You have a horse wow you must be rich!!!

[Keen]

And forgot to add, the actual buying of horse/stuff isn't a good indicator either. When you've had them for years the stuff can build up slowly & cheaply. And valuable horses/ponies are often the result of a lot of hard work. Same goes for experience, I worked long & hard for my training/riding.

That's exactly my point! You're are, in my term, 'front-loaded'! (With skills). This makes it feasible for you to take on a horse that is a project. If I did that as a novice (albeit a bright and bloody hard-working one thankyousoverymuch ) I’d likely get myself into trouble. I’d certainly get f. all sympathy on here for ‘over horsing’ myself. In my prospective budget for my own fantasy horse, I have been quite imaginative with recycling household stuff that I have already to keep costs down (rubbish bins, water buckets, shovels). I am loaning a horse from a riding school over the summer. I could start buying stuff for her, slowly, but I would be insane to buy tack or rugs. But there is only so many generic items that it would be sensible to accumulate: head collar, maybe? Lunge line. Balance strap?! But most stuff I just wouldn’t need until I needed it!

Front loading takes all forms – some younger people live with their parents for a while whilst they get themselves established. I am not trying to belittle anyone’s dedication or effort though! It’s by no means important how people spend their money to me. I don’t understand why people would be defensive about it.

I DO think it is important to be honest about how you get to where you are, if only with yourself. For some, it is inheritance, others, lucky-breaks, others, well-paid jobs or generous mentors. It doesn’t mean anything, or reflect badly, it just is. My lucky breaks have been with some employers who have taken a chance on me, which means I can now afford my loan. The upside of realising though how you’ve got to where you are, though, is that you generally feel very privileged, and that’s nice. (If I think about it, even my shovels were inherited from my dad!)

I would be curious to know the relative proportion of people who do it the minimum cost way compared to those who do it through livery (and also, how each group manages!)

I don't move in circles where hair cuts, nails, designer bags, cleaners are important, so I guess I never compare my budget choices to people who do.

Of course, if you want to feel terribly hard done by, school-of-hard-knocks about it, do!

 

[teacups]

Are you counting housing benefit into that equation???

No - but not everyone gets housing benefit.

When I was on ICB I had a (very small) mortgage - I had to pay that out of the benefit, leaving me with approx £30 per week - for everything. And no, it can't be done! I had help and loans from family.

 

[horsemadelsie]

I am currently unemployed and my benefits pay for my horse and my car. Luckily I don't have to pay livery because the reason I'm unemployed is we moved house and have land and stables out the back, so all I have to pay for is feed, hay and bedding- not too bad when they're living out.
We keep getting told we must be so rich because we own land, but we bought a place somewhere cheap that needed doing up badly, just so we could afford it. In fact we're trying to get part of the house re-built so it stops flooding every time it rains, but because we have horses all the quotes are ridiculously high because the builders think we're millionaires.
I'm not saying we're poor, if we didn't have the horses we'd be like most of our friends- happily affording a semi-detached house with enough money for nice food and holidays abroad, but it was our choice to have the horses so we're living on value range food in a cold house and I can't remember the last time we had a holiday.
But I'm much happier this way than spending money on manicures and fancy hair-dos- its down to choice and what you want to spend your money on.

 

[pixiebee]

How often do you get this said to you!! Lol!! I always say no I'm poor because I have my horses! But you know what it does bug me... I don't drink, don't smoke , don't have cars on finance etc.. Just have my mares and no in reality of life they don't cost the earth as I do it all my self!!! Rant over!!

i have two horses that i really cant afford, ive quite often paid vets bills when other bills should have been paid. birthdays etc have been very sparse and the kids dont get to visit places as often as id like as i simply cannot afford to, i do feel guilty often but luckily they quite enjoy going to the horses. They are something the whole family joins in with and my partner is learning to ride so lucky for me he doesnt begrudge what they cost. i do keep things on a buget where possible but luckily as i have my own saddlery, equipment/tack is cheaper!!! i always say im skint because of the horses too lol

 

[pixiebee]

I have to admit, when I bought my mare I was in the "oh bugger, I may be a bit late on rent, and..... Erm...... Its beans on toast for dinner" club. Intact I contemplated just living on the yard for a while!
It just makes me laugh when people assume I'm loaded. Can't they tell my financial situation from what Im wearing!!

ditto lol you have my upmost empathy!!!

 

[Heart of a Lion]

No - but not everyone gets housing benefit.

When I was on ICB I had a (very small) mortgage - I had to pay that out of the benefit, leaving me with approx £30 per week - for everything. And no, it can't be done! I had help and loans from family.

Yup don't get me started on the benefits system!!

