What luxuries have you given up to keep a horse?

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Apart from a lucky few most horse owners seem to be skint! My horses are my luxury, I have 2 on grass keep and one stabled at night in winter. I'm not really materialistic, I don't have the latest phone, I drive an old 4x4, get a cheap deal holiday once a year, very rarely buy new shoes or clothes, have meals out at the local "two for a tenner" pub very few takeaways, buy supermarket basics, and live in a cheapo area as the rent is reasonable!!!!! But I don't really care the horses are worth it!!
 
A social life. I can never afford to go out, and i wouldnt mind, but i could do with a good night out!!! Oh, and nice clothes, everytime i need clothes, the friggin horses need rugs, or shoes.... so you give up anything thats not essential!!!!
 
I look shabby most of the time :( I am out of touch with fashion and I wear the same clothes a lot - washed and clean but I have to rotate my work clothes whereas some women at work are wearing new combinations all the time. I own three pairs of shoes suitable for work and none are 'new'. I really do need some new work shoes - promotion means I need to think a bit more about my work wear!

My horse however, has everything she needs and even more of the stuff that she doesn't need. I must stop!
 
Ditto. I have no money for me right now, other than necessities for the horses.


And social life? I have none, my 'free' time is spent riding my own horses or catching up on sleep on Sundays.


Luckily. I like it this way however!
 
Holidays. Thats mainly because of the hassle of getting someone to look after our smallholding though. We used to be weekend break people and would jet off at least once a month! I do miss it but keep telling myself that living here is the best holiday ever lol

On a day to day level its clothes that I go without, I went to put my thick cord skirt on this morning and realised it was so threadbare I could see light through it!
 
All of them! I don't drink, smoke or buy myself anything that isn't a necessity. My trainers have holes in the toes, I can't remember the last time I bought myself new clothes but I wouldn't change a thing if it meant I didn't have my horse.
 
everything! haha! cant afford nights out like most young un's my age, cant afford to buy new trendy clothes very often, cant afford holidays, cant afford to have take aways so they are a treat when we do, havent bought myself new work clothes in about 2 years (starting to look a bit old now...) i dont drive but if i did i wouldnt be able to afford a car anyway, the only luxury is that i live in a nice area and this coupled with a horse makes people think im well off, when in actual fact im skint! haha!
 
I have no luxuries at all! But saying that, I live in a nice house in a nice area, So after my mortgages, bills and pony I have nothing left. I drive a knackered old Punto that my OH regularly fixes for me, I have a minimal wardrobe and cannot remember the last time I had new shoes!

I budget £50 a month as "me" money and I usually spend this on a couple of meals out a month with the OH or takeaways.

I would love to have more money, but my job doesnt pay well. But I am happy with what I have xx
 
My sanity :o

Clothes! - need to try and buy myself a load of work outfits (let alone non-work ones) but horse needs a saddle check, physio due soon, winter rugs are needed... so her clothes obviously come before mine! I've been wearing the same thing over and over again and people are starting to notice :o

Social life! - Everyone is always fed up with me never being free to come out and seem to think that I'm mega anti-social and that I don't want to leave the house, especially as I'm only 20. The reality is that I can't fit a social life in! I can't leave work at 6, come home, ride mad high maintenance horse, muck out stables, do feeds, poo pick by torch light, do other yard related things, tuck ponies into bed, grab something to eat, have a shower, try to find a decent outfit, do makeup and leave - to go out and be up again the next morning at 5:30! Not enough hours in the day!

Also holidays - not only can i not afford one, but I'm a worrier and although I could get a horse sitter in I wouldn't be able to relax on holiday... hoping I'll get over this as I need to get away and would love to go and lie on a beach somewhere wonderful!

I've never known a winter without horses but often dream of how nice it would be to stay in bed until 10 at the weekends, creep downstairs in my pajamas, curl up in front of the fire and read a book / actually watch some tv - same goes for the evening. In reality I'm out there in -20c at insane hours of the morning, chasing round trying to make sure precious horses aren't going to be cold/hungry/needing anything, same goes for night time when there's nothing I'd love more to be inside curled up in bed but have to make sure horses are all going to be survive the night!

I've also sacrificed any free time / all my energy! I'm exhausted all the time!




