Owning/ keeping a horse in your 20s

I'm 29 and have three horses. I went into work straight after my a-levels, rather than uni, and whilst I still lived at home at that point my parents stopped paying for my hobby. I had 2 at the time.

I worked my *rse off and got recognised and promoted, and then age 21 went to London to be with my OH. Horses stayed at home (DIY livery but mum looked after them, I paid still) for 6 months until we settled in Kent, and I moved them up. Age 22 my OH and I bought our first house. Since that time I acquired a third horse, and got married which was paid for, not put on credit cards.

My husband and I have worked incredibly hard in our careers and have both done very well; I am the only person in my entire global team without a degree and one of the best performers. I also juggle working on the side as an artist, and we both do some catering work on occasion for a local business. It's been tough at times and we have gone without holidays, luxury items, nice cars etc, but we have now reached a point where we have decent disposable income each month and life is easier..... I certainly don't regret not going to the pub every Friday, or not buying new clothes each month, it's about where your personal priorities lie. Up until this last year, I couldn't really afford regular lessons, let alone competing, now I can and I am trying to make the most of it before my husband convinces me to reproduce ;-)
 
On another note, I am 25 and have recently had to give up horses for a while :(

I live with my OH in a rented flat. We have had to move to London for career reasons. I am on a low trainee wage and our rent is £900 a month (not including bills).

Even without a horse I am not saving any money, and we rarely go out. When we do meet up with friends then dinner parties are the way to go!

Hopefully it will be worth it in the end and I will be able to afford to have horses in my life again!
 
I'm 26 have 2 horses and 2 ponies and have had 4 for the majority of my twenties.

Bought my first pony when I was 18 but had had ponies on loan from about 15. Officially started paying for them myself at 17.

I also have my OH and a 3 yr old and 2 dogs. We live in a rented house and I have the horses on a private yard where I can have complete control over how they are kept enabling me to keep them as cheaply as possible.

It's doable, I am lucky in that I have a job which pays well for the work I do. I run the household bills myself. I'm not left with much at the end of the month and so no chance of saving for a mortgage, however in January I will be able to start putting £100 a month away, not a great deal I know but at least it's more than I can now and will hopefully give me something to fall back on on a rainy day.

The OH pays for all of our luxuries. I like it that way so I know I can manage if I ever need to on the one income. Just meanst he luxuries would have to be missed out on but at least I know I can keep my beloved animals if ever we find ourselves in the predicament of one income.

It is possible as long as you are savvy about it. I would be prepared to give up all luxuries to keep my animals. It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if I didn't have anther takeaway or went out for another night out. I get more enjoyment from them.

I have them all insured because I don't want an unexpected huge bill I can't pay off, it works well for me.

It's just a case of weighing up what you really want, I have lived in a mobile home for 6 years to be able to afford the horses, only living in the house for the last 2.
 
I did - married at 24 and my husband had already bought a house so that solved that problem! He's older than me and non horsey so plenty of time to save for sensible things like mortgages.
 
I'm 22 and bought my horse three years ago. I work very hard to afford him, and keep him on a tight budget. I currently rent a decent 2 bed in a nice village and have two dogs that I do agility with.

It's a time consuming lifestyle and I don't have an OH so no one to help out. Can't forsee ever having a house of my own.

I am very happy though, wouldn't change a thing.
 
I'd be intrested to know where all the 20 something horse owners on this fourm live and how old they are now. The London flat my 55 year old mum owned when she was my age (25) has just sold for almost 2 million pounds and a house in the road in Oxford I lived in as a kid sold for half a million.
I live in London in a shared house with my boyfriend and don't have a pony. Saving for a morgage seems like a total waste of time given propety prices round here, but I do take my pension plan quite seriously. Who ever said that lifes too short to worry about morgages and pensions and other boring stuff-I worry precisly because life is so short.
 
I got married at 20, we got a flat earlier that year, got my horse 5 months later, he's always been on DIY. We then moved into my granddads house the following year as he died. Oh works full time I work part time. The main thing I think friends & oh find a pain is that you always have the horse after work before going home or before a night out.. So I'm usually late, partly because selfishly I want time at the yard & hate being rushed!!!
 
I agree, I'm 22, live at home and can't see myself moving out anytime soon - I simply would not be able to afford it! I work with horses as a Freelance Groom and keep my horse on DIY Livery at the yard I work at. I don't have that many friends and all of the ones I do have are horsey. I have the occasional night out but don't have the money or the time to go out a lot. I've had horses since I was 14 and wouldn't be without them though!
 
