Keeping horses on a budget... without comprimising welfare...

Serenity087

Serenity087

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Is it doable?

I'm looking at getting my own place so need to ensure all my costs are at a minimum. I am very particular about the costs of things atm but try and balance it with making sure Dorey never wants for anything.

But I'm curious as to what other costs one could save without risking the horses welfare. I know other people manage it, so am curious.
 
i think a lot of it really depends on the sort of horse you have, some can survive on fresh air, no shoes and no rugs or shelter, some just cant.
take a look bak at the 'older fashioned' ways of feeding, stabling etc, they often are a lot cheaper
 
Yes it can be done - but I think you need to look carefully at the things that your horse NEEDS rather than what you want to get him / her.

If you can identify needs over wants you could potentially reduce costs while not compromising their care. Also consider things like making repairs on things rather than buying new etc - maybe take a look at the money saving tips in stable yard (? I think it's there!!)
 
What type of horse do you have and is it only one?

you can pm me on some ideas if you want.

Im currently keeping 8 horses while in university. Though my helps a little (some are partly her horses) she is not earning much a week and manages to live of basic money.
 
Ebay for kit!! I've had some absolute bargains - especially if you're not the "matchy matchy" sort!
My horses are normally stabled at night all winter, and in the day during the summer. This year (it helped that it was dry) he was out 24/7 from Feb to beginning of July (when the horseflies got bad). He'll then go out again in August, hopefully as long as poss depending on the weather. Just get the best rugs you can possibly afford, as they will pay you back numerous times. If you insure your horses don't go for the cheapest option as it is a false economy.
 
Horses on a budget? No way. Unless you have your own place, produce your own straw and bedding etc then no. By your own place do you mean to keep Dorey? Or just for you? Is she at livery? Is she insured? Shod? Rugged? Stabled? Very difficult to answer you without knowing your circumstances.

I keep 8 horses at my own place. They cost me around £200 a month each to keep on average. Out 24/7 in the summer, and in at night in the winter.
 
I think alot of money is spent unnecessarily on things we want for our horses rather than things they need.
We keep ours at home, make our own haylage and buy straw from the field, they only get hard feed when working and have no supplements. But I am still paying £70 for a set of shoes and £50/horse insurance/month plus vaccinations, dental and back lady (not normally someone i would use but needs must). I get most of our saddlery and riding kit from ebay and if daughter wants something smart she has it for her birthday. So we do it on a budget but it is still a 'luxury' and we don't have holidays or smart cars (:()competitions are a big expense although for the first time in about 5 yrs we have had a break from these for a couple of months due to exams etc, but these are about to start again so I guess we'll be eating plain pasta again!
 
It is do-able,definately,unless you get a large vet bill. We have our own place,make our own hay and sell some to offset the costs. we buy in straw . over the winter the horses have ad-lib hay,a little soaked sugarbeet and a few rolled oats. when its very cold a little boiled barley is added. I spend no more than £100 all winter on food for them,often less. we have a chaff cutter and make our own chaff. the farrier trims regulally at £15 a time. when the horses are older and ridden they will be shod,but not all year round. then there are wormers to add and bi-annual tetanus jab. thats all. the sales of our excess hay often cover all costs. we do buy fertilizer and lime and weedkiller.
 
I keep 2 horses on minimum wage, and it is do able. both are tb types need shoes all round and rugging etc. one is 24 and need alot of special care i.e copd, cushings, arthritis and feet problems. I think about how i feed etc. they are feed alot of forage and small hard feeds. this works very well for me the both keep there weight and look well on it.
 
there are so many variables. You need to spend the next month or two religiously writing down everything you spend on your horse, livery, feed, treats, tack. then add in what wormer/vets/farrier/shoes cost respectively.

Then go through all costs of living in your new place. rent, water, elec, gas, tv licence, sky?/ food/ clothes... then your car bills, taking into account MOT and tax.

The add it all together, if you still have money left out of your wage packet then happy days.

If its almost doable then look at what corners you can cut, sell your big car for a little 1.1 that runs on fresh air and is peanuts to insure, changing doreys livery arrangement, smaller accommodation for you?
 
