# Cost of owning a horse?



## Sophiepower1985 (22 April 2013)

Hi I'm looking into buying my first horse but am going to put a spreadsheet together for my husband to look over. Has anyone got a standard list of weekly/monthly costs? Would be based on average 14.2hh Connemara in medium level of work, hacking schooling but nothing too intensive. I'm going to ask a couple of the girls at the yard I'd keep him at too. Thanks any help would be appreciated. Sophie


----------



## Tayto (22 April 2013)

Here is what I budget - my girl is very low mainetence and this budget does not include lessons, shows etc.

Shoes £35
Feed £20 (she is on a lite balancer and a garlic supplement. A bag of feed will last approx 1.5 months) 
Livery £87 (includes hay)
misc fees (vacs, teeth etc) £80
Insurance(NFU) £38 

Hope this helps


----------



## Leg_end (22 April 2013)

A lot will depend on your livery package TBH. Outside of that I pay approx:

Feed and supps: £45
Lessons: £20-60
Insurance: £70 (I have LOU)
Misc (vaccs, worming, teeth): £20
Competing: £100

My horse is barefoot so don't need shoes but did pay up to £150 every 4 weeks as he had remedial shoes.


----------



## Faithkat (22 April 2013)

All costs are dependent upon where you live as they vary around the country
DIY Livery : average £100 - £150 per month
Bedding : depends on what you decide to use 
Hay : £3.00 - £5.00 per small bale (expect to feed about 2 bales/week in winter if out during the day; obviously more if weather bad)
Insurance : £20+ per month depending on type of animal and level of cover required (and insurance company!)
Shoes : £60 - £80 every 6-8 weeks
Trim (if kept barefoot) £15 - £25
Vaccinations : annual:  £25 for the vacc + call-out and admininstration (try to share a call out with someone else at the yard!)
Worming : I buy mine from my vet and they are on permanant special offer of £5 per syringe but if buying commercially then around £15 per syringe.  If you are in a yard then worm every couple of months
Feed : how long is a piece of string  . . . . . . depends on horse/pony/level of work etc etc


----------



## Sophiepower1985 (22 April 2013)

thank you for your replies. They would be kept on a livery yard that I currently ride at so they will be able to give me the costs for farrier etc. As they try and get all the horses done at the same time to keep costs down for the owners. I'm aware that the horses/ponies will cost different amounts just trying to get an average cost for food/worming etc. As for a good breed to get. I was thinking Connemara x or welsh d? I had a Connemara on loan when I was younger and he was a fab loving pony that really became my best friend.


----------



## joolie (22 April 2013)

A flaming fortune!! This is for a Connie x in fairly light work:

Livery (part all jobs done Mon - Fri inc feed, hay and bedding) - £225 per month
Shoes (no backs ) £45 every 6 weeks religiously
Insurance £45 per month
Wormer £15 ish per syringe every 2 months or so
Lessons £80 per month
Supplements £25 ish per month

Other things 
Osteo twice per year for routine check ups £50 per vist
Teeth 1/2 times per year £50 per check up
Saddler check ups when needed £60 per call out
Misc bits and bobs, tack, rugs etc...

Would hate to add it all up! Always expect the unexpected also and leave plenty aside each month in case of vet call outs etc 

ETA feed wise my boy is a good doer in summer, literally a handful of HiFi for supplements etc. He needed more this winter due to lack of grass etc, HiFitopped up with fibrebeet - probs got through 1 bag of each per month. Also with this spring the grass struggled so hay was out in fields for a good couple of months when usually not needed.


----------



## Sophiepower1985 (22 April 2013)

they are expensive things aren't they! Thanks for your help - i'm going to take this slowly and really make sure I've covered all costs! And at the same time looking for a house with a stable and field! Not happening yet but at least that would cut the cost of livery!


----------



## MerrySherryRider (22 April 2013)

For each horse;
Livery        £108p/m
Hay/straw  £60p/m during winter. Summer @ £10p/m
Feed          £20p/m

Farrier trim (£20)works out at £10p/m
Worming                             £6  p/m




Annual Saddle check £50
Annual Vaccinations  £70
Annual teeth            £47 (sometimes more often)
Insurance                £800 a year. (I save this in an account instead)

Lessons                 £30, quite important if you are going to enjoy your first horse.


Added hidden costs are rugs and kit. fly sprays, creams, lotions and potions, first aid stuff and the little must-haves that always seem to crop up.


----------



## Sophiepower1985 (22 April 2013)

great thanks. Also when trying out a horse i'll take one of the instructors with me from the yard but I think I should take a Vet too. My friend got duped once into buying a pony that was dosed up on bute to cover up its lameless. Any idea of how much they cost?


