horse dilema and weight question!

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delaneys

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Hello all!

I have 3 and a half horses, 3 tbs and a kind of share with my boyfriend cob, I'm about to lose my job but hopefully I have something sorted. 3 tbs are on livery and cob is kept somewhere else but eventual plan will be to move him to my yard.

Anyway I have worked out my horses cost me nearly £1500 pcm and am debating in my head what to do. We can afford them without my job but it means we live month to month and have very little savings, would you sell one? I just don't know what to do.. I need a kick up the Bum! I'll give a brief description of each and see what you think, thanks in advance to any replies.

Horse 1 is my pride and joy, he is completely useless at most things but a fun hack, he is 13 and in have him on loan so he would never be sold if he went back to owners, just rehomed.

Horse 2 is a complete dude and a real talented little man, however for 9 months I have felt to heavy for him, I've lost a lot of weight but im just about ok to enjoy some small hacks on him, he carries me fine but I do pay to hav him ridden 4x a week. He is probably the most sellable but it breaks my heart to think of that.

Horse 3 is complicated. He has just been given to me as a failed racer. If I can't keep him he is to PTS. He needs a year off and then we re asses his leg to see what he may may not be suitable for.

Horse 4 is the coblet. This boy is fantastic for my boyfriend. I don't really pay for him so it's not really my decision.


I am sorry for my waffling l, maybe I'm worried to much. Maybe when I reach my goal weight an compete more I won't feel like £1500 is being peed up the wall. Feels better to write it down though!
 
Brace yourself - kick up the bum coming!
Horse number 1 - back to owner
Horse 2 - keep going with your weight loss and keep him
Horse 3 - you just can't afford this one, can previous owner help out? can he be readvertisted as a project? You may have to make a hard decision on this one if your job goes or turn away at cheaper yard. If you can keep going until say end March, then summer out, shoes off, minimum spend etc.
Horse 4 - sounds great - keep.

So we are down to 1 and a half now.

Sorted. :cool:
 
Either send back 1, he will be able to find a new loan home or sell 2 if you cannot bear to part with 1, keeping horse 2 should give you something to focus on for the future but will be the best one to sell for your finances.
Horse 3 is a bit of an unknown but if I had taken him on to give him a chance I would feel obliged to at least let him have the year, he probably is the least expensive to keep longer term as can live out with minimal expenditure at least once the weather improves he should be able to.
 
Bit of tough love here.
You're paying £500 (just splitting cost by 3) for a failed racehorse that has to have a year off and may not be suitable for anything even then. So in 12 months you will have paid £6000. Even if he's only costing you half that you could still buy a very useful horse for that.
 
Rebel without a Claus said:
Brace yourself - kick up the bum coming!
Horse number 1 - back to owner
Horse 2 - keep going with your weight loss and keep him
Horse 3 - you just can't afford this one, can previous owner help out? can he be readvertisted as a project? You may have to make a hard decision on this one if your job goes or turn away at cheaper yard. If you can keep going until say end March, then summer out, shoes off, minimum spend etc.
Horse 4 - sounds great - keep.

So we are down to 1 and a half now.

Sorted. :cool:
Click to expand...

Second this! Kick up bum number 2!
 
It's so hard I love them all. My family own horse 3, I literally just had a call to say they will pay for him for a year and then I can decide to keep or sell or PTS if he won't be sound.

I was thinking of a sharer for horse 1. But I expect I would hate that!
 
If I were you I'd give horse 1 back to his owner, keep horse 2, get horse 3 put down/ put on grass livery and keep horse 4 to ride out with your bf. Are you keeping them as cheaply as you can? A little confused why you have a loan horse if you're stretched for cash!
 
Parkerpops said:
I literally just had a call to say they will pay for him for a year and then I can decide to keep or sell or PTS if he won't be sound.
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Which is a year to fall in love with him and make the decision even harder.
Personally being a hard ass bloke I would get rid of all 3 and just get one that does what you want/need it to do.
 
I can afford them all, just losing my job which brings finances in to perspective. I'm probably not keeping them cheaply, I have no idea how to cut back more, wether that be on numbers or outgoings, maybe if I write costs out people can help!
 
