# Tips & Advice on being a 1st time horse owner.



## Mouthwash87 (27 February 2015)

Tips & Advice on being a 1st time horse owner. Any help will be appreciated.
Horse to be stabled on a Livery yard.


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## gina2201 (28 February 2015)

Don't be afraid to ask questions or for help first of all, no matter how experienced you are or not previous to owning, always nice to have a second opinion or someone to talk through anything to put your mind at rest or to ask for help if you need your horse turned out/brought in.
Is it DIY livery? Be organised or become organised! Anything you can do in the morning do it then so you don't have to in the afternoon/evening! I prefer to have all my own stable equipment, sharing is fine but if it belongs to someone else and they are at the yard at the same time you have to take a back seat and can't muck out for example. Might sound a small thing but is annoying if you're pushed for time!
Enjoy it, even if you're not riding enjoy the time just grooming and building a bond. 
Obviously we all budget for monthly costs but always have a contingency aswell, use a diary or wall calendar to log all vet visits, teeth, shoeing, wormer dates etc

Is there any part in particular you're wanting tips and advice on?


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## Mouthwash87 (28 February 2015)

Well I have a rough estimate of costs in my head but, I would like to know other peoples views on the rough costing? I want to find a livery at about 200 a month and was thinking DIY livery but, because it's my first horse that I will be owning I don't know if Part Livery would be better - I couldn't afford Full as I am the only wage. I looked at getting a horse insured and it covered most things and was around 380 pa.


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## Shay (28 February 2015)

We costed out my daughter's cob simply because we were looking to get a share for him and wanted to know what to charge.  He is on DIY, stabled at night but year round turnout (Surrey) and lives on fresh air so he is relatively cheap to feed.   He came out on average £800 a month.  That is livery, all feed, hay etc, insurance, shoeing and vaccinations.  Then you have to maintain and replace tack, rugs etc. 

A basic  rule  of  thumb... think of a number and double it!


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## FestiveFuzz (2 March 2015)

Another one in Surrey. 

My boy was on grass livery at £190 a month so in total cost roughly £350 a month all in. He's now moved to part livery which is £400 a month and includes feed and bedding. 

As Shay said, I definitely recommend thinking of a number and doubling it as things often crop up when you least expect it and generally at the most inconvenient times.


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## Mouthwash87 (2 March 2015)

Thanks guys x


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## Joanne_Stockport (3 March 2015)

I bought my first horse just over a year ago and he is on full livery as the yard is at least a 30 minutes drive (and a lot more at rush hours) so I do not have time to go mornings and evenings.
If you go on DIY you have to decide if time wise you will have time to go every morning and every evening depending on work hours,etc...
Also when you have on DIY it often just cover the cost of the stable (and access to facilities) but you have to buy your haylage, hard feed and bedding which add to the cost.
Do you have much experience with horses? 
Could you recognise if a horse is unwell/lame/etc?
If not then I would not particularly recommend to go DIY ...maybe start with part livery and once you are confident go DIY?

Cost wise, it does cost a lot ! I am in Cheshire and I pay £400/month.
I also pay for additional hard feed (about £20/month)
Farrier (he is barefoot): £20 every 6 to 8 weeks..
Insurance : £35.00/month
Lessons: £80.00/month

Dentist: every 6 months around £100
Saddle check: every 6 months around £80
Vaccination: can't remember the cost
Rug wash : £30 every 3-4 months


Obviously it cost more petrol as I go to the yard 3-4 times a week.
Always something to replace and to buy (tail 7 mane detangler, pig oil, suncream !!)

This year I am starting to go out with my cob so just bought a older horse trailer.
So fees to go to pleasure rides,cost for diesel travelling, etc...


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## xgemmax (3 March 2015)

I'd go for DIY if you're confident you'll have the time. I manage with 2 on diy and work full time so it's perfectly doable, plus you'll save a lot of money and get to see your horse more.

Cost wise, i spend per horse: £150 livery, £3.50 per bale of hay and use about 2/3 per horse a week, feed is cheap maybe £10.00 a month as they just get a bit with their supps, £50 every 2 months for mineral supp, £20 for trim every 2-3 months. Bedding is difficult to work out as use wood pellets and buy per pallet. Dentist is £30 a year, vaccs is £45 roughly


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## Kallibear (3 March 2015)

Learn about manners, horse body language and groundwork.

The caring for a horse (food, mucking out etc) is fairly straight forward and you'll pick it up quickly. But dealing, all by yourself,  every day, with 500kg of beastie that wants to find out who's in charge of this new relationship is not as easy as you think and the downfall of a large number of new owners. The forum (and real life) is littered with novice owners who couldn't cope with their new horses behaviour, nor even understand it. 

Get as much experience of handling all sorts of horses as you can.  You barely need to be able to ride to manage a horse IF your groundwork is spot on. You only spend a tiny % of time in the saddle anyways!


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## Natch (15 March 2015)

Go for a livery yard that is approved and up to date with the BHS. That means that you can be assured that standards are high and that the livery yard owner/manager will be of an appropriate skill level to help you. It's all very well having 40+ years of experience but that can mean 40 years of getting it wrong and developing bad habits that can be dangerous - the BHS approval and qualifications is one way that you as a beginner can be reassured that things are as they should be.

Consider doing the BHS horse owners certificate or BHS stage 1. That will ensure you have the basic knowledge and skills to own a horse.  We have all had a first horse, and we are all learning, so don't be afraid to ask, or to research. 

Regarding insurance I just want to check that you understand how it works, as I wasn't sure by your post. £380 (which will vary hugely by the individual horse, similar to car insurance) is likely to cover vets bills - great! I hear you say! But that's not the routine stuff, like vaccinations, if your horse gets an injury like a kick and needs a bit of painkillers, stitches and advice, it will exclude a lot if the horse you buy has any conformation abnormalities, even if very mild (e.g. my horse had a slight parrot mouth and the insurers excluded ALL dentistry - which was very overcautious of them and very common in the world of horse insurance) - so in my example if my horse would have ever needed any dentistry over and above routine checkups and maintainance (which isn't insured), I would have to foot the bill. Thr excess varies but if for example you have insurance that pays out up to £5,000 for any one claim, the excess may be £500 - so if there is a problem costing less than £500, you have to find the money, and if it is over, you still have to find the first £500. Finally, get multiple quotes, and remember that you get what you pay for - if one company is hundreds cheaper than the others, it probably means they are hideously hard to extract any money from. Once you have a couple of quotes that you think sound reasonable, ask on here - we will tell you if the companies have a good reputation.


Vetting - DO get your horse vetted. Unfortunately insurers will exclude stuff on the report which is a pain in the bum, but it will hopefully ensure that you buy a suitable horse with no health problems who is likely to continue to be suitable for you, for years to come. Get the help of somebody knowledgeable and experienced when you go to view and try a horse. 



Hope that helps.


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## Ponycarrots (15 March 2015)

Get lessons! No matter how good you are, when you get a horse of your own for the first time you realise the difference between riding school horses and actual horses. A good instructor who's experienced, open minded, kind and sympathetic will help you gain confidence and get over any blips you may experience with your first horse.
Also, read as much as you can in books, online, magazines etc to learn as much as you can. Information is power!!!
All in all, remember riding is a hobby; it's for fun and if you ever do something to do with horses that you don't find fun or don't want to do, you shouldn't be doing it.  Stay confident, safe and happy and above all choose the horse that's right for YOU and what you want to do.
Also gain a good bond with your new Neddy and remember no two horses are the same; find out what works for you and him and stick to your guns.


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