I must have LOTS of money!!!

My fingers itch so much with the burning replies I long to type.

Horses cost money. You may not have any left because of your horse, but you have it. Livery? £100 a month for something basic. Tack? £100 (being conservative if you get cheap crud off eBay). Shoes? £50 every 6 weeks. Feed and hay? Well, let's say he's a good doer on decent grazing- £20 a month.

Owning a horse is an expensive hobby at the most basic level. You may sacrifice a lot to own said horse, but you had something to sacrifice. A lot of people don't. So I HATE it when people say crap like this. Sure, you might not be loaded and you must work hard for your money- no one is saying anything else. But horses are expensive creatures and you are lucky to be in a position where you can afford to own one.

Rant over. I'm sorry. This just gets on my wick, along with twits who claim that those with nice stuff lucked out to get there...
 
But you don't need to be minted to have a horse - I know loads of people who aren't on huge wages but have a horse and make sacrifices to keep it. Let's face it - most average income households have kids, a nice car, sky tv, several games consoles, internet and go on holiday every year. They're not "minted" and could afford to have a horse if they gave up a couple of those luxuries; it's about how people choose to spend their money.
I don't have kids or a nice car or a tv or games consoles (I do get good holidays but they're through work so i did luck out there).



ETA: I know I'm lucky to be able to have mine. I don't ever forget that.
 
I get told by parents at school I must be minted cos daughter & I have one each. By parents who both earn more, have much bigger houses, two nice new cars, expensive holidays & hobbies & lots of luxuries. My daughters pony costs less to keep than several mums spend on the hairdresser alone. Then they expect me to act like a free rs. That annoys me, when its people who are much wealthier than me.
 
I get told that too, and I tell them I only afford it because I don't do half the things they do! I live with my parents, I never buy clothes, haven't had a hair cut in over a year, never go on holiday, don't buy things I don't need etc I'm sure if I didn't have the horses I'd have more money, but they are kept at home so pay no livery - otherwise I couldn't keep them, simple!
 
I know quite a few people with very little money who have horses, again they sacrafice other things instead.

I'm on well under minimum wage, yes I get my accomodation 'free' and bills paid but it's not like I have my own house or could afford to rent somewhere like many of my friends do. I don't have holidays, I don't have a social life, I don't wear make up, i get my hair done once a year, I live in jeans and tops from primark and I get livery for my horse at another yard in return for riding a couple ponies for them. I get hay and feed cheap as I buy in bulk with YO who gets a deal because farmers gf uses the arena for free and my horse doesn't wear shoes. We share vet visits to get costs down and I do a lot of extra work at other places to make ends meet.

I think my horse costs me a lot less than what my friends spend on nights out, clothes and makeup ect.

Yes horses cost money, but generally horsey people work exceptionally hard and sacrafice an awful lot to be able to afford them. Its a lifestyle choice, i'll probably never be able to own my own house, buy a decent car, go on holiday ect.
 
Lolo I wish my horse only cost what you quoted! try £50 a month in hay and£65 a set of shoes.

horses are expensive. but I dont smoke? don't particularly drink... my horses are my hobby.
 
Charem said:
I know quite a few people with very little money who have horses, again they sacrafice other things instead.

I'm on well under minimum wage, yes I get my accomodation 'free' and bills paid but it's not like I have my own house or could afford to rent somewhere like many of my friends do. I don't have holidays, I don't have a social life, I don't wear make up, i get my hair done once a year, I live in jeans and tops from primark and I get livery for my horse at another yard in return for riding a couple ponies for them. I get hay and feed cheap as I buy in bulk with YO who gets a deal because farmers gf uses the arena for free and my horse doesn't wear shoes. We share vet visits to get costs down and I do a lot of extra work at other places to make ends meet.

I think my horse costs me a lot less than what my friends spend on nights out, clothes and makeup ect.

Yes horses cost money, but generally horsey people work exceptionally hard and sacrafice an awful lot to be able to afford them. Its a lifestyle choice, i'll probably never be able to own my own house, buy a decent car, go on holiday ect.
Click to expand...


Aren't you a working pupil?! Bit different, lol.

sam_b, I know! I was using the lowest figures I could find to try and show that even at the lowest end of the spectrum it's an expensive hobby. It costs my family considerably more than that too!

FWIW, my family hasn't been on holiday for nearly 6 years and we haven't left the country in 11. There are so many things other families had that we didn't (only luxuries, obviously) because we chose to have horses. We never went without in a big way though, please don't get me wrong. But I get about the sacrifices bit. But I still think we're a very lucky family...
 
it's taken me years to get a horse. I wanted one since I can remember,but could never afford it,but being 23 now and having a 4yo child put stop to that for Even longer as kids are expensive :D

But I've owned my horse now for about 6 months and so far she's cost me an absolute fortune, specially with buying all new tack & vet bills having wisdom teeth out ect.... But wouldn't change it for the world, don't get a massive income as I only work part-time but what me & my partner get we spend it wisely...feel very lucky to have a horse as not everyone can manage to afford them, they most defiantly are expensive animals (but worth every penny) :)
 
I do see what you're saying lolo. My daughter goes to a youth club, on a pretty deprived estate. Given the very small incomes some of the families have, yes, of course she's lucky to have any luxuries, whether that's a pony or anything else. Because anything left over after basic survival is well off by some standards. It only annoys me when people have different priorities for their equal, or larger income, then call horse owners better off.
 
sam-b said:
Lolo I wish my horse only cost what you quoted! try £50 a month in hay and£65 a set of shoes.

horses are expensive. but I dont smoke? don't particularly drink... my horses are my hobby.
Click to expand...

