Horses on a budget

W

waterlily

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 July 2007
Messages
88
Visit site
Hi, I am currently tentatively thinking about getting a horse. I say tentatively because of the money side of it, I've budgeted my monthly income/outgoings etc and it looks like I have enough to make it work but I know there will always be some unexpected cost! (I'm not naive, I work with horses lol)
So...lovely people, please tell me if you manage on a fairly small budget (as I said, I work with horses so am obviously poor). If possible could you outline monthly costs just to check that I've included everything. Thank you!
 
Livery £108 PCM if out £159 PCM if in
Insurance £28 PCM
Fuel to and from Yard prob about £15 PCM
EVERYTHING else, jabs, worming, shoeing, Physio, Chiro, dentist, Feed, supplemts, carrots ;-) etc etc is covered by £85 i put aside each month- somethings I'll go a month and not touch it so it stays in "his" account and this gets added to each month, I take out what i need when i need it.
I read somewhere it's estimated to cost £3000 a year to keep a horse?
 
Im in the exact same positon! Always had horses and wasnt planned to not have any! However worked out well for first two years of uni!
My yard only charges £60.00 PCM for keep in summer + stable and in winter same or if winter out £40.00 month (small farm in village), £60.00 for shoes every 6-8 weeks + like helly86 said all the extras which you need!

My sums including keep, petrol for uni, all my bills etc seems fesable, however I can understand your doubt
laugh.gif


Im going to go for it and im a poor student
smirk.gif
grin.gif
so..go for it
wink.gif
 
Hi think that cost depends on where in the country you live as livery prices can vary. Also, I had to learn that I never budgeted in enough for all the extra vet bills, physio etc. It is ALWAYS more than you like to plan for...

Also may depend on the horse, whether they are ok to live out for example (would have one of those anytime
smile.gif
- mine is a whimp...), what feeds they need and supplements, whether they an go barefoot or need shoes etc.

Otherwise, I think I manage on around £250- £300 PCM all in at the mo...for a whimpy stabled horse (with daily turnout, mind) front shoes and regular back treatments. Probably doesn't include extra vet bills though
 
that's a good point UKa, should prob add that even tho Dragon has his own account I do make sure i never run mine too low as i will not see him go without something he needs- eg if he needed phyiso but no money of his own then i'd take it out of my account and wouldn't pay myself back if that makes sense? you prob think i'm mad for saying he has his own account...
 
I pay aproximately £150 max for two horses each month. This includes feed and hay for the winter months so that amount would be less in summer.

I do rent a field for £20 a month though, which enables me to keep them relatively cheaply.
 
I too work with horses so I know about budgeting.

My costs up until recently were around £110 p/m (averaged over year). £95 livery and the rest would consist of trims, wormers and various misc things like yearly dental check.

My pony is a good doer, doesn't need hard feed, is hardy and cheap to run. He is unshod and was kept at a livery yard with no school - just hacking.

I came to the conclusion that even this was too much cost as I had nothing left to enjoy him (compete) so have elected to move him to the RDA yard where I work. He will be used on the school but in return I don't have to pay anything for him and I can enjoy him in my free time and his. Not ideal (working livery) and wouldn't suit everyone but the standard of care where I work is amazing and I think working in the RDA will chill him out a lot.

Do think carefully about what you do though because if you cut too many corners you may end up with a horse that is more of a burden than a joy because you can't afford to enjoy him. I found keeping mine on a cheap livery yard didn't work because I NEED a school (I hate hacking). Likewise not being able to compete was very demotivating to me. Moving him onto working livery is the compromise that works for me as I get to school and enjoy my pony, compete him locally and afford to enjoy myself away from him as well!

Best of luck
 
My TBx and little welshie cost me about £200 pc/m and they are out 24/7 kept at home! I do feed them both Top Spec which isnt cheap and TBx has other expensive supplements such as outshine and joint stuff. And welshie suffers laminitis if not careful so she has hay as well.

I think if I controlled myself and had them on a cheaper diet I probably could do it for leass than £150 pcm for 2 (although the TB is the expensive one with shoes / more hay / more feed - he probably costs £120 alone)
£20 - £30 hay dep on time of year
£20 hard feed / supplements
£50 farrier
£25 insurance
£15 vaccs / teeth
£10 misc physio/ equipment
 
This is what I pay for two big horses:

£15pw each for grass livery
£15 each every 2 months for pasture trims (roughly)
...ands thats it in the summer!

(£67.50 each per month roughly)

Mine are barefoot so that takes a huge chunk out of it! Mine also aren't insured at the moment, but liability is only £6 per month.

But depending on the time of year you have to put a bit extra aside for wormers, flu/tet jabs, teeth.

Winter is where it starts getting exspensive with feeds and hay, new rugs/rug repairs etc.
 
Everything included (e.g. feed, bedding, shoeing etc) I pay minimum £75 a week for my pony on DIY livery in the North West. It is an expensive DIY livery yard though pay over £40 livery a week. Only have front shod to reduce cost and try and only use a bale of shavings a week.
 
I estimate that my boy costs me around £2500 a year BUT he is on grass livery, only has fronts on, and never has any hard feed as he is a very good doer and therefore he is a cheap boy to run.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top