I'm glad there's more of me lol!

I think it depends what you want in life. Having had two near death experiences (severe superbug and accident) I tend to value living for today. That is what eventually swayed me into taking the plunge to get my own horse as for me "life's too short" and "live for today". Granted I may live well into my 100's and regret it but that's life!

Career wise although I would like to be well paid I really have no idea what path I want, or need to take. Where my strengths lie I am not happy and thus I go back to life's too short moto, so I have a mediocre paid job but one that I enjoy.

Housing, I would love my privacy and to extent independence back (my mother insists on cooking and doing my washing despite protests, as well as opening my post and nosing through my accounts!) But in reality living at home allows me that security blanket that in the event of an accident for example, I do not need to panic. This was helpful when an injury left me on statutory sick pay for 9 months on which I was able to pay reduced rent and as a result keep my horse.
 
i am 22 and have had a horse since i was 15, 2 years ago i moved out of my parents in London to west berkshire, so it was much cheaper to keep them and horsey stuff on my door step, but i now pay rent! it is doable- lived in a house share as cheaper than renting alone, now live with my bf. we both try to save, but end up spending saving on other things- like this year i got a trailer and passed my trailer test, so savings low again. yes it would be great to get a deposit and a mortgage, but at the same time i don't regret spending savings on important horsey things like my trailer, so i can make the most of my horses. i spend all my money on my horses (other than rent and bills) except for a rare meal out with friends. so compared to other people my age i am very different as other girls at work spend their money shopping, going out ect, but i would rather have no extra money and luxuries but have my horses.
 
undergroundoli said:
I'd be intrested to know where all the 20 something horse owners on this fourm live and how old they are now. The London flat my 55 year old mum owned when she was my age (25) has just sold for almost 2 million pounds and a house in the road in Oxford I lived in as a kid sold for half a million.
I live in London in a shared house with my boyfriend and don't have a pony. Saving for a morgage seems like a total waste of time given propety prices round here, but I do take my pension plan quite seriously. Who ever said that lifes too short to worry about morgages and pensions and other boring stuff-I worry precisly because life is so short.
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I bought my horse initially in North London on Part livery, and for a short time on DIY (and full livery when away). Have had horses also in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and now Kent.

All Expensive areas being in the South East, but London and Kent more so. All paid for by myself. My dad could quite easily afford to pay for me/horses and is in the process of selling our house for a million, but I want to be able to pay my own way- horses are my lifestyle not his :)
 
I'm 23 (very close to 24) and I live with my husband and two children (1&3) and I have a horse (my 3rd) we both work so don't get a great deal of free time once work, house, horse and kids are sorted but we manage, I suppose it means we have to have a more structured routine to make sure we get everything done, but it works for us. My kids and husband both love spending time at the yard also so I'm quite lucky that I can mix it all together.
 
I'm 20 and have owned horses brought by myself from 16. At one point I had two but I sold my second when we brought our house and fell pregnant with our daughter. I'm 21 early next year and expecting our second. We are very fortunate to own our own house, horses and cars but boy have we both worked our socks off for it and saved for it.
 
Spot_On said:
I bought my horse initially in North London on Part livery, and for a short time on DIY (and full livery when away). Have had horses also in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and now Kent.

All Expensive areas being in the South East, but London and Kent more so. All paid for by myself. My dad could quite easily afford to pay for me/horses and is in the process of selling our house for a million, but I want to be able to pay my own way- horses are my lifestyle not his :)
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Yep, you do seem to be collecting the worlds most expensive places to live. Where next, Dubi? :)

I've got a huge amount of respect for the 20 somethings (particullaly the young 20 somethings) on here with horses, childrean and morgages and want to ask them really personal questions :o Mainly when did 21 year old mother horse owners save all the money? I cant possibly have drunk an entire morgage deposit can I? And what do you all do for a living? And your partners? And do your parents help with childcare? and about a million other questions.
 
undergroundoli said:
Yep, you do seem to be collecting the worlds most expensive places to live. Where next, Dubi? :)

I've got a huge amount of respect for the 20 somethings (particullaly the young 20 somethings) on here with horses, childrean and morgages and want to ask them really personal questions :o Mainly when did 21 year old mother horse owners save all the money? I cant possibly have drunk an entire morgage deposit can I? And what do you all do for a living? And your partners? And do your parents help with childcare? and about a million other questions.
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I work for the government, (tax) my husband does groundworks. We don't have help with childcare, our kids go to a private nursery and it costs a bomb but they are happy there. Sometimes through the week it feels like we never see each other but we make up for it on weekends. I suppose we are just lucky to both have decent paying jobs really.
 
