What's the monthly cost of keeping your horse?

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Vicstress

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I'm afraid I've been bitten by the bug again after being away from horse ownership for 2 years when I bought my house.

Getting back into it and I just know that I'll want to own again soon....I will be studying at uni from next September though so would never buy again.....just loan.

My question is, ignoring field costs, how much does it cost to keep your horse? How can you do things cheapy but well? Wouldn't want to scrimp on anything but equally I no longer earn £50k a year so full livery is a no no :D

First decision is not to own a TB again....too many vets bills!!!

It may well never happen and I'll end up sharing but a girl can dream.....
 
Livery: 0
Hay/Straw: 0
Feed: 20-50
Supplements: 25
Farrier: 10

This is per month. Farrier is every 8 weeks @ 20, hence the 10/month. I don't pay for livery/straw/hay because my horse is kept at home (tied accommodation) and I basically get it in exchange for feeding the calves. Feed cost varies between time of year, less in summer, more in winter - have a TB who needs a bit more when it's colder. Then there is worming & vet bills - planned and not - that I haven't included in the above.
 
£85 for field and stable

the rest D-E-N-I-A-L and I own a fatty native type.



:D :D


It very much depends where in the country you are as well. I am in W. Sussex which means expensive. My livery is the cheapest I could find, on a private yard.
 
£400-£500 a month for my horse on stabled DIY livery. That includes everything including going out in the lorry once or twice a month :).
 
I daren't add it up - I know I'd be able to have lovely holidays and a fantastic wardrobe of clothes if I didn't have the horse. And some days I am very tempted to trade him in !!
 
I worked it out at about £300 a month if you pro rata the winter feed/bedding etc and have them out in the summer.

Think it may be slightly out of my budget!

Oh well sharing for me for the next few years then :D
 
Horses are not expensive - very cheap to keep - thats what I say to OH - think I would be frightened if I added up the cost of 2 1/2 (a shetland) - thats without livery !!- No wonder I am always broke :eek:
 
Totally depends how you keep them. I have one on DIY livery £56 per week including all hay/ bedding, turnout and bring in. Use of indoor and outdoor school jumping field etc, and parking trailer. Shoeing £40 6 weekly. Insurance including vet cost £40+ per month, bag of chaff which lasts weeks £8,
I have 2 others out 24/7 in a field I rent for £20 per week for both, they are both very very good doers and will need very little extra, both unshod so £30 for trimming when needed for both.
 
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Good god woman! Don't ever, ever add anything up. Just let it slowly haemorrhage out of your bank account whilst all your lovely glamourous friends swan about in delicious shoes and designer clothes.
 
minkymoo said:
Good god woman! Don't ever, ever add anything up. Just let it slowly haemorrhage out of your bank account whilst all your lovely glamourous friends swan about in delicious shoes and designer clothes.
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Not a luxury a soon to be student can indulge in I'm afraid.....!!
 
I'm on full 7 day livery so a lot, I generally don't confess to family and friends just how much lol thou my OH does know. And if we include my tack shop obsession on top of it, it's thru the roof :) but I'd only spend it all on something else and my horse makes me happy!!
 
Split down monthly:
Winter (which i class as four full months of the year:
2 x paddocks and a Stable: £40
Haylage: £80
Straw:£15
Feed: £15
Shoes: £35

Summer:
2 x Paddocks and a stable: £40
Haylage: 0
Straw:0
Feed: £10
Shoes: £35

And as for vets bills, he has a yearly MOT which is Back/Sports Massage/Teeth/Injections which is roughly £250 a year.

So on average it works out as £139 a month including his yearly MOT

Oh and mines a hard to keep TB ;)
 
Oh i forgot his other bits too!

Yearly his worming is £51
and his supplement to last the year is £100 (£25 for three months worth!)

So thats now an average of £151 a month to keep my boy :)

Cough* of course that doesnt include my obsessive shopping habit to get all those things the orange horse just 'needs!' like leopard print girth sleeves and the like... :D
 
Holzdweaver said:
Oh i forgot his other bits too!

Yearly his worming is £51
and his supplement to last the year is £100 (£25 for three months worth!)

So thats now an average of £151 a month to keep my boy :)

Cough* of course that doesnt include my obsessive shopping habit to get all those things the orange horse just 'needs!' like leopard print girth sleeves and the like... :D
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That's much more doable!
 
Probally about £150 a month,

£60 livery
£15 insurance
£7.50 farrier (every 2 months)
£12 feed/supplements
And all other random bits and bobs I spend my money on! That she probally doesn't really need!
If money was REALLY tight could budget £100 a month :)
 
I keep mine at home,so that saves loads.

