Owning/ keeping a horse in your 20s

L

Laura2013

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 September 2013
Messages
56
Visit site
Just wondering how many people on here keep/ kept a horse through their 20s?

Do you find you live quite differently to your friends?/ Has it effected the speed/ age at which you do things like move out of home or get a mortgage?

Living in your 20s at the moment is already quite a stretch, but I can't imagine waiting until I am more established to have another horse! That said, I haven't finished saving for a mortgage and doing that with a horse will, I think, be nigh on impossible.

Just pondering really, which may not be of interest to anyone but interested in other peoples thoughts....! :rolleyes:
 
I'm 25 and I live with my OH in a rented house, keeping my horse on DIY livery about 3 miles from the house. We both work full time :) haven't had to do the winter routine yet but I'm sure we'll cope. I pay all horse expenses plus half the rent, all groceries and a contribution to car costs (as both cars belong to OH). No idea when we'll be able to afford to buy a house though ... especially as we're planning to get married in the next 2 years!

I had a horse all through my teens and uni years so have always lived a bit differently from my friends anyway!
 
Last edited:
Yes I bought my first horse of my own at 23! It means at 28 I'm still living at home as what would be rent money is livery money. I still pay my mother 350 a month and with my livery and other costs taken out I could rent a really nice place for 650/750! My horse is kept on a shoestring budget too wherever possible.

Do I regret having her? No not for one minute. I work where she's kept, I went to uni in the midlands and have no school friend close to Surrey, so my social life tends to revolve around my horse. I was never a huge clubbing or shopping person so its not effected me in that respect.

Yes I'd like to move out again, but without my horse I'd have a pretty dull social! Renting or horse bills, either way I wouldn't be able to save much whilst living in Surrey, so until I find a job elsewhere in the country I'm sticking with my horse.
 
Last edited:
Ella19 said:
Yes I bought my first horse of my own at 23! It means at 28 I'm still living at home as what would be rent money is livery money. I still pay my mother 350 a month but with my livery and other costs I could rent a really nice place for 650/750 and that's on a shoestring budget for the horse. Do I regret having her? No not for one minute. I work where she's kept, I went to uni I'm the midlands and have no school friend close so my social revolved around my horse. I was never a huge clubbing or shopping person so its not effected me in that respect. Yes I'dlike to move pout again but without my horse I'd have a pretty dull social! Renting or horse either way I wouldn't be able to save living in Surrey, so until I find a job elsewhere in the country I'm sticking with my horse.
Click to expand...

Ha- you sound exactly like me! I have done uni etc an moved back home and found without the horses I have no social life. I also have a similar expenses place in the country situ... Glad to hear someone is in a similar place!
 
I'm lucky in that I live at home and my parents are happy for me to stay here, so long as I'm not a pain in the bum ;)

While it's not "easy" it certainly is easier than I thought it would be...in a way. It was always made out that it would be the hardest thing EVER and that I wouldn't have a second to myself.
The drama with my yard way NOT easy and it made me wonder if horses were actually for me.
However, now they're (almost) at home, it's a lot better. Not as much stress or worry :)

Though, I don't go out drinking and I never spent much money on myself anyway.
 
I had horses all through college, my 20s and am now in my 30s and yes, it does make things different - but then my best friend rides too, and to be honest, I'd never change it :-)
 
I'm 25 & currently living at home, with the family - but I am saving to move out with my OH.

I work 45 hours a week, often more during our busy periods with overtime. I earn average money for my job.

Having a horse hasn't affected my social life, I'm out at bars or clubs most weekends and often do a night or two in the week. I'm only not out tonight due to illness! I'd love to say I don't enjoy shopping etc ... But that would be a lie! It just means I shop in Dorothy Perkins or TK Maxx rather than designer gear!

I grant you, my days start early - but that's the same for everyone! The key I find is to plan ahead,but I like being busy & it makes living at home much easier!

I don't compete, but do have regular lessons & enjoys clinics etc. I have a native, as it fits in with my life style & keeps my costs down. He is on DIY but do use assisted services or Mum helps me out.