I'm 23 and have had my horse since I was 15. My parents paid for her up until I finished University in June and I now pay for everything. She's on full livery and I live at home in SE London, so livery is ridiculously expensive. I don't have a clue when I will be able to move out as I simply can't afford it. My boss (and most other non-horsey people for that matter) think I'm mad and should have different priorities at such a crucial age, but my horse is more important.

I do still go out every week, I'm just sensible with my money- always bring a packed lunch to work, pre drink heavily so I'm not paying £10 for a drink when I'm out!.. and I rarely buy new clothes etc as I'd rather spend any extra money on going to shows or other horse related things!

It will definitely hinder me moving out though, I'll have to be earning a lot more to be able to rent somewhere within London and still keep my horse on full livery, which is essential as there are no yards I would consider that are local to me.
 
I'm 23 and have owned my boy since I was 15/16 - all his costs were covered by my parents until I hit 17/18 and I got my first proper job. I started to pay more and more for the horse until I joined the Air Force and took over all his costs (although he was still looked after by my mum while I went through basic training and arrived at my first unit) He then travelled up to me at my first unit in Northumberland and was put onto part livery and I officially took over all his costs and care. I am very lucky as although my wage wasnt brilliant - my accomodation was next to nothing and food was massivly reduced so I had enough money to look after the both of us. When I have had to go away to Afghan it does get expensive as I have to pay for a full riding livery for 6 months which tends to eat out of the Op Bonus but its nice to come back to a fit and happy horse. Now i've been in the Air Force 4 years I am fully self sufficient with the horse, afford to event (affiliated) and run a little horsebox all by myself - it is a struggle sometimes but I wouldnt do it unless I wanted. I have zero savings but times in the future to start that sort of thing.
 
I'm 26, earn in the mid £20k per year range and definitely CANT afford a horse, god knows how you lot manage it! Thankfully the answer to all my problems is sharing, yes it has its downsides but at the moment I have one horse to share (can ride her as often as I want and she's on full livery), that only costs me £150 pcm. I also am helping a friend with her new horse and riding him too, no money exchanged there so overall I've got 2 lovely horses to ride and have fun on, all for the cost of £150 per month!

I do live with my boyfriend, my parents are miles away from where I work so living with them has not been an option - I have not lived at home since the age of 18 when I went to uni so I've never had the opportunity to save up money living at home. We dont own the house, we just rent it but like to think we'll be able to buy a house in the next 2-3 years. We are also getting married next year so that is the main expense in life at the moment. I dont have all my uni debts cleared yet either so cannot justify a horse when I'm still in debt.

I hope before I hit 30 I'll be able to buy a horse, but I have to be realistic and put my fiance and our future first - we want to get married, buy a house and have kids - so sharing is the next best thing for me and it means I get to do everything I want with horses (I will be competing my share horse once she's recovered from an injury and fingers crossed we can work our way up the levels in dressage) without all of the stress of the unexpected vets bills, insurance, new tack, physio etc that is required for a good competition horse.

Perhaps I could afford a native breed and have them living out most of the year, but that is not what I'm looking for in a horse - I want to get to PSG one day so it has to be a warmblood or TB/ISH type horse for me and they definitely dont come cheap ;)
 
I'm 23 and my husband is 25 we are so lucky to be able to rent a place with land an a yard included it's not expensive but I won't say how much. We have 4 horses mostly cheap as chips and live on fresh air, in good health and not shod always wormed, feet always trimmed and never without hay, rugs etc I don't ever feel they are expensive. Of course vet fees aren't cheap but minor cuts and issues I always treat myself. I don't have many friends of course accept for horsey friends as I have zero time for anything else! I don't have flashy warmbloods or tb's and I'm only a boring happy hacker type so I probably don't count actually.
 