YES IT IS VERY DO ABLE!

I keep my mare on a tight budget, i refuse to pay over £100 for my DIY livery, and i am lucky ive found a yard with grass DIY (field shelter) with large school, jump area and round pen with some amazing hacking.

I also refuse to pay over £75 for a full set (unless needed for medical reasons) and luckily there are 2 or 3 farriers in area who charge £65 for full set.

Again sensible about what and how i feed, I wash and reproof and repair my own rugs, i also use the dentist / vet when theyre on the yard visit as often theres a discount for more than one. for example i pay £35 for dentist on yard visit day, but if they come out just for me its £50......

And things i WANT rather then NEED for her like new numnahs etc can wait unless i have the money without something else having to go short.

HOWEVER and this is the important part, PLEASE ensure you have an emergency credit card / saving account / or insurance policy where you can afford the excess incase medical treatment is needed. I have a credit card, that my mum keeps at her house 5 mins from me (i know im 24 but i do doubt my self restraint sometimes....) and i know the funds on the card are plenty to cover an emergency vet and my insurance excess if required.....

I know lots of people who are on a budget and it works fine!
 
I am a postie and i can manage. However i have been lucky in that i know a couple who work full time and happen to have around 20acres, 3stables and 2 donkeys and zero time, so i look after their donkeys and between me and another lady we muck out put in and out and we get free livery in return wich is a mega bargain, we are all skint up at the stables, i'm probably the best off. I buy 40 bags of shredded cardboard for £160 and we all take from it and put £4 per bag we take into the drawer then i'll order again when we run out. We take haylage of 12 of the acres through summer and we can use that for free over winter. My horse is out 24/7 atm and lives off fresh air even though he is tb x he is a very good doer, and is well rugged and ad lib haylage over winter. I only use turnout rugs this saves on time and money. He gets a good balancer and sugar beet over winter and always looks fab on this. He will have shoes off in Winter and he gets a bit of a break because i am so busy at christmas time anyway, it can be done.
 
We have our own land, 6 acres and I try to keep costs down as much as I can. I only have two horses so plenty of grazing for them. I turn out as much as possible, out 24/7 march until october, then they're out everyday from 7am until 4pm in the winter. This saves on bedding and hay/haylage. I have a ragwort problem so have not been able to produce my own hay as won't risk it. I do all my own spraying (knapsack!!!!!) for ragwort etc. I have a chain harrow so do that myself and roll myself. I bought them cheap from an agricultural auction. I use my truck, don't have a tractor. They have ad lib hay all winter so I keep feed to a minimum (my tb looks very well on it!). I do give vit and min supp and joint supp though.
I would say, apart from shoeing (£80 every 6 weeks, one shod, one trimmed) my biggest outlay is hay and muck heap removal! If you have an area that you can keep your muck heap and turn it yourself so it rots down, that's great. When we move this will be my priority!!!! I'm also changing my boys onto straw from shavings to save time and money. Will make my muck heap bigger but farmers like it much more than shavings :)
Try not to buy things unneccessarily, make your own fly spray. I use germolene for cuts etc as much cheaper as it doesn't say "horse" on it! Nappies for poultices etc etc etc! And buy secondhand! :)
 
I think it is do-able. I deliberately went looking for a native or native cross...as was thinking ahead about the what ifs if I couldn't keep it at livery I needed a horse that could survive wintering out if need be, was robust, and wouldn't need quantities of feed each winter or endless rugs. On top of that he has good solid feet so keeps his shoes for 6 weeks and has gone as long as 9 weeks one time. It's fine when they're healthy and all going well, it's just the unpredictables you can't budget for really. I shop around for my insurance, get a sale rug if he needs one (has very limited wardrobe). On a horse budget you only buy what they need not all the extras that manufacturers think you need :). Mine still has a 6 monthly physio check, and teeth done every 9-12 months beyond the normal innoculations, worming, fly spray, first aid kit, etc, and all his needs are met. I still have same headcollar and grooming kit I bought for him 7 years ago...I watch people on our yard haemorrhage money on endless new things that then just sit there, are never used, not required. With the cost of fuel this year and the distance I travel for work my pony is currently cheaper per month than my car... I lost my job 2 years ago and am managing on a lot less money now but intend to keep my horse and afford him and there are ways of doing that without compromising welfare. I can't afford my lessons anymore which is a shame as I really enjoyed them but still manage the odd local shared clinic sessions and wasn't that bothered about competing so have no costs that way.
 