It can be done - I love being busy, so it suits me down to the ground :)
 
Last edited:
I got my horse when I was 17 and I'm now 21. I got her for free from ny boss and at that time I was living on site at work (racing yard) so had already "moved out" though was going home every other weekend. I then passed my driving test and moved back home, nothing to do with the horse, I just hated living in a caravan! After a year of that I then moved from Kent to Suffolk and brought her with me.
I dont have a mortgage, I rent a room in a lovely ladys house which is pretty cheap. Once I've finished saving for a new car I will start saving for a deposit to put on a house to rent or something.
I do live differently from other people my age around here but that's not to do with my horse, that's just me! I dont like going out in town and would rather not be feeling icky when I go and see her the following day :)

I do struggle financially, especially now my hours at work have been cut and I'm only part time, but having my horse hasn't stopped me doing anything really and without her I wouldnt have a social life at all! I'm also lucky that I keep her at a great yard where I have her on part livery (more like full livery to me!) for less money than some people pay for DIY and I just have to go and ride her, so if I can't get to her one day it's no biggy :)
 
Last edited:
I'm 28 have had my horse since I was 21 and haven't lived at home for years so it can be done :) just need to very good with your money! Hopefully going to move in with my boyfriend soon which should make things a lot easier money wise and hopefully will be able to save properly!!
 
I guess age is just a number lol, I got a house and a mortgage at 19. Had my horses at my dads till I was about 21 and finished uni, then when I got my new boy at 25 moved into a nice livery yard with great facilities :)
 
I think it does!! Im 23 still at home with the rents, horse is at home aswell so i dont even have livery bills to pay but yet i find myself skint every month! I hardly ever go out and if i do its a pub dinner or cinema never a massive night out, most of my friends arent horsey so struggle with the fact that i have to finish work and sort horse out meaning i cant go out till gone 7.30!! All of my money goes on the horse whether its lessons, competing or new kit, i pay my mum a very meesly £120 rent which is absolutly nothing yet i still struggle every month! I am in desperate need of new clothes and shoes but i hate shopping so ill make do with what i have for a few more months.... Pony is due a new set of shoes this month anyway so ill be skint again!!! :P I earn a fair amount for a recent graduate £18k a yr but theres no way i could afford to move out and keep competing the ponio so looks like ill be at home for a while longer!!! The things we do for our horses eh?!!!! :P
 
Do you guys ever panic that you aren't saving any/ much money? I am living at home at the moment and so can save a few £££ on top of the horse but if/ when I move out and am renting my savings will be fairly minimal and I think I will only be breaking even.... at least until I can hit the 30k salary mark which is still a good few years away!
 
I'm 24 and have paid for my own horse entirely as soon as I got a full time job 2 years ago (once I graduated), but we got her when I was 16 (she is on DIY). I also bought my own house august 2012, but did briefly move out the beginning of that year.
I have been very lucky in that I had the starting of a deposit from inheritance and my parents helped renovate my house, as the only house I was going to be able to afford would need work doing.

Yes I don't go out a lot and don't have spare cash that isn't already budgeted for something else, but it can be done and I'm loving my independence! House and horse on my own, I don't think I've done badly out of uni with not the best result. Doesn't half make you value a secure job, but I'm already planning an action plan for horse number two when Doodle retires.
Yes I am mad but I love my life currently, and want to enjoy and grab every opportunity.
x x x
 
Yes, I'm 21, have one horse I pay for (have been since I finished school) and another I ride. I still live at home (plans are in motion for moving out, thank god I have a boyfriend with no expensive hobbies, I wouldn't be able to do it alone) and tbh I only see my friends/go out once a month, if that, but that's due more to my job than the horse. I work from home most days so am able to have flexible hours, but I do work long hours and usually into the night :)
 
All i can say is that it can be done, but when i was at college doing levels i had to pay my horses expenses and my parents rent i think it was £200 a month but this was 18 yrs ago. when i was at uni i paid all my fees, rent etc and worked 60 hr a week during hols to pay my way while i was at uni. I still paid my folks rent while holidays. then when i finished i got low paid job and my folks moved 600 miles away so i HAD to move out. yes its hard but you guys who live at home are very lucky you can do that.
 