----------



## MerrySherryRider (22 April 2013)

Definitely take someone experienced with you. Usually if you are interested in buying a horse you've seen, you'd have a vetting done and the vet will take bloods at this in case of the need for testing later.

Also, you could ask the seller if they're happy for you to video the trot up and the horse being ridden when you view, then you could get another opinion from your farrier/ physio or anyone who's opinion you value.


----------



## Tammytoo (22 April 2013)

Cost of buying a horse?  Anything from £2,000 upwards depending on what you want to do and/or breeding.  From my point of view some of the essentials are

1.  Good in traffic
2.  Able to hack out alone without napping or having a nervous breakdown.
3.  Good manners i.e. will lead nicely, tie up, not bargy, stand still to be mounted when out on a hack etc
4.  Good to shoe.
5.  Good to load  (NOTHING is more frustrating than a horse that won't load).


Always have them vetted and the vet should also take bloods which will be stored for six months so that if you suspect doping at the time of viewing this can be checked.

I would have a chat with the livery owner and get her to help you price up the costs.

Good luck!


----------



## PolarSkye (22 April 2013)

Hooo boy, I hate adding it all up b/c it's scary, but it's necessary so here's what it takes to keep mine (a big (height currently disputed but at least 16.2hh possibly bigger) Polish sporthorse):

Livery - £170/month
Straw - £20/month (but that will go up from next month until harvest is in)
Hay - £80/month (this is averaged over the year from winter when he goes through loads to summer when he needs far less)
Hard feed - £40/month minimum and that includes supplements
Farrier - about £40/month but he has bar shoes on the front and none behind
Vet (without emergencies) - £11/month for healthy horse club which includes yearly jabs, call-out fees and yearly MOT
Dentist - £45/year
Clipping - £100/year total for several winter clips
Saddler - £50/year minimum
Rugs washed/repaired/reproofed - £100/year (obviously this depends on how many rugs you have)
Lessons - £100/month
Incidentals - replacing things that break/go walkabout/wear out/run out . . . from shampoo and fly spray to wheelbarrows and stall chains . . . probably another (on average) £15/month

I'm sure of missing something.  Bottom line, though, is that the cost is very often outweighed by what they bring YOU.  Kali has saved me thousands of pounds in therapy . . . no joke, he has saved my life.

P


----------



## Echo24 (24 April 2013)

I've been trying to do some basic sums for a horse I'm looking into this weekend:

Yard A is part livery five days a week. They charge £65 a week but you have to source hay (approx £20 a month) and bedding (shavings only yard, £32 a month). Insurance £50 a month, lessons £40 a month, shoes £40 a month, worming £5 a month and feed £5 a month. This doesn't include yearly check ups with vet for jabs, dentist, saddler, back, or competitions or rugs. This adds up to £452 a month.

Yard B is DIY at £29.50 a week, with £1.20 turn out or bring in (I estimated seven days a week as I'm not a morning person!) Same prices as above to source feed, hay, bedding, etc, and it works out to be £343.60 a month.

Yard A is certainly much nicer and on part livery I don't have to worry about anything during the week except groom and ride, but it comes with a price tag! Yard B is certainly cheaper but not as nice and I'd have to muck out, feed, etc.

I am also in Kent, which seems to be more expensive to keep a horse too.


----------



## RainbowDash (24 April 2013)

Hi, 

Prices pretty much depend on where you are in the country and the yards facilities. Heres my costs based on 14hh Welsh Cx.

Livery (all feed, haylege, turnout, stable, use of two schools, horse walker, hold for vet/farrier/dentist) = £230 pcm.

Farrier (fronts) = £30 every 8 weeks (winter), 6 weeks (summer)

Dentist = £40 annually.

Wormer/worm count = £15 quarterly

Lessons = £15p45mins

Start up costs (tack, rugs, boots, misc.) = £1000 - brought without wardrobe.

The Boyo is my first pony (I'm 35 ) - my riding instructors came with me - rode him and checked him over - they were glad I looked at a gelding as a a livery had brought a BOGOF previously .


----------



## [100855] (1 May 2013)

Never actually wrote it all down month by month but this post is a good excuse to actually work it all out...

For my 14.3 15 year old cob monthly it is:
Grass Livery including haylage and feed, tack storage, rug changes, water- £180
Worming £12 every 2/3 months
Shoes £45 every 7 weeks she only has fronts
Insurance £24 with PetPlan
Supplements £30 every 2 months ish 
Dentist £30 every 6/9 months
Physio £45 every 6/9 months


----------