TBH, everything is pretty might as tight as I can get!

All my rugs have been begged/stolen/borrowed/exchanged for half a war horse ticket. Most my tack is from my mother's tack box, Dorey eats a bare minimum (fresh air works for her too!) and I shop around for hay. The only luxeries I've bought recently are new feed buckets as Dorey jumped on hers the other day and smashed them, and a chain for the door as I'm getting sick to death of her door kicking (plus, I worry about her legs!)

Unfortunately we don't have the room for any forage growing, although I have so much grass Dorey will be eating it into the winter!

TPP, Swings and roundabouts with the car. It's worthless, so I can't do a straight swap for a new car, nor would I make any money off it for a new car. Am really miffed off that the local buses would drop me off an hour and a half early for work or 9 minutes late... nothing in between :(

That said, I've decided to quit one of my hobbies and cut back on another, so my fuel bill should plummet!!!
 
it is very doable.... you just need to be very rational about the 'extras' that you'd normally just get them.

Ok, so we keep ours at home so there's no livery to pay... but they only get fibre feeds (alfa a oil and speedibeet, with a balancer) plus ad lib haylage in the winter, and they only get the balancer in the summer. Ron hunts off this diet in the winter, and hacks out most days on grass and balancer in the summer - and believe me he's not thin!! They are both good doers though, which does help.

Our rugs are ancient, but I'd rather spend £30 to get a rug washed, repaired, reproofed each year than to spend that and some on a new one!! Rambo rugs are really tough, and our h/w ones are now 10+ years old, so well worth the £200 they cost new!!

Our farrier is £56 for a full set - both boys are shod all round every 6 weeks.

We buy our haylage in bulk, and pay £4 a bale off the field for 180 to 200 bales a year. We also buy our wood pellet bedding in bulk, buying 2 pallets lasts us about 15-18 months but cuts the price down quite a bit.

We only do half a dozen or so competitions, and we pick and choose them carefully - our aim is to have a bit of fun, so we have no need to do masses of them or to trophy hunt. However, hunting is expensive, and the fuel that you use adds up quickly!

otherwise, our only other costs are vaccinations and insurance.
 
Serenity087 said:
TPP, Swings and roundabouts with the car. It's worthless, so I can't do a straight swap for a new car, nor would I make any money off it for a new car. Am really miffed off that the local buses would drop me off an hour and a half early for work or 9 minutes late... nothing in between :(

That said, I've decided to quit one of my hobbies and cut back on another, so my fuel bill should plummet!!!
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can you bicycle to work/the yard/ your other hobbies? that keeps you fit, uses no fuel and means you can stick to your own timings?

I cycle to work 3 days a week - its 7 miles and takes me half an hour each way. OH cycles to work too, but its 25 miles and it takes him about an hour and 20m (but he is weird!!).
 
I keep my two on a budget- ive moved from a posh livery to a basic one with no sand school, just fields but its alot cheaper. I pay 100 per month each but that includes hay/bedding. Only one of them has front shoes and the other is unshoed at the moment, so shoeing cost me 50 each visit for both. Worming gets done every 4 months or so which is a tube between them so around 30 quid. Insurance is 60 per month for the both and any new rugs etc I buy if i have a bit of spare cash around (not often!) and even then they are either cheapy non brand off ebay or second hand. As ive bought expensive rugs before and they have been ripped in days! I also ask for anything 'nice' as present for xmas/birthdays. In all honesty and I know I will get shot down here- there have been a few things in the past that the horses have gone without that they could have done with i.e saddle fit checked etc as if I feel the saddle isnt quite right due to weight chanmge etc, then I will pad out with gel/sheepskin until I can afford to get a saddler out. Though lucky for me, there is now a saddler that keeps his horse at the yard! They have been a few weeks late on worming/shoes in the past. They are certainly not neglected and no harm came to them because of the above. I will stress though that I may delay things if I need to etc- they will never go without feed/warmth etc. Sorry long post!
 
