Whats your monthly spend on your horse and any tips to keep costs down?

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Starwind

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Looking to take on another horse and working out my budgets. just wanted to see on average how much you all spend. M youngster its about £200 a month and thats for DIY Livery,Hay,feed bedding, shoes etc etc.
Also does anyone have any tips on ways to reduce cost's especially with the silly hay prices at the moment.
 
Mine are staying out 24/7 this winter on cattle grazing, that will cut my food and hay bill down and get rid of the bedding bill all together.

worked out the other day that mine cost about £150.00 a month average, shoes, livery, jabs etc....

On £10 a week grass livery instead of £28 a week DIY with stable. Have access to school etc....
 
Thats not too bad them i suppose it depends on where in the country you are too as prices seem to vary quite a lot. Looking to turn my youngster away on grass livery at £70.00 a month plus hay (so about £100 a month) and then get something else is i can ride etc which is going to then cost me approx £200 a month... trying to justify to myself that i can afford it before i take the leap..
 
I have 2, they are living out this year too, as one is retired and the otherr in foal. I am having to put up fencing and a shelter, so my savings this year are negligable, but its going to be better in the long run...I spend about £150 a month
 
It costs me on average £100-£120 per month to keep a horse on my own yard, but including wages for part time help.
Cutting cost tips:
Shoe only the ones that really need it, quite a few can go barefoot or fronts only.
Feed straights and source them from farmers, or grow your own :)
Give exactly as much forage as they need, if they eat it to fast,split into several small haynets, double net etc.
Make sure they are rugged up appropriately to the weather/temperature - cold horses eat more to keep their weight.
Share the duties with other liveries, swap favours - saves diesel/petrol and cost of extra services.
Share vet visits for routine stuff with other liveries.
Buy wormers on-line.
Muck out twice a day, always skip out last thing.
 
field rent = £27/month :D
insurance = £35/month (approx - can't rememebr exactly!)
shoes = £43/month (pro rata ;))
feed & supps = depends on time of year - but about £20/month in winter - £10/month in summer
Hay in winter only = £15/week approx (thinking 5 small bales - i feed ad lib)
back checks (pro rata - 4 times a year at £45) = £15

anything additional is classed as unessesary - ie lessons/comps etc :)

(i think i've rememebered everything!)

the best way to cut down costs is to kee horse out 24/7 365 - thats what i do - she's hunted frmo the field in winter in a hunter clip - good rugs and ad lib hay is all you need to keep them warm - additional feed only needed if they need more energy etc :)
 
Brilliant.. Thanks guys. I'm not to far out then, my livery is £137.00 a month with wormer. If i'm a bit more careful on feed and hay i maybe able to bring cost's down a bit more. swapped bedding to Dixons dustless and that only £4.75 in surrey cheaper than woodchips at the mo.
 
Wish I hadnt started this but my yard of 4 horses (kept at home) costs me £1362 pcm. That is remortgage, lorry, feed, shoes, insurance, hay/straw and lessons.

MUST be bonkers !

No grazing to offer a livery so no way of making a few quid. Am reading this thread with interest !
 
I know grass livery is much cheaper. and i'm trying to convince myself that you younster will be ok. he will have a lovely warm rug on and hay etc. and i know they are horses and they are used to it, but i still hate the thought of him out in field on cold night..............soft or what..
 
mrussell said:
Wish I hadnt started this but my yard of 4 horses (kept at home) costs me £1362 pcm. That is remortgage, lorry, feed, shoes, insurance, hay/straw and lessons.

MUST be bonkers !

No grazing to offer a livery so no way of making a few quid. Am reading this thread with interest !
Click to expand...

Oh, no, don't bother yourself with counting the mortgage, insurance, lorry etc - it will make you ill! :o:)
 
mrussell said:
Wish I hadnt started this but my yard of 4 horses (kept at home) costs me £1362 pcm. That is remortgage, lorry, feed, shoes, insurance, hay/straw and lessons.

MUST be bonkers !

No grazing to offer a livery so no way of making a few quid. Am reading this thread with interest !
Click to expand...

Blimey £1362pcm...and i thought i was worried...lol.
 
