More price rises!

[holeymoley]

When you think you’re doing okay in the current economic climate- farrier puts a notice out that prices will rise as of 2023. . Absolutely inevitable, I know how much money goes in to him running as a business, I don’t have any beef about that, but jeeez, how much more can we take. Feed’s gone up, bedding’s up, livery’s up, my mortgage is up, food shop is up, gas & electricity, where do we stop How is everyone affording fancy cars,1-2 holidays a year etc etc what am I doing wrong We are getting by fine at the moment but this is unsustainable. We both have decent jobs(1 of us high up in emergency services) we drive nice cars- both about 7/8years old now, not brand new, we have 2 young-ish children and one good- doer horse. We shouldn’t be feeling like we’re going to worry about getting by. Unless you’re extremely lucky to be well off, how on earth is anyone else managing with the horse side of things? I genuinely can’t cut back anymore.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I wouldn’t be able to afford horses if I couldn’t keep them at home

 

[Sossigpoker]

Well I have to move my horse since my current livery is going up by 40%. Yes, 40%!!

 

[Spotherisk]

My young riding horse was pts early 2020, just before lockdown. I now have two retirees at home, they cost me about £500 pa to keep in trims and a bit of feed/wormer, no way could afford to keep a horse on livery and shod these days.

I don’t know how people are coping, I’ve just had the fuel bill for my mums empty house, £576 for nine weeks, and the only thing that’s been turned on is the gas heating on 17 degrees, that’s crazy money.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

That's why I gave up when they announced energy prices were going to be ridiculous from April

It was definitely the right decision

 

[dogatemysalad]

We've been lucky, so far we are still in credit with energy bills and YO hasn't increased the livery charges. The only drain on our resources, are vet bills. Don't think we'll have any more horses or pets in the future, vet diagnostics and drugs have become ridiculously expensive.

 

[Daniel_Jack]

This is one of the reasons I sadly decided to pts my young, retired horse last month ?

She was perfectly happy retired but livery was going up 25%, fuel costs increasing, farrier, mortgage, childcare fees etc - it was getting to the point where we were dipping into savings every month and its totally unsustainable. And we don't live a lavish life style.

I suspect there will be lots of people forced to make difficult decisions in the coming months.

 

[blitznbobs]

Fuel cap is coming off in march - so I guess everything goes ip again then… just hope the war in ukraine is over soon — not a lot we can do about brexit now though

 

[meleeka]

The only way I can afford them is by having my own land and living in a teeny house, which we’ve been in for 24 years. My mortgage is nearly paid off so it’s easily affordable and we haven’t really noticed the interest rate rises.

 

[tallyho!]

FWIW, I almost gave up about 15 years ago due to the affordability of livery, vets bills, farrier, feed/supplements, etc. I totally changed my outlook on what horses actually needed (much of it all came from this very forum as there are knowledgable people here) and I still have them... the "traditional" way is very expensive and actually unhealthy. If you took another look at the diet, the management, and whether or not there is a real need for shoes, you might be surprised what you can save and have healthier horses to boot.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I actually got the cheapest diesel last night that I have seen for a while!
157.9! Still shockingly expensive.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I’ve just had the fuel bill for my mums empty house, £576 for nine weeks, and the only thing that’s been turned on is the gas heating on 17 degrees, that’s crazy money.

Is the heating on 24hrs or set periods? Mine comes on three times a day and is set at 22. Just looked at my smart meter and this month have used £134 worth of gas, so under half what your mum's house has cost.

 

[maya2008]

My friend’s mortgage is on a variable rate, and it goes up 44% at the end of January! I think some of the livery price rises might be linked to mortgages.

Price of ponies is through the floor - I saw one advertised for free the other day, a 4 year old small pony for £200, a well handled nearly 3 year old to make 14hh for £600. Everyone is cutting down on the ‘extras’ which in horse terms seems to be anything that isn’t ridden yet!

I have absolutely no idea how a family on two fixed incomes could be coping in all this - I was part time and have gone full time, so we had some flexibility, but for those who haven’t it’s an enormous amount of money to find, if you add it all up.