It is doable, you just need to be sensible.

I have my own yard and get hay off the field which saves me pretty much most of the money.

Hard feed they get own brand from local equestrian shops, I have various tack that gets adjusted and used on different horses. My one good saddle and bridle for parties, that goes for other tack too. I have one nice set, and the rest is just functional.

Shoes are £60 re-fit, and £64 new, only one horse is shod, others barefoot.

Fertilising and hay cutting I get done for free, and the people who cut get some bales as payment.

My jumps are home made, and I am doing without an arena until a bit later on in the year.

The horses are in at night in the winter, they are on shavings, but I buy the cheapest dust extracted I can get, and all their rugs are bought second hand or in the sales.

I will still buy myself and the horses the occasional treat though!

I have always worked on a budget, which I think makes it easier for me to do so.
 
No one round here does grass livery with a shelter, and the cost of the cheaper ones DIY is £130 per month, they have to be stabled at night, or fields would be destroyed, Bedding is £8-£10 per week, I will try to get some wood pellets at an auction sale next week, but it means a day off work, so money gained will be money lost.
I have already bought his [winter] linseed, vits and minerals due to a new barefoot regime [save £10 per week], this costs £3.50 per week, I will be using Speedy beet, to save £2.00 per week on branded complete feeds. haylage/hay is £10 per week, it is part of the deal, and saves me running all over the country looking for stuff.
So his winter costs will be £30 per week more than in summer, this is the big problem for me, I can't see how I can reduce it, except by giving him no feed or vits and mins, and limiting his bed to minimal, but then YO would top it up anyway [he's right on top of welfare issues, which is good}]
I could save if I went for grass livery over winter with no stable, but nearest one is half an hour away, and it is so difficult if there is no tack room or any facility, even with a hardy type.
 
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Keep a horse barefoot, out on grass with a lick, and feed straw if your not in heavy work dont clip keep unrugged :O ok maybe a lightweight, only clip to what you need mine have lived out with a bib clip and unrugged. Or do you really need a full set, Samba is currently front shod only.

Don't really buy supplements unless I really really need them, I dont see vit and min supplements as something I need if they have access to grass and a lick.

I dont worm religiously just feb (tapeworm) and sept (bots) and december (tapworm but this time varies).

I ring round vets and see whos doing a deal on jabs.

We pamper horses far to much, of course its nice if we can but we dont NEED to, go to Ireland etc and horses are kept very much still the 70's and 80's way. When I was younger my horse had a NZ for outdoor, and a Jute for indoors and that was it.
 
Brambridge04 said:
HOWEVER and this is the important part, PLEASE ensure you have an emergency credit card / saving account / or insurance policy where you can afford the excess incase medical treatment is needed.
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This is a VERY good tip :)

You just never know when a fuzzy is going to need the vet for injudy or illness, or a fallen tree perhaps might take down fencing or shelter/stable, or other accidental damage may happen. Worth having IMHO. (even if it has to be used to fix car to get to yard & back!)
 
It can be done....

As already said we pamper our horses to much, in the wild you wouldnt see them getting half the things they get nowadays. If not worked much they dont need any hard feed if they have access to grass and salt lick. Take off all there shoes. Have one rug and re-proof etc yourself (it should last all winter). The only thing you need to worry about is jabs, dentist and an emergency credit card in case of injury etc.

It will be ok :)
 
I think it depends on many things, theres budgeting and theres scrimping and robbing peter to pay paul.....if its the latter id say think long and hard before embarking down that route.
That said there are folks out there keeping 3-4 horses while on benefits, i dont know how they manage that but they do...... Thats a whole different thread
 
i think you would be surprised how many people keep horses on a fairly tight budget, they just tend to keep quiet so as not to be looked down on;)
I managed to keep my lot ticking over when my OH lost his job, we have 2 horses and 2 ponies, all good doers who live out 24/7 all year round. we are very lucky that we have a 6 acre field that we rent for £100 a month, it's all very basic, no electric or piped water but i actually now prefer it !:D it's harder work than being on DIY livery, the winter can sometimes feel never ending when you're slogging through mud in the howling wind and rain.
 