My horses are kept at home so I have no livery costs. I regularly budget them and see where I can save costs but at the moment their costs would be as follows: If they're on loan (owner pays insurance, vets) they cost £270 a month for me to keep (Farrier £70, Bedding £20, Feed £20, Hay £30, School use £35, Lessons £100). Obviously if you take out the school use and lessons it's only £140 a month.
When you add ownership and therefore insurance (including lessons and school use) in to the equation it's up to £400 each and that's before you even think of competing. :eek:
When you add in BE entries etc I have had months where they have cost me between £800-£900 a month EACH :(.

Bulk buying feed and bedding can help. Places such as Mole Valley Farmers can offer a discount bulk buy on 10 bales of shavings; not sure if they do on feed though. If you buy direct from the manufactorer I have found that they only really offer a minimum order of 100+ bales - not very helpful when you only have one or two horses.

Its worth asking your feed merchant what, if any, offers they can give on small bulk buy orders to try and save some pennies.
 
Last edited:
martlin said:
Oh, no, don't bother yourself with counting the mortgage, insurance, lorry etc - it will make you ill! :o:)
Click to expand...

Its not much better if I knock off the loan to buy the yard =0( The insurance is for the neds not the yard.

Heres the breakdown;
£220 shoes for 4 horses
£160 insurance for 4 horses
£60 hay and straw
£160 feed
£17 yard water/elec
£85 lorry tax/insurance and plate
£500 yard "rent"
£160 for a lesson a week.

runs to the hills singing lalalalalala
 
Per month, about £145:

Field: £40
Feed: £20
Insurance: £30
Farrier: £30
Hay (winter only but averaged per month): £15
other (jabs, the odd show, teeth): £10
 
mrussell said:
Its not much better if I knock off the loan to buy the yard =0( The insurance is for the neds not the yard.

Heres the breakdown;
£220 shoes for 4 horses
£160 insurance for 4 horses
£60 hay and straw
£160 feed
£17 yard water/elec
£85 lorry tax/insurance and plate
£500 yard "rent"
£160 for a lesson a week.

runs to the hills singing lalalalalala
Click to expand...

Oi, I told you not to count!!! It will REALLY make you ill :eek:
 
Yikes. I'm going to regret this....

Three horses (one horse, two ponies - one 13hh and one 13.3hh, both good doers).

Monthly:
Yard - £165
Insurance - £130
Shoes - £66 (one full set and two trims every six weeks)
Innoculations - can't remember...
Trailer - paid for and storage included in the yard rent
Hay - averages at £43 a month
Bedding - Averages at £10 a month
Feed - £40
Clipping - ah, none now LC isn't being worked
Gear - I think that we aren't in need of anything at the moment.
Lessons - £80, plus odd extra ones

So, monthly total = £534
 
This winter I will have 1 horse living in:
£100 pcm for the stable
£30 for 2 pcm for straw (roughly)
£40 pcm for ad lib haylage
£20 pcm for feed & supps
£60 every 6 weeks for shoes
= £250

I also have 2 living out which cost £80 pcm each including ad lib haylage and they don't need feeding and get a trim every 8/9 weeks at £20 each.
 
About £200 per month in summer -

£130 for DIY livery
£10 - £15 for feed and supplements (mainly supplements)
£20 for farrier
£40 Insurance

In winter it's nearer £265.

£130 for DIY livery
£10 - £15 for feed and supplements (mainly supplements)
£20 for farrier
£40 Insurance
£25 bedding
£40 Hay


On top of that I'm £60 per month for lessons and then £30 - £60 per month for competitions.

I wish I could do it for less but I'd say this is about average for DIY in my area - if anyone has suggestions for saving I'd be glad to hear it - would love to have him live out all winter but my yard doesn't offer that and the one near me that do, well I wouldn't use them due to lack of other facilities etc.
 
One horse

Insurance (veteran) £13
Shoes just fronts trim the backs £45 (Every other month)
Hay £25
Straw £16
feed/supps £20
d.i.y £120

Mine works out about £200 a month
I struggle more when things go wrong eg ripped a rug that has to be replaced ect
 
I'm an odd one... I have 3 horses at home and they cost me next to nothing!

I put the 'livery bill' into my mortgage so that technically doesn't count
My horses are barefoot and my friend did farriery up to barefoot level (before she had her some) and trims for me in exchange for babysitting
I let our farmer neighbour store his hay in my barn and he lets me help myself so hay costs nothing
I get shredded paper for bedding from the local hospital so that costs me nothing.
I buy feeds as separates and mix my own - works out a lot cheaper!
I have switched my dogs from Hill's Science Plan to Kildrummy working dog food which in turn pays for the horses feed.