 

[0310Star]

I have a horse in livery, a brand new car on finance, nice clothes, nice things. Am I rich?? No. Do I work hard to keep up my lifestyle? Yes. Do I have any form of government hand out?? No.

I am 22 years old, and still living with my parents so I can afford to lead this life style. I cant afford to move out, if I didn't have my horse or my car I probably could but I dont want to give up the things I love to do so, so I will wait until I can afford both. On the other hand my parents wouldn't let me have my own horse until I could pay for it myself so I had to wait until I was older and in a full time job to pay my own way with this! I didnt "land on my feet"

People say I am rich as I have a horse and a nice car, I then turn and tell them how I spent the first 6 months of this year with 2 jobs to clear some debts and a big vet bill I had in January and didn't leave the house for months in the respect of a social life to do this! So yes it does annoy me when people assume I am rich because of this

One thing that really does get on my wick is people who live off of the state because they are too lazy to work- people with disabilities etc are for good reason so I dont disagree with this- and they have horses with all the best things and spend all their time with them at the expense of the TAX PAYER!

 

[pixiebee]

I have a horse in livery, a brand new car on finance, nice clothes, nice things.
I am 22 years old, and still living with my parents so I can afford to lead this life style. I cant afford to move out,

22 and still at home? you have a hell of a shock to come when you rent on your own!!!! Your parents must be awfully forgiving to allow you to have brand new car/clothes/horse etc whilst they put a roof over your head at 22!!! If that were my kids id tell them where to go!! Im all for parent support etc but i think thats taking the pee out your parents imo.

 

[SNORKEY]

I've had this to. We got thrown out of a shop in Tunisia as hubby mentioned we had a horse whilst bartering for something and they thought we were really rich and pay their silly high price, can't remember what it was for! And they then pushed us out of the shop! Lol
You don't have to be rich, I know people who spend more a month on drinking and smoking than I do on my two boys!

 

[Ranyhyn]

"Horses. They'll put rags on your arse" was what my OH was most recently told when we bought my mare.
They weren't wrong! And we own a farm! It would be worse if I had to fork out for livery!

 

[Copperpot]

I have a horse on full livery, nice things, a lorry and a fairly new car not on finance. I work bloody hard to have it all and share my cost of running the house with my OH.

I work overtime if I want something expensive so I can afford it, but 40% of that goes straight to tax. I'd love to not work and still have a horse but in reality I couldn't run a horse and a home unless I worked!

 

[0310Star]

22 and still at home? you have a hell of a shock to come when you rent on your own!!!! Your parents must be awfully forgiving to allow you to have brand new car/clothes/horse etc whilst they put a roof over your head at 22!!! If that were my kids id tell them where to go!! Im all for parent support etc but i think thats taking the pee out your parents imo.

I do not live at home rent free is that is what you are insinuating! I pay my way. My parents have a big enough house to accomodate me, and they do not pay for me to live there or help me out financially at all so what is the problem with that? Where I live, it is very expensive to buy/rent and so living at home until a fair bit older than me is a very normal thing! I could understand your comment if I was dossing at my parents, rent free, being waited on but this is not the case.

Either that or I guess I could jump on the band wagon, get pregnant on purpose, get myself a flat paid for by the state, and never have to work again all whilst living a fairly comfortable lifestyle... I think I know which my parents would prefer me to be!

 

[midi]

22 and still at home? you have a hell of a shock to come when you rent on your own!!!! Your parents must be awfully forgiving to allow you to have brand new car/clothes/horse etc whilst they put a roof over your head at 22!!! If that were my kids id tell them where to go!! Im all for parent support etc but i think thats taking the pee out your parents imo.

I think your in a for a shock or a reality check if you think most people have moved out at 22, I'm 21 and certaintly haven't moved out yet and I don't see how I wll be able to afford too for a very long time, I don't have much choice in the matter unless I want to hobo on the streets.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have well paid jobs.

 

[Copperpot]

It is very hard these days for young people to leave home. I left at 18 but that was 15 years ago when property was cheaper. The size of deposit you need these days is huge and on average salaries it's impossible to get a mortgage on your own.

 

[0310Star]

I think your in a for a shock or a reality check if you think most people have moved out at 22, I'm 21 and certaintly haven't moved out yet and I don't see how I wll be able to afford too for a very long time, I don't have much choice in the matter unless I want to hobo on the streets.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have well paid jobs.

