Money and horses

jenbleep

jenbleep

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Morning all!

I'm sure this has been done to death but never mind. How much per month does it cost to keep your horse(s)? What livery do you use, or are they kept at home/renting a field? How much is your livery?

How many lessons do you have a month (if any?)

How much do you pay for hay and straw and how much do you use? What about shoes?

Do you put any money away for appointments, or vet fees?

Charisma's owner is thinking of selling up and moving out of the country to the city, and will only have the one on livery (her daughters) so I might get C on loan. (Not immediately, but in a year or so) and I was just trying to work out a budget.

What sacrifices do you have to keep your horse - do you have a second job?

Mainly I'd like to know how much it costs per month. I'm looking at around £200-£250 but I think that's for basic livery, hay and straw, food and shoes! No vet, no lessons etc....?

Just having a think :)
 
I would find out how much full livery at an OKish yard is and talk to the YO about budgets if you are seriously considering having a horse.

Although you may not want Full Livery, I think it is a really good idea to understand how much your horse may cost you (if for example you were ill, etc) and work back from there.

If you are just scraping it financially, you have to be very very very committed!!!
 
All depends where you are as that makes a HUGE difference

I'm in Staffs

DIY Livery is £35 pw inc haylage 3 schools (when in use due to damage surface) off road hacking, on site winter competitions.

bedding £8 per wk

Feed supplements £6

Farrier is about £30 per 6wks fronts only

insurance £55 inc LOU

annual vet £150 for jabs check etc

lessons £30 per month

competitions as much or as little as I can manage usually £50-100 per month inc fuel

dentist/chiro six monthly £100

Do my own saddle so free

What do I give up to keep him/lorry and compete simple EVERYTHING!

Is it worth it OH YES!!
 
This is going to be rather ouchy to add up, but here goes!

DIY livery (amazing area for hacking and comps, outdoor school, lunge pen, good stone stables and individual turnout - though not particularly generous in size) is £40 per week
Bedding, I tend to use about 2 bales a week (shavings and chopped straw) £6.50 a bale (only use this in winter months as they live out as soon as we are out of frost weather!)
Hay, £12 per week per horse ad lib (as above re only winter use).
No shoes, have farrier out for a trim every 6 weeks - £20, (could get away with longer I think but would rather have an early check rather than a late one incase there are any probs - am a natural worrier!).
Feed - they are just on chaff and supps (magnesium etc, try not to get swayed by pricy mixes!) prob about £15 per month.
Teeth, every 6 months, £35
Back lady, every 6 months (or more if any probs) £35
Jabs - about £50 inc call out
Worming - 2 worm counts a year and tape wormer twice a year, about £40
I (when the ground isn't frozen solid!) have one dressage lesson a week. He is a total bargain at £25
Insurance (with NFU, no loss of use, just vets fees and theft) about £400
Don't compete heaps at the mo as mare has been off loads! Mean to get out and about again shortly, prob every other weekend, looking at about £50 per outing with entry fees, fuel and chips!
Odd vet niggles, first aid box stuff, shampoo and other oddments can really add up, as have been rather heavy on dressings in the last year it has prob added around £150 to the yearly bill.
Saddler (just got a new saddle that we did need - just over a grand with saddle fitter costs too), even just for checks I would budget for a visit at least once a year with the occational cost of reflocking as wool flocking will go lumpy in time (talking years not months though so don't worry too much!).
Other stuff as and when like boots, bridle, rug repairs/washing/replacement etc. Does rather depend on what a trasher your horse is! Best to sale shop and have an emergency fund for mid winter when the horse decides to mince the bloody heavyweight turnout rug!

Gosh, I think (hope!) that's it! Obviously the sky's the limit if you like to spend!

I have income from a rental house and I also make tack for extra £s. I don't feel that we make any sacrifices as we are very happy as we are, but if I were to compare our lifestyle to friends then we do make big sacrifices. Just depends what you (and oh if relevant!) are happy to get away with. We don't go out much at all, food is cheap for us, keep a close eye on elec and heating bills, holiday is a week away in the UK if we are lucky and a day at Olympia!
 
jenbleep said:
Morning all!

I'm sure this has been done to death but never mind. How much per month does it cost to keep your horse(s)? What livery do you use, or are they kept at home/renting a field? How much is your livery?
£86.60 per month, DIY

How many lessons do you have a month (if any?) None at present

How much do you pay for hay and straw and how much do you use? What about shoes? £4 per bale for hay, £3 for straw. Don't use much as he's out but paid £160 for haylage in field to last end of Nov-April. Horse is barefoot, trimming is £20 but due to hard ground his hooves have not been done for over 12 weeks.

Do you put any money away for appointments, or vet fees?
Appoinments aren't that expensive as we all share the call out fee when vaccinating/dentist/saddler etc.

Charisma's owner is thinking of selling up and moving out of the country to the city, and will only have the one on livery (her daughters) so I might get C on loan. (Not immediately, but in a year or so) and I was just trying to work out a budget.