 

[Spotherisk]

Is the heating on 24hrs or set periods? Mine comes on three times a day and is set at 22. Just looked at my smart meter and this month have used £134 worth of gas, so under half what your mum's house has cost.

The thermostat was set at 17, so I assumed it kicked in when it dropped below that. Old three storey granite rubble cottage, end terrace so three outside walls, on a windy corner on Dartmoor. We’ve dropped it to 12 and shut ground floor doors in the hope of saving some money - it is sold subject to contract.

 

[J&S]

So how do you explain the enormous amount of food and drink purchased in the super markets pre Christmas? Car parks full, shelves empty! The garden centres choc a bloc ((see when driving past, I don't enter!), local smart tack shops full of stuff I couldn't even begin to think about buying as so expensive. My friend is a delivery driver/courier and she was saying even back in November that the volume of items she had to deliver was way higher than normal........ all had to be purchased.
Yet I know that well paid, profesional, middle class people are struggling.

Don't even want to start on the prices of horses......... how can an ordinary, amateur rider, with a family, who wants to do low level RC stuff and the odd HT etc possibly afford the 8K or so needed plus all the expenses you have all mentioned for livery etc. I was able to do all the riding I ever wanted to do, including loads of competitive stuff, over the last 50 years, on two small horses who cost just about 1k between them!

Us horse owners have probably sacrificed quite a lot of other luxuries in life just to keep our horses, pay vets bills, pay feed bills etc so probably we are in the best position to weather the financial storms and not be too sad about not buying the newest phone or pair of trainers.

 

[meleeka]

So how do you explain the enormous amount of food and drink purchased in the super markets pre Christmas? Car parks full, shelves empty! The garden centres choc a bloc ((see when driving past, I don't enter!), local smart tack shops full of stuff I couldn't even begin to think about buying as so expensive. My friend is a delivery driver/courier and she was saying even back in November that the volume of items she had to deliver was way higher than normal........ all had to be purchased.
Yet I know that well paid, profesional, middle class people are struggling.

Don't even want to start on the prices of horses......... how can an ordinary, amateur rider, with a family, who wants to do low level RC stuff and the odd HT etc possibly afford the 8K or so needed plus all the expenses you have all mentioned for livery etc. I was able to do all the riding I ever wanted to do, including loads of competitive stuff, over the last 50 years, on two small horses who cost just about 1k between them!

Us horse owners have probably sacrificed quite a lot of other luxuries in life just to keep our horses, pay vets bills, pay feed bills etc so probably we are in the best position to weather the financial storms and not be too sad about not buying the newest phone or pair of trainers.

Debt has a lot to do with it. Don’t forget that a lot of those people who splash out at Christmas, do so on credit cards, which are now more expensive. A lot of people also have the maximum mortgage possible and that’s more expensive. Saving up until you can afford something isn’t the norm these days and so, when interest rates go up and salaries don’t, people struggle.

I think most of us with horses don’t have them as well as all the other luxuries, but instead of. Some people choose to spend on cars, holidays, houses etc and others choose horses. Most of us are too knackered to enjoy meals out and luxury holidays anyway ?

 

[Barton Bounty]

That is where I do not understand people, I class my horse as my luxury, I don’t drink or smoke, I rarely go out unless it is lunch with friends or family. I have no debt and a small mortgage that is nearly finished. I would not be able to sleep at night if I had to live from a credit card, I don’t own one. Yet I see some middle class families in my town and know that they are struggling and live their lives on a credit card. I do however squander a lot of money on stuff I really don’t need ? like riding tights, rugs etc ???

 

[Barton Bounty]

And yet here I am with a basket for hope valley saddlery thats £700 lmao! Awaiting payday ! I am however going to knock the ring off for the day so OH doesn’t see ???

 

[Gloi]

Not everybody is skint though. I think the pandemic has made some people think hard about their mortality and are still spending thinking 'you can't take it with you'

 

[Barton Bounty]

Not everybody is skint though. I think the pandemic has made some people think hard about their mortality and are still spending thinking 'you can't take it with you'

I also agree with you there, I don’t want my mum thinking ‘I need to leave my daughter something’ Id rather she had a great time with the money now ?