I couldn't agree more. I only have 2 friends who have moved out, one was only last week and she was lucky enough to get a cheap rent (her mum owns the property) and lives with a boyfriend, another friend lives alone but this wasn't by choice, she had to move out from home and works 2 jobs just to cover the bills (2 good, well-paid jobs) and has a silly amount of debt because of it.
Where I live I would need around a 20k deposit for a mortgage on a 1bed flat and renting is just too steep to live alone unless you are EXTREMELY well paid..... It is unrealistic to think everybody moves out at 18!

 

[mrsk29]

Getting a bit off topic? Don't get me started on benefits!!! We don't claim them we could easily but we prefer to pay our way (even if it's a struggle sometimes!) someone I know has 2 kids doesn't work and a horse! She's on full benefits as a single parent.. And she gets more than me and hubby put together when take into account rent paid for her n stuff.. If we both gave up work we would probably feel rich as would get more... But that's not us...things mean more when you pay for them yourself and I'm so pleased when I look at my horse and everything he has its all worked hard for. My dog costs more than my horse atm as he needs special meds (ins wouldn't cover as its so rare) but I'd go without to make sure he has what he needs.

 

[0310Star]

Getting a bit off topic? Don't get me started on benefits!!! We don't claim them we could easily but we prefer to pay our way (even if it's a struggle sometimes!) someone I know has 2 kids doesn't work and a horse! She's on full benefits as a single parent.. And she gets more than me and hubby put together when take into account rent paid for her n stuff.. If we both gave up work we would probably feel rich as would get more... But that's not us...things mean more when you pay for them yourself and I'm so pleased when I look at my horse and everything he has its all worked hard for. My dog costs more than my horse atm as he needs special meds (ins wouldn't cover as its so rare) but I'd go without to make sure he has what he needs.

mrsk29 - there needs to be more poeple like you in this country I would be exactly the same as you!

 

[Lolo]

Nothing bugs me more than people denying this. To own a horse, you need disposable income which is something a lot of people don't have and saying that you don't either because it's all gone on the horse is a mockery to those who genuinely live hand to mouth with nothing left after the very basics have been scraped together. IMO.

You may not be in the Times rich-list, but to own a horse at the most basic level you'll be paying a minimum monthly sum of about:

Grass livery: £50
Feed/ hay: £20 (assuming you'll up feed and hay in the winter, and have less in the summer)
Vet (including jabs and worming, and needing something for emergencies): £20
Dentist: £5 (one off each year, so £60 over 12)
Trimmer (cheaper than shoes): £25

So about £100 per month without any emergencies, no insurance, no lessons, no competitions, no trips out, on the lowest end of the budget without actually paying for a horse. Over a grand per year. Which is more than my dad pays for his cigarettes (smokes/ uses nicorette stuff) and more than I spend on going out over the year as well. This is at the most basic level possible, and means you must have that level of disposable income per horse you own...

It is a hobby for those who are completely mental- I can't think of another hobby which costs that much per year at that level... And so it is something for those with the inclination and money to do so.

 

[Shantara]

22 and still at home? you have a hell of a shock to come when you rent on your own!!!! Your parents must be awfully forgiving to allow you to have brand new car/clothes/horse etc whilst they put a roof over your head at 22!!! If that were my kids id tell them where to go!! Im all for parent support etc but i think thats taking the pee out your parents imo.

I'm 22 and still at home. My parents like me here! I don't know why people feel they MUST move out when they reach adulthood. One of my brothers still here (in his 30s) and they like having him at home too. We're good kids, not to mention a useful tool to do house work and look after the dog. We both have jobs and mostly pay our way.
If they wanted us out, they would have told us.
My other brother (also late 30s) will be coming home for a bit soon, sadly because of a failed marriage. My parents would have him back to stay, but he'd rather live elsewhere.
My parents/brothers are my friends, not just my family. Sure, we have arguments and often say things we don't mean, but we're all happy.

 

[Potato!]

Im 30 tomorrow and still living at home!! To be fair i pay rent and the house is huge. I live completly independently from my parents but it does also enable me to keep my horse.

I have lived alone and with my ex and when i did i worked my backside off to be able to afford my horse (im talking 2 or 3 jobs) now i have moved back home for their benefit as well as mine!!

If i was not contributing to the house then they would have to sell it and move! and at the moment they need a big house as my grandmother is also living there. When they are in a position that they do not care for her full time then they will be looking into the possibility of downsizing but untill then and we are talking 2-3 years until they will be in a position to sell. then i will be staying with them.

 

[mandwhy]

I ride a horse around the council estate where I live and get at least three people say 'Is that yours?! You must be rich!' and I say 'of course not I ride it for the owner' like I am doing a job and going back to my tomb like flat underneath them! Currently this is sort of true but I will probably buy the horse and I will quite happily not tell anyone but my friends about that so that we don't get burgled or something! I sound snobby (well I am) but we have already had our doormat and a bike wheel stolen... hold onto your horseshoes!