Dito

A set of shoes cost me 85 but that's because my horse is special lol I am very lucky to have my 2 but I would not say I go without thing's I dont have holiday's or go out and stuff like that but I am happy with this as its what I want, but I am not rich for a fact lol
 
It's a lifestyle choice; I am in my 60s and live in the first house I ever bought before I got married. I have spent a fortune on horses, horseboxes, training, competing, tack, rugs, hunting etc etc. Occasionally get a holiday in this country with the dogs......certainly not every year; no big TVs, ipads, smartphones etc etc. Looking back, would I have changed any of it or done it differently? NOPE! :D

I've met some amazing people, made great friends, had wonderful experiences, been on a journey of learning and development, had some great horses and some not so great, but they have all taught me so much.....not just about riding but about myself as well.
 
I really do hate when people say they dont have a lot of money, yet they have a horse.

You have things to sacrifice- so maybe you dont go on holidays, have sky tv, have the nicest house. but you COULD have a nice house etc if you didnt have a horse.

Some people dont have a choice- they dont have anything to sacrifice. We have never had sky tv, dont have a nice house, dont go on holidays AND we dont have a horse.

Not saying you arnt allowed a horse- of course you all work extremely hard for your money and if I earnt more then obviously I would jump at the chance to get a horse- its my dream. I just think when people go around saying they dont have money because they have a horse is a bit silly because there are people who are much worse off and you COULD have money if you didnt have a horse- its a choice. but for us it would be have a horse and no food, or have a horse and no house. I obviously count myself lucky to even have a house, let alone food, tv, computer.
 
Oldenburg27 said:
Dito

A set of shoes cost me 85 but that's because my horse is special lol I am very lucky to have my 2 but I would not say I go without thing's I dont have holiday's or go out and stuff like that but I am happy with this as its what I want, but I am not rich for a fact lol
Click to expand...

but people go without holidays, without going out etc but dont have a horse. so to some people I guess you do have a lot of money because you can afford to have one :)
 
I guess my point is being shown here. You can make those sacrifices. A huge number of people are making those sacrifices just to make ends meet... I think we do them a disservice by declarations like some above.
 
Lolo said:
Aren't you a working pupil?! Bit different, lol.QUOTE]

Nope, my official title is 'stud manager' though i'm more of a sole charge groom.

Agree there are families that are doing the above just to get by, but again I think having children is a life style choice too. I'm not saying that i'm completely skint (though not far off) however I am by no means 'minted'!
Click to expand...
 
Ouch LoLo ... This wasn't meant to offend :(

Having a horse is my choice.

Having a family is your choice.

Either way we'd both be better off financially without ;-) but where would be the fun in that?!!
 
I know people who spend more in a week down the pub than I do for my horse's livery! They are also the people that make snidey comments about how much my horse must cost! We haven't had a foreign holiday for 4 years!

The last time I had my hair cut was April - before that it was October 2010!! OK I have long straight hair and I cut my fringe but I never have my nails done, have one handbang I use all the time.

We all make choices in life but yes it really gets to me to the point I never ever speak to strangers about my lifestyle choices!!
 
There was an awkward moment today when I walked out of the car garage after paying an installment of my bill. I see my mechanics on a regular basis and due to me always whinging about how skint I am one of them said they "took my situation into account" when he worked out the bill (in a jokey way-but you get my drift)

Then today when I left after paying, I was covered in crap and straw and after some commentmfrom one of them, and then me saying "what, I have a horse, I always look like this" there was a raised eyebrow and most likely, I fear, an extra zero to be added to my next invoice :(
 
Lolo said:
Sure, you might not be loaded and you must work hard for your money- no one is saying anything else. But horses are expensive creatures and you are lucky to be in a position where you can afford to own one.

Rant over. I'm sorry. This just gets on my wick, along with twits who claim that those with nice stuff lucked out to get there...
Click to expand...


Those are 2 contradictory statements!

She is NOT lucky to be in a position to be able to afford one - she works hard and possibly has worked hard in the past to get qalifications to enable her to get a reasonably paid job.

I'm sure you can understand this as it gets on your wick when people suggest that those with nice stuff are lucky!

Those of us with horses do have a certain amount of money, which most of us have worked hard for years to earn. However most of us do not have any more than our colleagues who choose to spend their money on foreign holidays/fast cars/gym membership/beauty treatments etc.

I know exactly where OP is coming from.
 
At the end of the day it doesnt matter whether you are minted or not, its no one elses business. You would never have a look at someone elses posessions and say 'wow, u must be skint!' :o I dont care if people think I have money because I have a horse. Im more interested that people know I work for what I have.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top