I'm 19 and I have two horses, live with my OH but pay rent to his parents.. I also have half a dog (OH owns the other half). How do I do it? My clothes are all years old, most have small holes in that I repair, I will buy a new top here and there and leggings but everything I buy is either from tesco charity shops or eBay, I never go out drinking etc well once in a blue moon.. And even then I go out with £20 and that's it. I work as much as possible and obviously I have a student loan and grant to help me.. (I'm at uni). I budget like mad, have done ever since I became independent at 16. I have spread sheets of expected costs and how much I have to spend each month.
I get by, I do stress about money but I have always been resourceful and practical when it comes to money.. :-)
 
I'm noticing a trend of either living at home still, or having a partner to help them out. Even helping out at the yard has a financial impact. I have Barry on assisted DIY, I pay another livery £2/weekday morning to feed and turnout. But if I'm ill, or going away for work (for example, I'm away Sun-Sat this coming week in Italy for work), then that goes up to £5/day. I'm in Sheffield and my parents are in Somerset, so they can't go up for me. My bf is in Derby, so he can't. My non-horsey housemate has just offered to help me out sometimes if I want (and if I leave very precise instructions) which is very kind of him, and I will probably sometimes take him up on that offer. But being away next week is going to cost me an extra £21, I was ill the other week, so that cost me extra. If I had the parents of bf here, that's an expense I wouldn't have. Everyone else at my yard has an OH/parents to help them when they can't make it.

I'm also mildly terrified by the number of people younger than me who are married/married with kids! :p (I'm 25).
 
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hnmisty said:
I'm noticing a trend of either living at home still, or having a partner to help them out.

I'm also mildly terrified by the number of people younger than me who are married/married with kids! :p (I'm 25).
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I thought that about living with parents. I always know that if the worst came I can go back but I moved out at 16 to work on a racing yard and have been back a few times but really couldn't do it permanently, I do feel a little sorry for those that do for money reasons, I disliked it immensely. I wish my husband did help me out, we don't have a joint account, my horses are paid for just by myself, I pay all the bills, do food shopping, run the home and work over 90 hours a week during the hunting season. I admit he pays the mortgage but by the time the household runnings are paid out, it equates the same.

As for not being married yet at 25, enjoy it! It sure aint what everybody portrays it to be! I certainly wouldn't be at my age if I lived again ;)
 
Do you know what it is so reassuring to read through all these posts and hear about young people in the same boat as me! I am now 27 and still living at home. I have had my current horse since i was 16 and as soon as i had a full time job took on all his costs and have him on DIY at a local yard. My mum has a horse too and does help me and i help her but i am up most mornings at 6 in winter doing him and then after work too. In summer he is usually out 24 7 which helps. I have horsey friends and non horsey friends.. the non horsey ones don't understand the time and money aspect that my horse has always taken up. I have an amazing other half and we do want to move out but with having my horse it is more difficult but i wouldnt change it. Having horses is a way of life, i have no idea what id do without my horse and wouldnt want to know. He is my world. My dilemma lately is spending my savings on another project horse as mine is getting older or carry on saving for that mortgage.. :/ I need a money tree. I do feel pressure that i should be moved out and all that by now but hey, im happy and things will come together when they are meant to! Until then i will carry on enjoying my horse, competing as much as my pocket allows.. dreaming of winning the lottery etc etc..

Good luck to everyone.. the things we do for our beautiful horses although its clear none of us would have it any other way! We are not alone!! :) Mad horse people... lol.
 
I think it very much depends on 1) where you live/need to live and 2) if you have a partner (setting up on your own is a lot more expensive).

I don't get on with my parents enough not to have moved out!
 
hnmisty said:
I'm noticing a trend of either living at home still, or having a partner to help them out.

I'm also mildly terrified by the number of people younger than me who are married/married with kids! :p (I'm 25).
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I have also noticed the worrying amount of people younger than me with kids :eek::D.

Though I am bucking the other trend as I am on my own, with house and horse! Saved like mad ever since I started working at 16 (part time through college and uni), which added to inheritance sorted my deposit out for a cheap house. Horse on DIY, and a spreadsheet for all expenses means I can control what I spend, which in turn has meant I have managed to get a small amount saved for a back-up for the unexpected. Everything I had went into the house, which although a good investment was scary on your own!

It is all about priorities, as I knew I wanted out of the family home for my own independence, but also saw renting as dead money (paying the amount of a mortgage but no house at the end of it). But then I cannot ring the landlord if things break ;), so swings and roundabouts and all that... I also don't have an OH to consider or kids to pay for.

I think the best thing to do is to focus on what you want at this moment and don't compare to what others have done. We are all different with different situations and even the location in country makes a massive difference (house's up north are much cheaper for what you get down south on average). I've been lucky with what I've achieved, but it doesn't mean I have worked harder or better than someone still saving at home or renting until they can save a deposit.

I'm not sure I could be without the horses now, but then I came to game a little later than some, with getting Doodle when I was 16 so I know how it feels when I desperately wanted one and couldn't have one as my parents couldn't afford it.

