so, how much does it cost to keep a horse these days?

siennamiller

siennamiller

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I haven't had a horse for about 5 years, so I have no idea how much everything costs.
Please can someone give me an idea?
I am in Sussex, don't know how much difference that makes?
Thanks :)
 
It's one of those things you don't really want to sit down and work out or you get worried :eek: I keep my pony at home and rent a field behind the house on mate's rates from a local farmer. The pony is stabled in winter and turned out 24/7 in summer. So no livery charges for me but food, shoeing, jabs, insurance etc probably adds up to about £2000 a year.
 
You are prob looking at around £30pw for an average DIY yard,

Assuming purchase from a feed store - approx £10 for a sack of food, approx £5 bale of hay, approx £8 bale shavings

Farriers in the £60-70 bracket
 
8 pounds for shavings :o, they have gone up.
Was thinking of everything. I know diy livery is 100 per month round here ( sorry pound sign not working!).
It IS a scary thought-lol.
 
If you have storage you can save money by bulk buying. If I was to buy shavings in individual bags I could pay up to £9 but by buying in bulk (sharing with a friend) I got them for £5.25 a bag last year
 
if you ask my OH he would tell you its way too much!! :-)
I have 2 and last month my horsey bill was over £700 BUT that was with a small vet bill, well £160 for and emergency colic call out.
Mine are on diy too so that £700 inc feed, hay/straw, diy rent and hire of my trailer.
 
From memory

Dentist - £45 every 6 months
Farrier - £65 every 6 weeks
Injections - £50 annually
Wormer / worm counts - £50 pa
Haylage - £45 per large bale
Hard feed - £30 per month
Supplements - £ ??
Shavings - £7 per bale
Insurance - £45 per month
BHS Gold membership - sorry can't remember annual cost but I have it as it offers public liability insurance
Massage lady - £30 every 6 weeks. (yes he is spoilt!)

then of course tack, rugs (I seem to always have to buy at least 2 a year!), riders equipment (I just replaced my hat £80), tools (wheelbarrow, broom, rake etc)

Then add to that the unexpected vets bills, (or insurance excess if you are lucky and can claim}, replacing anything that breaks, getting saddle reflocked every couple of years and checked more frequently.

Heck, I'm scaring myself I'd better stop!!!
 
I always queried this so will try to answer fully (bear in mind I live in Yorkshire)...

Full livery: £70 / week
Full set of shoes: £70 / 6 weeks
Dentist: £40 / year
Vaccines: (unknown as that will be next month but I believe) £60 / year
Wormer: £15 / 3 months

I sum the above up to be £4360, that does not include all the issues that you can run into re vets, back specialists, if you want to show/compete, if you want/have to buy any new equipment/tack/clothes, if you or your horse require any training.
 
my horse costs me about 400 per month thats on diy livery which is 160 then the rest is bedding feed haylage insurance shoes carrotts and apples :)
 
Dont ask then you don't get told a lie:D:DAs most of us pay over the odds and if we really sat down and costed it out,there would be an awfull lot of horse/ponies either looking for new homes/knackers yard,so we pay out for the geegees and scrimp and save on our personal things.:):):):)
 
About £5k a year - this is for one 14.2hh on cheap DIY in Bucks but includes all costs, lessons and running a cheap 3.5t old lorry plus local comp costs.

Am I the only one that actually enjoys working it all out and has a spreadsheet - or am I just a geek? ;)
 
juliette said:
Heck only £18 (runs off to lay down in a darkened room to deal with the shock)! That is one of the massive ones, feeds 3 horses for about 9 days in winter, longer now the weather has improved. That's pretty good price here and it's good quality too.
Click to expand...

i also pay 45.00 so your not the only one and we are in surrey 18.00 is brilliant wish i could find it that cheap
 
Far far more than I dare admit.

But when I only had one at DIY livery it was £250 a month all inc and apportioned over the year.

But that was without lessons, comps, trailer.
 
I note my costs down and it's usually £400 to £500 per month for everything including bits of tack etc and riding gear for me. I usually do 1 comp per month and have 1 lesson per month
 
DIY (includes stable, two fields, school, lunge pen, horse walker) - £130 per month
Hay - £30 for a huge bale - lasts me about 1-2 months
Haylage - £35 for huge bale - lasts me about 1-2 months
Feed - 1 chaff and 1/2 pony nuts per month - £25
Shoes - £60 every 6 weeks
Insurance - £40

Vet, dentist, saddler - depends how often you get them out, I have them twice a year - varies in price
 
Mine only cost me a contribution towards hard feed, vets bills and general upkeep due to my being fortunate enough that Ma has some land.

My friend pays £350 each (2 horses) per month for part livery in a good yard, with great facilities, BUT that does not include weekend mucking out or feeding, nor any bedding, feed/haylage, + tack, shoes, vet, lessons etc... :eek:
 
I worked out my horse cost me about £1100 a month including lessons , decided that was not a good idea and now try to forget what the cost came in at. :-( and defo WON'T be added costs up again.
 
I also bought a horse after 5 years without, and have noticed a real rise in costs, although to be fair his Lordship is a lot bigger than my old mare and filthy in the stable where she was clean. I thought I had loads of equipment too and wouldn't need a huge amount, but things just end up on my trolley when I go to the feed merchant! Don't know how.:D

What I have done is cut costs on feeding. I use supplements in a handful of chop and speedibeet as he will not be hunting or competing so doesn't need hard feed. We pay £25 for large bale haylage and we all use as much as we need from the one bale to keep it fresh. You can get good hay for the same price if you only have one horse, works out much cheaper than small bales. So far he is not shod and I hope to keep it that way, I know he has not been shod for at least a year, and now his hooves are in good condition and my young farrier is supportive of not shoeing unless absolutely needed, that would be a saving.

But all in all, the cost is so worth it!:)

Nearly forgot, OH is having private lessons at £30 a pop:eek: but as he is getting so involved, he doesn't get too stressed about what I buy!!!!:D
 
About £10k per year. I was hoping fir some economies of scale when I bought number two but that didn't happen so it is just double that now! They are on assisted DIY, full set of shoes each, regular dentist etc. Also get prof schooled once a week ... Entry fees and travel to shows goes on top!
 
I don't want to think.
I've just moved yards and my livery is £35 a week for 7 day twice a day assisted. Hay is 20p per kg and he has 8kg a day, shavings are about £8 per bale. Then theres shoes about £45-50 as he only has fronts, insurance is about £30 per month, feed is about £15 per month with supplements at about another £20 every 6-8 weeks. But if the hubby asks its not a lot! Ha ha
 
Juliette (can't quote as I'm on my phone), mine lasts my big 2 approx 2 weeks in winter so I think we're talking about the same size bale :eek: I couldn't imagine paying that much though!!
 
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