Lessons (every other week) = £650
Physio x 4 minimum a year =£200
Dentist x 2 minimum = £60
Farrier varies a lot so I'm unsure.
Bedding (2 bags week) = £416
Hard feed + supplements = Around the £200 mark
Vaccinations = £40
Total = 4,865.92

Thats without competitions every week, vets if needed, farrier, and the copious amount of things I buy such as rugs :O My horse gets treated better than I treat myself!

 

[Morgan123]

Ohh Horse Budget - I might try that, it sounds good!!

Ha, don't be fooled by the 'good doer welsh D' thing, I thought the same and turns out he costs more than the ancient TB! and you should see how much feed SHE gets through....

Am half tempted to uninsure the Welshie actually and simply save the money in case of vets bills, but you can guarantee he'll do a suspensory or something the next day if I do....

 

[*sprinkles*]

With my livery alone £500 per month I dread to think what my yearly costs would be!! I think I'd really rather not know

 

[kassieg]

I do not want to know !! I used to keep a diary of costs but I think I would just cry now haha

 

[Morgan123]

With my livery alone £500 per month I dread to think what my yearly costs would be!! I think I'd really rather not know

Ouch!! That must be a VERY nice yard!

 

[Sleipnir]

I started adding up my expenses this January after a friend of mine added hers up from the previous year. The amount was shocking...so I decided I'd like to shock myself about how much I actually spend.

 

[Walrus]

Far too scary! Soon after we moved in together my boyfriend got me to add up what I spent in a month on the pony (I did choose to omit a few minor things like competition entry and diesel etc.) when he looked at the number on the calculator he told me we could have a much bigger mortgage and nicer house if i didn't spend all that...I pointed out that then I would be living in a lovely house and be very grumpy and he wouldn't want to live with me! It's not really been mentioned since, however when I mentioned a second horse he did say number of boyfriends + number of horses much equal 2!

 

[thewonderhorse]

I have, once, never to be repeated.

 

[Lynsey&Smartie]

I don't dare do it, I have 3 and know roughly what I spend each month on bedding, feed and haylege but would be terrified to add it all up for the year with insurance, vets fees, shoes, cost of lorry, cost of competing and lessons etc. I feel a bit funny just thinking about it!

 

[NellRosk]

No I absolutely daren't!

 

[LeannePip]

I have just added up a years worth of part livery and a years worth of 6 weekly farrier and im already at £5,483 so im stopping there! thats more than enough with out including insurance, vets (last bill i paid was £800 :S) massage every 6 weeks, saddler twice a year, dentist twice a year . . . Nope sorry stopping there, it will forever remain a mystery! but will carry on telling my Dad 'about £400 a month if its an expensive one'

 

[Montyforever]

No waaaay am i adding it up!

 

[micramadam]

I daren't because if my husband sees how much they cost a year he might suggest that I reduce the herd, probably to 0!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Dear god no, ive got 4 , 2 retired and 2 ridden, id rather not know

This only I have six, one retired, one semi and the others ridden. I think I would sit down and sob if I added it all up!!!

 

[claireandnadia]

Nah, best not try and think about these things. It is what it is and I try and keep the costs down as much as I can but don't want to know the cost

 

[Dubsie]

Funnily enough a friend was saying how she couldn't ever afford ponies for her two kids even if she owned the land (we have just enough)> I retorted that I couldn't see how she managed the super all in foreign holidays for 2 weeks in the school holidays (we don't do holidays) - it was actually a lot more than the 2 ponies, all the pony club, lessons etc cost us!

 

[Yuki1290]

No, ignorance is bliss I no longer add my vet bills up either...

 

[Alchemy]

I think i may cry if i did.... * goes off to add up cost*

 

[Megibo]

Yes, once, and I'm not going to do it again! Ignorance is bliss...

 

[micramadam]

Just to add, I'm totally in denial!!

 

[Dizzle]

About £2.5k, happy days!

 

[Foxy O]

When I had the old ISH he cost me a fortune, as on blue chip, only the best would do for everything for him, etc. I also keep mine at home so had no livery costs. I never dared calculate what he cost me.

I have only just changed horses to a cob and the companion costs hardly anything to keep, so I think when I know more about how much feed I am using etc it would be interesting to find out but I think already my costs are down to less than a quarter compared to having the ISH

 

[Lucyad]

Never ever add up. Ever.

 

[sarahann1]

La la la la la la la *runs away from the scary thread*

 

[Red-1]

Used to, stopped it.

An educated guess would be 10K a year. That would include lorry, insurance, lessons...........

Eeek!