The only thing that annoys me is when people bemoan being skint and saying they cannot afford to move out, when I know they go out every week, spend a ridiculous amount on clothes, booze, cigarettes etc, and on top earn far more than me!
Gah I sound all disproving and judgmental now, but it grates that people seem to think I just magic'd the money or even worse my parents just paid for everything! It's taken years for me to save, and I could only do it now because I knew when I was 16 what I wanted (my own house). I did have help off my family with renovating my house, which was a great money saver, but that was still only a fraction of what it cost overall.

Good luck everyone who is saving, it can be done but it just takes time! It took me 7 years to save £6.5k for a 10% deposit on a £65k house, yes its not the biggest, loveliest house in the world but it's my own and a step on the ladder.

x x
 
hnmisty said:
I'm noticing a trend of either living at home still, or having a partner to help them out. Even helping out at the yard has a financial impact. I have Barry on assisted DIY, I pay another livery £2/weekday morning to feed and turnout. But if I'm ill, or going away for work (for example, I'm away Sun-Sat this coming week in Italy for work), then that goes up to £5/day. I'm in Sheffield and my parents are in Somerset, so they can't go up for me. My bf is in Derby, so he can't. My non-horsey housemate has just offered to help me out sometimes if I want (and if I leave very precise instructions) which is very kind of him, and I will probably sometimes take him up on that offer. But being away next week is going to cost me an extra £21, I was ill the other week, so that cost me extra. If I had the parents of bf here, that's an expense I wouldn't have. Everyone else at my yard has an OH/parents to help them when they can't make it.

I'm also mildly terrified by the number of people younger than me who are married/married with kids! :p (I'm 25).
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I'm in sheffield so could always help :)
 
It is possible but not without some sacrifices as others have shown. I moved 200+ miles to Uni when I was 17, I had my pony up there but I was very lucky that my parents paid my rent and gave me an allowance. I worked 2 evenings a week in a riding school which just about covered my mare's DIY livery. I was never much into going out but if I had been I wouldn't have been able to afford it so a horse is a definate no for most people if you want to go out drinking at the weekends. At 22 I got my first job and took over all my livery payment myself (still DIY), at 24 I bought a house. Now I'm early 30's and I have 2 ponies on full livery Mon-Fri, a house and a car. I have a well paid job but I still economise and don't spend loads on clothes, hair, going out etc which lots of people my age do! My social life generally revolves around horses and horsey friends and it always has. Not sure I'd want to be living with my parents when I was in my 20's but if I needed to I would have rather than give up my girl.
 
I have a 17hh WB on a livery yard on DIY and I have to put aside £100 every week to pay for his rent, and insurance premiums, I don't pay for his feed and supplements or vet bills out of that either! It does get expensive, as only two days ago I spent £56 on supplements and feed, but that will last him about two months. You are lucky to have horses that are in good health, mine has had a lot of arthritic issues and also colic and I (when I say I, I mean my insurance company) have spent thousands on him on vets bills and preventative supplements - I am guessing about ten thousand since owning him nine years ago.

Whilst I am envious that your costs are cheaper than mine I would much rather prefer to be on a busy yard with friends that stuck on my own in a field with no decent facilities.

I am a forty something female living with parents. I can't afford to move out (did that in my very early twenties and moved back home due to circumstances) - nor do I wish to, - I love my home life, love being with Mum and Dad, and they do help me out a lot money wise so I am very fortunate. I am lucky as I have a partner of 13 years who was until recently living away from home (but has had to move back home due to his circumstances) so I have or did have the best of both worlds.
 
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I'm 25 and I live in a shared house and have a horse and compete BD. I also have a very active social life and go on lots of holidays but I hardly ever buy clothes! My friends understand that I have different commitments with time/money for example if we are having a weekend together I might just go for one night rather than both, but real mates will always understand! I've been working in a graduate job for just over 2 years and I've been living out of my parents house for a year. I'm on a decent salary for my age and I'm currently managing to save around £100-150 for a new car and I'll save xmas money/bonuses too, when I get the new car I'll start saving towards a deposit. I do have a sharer who contributes £60 a month and I also waitress a few weddings for extra cash and when I first moved out I helped look after some else's horse for extra money too. I could chose not have a horse and not enjoy myself and save hard for a deposit but I believe you're only young once and when you're old and grey and I'm pretty sure I'll remember amazing times with my friends and horse rather than regretting the fact I got a mortgage at 32 rather than 25!! Also as I'm currently single I enjoy going out a lot, if I had an OH I might me more inclined to grow up and settle down!
 
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