How much should I budget for horse ownership?

[GlansevinPlaytime]

Hi, I live in the East Midlands and I'm trying to figure out whether I can afford a horse of my own, and having trouble costing it as most horse owners I know are understandably private about what they pay. Would anybody mind telling me what it costs them to own a horse (livery, insurance, farrier etc)? I'd be looking at grass livery for a sturdy Welsh D/Cob type most likely. Thank you!

 

[MyDogIsAnIdiot]

I'm not in your area but imagine that finding grass livery may be a problem. When I was on livery it was costing me a fair bit.
Livery: £20 p/w for a stable, school, gallops, OK hacking, turnout was dire.
Haylage: £10/week
Bedding: £14/week
Insurance: £35/month
Farrier: £60/month (mine goes 4-5 weeks)

So that was £271/month and that's not including the jabs, bits of tack that need replacing, what you do when the horse changes shape and the saddle won't fit, saddler fitters, physio, lessons, competing, etc.

Basically, work out what you think it'll cost to keep a horse, then add £100-£200 onto whatever figure you come up with.

 

[Redders]

£121 livery a month which includes hay and straw
£15 a month on feed (she doesn't need a lot extra feed)
£75 every six weeks for shoes
£20 for wormers every season but I do get her worm counted so I don't overworm, this is about £15
These are my basic costs

On top:
£24 a week for an hours lesson (this is v cheap-expect more than £30)
£20 rug washing for winter or new rings if needed
Anything for the vet-not needed it yet luckily but budget for it, work out if insurance would be a good idea for you

You will Most likely need to kit yourself out with tack- even if horse comes with it, saddle will defiantly need to be checked for fitting £30 ish for saddler call out, I spent £550 on my new saddle but it was a really good deal.
You will need various buckets and that sort of thing. I found the most expensive time was getting all the stuff I needed to set myself up with the horse, I tick over quite nicely now, but ALWAYS budget extra for unforeseen events, and remember that horses are addictive and before you know it you will be wanting to buy all sorts when you always planned to only buy what you really needed!! Also factor in someone to look after horse if you are ill or away for any reason.

I always try to buy secondhand on things (except safety items!) to save on costs. Horses don't NEED to be expensive, but you never know what might happen so you need to be able to afford the unexpected.

 

[kassieg]

I'm in north yorkshire so i duno about grass livery up there

i would say if you think you can't afford it you probably can't (not trying to be awful ! )

I spend most of my disposable income on my horses but that is my choice & I have very little other commitments money wise other than cars etc

for example:
livery £50 per week
feed inc supplements £50 every 2 weeks ish
trailer storage £20 per month
lesson £40 per time, normally have 1 every 2 weeks
competition fees anything from £50 per month to £200 per month
diesel on top of all of this
this doesn't include any of extra bits needed which there are surprising amounts of.

I suppose it is different if you don't compete but still expensive !

 

[skint1]

However much you *think* you'll spend x 2

 

[Orson Cart]

I'm in the Midlands and have the type of horse you are looking to purchase. Costs for him alone as follows:

Basic DIY livery is 130 a month. No grass livery available around here.
Feed - just haylage. This costs 28 pounds a week ( 72 small bales bought in October for 475 including delivery and we get through 4 a week. I'd like to buy the bigger bales but not adequate storage at the yard)
Bedding - 8 pounds a week
Insurance - about 30ish a month
BHS insurance - a fiver a month i believe??
Lesson - 45 pounds for 45 minutes.
supplements - 20 a month
Vet for injections and teeth - about 150 a year for two dental checks and inoculations
farrier - 20 for a trim every six weeks
saddle fitter - 60 pounds every six months

Obviously this doesnt include the wear and tear on my clothes, the horses blankets, feed buckets etc which need replacing regularly, the grooming and care things you use which run out regularly e.g. thrush treatment ointment, mane and tail detangler etc and of course the ever present expense of fuel to get to the yard twice a day.

HTH. xx

 

[cloppy]

everything you earn and a bit more.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

So much more than you think and budget for...

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I'm nowhere near where you're planning to keep your horse but my boy is an irish cob and kept on grass livery so may help you.