I bought my first at 19, and have owned ever since (bar a 1mth break...). I think you have to prioritise, and realise that if you want to own a horse, you have to find a way to pay for it. It's not impossible, but there are sacrifices in terms of finances and time.
 
I've had horses throughout my twenties. I was lucky though and my now hubby had bought a house when he was younger so I just moved straight in ;) We are about to move into our first house and I turned 30 in May. I have a pretty good job and keep my pony on part livery so it can be done :D
 
I'm 23 and have had one horse or another since age 15. It's definitely going to affect the age at which I can move out as if I didn't have the horse I'd probably be in a position to start thinking about renting somewhere now really. (as it is I could afford the rent but not the rest of the bills!) I do have to be more careful with money than my friends (esp as my livery is about to majorly go up) and I'm not on the most fantastic wage in the world and am a locum thus classed as self employed so need to tuck a fair bit away for the tax man! Realistically I'm going to have to wait until I meet someone I want to move in with or houseshare with someone if my wage stays as it is and I want to keep being around horses. Sad but true! I do however drive a decent car and eat more takeaways than I should (I work some daft hours...). My social life isn't great but that's more to do with time and growing apart from a lot of my friends or living quite a distance from them than money.
 
Laura2013 said:
Do you guys ever panic that you aren't saving any/ much money? I am living at home at the moment and so can save a few £££ on top of the horse but if/ when I move out and am renting my savings will be fairly minimal and I think I will only be breaking even.... at least until I can hit the 30k salary mark which is still a good few years away!
Click to expand...

I'm being very strict about putting money away every month, so I'm still building my savings.
Sorry to talk about money, but I earn around the mid 20k's and have managed to save just over a thousand in the last few months after the renovations had finished, so feel a little more secure with something however small to fall back on. It can be done but everything is planned and budgeted and I'm very choosy about competing etc as it is a luxury unfortunately.
 
I had a mortgage at 20, got my horse whenI was 23, had a baby at 28 andmoved house, but horse has been on loan since I was 6 months pregnant (baby is now 15 months).

I can probably count the number of holidays, shopping sprees and nights out I've had in that time on my hands. Money is always tight but I feel very lucky.
 
I've had horses since my pre teens, I'm now 21 and have 3 horses - 2 out competing. I don't have the 'normal' social life of a 20 something but it doesn't bother me as I don't want it. When managing a horse away at college I combined the two - early morns for horse with heavy nights out and it was great, but I just don't have the desire to do it anymore! My friends are also predominantly horsey, and I have a small but close friend circle. I appreciate the support I get from my family though, theres no way I could keep the horses and especially compete without their help. Keeping horses will affect me from a responsibility point of view - we keep them at home so I can't see myself moving out for quite a while, and even after that it will affect how far I can move. It doesn't bother me though as we are a close knit family so wouldn't want to move far anyway, and I choose to have the horses.
 
Am 27 own my own house have 3 horses all on full livery, my twin sister lives with me so share horses between us but I look after everything do with house mortgage rates bills etc sister buys food am in a better paid job than her... we get by can be a struggle tho I have fantastic parents! ! Nights out r rare lol but I have a good car she has a jeep so some things have to give ...... just have learnt to budget
 
I think I've been very lucky. I'm 25 and have been married for just over a year and living with my OH for just over 5 years, we own 2 houses (one which is rented out), have a horse lorry, 2 x 4x4's and motorbikes as well as my horse on livery. I have had some inheritance which I was able to put towards our mortgage on the current house.

As for going out, I'm a boring sod and like nothing better than chilling out with my hubby with a bottle of wine infront of the fire! A night on the town is a distant memory lol.
 
I am 25, doing a PhD (paid the equivalent of a reasonable job, plus don't have to pay council tax). I bought my first horse I've had on my own (not at home with the parents) earlier this year. I live in a rented student house with two friends. It's OK, I still go out to the pub/nights out (not many of those!) as much as I would have before. I still manage to put some savigd away each month, and it hasn't affected buying a house as firstly you can't get a mortgage on a PhD and secondly (there are ways round the first) I want to make sure I will be in Sheffield for a while before I buy Here. I am also lucky that I have an inheritance which is house deposit sized.