What sacrifices do you have to keep your horse - do you have a second job?
No, I'm a full time student with part time job. Sacrifices; lack of social life, nice clothes, smelling normal!

Mainly I'd like to know how much it costs per month. I'm looking at around £200-£250 but I think that's for basic livery, hay and straw, food and shoes! No vet, no lessons etc....?

Just having a think :)
Click to expand...


In all honesty, mine prob costs me around £200 per month for diy and being out 24/7. You've not mentioned insurance and cost of hard food either!
 
I hate thinking about this, makes me realise how much it costs me to have a horse!!

How much per month does it cost to keep your horse(s)? I dread to think. I'll give you individual prices but you can add it up yourself, I will give myself a heart attack if I do! ;)

What livery do you use, or are they kept at home/renting a field? I have him on something between part livery and assisted DIY. My YO turns out, brings in and mucks out Mon-Fri. If I leave extra haynets and feeds ready-made, and a note in the diary, she will do him for me so I don't need to go up every day.

How much is your livery? £220 pcm for the above. Haylage, bedding and feed is extra.

How many lessons do you have a month (if any?) Depends. Nothing over winter as the weather has been too bad and horse has been on holiday. In Spring/Summer, probably 1 flat lesson and 1 SJ lesson. Flat lesssons cost £25 each if I go to instructor, £35 if she comes to me. SJ lessons are £17.50 for 45 mins if he comes to the yard (organised by my YO), £20 for as long as needed (ie, if we achieve everything within 20 mins or if we need to work for 2 hours) if I go to him.

How much do you pay for hay and straw and how much do you use? I pay £40 pcm for haylage over winter, can use as much as I like provided horse doesn't waste it, ie pull it all through his bed. We haven't needed to feed in the field yet this winter.

What about shoes? £80 per set (shod all round, lateral extensions behind), every 8 weeks.

Do you put any money away for appointments, or vet fees? No, my horse is insured so I only need to pay my £135 excess. The only other thing he needs is teeth and jabs, which is about £150 a year.

What sacrifices do you have to keep your horse - do you have a second job? No but at the age of 30, I still can't afford to buy a house because I spend the best part of a mortgage a month on my horse. He moves to grass livery in March (£60 pcm) to save me some money, which will help my house savings.

Mainly I'd like to know how much it costs per month. I'm looking at around £200-£250 but I think that's for basic livery, hay and straw, food and shoes! No vet, no lessons etc....? Depends on what type of livery you go for and the yard you're at. My yard is expensive because the facilities are good. You also need to think about wormers, feed, insurance (I pay about £35 pcm for 10 out of 12 months, which covers me for 12 months), tack, saddle fitting. Are you going to need a trailer to compete?
 
In total, and I mean everythig, it probably costs me around £600 per moth for 2 large horses (one with specialist needs) plus insurance for the Shetland who is out on loan (I keep that covered for my on peace of mind)
 
jenbleep said:
Morning all!


Mainly I'd like to know how much it costs per month. I'm looking at around £200-£250 but I think that's for basic livery, hay and straw, food and shoes! No vet, no lessons etc....?

Just having a think :)
Click to expand...

That would do nicely around here (east yorkshire.) I don't have a horse at the moment but I'll try remember as many prices as I can!

Livery - DIY, very basic yard with stable, storage and grazing but good hacking and a variety of accessible schools - £50 a month
Farrier - £60 full shoeing, £35 fronts and back trim, £15 full trim
Hay - Small bales still £2.50 (for regulars...)
Feed - as little or much as you paid (for a welshie I was getting through about £8 a month in the summer and £12 in the winter)
Insurance - £35 without LOU
Bedding - straw - £2 a small bale, shavings - £6 a bag

Vets - £30 callout + £30 jabs (I think!!)
Saddle fitter - £50 per horse
Back woman - can't remember!
Dentist - can't remember either!
Lessons - £20 - £25 an hour

I didn't compete.

I was spending less than £150 a month in total all said and done. But I live in a cheap area and had a cheap to keep horse!!
 
North East Scotland:

What livery do you use, or are they kept at home/renting a field? How much is your livery?
DIY at £12 p/w

How many lessons do you have a month (if any?)
0

How much do you pay for hay and straw and how much do you use? What about shoes?
Hay = £25 per bale and I go through one bale every 2/3 weeks for 2 ponies. (I buy them in myself and think I'll go through 12 this winter in total).

Do you put any money away for appointments, or vet fees? Yes, I've worked out how much I need for the year for annual jabs and it's put aside monthly.

What sacrifices do you have to keep your horse - do you have a second job? None - I manage both of mine on my very lowly wage and my OH medium wage.

Mainly I'd like to know how much it costs per month. I'm looking at around £200-£250 but I think that's for basic livery, hay and straw, food and shoes! No vet, no lessons etc....?