I buy big bales of hay @£20 a bale (2 horses have eaten 12 bales this winter.)
I do not stable or rug my horses,so no cost:D
Minimal hard feed because they eat ad lib,but I spend about £15 a month for 2 horses just to make me feel better.
I do not use shoes and both are self trimming,but I do have them checked regularly by a farrier(Would be £30 a month,if farrier was not my BF!;))

So all this adds up to a massive £35 a month:D

Leaves plenty of leeway for vets,worms,teeth and I can afford to eat too!:D
 
Holzdweaver said:
Split down monthly:
Winter (which i class as four full months of the year:
2 x paddocks and a Stable: £40
Haylage: £80
Straw:£15
Feed: £15
Shoes: £35

Summer:
2 x Paddocks and a stable: £40
Haylage: 0
Straw:0
Feed: £10
Shoes:

And as for vets bills, he has a yearly MOT which is Back/Sports Massage/Teeth/Injections which is roughly £250 a year.

So on average it works out as £139 a month including his yearly MOT

Oh and mines a hard to keep TB ;)
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£40 for 2 paddocks and a stable....wow!
 
Two mins from my house too...

I must admit the paddocks arent big, but the bigger is split into two and i rotate so one always gets two weeks growth, one week grazed. The field owner built me my stable free of charge too (hes a builder/joiner) and i dont have to pay any more each week either, he just built it because he didnt like him out in the snow! (He was meant to be kept out all winter lol and be a tough TB this year... but as it was there he ended up being a pampered pony again) :D

I got very lucky, but i wouldnt have done if i hadnt have asked for it (knocked on doors for 6 hours! and finally found somewhere close to home)

These places do exist and although they need work and time, they are worth it xD
 
Livery for my two is £250 a month and thats stable and adlib haylage included, and their own field and use of all facilities.
I pay £1.50 for little bales of straw of which i dont keep track of so cant tell you how much i pay a month! I buy it as and when i need it and usually get 10 bales at a time.
Feed... i pay about £21 a month
then feet, £40 every 7 weeks
 
There is a BHS breakdown of costs somewhere which basically tells you its about £300 a month but that's being on the safe side and setting aside money for vets, emergencies and all that...if the year goes well blow it all on colour coordinated horse things! I have always shared or part loaned but I am at uni too and I am desperate to get my own!! Happily I have found a share for £15 a week, I really couldn't spend any more as I live in Cambridge (SO expensive here) so all the real fun will have to wait :-( However I am glad to hear some of you are doing it for under £150 a month, and 35! That sounds like a figure to tell the boyf :-D

Only another two and half years to go til I can get my own, sigh...
 
It depends where you live! I'm on grass livery and with everything included it is extortionate! I realise grass livery is some peoples part livery in other areas of the country but this is the going rate round here, with good hacking and a sandschool:

Break down per month:

Livery at Grass inc hay £270 Feed £15.65 Supplements £18 Wormers £5 Farrier (trim) £10 Vet for vaccinations/dentist £6 Chiropractor £8 Insurance £30 Tack/rugs + odd bits and bobs £30 Petrol to get there and back although this includes work in the week £120 Hunting £70

So i'm sure i've forgotten something but that's a whopping £582.65!!

I've forgotten clipping in that!
 
I have a pretty good TB, does well pursued as long as you rug him and feed him regularly so.....

Grass livery £100 per month including unlimited hay
Feed £25 per month
Insurance £12 per month
Shoes £40 per month
Worming £10 every 12 weeks

I think that's it??
So it works out about £180 a month, but that south Wales where everything seems to be much cheaper than the rest of the UK! :)
 
My monthly cost for Danny is £226.43

In the winter: (the totals at the end of the row are a weekly cost)

livery £25.00 per week £25.00
feed £59.33 (see workings) £13.65
hay £35.00 per bale 4 weeks £8.75
shoes £60.00 full set 7 weeks £8.57
wormer £13.90 tube 13 weeks £1.07
bedding £25.00 bales 6 weeks £4.17
dentist £35.00 6 months £1.35

Total per week £62.56
Total per year £3,253.01
Total per month £271.08 pcm


In the Summer: (the totals at the end of the row are a weekly cost)

livery £25 per week £25.00
feed £0.00 (See workings) £-
hay £40 per bale 8 weeks £5.00
shoes £60 full set 7 weeks £8.57
wormer £13.90 tube 13 weeks £1.07
bedding £25 per bale 26 weeks £0.96
dentist £35.00 6 months £1.35

Total Per week: £41.95
Total per year £2,181.31
Total per month= £181.78 pcm


I can send you my spread sheet if you like?
 
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Less than the price of a packet of cigarettes a day. Is how I justify it to my husband. Approx £1700 for 2011.
 
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