Apart from my contact lenses, filling up my car when I go home (a few times a year) and the odd tenner in the post, I don't get any financial help from the pafentals.
 
Ella19 said:
Yes I bought my first horse of my own at 23! It means at 28 I'm still living at home as what would be rent money is livery money. I still pay my mother 350 a month and with my livery and other costs taken out I could rent a really nice place for 650/750! My horse is kept on a shoestring budget too wherever possible.

Do I regret having her? No not for one minute. I work where she's kept, I went to uni in the midlands and have no school friend close to Surrey, so my social life tends to revolve around my horse. I was never a huge clubbing or shopping person so its not effected me in that respect.

Yes I'd like to move out again, but without my horse I'd have a pretty dull social! Renting or horse bills, either way I wouldn't be able to save much whilst living in Surrey, so until I find a job elsewhere in the country I'm sticking with my horse.
Click to expand...



basically this..... but im 25 and live in cheshire :D


i live at home.... i dont really see the point in spending a ton of money on rent, live on my own, and have no social life as i couldnt afford it....

so i live at home, pay a small rent, have a horse and enjoy myself (probably a little too much)! - have 2 lovely dog's, do agility - and have no savings as i have fun (im a bad person :D )......

lifes to short to worry about mortgages etc,.... i have tons of time for that :) when i get a half decent paid job and move out then i will settle down - for now i dont know which part of the uk i will be in in 5 years :)
 
Yes it's different but not necessarily in a bad way, just depends on what your priorities are. I moved out of my parents and purchased a flat at 24 whilst having a horse. At that point I'd been to uni and had been in full time work for 3 yrs and part time for several more before that.

At first I had to be careful with money and keep a close eye on what I spent, holidays went out the window for a few years until my income increased but neither the horse nor myself ever went without anything that we really needed and I was never once overdrawn on my bank balance - although some times it could be counted in pence at the end of the month!

Fast forward 10 years and there's no need for compromise between horse, friends, holiday or anything really so yes it's possible but it depends on what you really want and what you're prepared to do to get it :)
 
Shooting Star said:
Yes it's different but not necessarily in a bad way, just depends on what your priorities are. I moved out of my parents and purchased a flat at 24 whilst having a horse. At that point I'd been to uni and had been in full time work for 3 yrs and part time for several more before that.

At first I had to be careful with money and keep a close eye on what I spent, holidays went out the window for a few years until my income increased but neither the horse nor myself ever went without anything that we really needed and I was never once overdrawn on my bank balance - although some times it could be counted in pence at the end of the month!

Fast forward 10 years and there's no need for compromise between horse, friends, holiday or anything really so yes it's possible but it depends on what you really want and what you're prepared to do to get it :)
Click to expand...

Shooting Star- do you think you have eventually been able to "catch up" a bit with your friends, if you see what you mean- or are you still paying for having a horse earlier on?
 
Laura2013 said:
Shooting Star- do you think you have eventually been able to "catch up" a bit with your friends, if you see what you mean- or are you still paying for having a horse earlier on?
Click to expand...

No I think we eventually caught up - they all needed to buy a house too and some of them had a baby as their priority instead of a horse. Inviting everybody round for the evening with a bring your own bottle / you bring the starter and I'll do the main course for dinner keeps friendships alive!
 
I had a pony when I was a teenager and was lucky enough to be able to keep it at home mainly paid for by parents though I had holiday jobs doing fruit picking to pay for any competitions or extras I wanted.

When I went to uni pony got sold as parents did not want to look after him whilst I was away and there was no way I could afford to pay for DIY livery plus all the cost associated with uni on a student loan. I went straight from being at uni to living in a shared house and paying rent so did not have that time at home and working in order to save money.

I then did not get another pony till i was 35, there was no way I could have afforded a pony in my 20's as I had to pay off my student loan and I could not live at home as my parents had by them moved overseas.

From the posts above most people with horses in their 20's are not living independently as they have either had time living at home in order to save money or have inheritance money so have not had to save so deposit or have OH so are not paying the rent and household bills on their own.

I do think it is possible though you would probably need a very high powered well paid job such as being in law or finance in order to live totally independently.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top