So I guess my horses don't actually cost me anything...

I don't insure but have a big overdraft and a vets with a payment plan just in case anything bad happens. None of my horses cost me a great deal so its not like I need to worry about loss of use.

When I had a single horse on livery £250 a month was a good month!
 
1 dopey TB in over night all year round:

full livery (inc hay and straw): £185pcm
4 shoes (every 5 weeks): £60
insurance: £25
feed: £10pcm (tip: make friends with who ever runs stock yard of your local feed shop so they can ring you when they get split bags of what you buy regular, often these are just given away)
lessons: £25ph (tip: join local riding club often they offer subsidised lessons)
entry fees: will let you know if we ever get there!!!
 
This'll be my first winter with a pony so I'm slightly apprehensive to say the least. However due to his fatty tendancies he's been on restricted turnout all summer anyway, if anything he'll get more grazing over the winter or at least the same routine.

£100 pcm stable and bedding
£12 pcm extra bedding
£36 pcm insurance
£25 every 6-8 weeks for feet
£30 pcm (approx) hay (probably go up over winter)
Feed is negligable at the mo (1 bag of hifi lite lasts about 4 months!)

At the moment also £30-40 pcm on lessons as well.

These are the basics, then there are things like teeth and vaccs. It always seems to cost a lot more though, for things he can't cope without like his himalyan salt lick, his de-frizzing conditioner for his hair, he currently owns 1 rug so will need a new wardrobe (so I'll be funding the weatherbeeta staff xmas party this year!). I'm also currently borrowing different bits to try out and can garantee without fail that he will like the Neue Schule Wilkie Super lovely copper losenge specially made one over the bog standard french link! :D

As for saving money - I've bulk bought hay and had it delivered as my lovely livery yard has enough storage to do that.

My main money-saving tactic was to buy the diesel version to start with - fell pony with layers of flubber and feet like iron! However don't underestimate the time, effort and money spent on hair products for said pony (I had to go out to the yard the other night to claim my Herbal Essences conditioner back from the pony before I had a shower!)!! :D
 
Seren costs between £200-280 per month to keep on DIY, this includes livery,hay,feed & supplements,shoes, this is based on pretty much 24/7 all year round too
I keep costs down as much as I can but it is an expensive hobby as we all know :s
I would love to know how to cut back further but I am not sure it is possible....
 
Hmm, I know I'm going to regret this:

DIY livery for two horses (stable + turnout) - £50 per week
Ad lib hay - £25 per week (£10 for small boy and £15 for big one)
Shavings - £13 per week (assuming a bag each over winter)
Insurance - £12.50 per week
Shoeing - £25 per week or so (£155 every 6 weeks)
Feed - £8 per week (estimated amount for winter)

Currently not having lessons. Have part sharer on my small boy which helps a bit (she pays £70 per month). Losing the will to live so won't include vaccs/dentist etc :o

But it's quite scary and that's a fraction of the price I used to pay at my old part livery yard, where I just used to have one of the horses.

There, done it. Off for a chocolate bar to make me feel better .........
 
Per month, mine is... for one horse...
Rented field - £50
Hay all year for night time - £40 (10 bales)
Shavings - £24
Insurance - £16
Shoeing - £40 (ave per month for every 6 weeks)
Feed - token of chaff and supplement - perhaps £5 average per month

Total - £175 - seems alot when added up...how you guys afford a yard rent on top I will never know!
 
mines £180 a month including stable/grazing/hay(and haylege) and shavings (or straw)....

love the yard :D

if i wasnt here id be looking for grass livery... :)
 
I'm really going to regret adding all this up considering I'm currently scrambling for freelance work.

- £165 for DIY livery, including as much hay and straw bedding as I want, plus use of facilities. (I know in summer I could get this down if I went for DIY that didn't include hay and straw, but I quite like to know that I can feed Fleur as much as I want without counting the pennies)
- £20 for hoof trimming
- £48 for 4 lessons

So... £233 in total. Not including vets, which I'm trying to do alongside other liveries and am having to do more often as she gets older. Don't have insurance as I feel that if she gets a serious injury she will be PTS - she has had a really good life with me, been loved and pampered, and I know that she would be miserable if she had to be put on box rest for any serious length of time.
 
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