...But I think they're worth it :o
 
A brand new ford fiesta!! I've put it on hold whilst I save up for the next for months for a new horse! As my current one is due to retire! Also given up my drinking and weekends (I'm only 21 so this is rather strange for a 21 year old to say 'no I'm not drinking' haha!!! All so I'm not rough when mucking out! Can't cope lol
 
Hi,

Great thread - so glad it's not just me :D.

Every spare penny goes on Ponio and the kids - with very little left for clothes/shoes etc. My kids are under 6 so social life is currently non existent anyway :D
 
Nice clothes & accessories. Nice car. The one I'm using is on its last leg. One year lifespan max. But I need it for work.

I don't really drink, so social life is something like going down to meet friends at a pub and have a juice. Not too bad. Since my friends are all busy, that happens about twice a year, lol.
 
Holidays/inc honeymoon (7 years and counting!)
eating out/going out!
Clothes - charity shopper extrordinare (sp?) here!
Hate to say it, but also keep 'skipping' my eye appointments, i Know it is bad, but I don't have the extra money to afford it yet.
Kids don't do any after school clubs - we do 'walks/farm and/or horsey chores instead!
Renting a smaller therefore cheaper house - oh how I miss my old storage cupboards :(

This year, I have given up on competing - weather been against us and every penny saved means a bit more food on the table for the family and fuel in the car. Sold my trailer too, which was sad, but still got the horses and I have great hacking which we all enjoy.
 
Although I no longer have my pony and I don't have a horse right this moment... My pony was my luxury so I don't think I was missing out on anything :P she was 'my thing' and spending time with her was what I liked to do, so I spent my money on her! And with any other it will be the same!

I think I'm quite lucky.... I work a lot and I live at home rent free (I'm still quite young! :p ), so even after livery bills, feed etc I still had money to go out and do things... and primark sells some very nice, very cheap clothes you know! :D
 
Actually absolutely nothing.

If I want something I buy it, or save up and then buy it.
I am naturally a tightwad, the fact that my clothes are threadbare is by choice, not necessity. Tightfistedness stretches to the horses too.

If I didn't have horses then yes life would be different, we would be living somewhere with a lake in front of the house with a boat tied up on the pontoon and with mountains behind ...no idea where though. We are looking now, I am ready for a change.
 
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Mines more a case of giving things up due to lack of time. I don't see friends as much or go out as often as I did. I also haven't bought new clothes for ages as every time I have any spare cash I spend it on riding/horse wear!
 
A better house with a bigger garden. But then, a house is just somewhere you sleep! Otherwise not too much, I don't have expensive tastes and am trollied after 3 pints. I guess... Cocktails. They cost a lot compared to pints.

Think for me it's really time that I've given up. OH can fend for himself but do feel a tad guilty about the dogs.
 
I suppose mine would be holidays abroad. We haven't been abroad since our honeymoon 5 years ago.
We did take our daughter on holiday this year to Dorset & have just had a lovely long weekend in the North Yorkshire Moors. She's only 22 months & so if we can afford to take her then we will because I feel guilty that she is missing out.
We're lucky that we both have good, well paid jobs & live in a nice area & have 2 nice cars parked on the drive but we work very hard for everything we have, nothing has been handed to us.
I think my main sacrifice is time, I'd love to work part time so that I can spend more time with my little girl but I work full time so that I can keep my horse & her pony.
Having said that though my little girl always has new clothes I don't buy myself many new things & poor hubby gets even less!!!!
 
Holidays are the main thing! When we just had one horse we could still go abroad to the sunshine once or twice a year. Now its just too expensive (and I now work term time only so have to go away in school hols-even more pricey!) Luckily my mum lives in the lovely French alpes so we can go there for just the cost of an easyjet flight.
I never buy much in the way of clothes and if I do then its H&M, Primark or in the sales, and then its clothes for work mainly. I used to be the designer queen now don't even bother looking! Also I could probably not work if not for the horses and be a lady of leisure, but what would I do with myself!! I wouldn't have it any other way, I love my horses :)
 
Holidays mainly - more because it is difficult to get someone reliable to horse sit. Our cars are also old but they do the job. I also see less of family and friends as the horses take up most of my time when not working. They are a lifestyle choice though.
 
I could have bought and insured a porsche instead of a mondeo. I don't buy Christian Louboutin shoes anymore either. Saying that though I don't go without, I still buy nice clothes (just not as stupidly expensive as I used to) and my mare has everything she could ever want. And I have absolutley no interest in drinking or nights out, I'd much rather be with my girl :)
 
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