 

[mandwhy]

I'm 22 and still at home. My parents like me here! I don't know why people feel they MUST move out when they reach adulthood. One of my brothers still here (in his 30s) and they like having him at home too. We're good kids, not to mention a useful tool to do house work and look after the dog. We both have jobs and mostly pay our way.
If they wanted us out, they would have told us.
My other brother (also late 30s) will be coming home for a bit soon, sadly because of a failed marriage. My parents would have him back to stay, but he'd rather live elsewhere.
My parents/brothers are my friends, not just my family. Sure, we have arguments and often say things we don't mean, but we're all happy.

Awww that is so nice it actually brought a small tear to my eye! Gosh I'm being hormonal!

 

[sarahann1]

I agree with this overall (and like the use of one). The exception, in my view, are people who sacrifice a balanced diet and paying for heating etc in order to keep their horses.

This used to be me, and some of the time I'm not really far away from being in that position again. My boys are worth it though and its amazing just how well you can cope in a cold house eating porridge happy in the knowledge you have a lovely horse who is really well looked after. Vitiamin and mineral tablets looked after me, I looked after my boys

 

[Shantara]

Awww that is so nice it actually brought a small tear to my eye! Gosh I'm being hormonal!

Hehe aw! I'm so lucky to have what I do at home, not many people do


Back ontopic - I think you have to be a little bit rich (whether you're born into it or worked damn hard all your life for it) to own a horse in this country and a few others. But in some countries, horses aren't pets and are tools, so loads of people have one! Rich and poor alike.

 

[Ibblebibble]

my OH has just given up smoking, we worked out that his cigarettes cost about £300 a month! i pay £120 total a month for 2 horses and 3 ponies on farm livery, they don't get fed over summer, i don't compete(not interested) they're all barefoot and a trim is £15, as we don't compete and have our own field where they don't mix with others they only have tet jabs bi-annually. IMO having a horse is as expensive as you want it to be.
my car is over 10 years old and cost me £1200 to buy, i live in a rented ex-council house and my OH is self employed, i don't drink, haven't been to a hairdresser in over 5 years (short hair and a pair of clippers) and some of my clothes are older than my kids!!
I am not your stereotypical joules clad horse owner and strangely enough i have never been accused of being rich or even slightly well off, must be because i look like a scruff most of the time and perhaps people think i lie about owning horses lol

 

[sarahann1]

I am not your stereotypical joules clad horse owner and strangely enough i have never been accused of being rich or even slightly well off, must be because i look like a scruff most of the time and perhaps people think i lie about owning horses lol

Me either, I own one joules top, only because I got it free, no Toggi, Musto or Ariat to be seen anywhere in my wardrobe, Primark, New Look and H&M for me all the way, even then its sale stuff! In fact everything I'm wearing to work today was in a sale or mega cheap @ full price, think the value of my whole outfit comes to about £30 inc shoes, the jeans were £10 of that!!

 

[claribella]

As most people have said in one way or another, it's about priorities. What is one persons priority may not be the next persons, what is one persons njoyment may not be the next persons. I went through most of m life believing that you had to be rich to own a horse because that's what my parents drummed into me and it wasn't until my hubby bought me one that I realised you didn't. Don't get me wrong, m hubby does earn a good wage and I guess in some people's eyes we might be rich but we certainly aren't millionaires.
I get so much enjoyment out of having my girl but I don't smoke, drink, take drugs, eat extravagantly, I cut my own hair, I don't buy makeup, I use the same shampoo as my hubby and two boys, I don't clothes shop etc m mare is my thing and I am extremely great full to my amazing hubby who opened that door to me and continues to do so since I am a stay at home mum who doesn't earn a penny.

 

[frostyfingers]

Like a lot of people with horses, it's about priorities. We don't go on fancy holidays, have new cars, go out to the theatre or restaurants much, and don't have extensive fancy wardrobes either for ourselves or our horses.

I have friends who probably have the same disposable income, but spend it very differently and see me as "rich" because I have a horse! T

 

[TicTac]

Wish I was!

 

[Littlelegs]

Sorry but if anyone knows single parents with one or two kids living a good lifestyle on benefits, then they are either scamming cash in hand, have an ex paying good maintenance, or are drowning in debt. Benefits for single parents with one or two kids are very low. Off topic, but does rile me. And tbh, having been pregnant at 22, single & on benefits for a few months, its a bit like me stereotyping & saying something offensive like everyone who lives at home past 18 is a pathetic, dependent child. That's not what I think btw, just showing how rude jumping to conclusions is.