What this year has taught me is that life is cruel sometimes. My friend son who was 15 at the time, got cancer! Cancer at 15 , they were distraught! They buried him 4 weeks ago! He was 17 years old ?. Her mum passed away last week! I honestly can’t grasp it.
Life is utterly terrifying and I don’t blame people for spending what they have now ?

 

[sbloom]

Debt has a lot to do with it.

And some households made savings during Covid, but yes, so often when Govt funding is lacking then consumer debt takes a hammering.

 

[SO1]

A significant amount of people are saving a lot of money by wfh and hybrid working.

My normal commute to work 5 days a week into London was £65 almost two years of wfh has saved 260 a month on average from not commuting so nearly 7k saved. If two people in household saving on commuting for two years that is a 14k saving. Many people also did not go out much and those with kids will have saved on school runs fuel and possibly after school clubs and if wfh may need less childcare.

I am now back in the office but only 2 days a week so despite inflation still saving some money.

Not everybody is skint though. I think the pandemic has made some people think hard about their mortality and are still spending thinking 'you can't take it with you'

 

[Dexter]

I'm giving serious thought to selling up. I can afford it but I'm no longer sure I can justify it. But then I worry where mine might end up if I sold him and things get worse.

 

[SO1]

I am in the market for a new forest after loosing mine. The prices for ridden ponies is still around 8k or more.

People are selling youngsters but not seeing many established ponies on the market yet.

My friend’s mortgage is on a variable rate, and it goes up 44% at the end of January! I think some of the livery price rises might be linked to mortgages.

Price of ponies is through the floor - I saw one advertised for free the other day, a 4 year old small pony for £200, a well handled nearly 3 year old to make 14hh for £600. Everyone is cutting down on the ‘extras’ which in horse terms seems to be anything that isn’t ridden yet!

I have absolutely no idea how a family on two fixed incomes could be coping in all this - I was part time and have gone full time, so we had some flexibility, but for those who haven’t it’s an enormous amount of money to find, if you add it all up.

 

[Esmae]

I couldn't afford livery bills. Mine are at home. 30 year old mare and 12 year old field ornament. I won't have another for a variety of reasons, cost being one of them.

 

[SEL]

Credit cards taking a hit for Xmas with many people I think - although I know some who took on bar / cafe work to earn extra ££

I also know one family who I think have a pretty luxurious lifestyle and then the hubbie was talking to me about how he'd re- mortgaged earlier this year. So that's what's paying for the holidays then.

My horses are a luxury but I don't go splashing out on expensive stuff for them (or me!)

 

[Bellaboo18]

A significant amount of people are saving a lot of money by wfh and hybrid working.

My normal commute to work 5 days a week into London was £65 almost two years of wfh has saved 260 a month on average from not commuting so nearly 7k saved. If two people in household saving on commuting for two years that is a 14k saving. Many people also did not go out much and those with kids will have saved on school runs fuel and possibly after school clubs and if wfh may need less childcare.

I am now back in the office but only 2 days a week so despite inflation still saving some money.

Completely agree.
We're one of those couples that have saved alot over the last two years. My husband now works from home other than maybe a once a month trip to the office which is a huge saving. Before covid we'd have gone out twice a week for dinner, not only did that stop but we've not really picked it back up again. We saved on the holidays we would have been on.
Honestly I'd say we're better off than before. Just another point of view.

 

[suestowford]

We've been lucky, so far we are still in credit with energy bills and YO hasn't increased the livery charges. The only drain on our resources, are vet bills. Don't think we'll have any more horses or pets in the future, vet diagnostics and drugs have become ridiculously expensive.

I am facing this too and not replacing those who've died. I have some savings left to cover vet bills for the remaining animals but the future looks very bleak.

 

[Spotherisk]

For a while now I’ve been looking at things and working out how many hours I have to work to buy them ie ooh new flashy thing only £100, eek, if you’re on minimum wage you probably have to work 12 hours to pay for it.

It really concentrates your mind.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I wouldn’t be able to afford horses if I couldn’t keep them at home

Same. Or if I wasn’t with a farmer who gives me hay, straw and muck removal.