Livery DIY £390 pcm
Riding and the odd night of covering them costs me around £310 pcm
Hay I spend about £250 pcm
Hard feed and bedding is on same bill and that's between £250-£300 pcm at t moment
And 2 lots of shoes plus one trim is £180 every 5 weeks
Oh and 2 bales of big haylage at £70 pcm
Insurance is just BHS gold so £5 pcm

Then the vets fund for wormers jabs and other crap I put in £150 pcm

And then I end up spending money on stuff I don't need....
I'm trying so hard but im crap with money and need a reality check
 
Parkerpops said:
I'm trying so hard but im crap with money and need a reality check
Click to expand...
I understand where you are coming from. When my wife and I first met we had 4 between us. That went up to 5 not long after. Many was the time we played the 'will the cash machine give the card back' game. Got sensible just before we had kids.
So here is a little reality check. I'm now more concerned that they are not insured for vets fees. What would happen if one of them need treatment costing £3000+
 
Sell Horse no 2 - financially worth the most and if you do not feel happy riding him, then the sensible option, and will also save you paying somone else to excercise.

If you are still struggling, then send Horse no 1 back to owner as you can rest assured he has a good home.
 
I do i have to say agree with people's comments re kick up the bum. Without knowing the ins and outs of your job situation, wouldnt your costs decrease significantyl if you were out of work, in that you could work your horses yourself (I appreciate theer is the weight point with no 2 but perhaps lunge him soemtimes instead of paying someone to ride him)?
 
Horse 1 and 3 would not be put through any surgery, not because I'm being tight but because they just wouldn't cope with it, they both have spent far to much time in their lives on box rest so if the worst happened they would be put down, horse 1's owner in agreement with this.

I anything happened to horse 2 I have a £3500 credit card, if the prognosis was good it would go on the credit card, if he wasn't going to lead a a happy life he would be PTS too.

Horse 4 is I believe insured for vets fees, but he is my boyfriends financial responsibility he is only my responsibility in time and care
 
Rebel without a Claus said:
Brace yourself - kick up the bum coming!
Horse number 1 - back to owner
Horse 2 - keep going with your weight loss and keep him
Horse 3 - you just can't afford this one, can previous owner help out? can he be readvertisted as a project? You may have to make a hard decision on this one if your job goes or turn away at cheaper yard. If you can keep going until say end March, then summer out, shoes off, minimum spend etc.
Horse 4 - sounds great - keep.

So we are down to 1 and a half now.

Sorted. :cool:
Click to expand...

Another kick up the bum and agree with this one
 
I'm hoping by the end of Feb I will be able to ride horse 2 and feel more comfortable. I don't even think my weight is an issue now, just because it was before I have built it into a big fat drama that he will die if I sit on him for more that 20 minute hacks. :/
 
Parkerpops said:
Livery DIY £390 pcm good
Riding and the odd night of covering them costs me around £310 pcm stop paying for riding - get a sharer or ride yourself now you've lost weight
Hay I spend about £250 pcm that's loads!
Hard feed and bedding is on same bill and that's between £250-£300 pcm at t moment do they need so much hard feed and bedding? put in rubber mats, have shallow bed, feed only what is actually necessary and use own brands?
And 2 lots of shoes plus one trim is £180 every 5 weeks ok, but really needed every 5 weeks?
Oh and 2 bales of big haulage at £70 pcm in addition to £250 of hay?
Insurance is just BHS gold so £5 pcm good

Then the vets fund for wormers jabs and other crap I put in £150 pcm

And then I end up spending money on stuff I don't need....
I'm trying so hard but I'm crap with money and need a reality check
Click to expand...


Horse 1 - return to owner OR
Horse 2 - sell

Horse 3 - grass livery for a year or sell as project now

I have 3 currently, (including 2 high maintenance TBs) and they're costing less than half of what you're paying currently.

Good luck :)
 
I could cut the hay and just feed haylage, feed wise they are on all top spec, I could replace the chop and nuts and just keep the balancer?

In could also deep litter untill I get mats?
 
Parkerpops said:
I could cut the hay and just feed haylage, feed wise they are on all top spec, I could replace the chop and nuts and just keep the balancer?

In could also deep litter untill I get mats?
Click to expand...

sounds like a good start :)

I'm in a similar position, as I'm being made redundant in March and haven't got a new job sorted yet, so it's a subject close to my heart!

This time last year I had just one (very good doer) horse in part livery, and was spending about £1000 a month on her. Now I have 3 on DIY (one for sale) and by cutting out the luxuries, most of which are for human benefits of 'treating' our horses but are mainly taking up take and money, I should have the 2 I'm keeping running at an average of around £350 a month exc. vet bills (like you I'm not insured and wouldn't put mine through any surgery/extended box rest etc)
 
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