As so many have said, it can be done. Just buy the things you need not the things you want. I am lucky in that OH has a very well paid job, mine isn't bad but I still have student debt, etc. BUT - I have always paid for my horses myself. I would feel guilty always running to him for things. So I've downsized my car to a little diesel Fiat that does 70 mpg. That's saving me a fortune and allowed me to have a new horse just on the back of the fuel savings.

Buy rugs in sales, you can get a decent turnout for less than £50 these days (considerably less in fact). I feed unmolassed sugar beet as a main hard feed, not only is it cheaper but I believe for many horses it is healthier. Think about shoes, can you go to trimming only in winter for example? Ebay is good as people have said. Also, even though I'm in my 30's I'll still make a list for birthdays and Christmas, then I can have the "extras" (people can club together for expensive stuff!). Lots of tips on here, have a browse.
 
Mine is reasonably inexpensive to keep, a native that thrives on fresh air - the downside is that laminitis and weight issues are a constant threat so have to limit grazing and feed hay in summer which is not quite so economical!

There used to be a book called 'keeping a horse on a shoestring' - not sure if it's still available or up to date, but it might have some good tips.

Mine native gets fed haylage/hay/chaff and possibly speedibeet or fast fibre along with a general supplement. Ordinary molassed sugar beet is cheaper and provided it is very well soaked and rinsed can be used for sugar sensitive horses instead of speedibeet. I'm actually feeding 'expensive' horsehage at the moment, but it is good quality and I'm not stuck with unusable hay that has to be thrown away, it probably balances out pretty evenly with hay cost wise, so I'd recommend on paying for quality rather than quantity where hay is concerned.

I rent a field which is vastly cheaper than diy livery, I built my own stable in it.

Weeds are simply dug out or sprayed if really bad, but no expensive fertilisers are needed.

Mine lives out 24/7 all year, unless it gets exceptionally wet when I bring in overnight.

No shoes and minimal hoof trimming is needed.

Worming kept to the basic minimum.

Doesn't need rugs and can liveout happily with a bib clip unrugged.

No need for expensive grooming sprays and conditioners.

Buckets - large tub trugs from Asda were loads cheaper than equestrian shops.

The one thing I would do is have savings for vets bills or insurance to cover, then the worry isn't there is money is urgently needed.

Good quality second hand tack is often better than inferior quality new tack.

Become inventive and see what you can make yourself instead of spending a fortune!
 
Looks like I'm pretty much already on the ball with my finances. The only question marks are shoes (which, tbh, I'd prefer, her feet started crumbling because we have stoney hacking... that said, I CAN avoid the worst of it!) and livery (which although is more expensive than grass, I have a VERY ameanable YO who will accept non-payments if funds are hard to find!)

I think I will pay off the credit card and keep it as emergency - I don't need it for vets as insured. Bit worried about my insurance going up though as NFU seems to be getting expensive... might shop around for a new one :(

Biking to work would be really rather hard, as the direct route is a dual carriageway and reguardless on the law (which I think is no bikes) it's not safe (regular accidents - the most recent appears to have been fatal!). I do cycle to the yard when I can, but I'm doubling up yard and work trips as I pass the yard on the way!
 
[QUOTE.

I keep 8 horses at my own place. They cost me around £200 a month each to keep on average. Out 24/7 in the summer, and in at night in the winter.[/QUOTE]

Crikey! £1600 a month on your horses. I'm stunned! Not much more I can say without sounding nosey or envious.....
 
Serenity087 said:
Looks like I'm pretty much already on the ball with my finances. The only question marks are shoes (which, tbh, I'd prefer, her feet started crumbling because we have stoney hacking... that said, I CAN avoid the worst of it!)
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It might be worth considering hoof boots, they'd probably pay for themselves versus shoeing costs in a short space of time, although faffy to put on and off, but you'd still be able to do your stony hacks, and who knows, given time her feet might just improve sufficiently to let her hack comfortably?
If things are tight I'd give it a shot.
 
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