Grass livery - £190 p/m
Feed - about £30 p/m
Farrier - currently £25 every 7 weeks for a trim as he's now barefoot but was £36 for fronts only
Physio - £60 every 6 weeks
Saddler - £45 every 3 months
Insurance - £36 p/m
BHS membership (for liability cover) - £6 p/m
Shared lesson (1hr) - £20 p/w

Then there's replacing tack, rugs etc. Last winter we went through 5 rugs in 2 weeks which was rather costly.

 

[Palindrome]

DIY £140/month

Fields are big and well drained so don't need to feed lots of hay and horse leaves out, otherwise
hay £4.50/bale (horse will eat nearly a bale per day if no grass)
straw £3.50/bale (need 1 per week if horse comes in at night)

hard feed: high spec vitamin and mineral supplement £35/month + handfull of grass nut £10/bag (bag lasts at least a month) + linseed £20/bag (lasts 2 trimesters)

trim £35 every 5-6 weeks

vet vaccination vaccination £75 (every 2 years if you only have tetanus), teeth floating with sedation £40 (once a year)

saddle fitter £30 per visit

osteo/back person £65 per visit

insurance £30/year 3rd party liability

wormer £17/tube (twice a year)

A horse on loan might be a good option to consider as you won't have to pay cost of horse and they usually come with tack I think. Also equestrian table top sales is excellent to get 2nd hand items for very reasonnable prices usually.

 

[w1bbler]

West Devon, got 3, but costs per horse;
Diy livery £80 \ month inc stable & 24\7 turnout.
Bedding about £15 \ year as they live out, so just a few bales of straw for a light bed when they spend any time in during day.
Hay varies, not feeding it yet, but my foggage will run out after weekend, then about 1\3 bale a day until end of march mid april ish, depending on weather. Currently pay£4.50 \ bale.
Hard feed with 3 natives, very little. Pro balance vits i think is quoted at 36p per day. £9 bag of fast fibre last 3 for 2 weeks. £23 bag of linseed last 3 over a month.
Insurance 0, I self insure though, £100 month used to go in a savings account, but as their account was approaching £8000 I stopped & am planning an exotic holiday if they don't use it! Did the same with my cats & after nearly 20 years they bought husband & i a horse back safari
Annual jabs, think is about £60
Shoes £65 every 5 weeks or £20 for a trim {only 1 is shod)
Physio £40, usually twice a year
Dentist £40 yearly
Welly boots £100 every couple of years
Wormer, not sure as I worm count but factor in at least £100\ year.
Then there is rugs, saddles, saddle fittings, lessons, show entry fees, trailer, vehicle to tow trailer.....
Adding it all up is scary.

 

[xgemmax]

In Kent:

DIY livery incl turnout £35.00 per week
Horsebox parking £10.00
Farrier £20.00 every 12 weeks (trim)
Hay - get 10 bales as an when at £3.50 each - £35.00, use about 3 a week
Feed - bag of chaff every few months £10, linseed at £20.00 to last the winter
Bedding £6.50 a bale of shavings, use about 5 a month £32.50
Insurance is £36.00 a month
Vaccination £40-£50

Etc, etc!!

 

[DD265]

In West Yorkshire:

Livery - £303 per month (inc haylage/shavings, some feed)
Feed - £20 including supplements & treats (overestimate rather than under)
Insurance: £25 (I think)
Trimmer: £45 every 4-6 months (I maintain in between visits)

Then everything else on top. I currently spend £70 a month on Scenar/Bowen treatments for him.

At one point I worked out I spent about £5000 in a year - that was a couple of years ago. I think we're not so much a private bunch, as none of us particularly enjoy working out how much it actually costs to have a horse!!

 

[chilledoutpony]

I'm in east midlands/Yorkshire area.

Livery for me is: £25 a week including everything each pony!
Feed is roughly: £8 a week.
Mine are meant to have farrier once every 8 weeks (no shoes) but sometimes they aren't long enough for trimming but its £15 for her to trim.
Not too sure on insurance.
Not too sure on everything else at this point of night
I'd to be safe & and say £190-£240 each month.
Each week put a couple of pounds in a tin for unexpected bills!

Merry Xmas and a happy new year!