If I put £300 a month aside for my 2 ponies bills (livery, dental, farrier, injections, hay (12 bales), feed, worm counts, wormers and insurance), then I've worked out that I'll have £500 left from this in December and start a nest egg for them, provided nothing goes wrong.

For one pony living out 24/7, needing next to nothing cost me a max of £150 per month.
Breaking costs down from my previous bills:
Dental - £60 per treatment (includes vet callout, sedation and work done).
Farrier - £65 per set, £30 per trim, £55 for refit.
Booster - £60 includes callout.
Feed - depends what you get. Mine cost nothing in summer and max £10 per month for one pony.

Hope this helps
 
Last edited:
my 2 cost around £1000/month.

this does not include lessons, competitions etc but does include feet and insurance.

they are on full livery.
 
I have 3 horses on my own land, so no livery costs. But have just spend £600 on replacing some of the fencing.

I'll spend £20 on hay per week in winter when there is no grass, but currently still have loads of grass. So hay bill is also £0

All horses out 24/7 so no bedding costs.

Currently one horse fed speedibeet (at £9 per bag) and conditioning cubes (£10.50 per bag) Others fed handful of beet and supplement. I buy supplements in bulk and I'd estimate it at about £10 per month for supplements and £30 per month for the feed.

Only 1 horse is shod (fronts only) and the others jsut get trims. Every 8 weeks farrier costs me £85 for the 3 of them. So £42.50 per month.

Yearly jabs bill comes in at about £80 (vet will visit for free on a certain day) so about £7 per month.

Wormer is £10 for a worm count twice yearly per horses and then 3x pramox or similar twice yearly. So worming is about £150 per year ~ £12.50 per month

So roughly £100 per month for my 3 horses, not including one off fees like vets bills, saddle fitter, insurance (I only have 3rd party so pay yearly ~ £50), fixing fencing etc. I put away money each month into my savings, so one off costs come out of that. I don't compete very often, but if I do I beg, borrow or steal a box or hack to local venue. But rarely get time!

So horses for me are very cheap, but I am very lucky to have my own land. I used to keep my horse on full livery when I was competing and livery alone was £120 per WEEK. I'd easily spend £800-£1000 per month on that one horse. Now I have a baby and don't get time to ride very often, so have bought the horses home. No school, but good hacking when I do get a chance :)
 
I pay the following and am based in Surrey:

90GBP per week for part/full livery (basically everything done except full grooming.....no riding as she is retired anyway, hay, shavings, hard feed are included)

25GBP per month on Joint Supplement

25GBP per month on HiFi Lite which I supplement her hay with

40GBP per month for Insurance Premium

30GBP per month on medication

40GBP every six weeks for farrier

Allow around 50 per month for ad hoc expenses such as treats, equine massage, new rug etc...sometimes I dont spend this at all and sometime I go way over it just depends on what she needs that month.

Then of course there are routine vet call outs for vaccines, teeth rasping, she has to have regular check ups and blood tests, I dont budget for these in my monthly budget sheet but pay those as and when needed from my salary

I am also thinking about starting a seperate bank account for her as once she hits 25 her insurance will only cover her for injury and not illness cover anymore. She is 24 in April so I will start to put aside at least 100GBP a month aside from this year to build up a little nest egg for her.

It always makes me cringe as I cannot believe the total amount but to summarise her average cost for a 4 week month is about 500 - 550 and for the odd 5 week month add another 90GBP!

I am very lucky that I only have to do one job to keep her in the lifestyle in which she is accumstomed to :rolleyes: and I am very grateful indeed!

Is is worth it? Hell yes! She is everything to me :)
 
It's not really these costs you need to worry about it's the unexpected ones

I.e. Dentist-normally 35per horse. This time Frank needs more done, 55 plus vet sedation.
Foal rips your gloves. £20.
Horse smashes a fence. £40.
Electric fencing costs.
Need new wellies. £40.
Suddenly have a horse in on box rest. Hay amount doubles!
Warm clothing.
Jodphurs.
New hat every time you fall.
Lunge line, grooming kit, headcollars, fixings for the stable. Haynets.

Basically I reckon we spend double what our figures allow for a month. When you've worked out everything else you actually buy.

Sorry to be doom and gloom! We literally have no spare money, it all goes on 3 horses out of a household income of about 30,000. Xxx
 
Last year I recorded every penny I spent. I've just posted about it here:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=426244

The basiscs for me:
DIY livery is £20 a week,
Haylage £10 a week for as much as they want while they're in overnight during the winter. (about 20 weeks so £200)
2 bales of shavings a month from December - April = £75 (combination of rubber matting, very clean horse and stingy owner!)
Shoes £60 every 8 weeks, teeth, back and saddle checks about £150 in total.
My boy's a good doer on good grass so I don't spend much on feed, maybe £100 a year?
I think I keep mine relatively cheaply compared to some, but maybe not:confused:.
 
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