 

[Woody Le Bois]

A LOT. And I would second that if you are even considering if you can afford it, you probably can't (sorry). I spent £3,000 in unexpected vet fees this year on top of the ordinary expences.

 

[starryeyed]

everything you earn and a bit more.

Sadly, yes!! Though I have been plagued with horses who just cannot see enough of the vet. I'd highly recommend insurance too, my mare passed the vetting with flying colours but two years of unexpected vets bills (and several thousands) later, I have always been so glad I did as I would have seriously struggled otherwise. I will come back to this with a more detailed response!

 

[Red-1]

In West Yorkshire:

At one point I worked out I spent about £5000 in a year - that was a couple of years ago. I think we're not so much a private bunch, as none of us particularly enjoy working out how much it actually costs to have a horse!!

I agree with this. I am near DD265, and 10 years ago worked out I spent £10,000, but that included lorry maintenance/ diesel / insurance / as well as affiliation fees for BE, BD and BS, and comp entry fees, lessons etc as we are competing regularly at the time.

£5,000 would seem about right without all the extras.

At the start of the year I did not *budget* for that amount, but with new tack, lessons etc I faithfully wrote down every penny I spent. When I finally added it all up it was a huge shock, and I have never done it since!!!

I suspect most people spend more than they realise!

 

[Theocat]

I've added it up before and worked it out as about £500 a month when you included lessons, extras and everything else - you do need to be realistic; the basic costs are probably only about half what most people spend! I'm on part livery but if you take account of the fact that hay, feed and bedding are included I reckon I'd still be paying over £400pcm if I was on DIY. If you don't have lessons or compete it will be considerably cheaper, but be honest with yourself about your shopping habits!

 

[chilledoutpony]

When I said £190-£240 that also means add another £300 for rest of mine!!

 

[PolarSkye]

Mine is stabled and is not a native/good doer, but . . .

£200/month livery and facilities
£100/month (minimum) hay, straw and haylage
£40/month feed (chaff, hard feed, supplements)
£120/month lessons/clinics
£100/month competition entry fees
£35/month (roughly) shoeing (he's shod in front with remedial shoes, no shoes behind)

Add to that unforeseen vets bills (currently paying off a £4,000 bill for suspensory injury), replacement tack/rugs/numnahs/boots, etc, the cost of washing/reproofing/repairing rugs twice a year and probably a whole bunch of things I have missed.

P

P.S. I'm in the south east on the Berkshire/Hampshire borders - probably one of the most expensive places in the UK to keep a horse . . .

 

[taradiamond1]

Oh my!! Who are you lot insuring your horses with? I am being quoted £50 a month!!

 

[Palindrome]

Oh my!! Who are you lot insuring your horses with? I am being quoted £50 a month!!

That's because they are quoting including vet fees and/or death/loss of use. If you choose 3rd party liability only it's about £30-60 a year but you are liable for any vet fee. 3rd party with Stoneways Insurance is about £35 a year, it's free with BHS gold membership. If you choose vet fees only I would strongly suggest to still put the money aside for vet bills in case of emergency.

 

[flowerlady]

Hi, I live in the East Midlands and I'm trying to figure out whether I can afford a horse of my own, and having trouble costing it as most horse owners I know are understandably private about what they pay. Would anybody mind telling me what it costs them to own a horse (livery, insurance, farrier etc)? I'd be looking at grass livery for a sturdy Welsh D/Cob type most likely. Thank you!

Would have to say. Grass livery is all very well until your horse/pony is ill and needs a stable? So always check that if you needed one you would be able to access one immediately. Also depends where you live in the East Midlands. Nottingham? Derby? All area's do vary and even grass livery you may need somewhere to exercise if weathers bad.

 

[Firefly9410]

I spend about 3.5k per year for two but I have piles of equipment so rarely need new things, being able to make do with something I already have if something breaks. I do not insure or have lessons or compete. My horses are unshod.

I would not be so set on the horse you buy living out. They are all individuals and you could find you end up with one that needs to be part stabled for some reason or because you have struggled to find decent grass livery, so it is sensible to budget for stabling costs and consider it a bonus if the horse lives out.

Happy horse shopping