How much does keeping a horse cost?
ive loaned lots of horses, friends + riding schools. i have had to reimburse half of the fees like shoeing + feeds but enjoy forgotten. i am buying a horse and want to know how much people pay for the farrier and how much for food and keeping a horse somewhere. i am not keeping the horse somewhere fancy but a small yard next to a few field so cheap.
i have three horses but not a hundred percent break it down for one horse to make it easier (:
Hay-lb2.50 a bale for one horse about 3 a week [because its winter] and hay is expensive at the moment
Shoes- lb15 for a trim lb25 for two front shoes lb35 for all four shoes and lb40-45 near studs
Wormers- lb15-lb30 depending on which type you buy mine are lb20, one every eight weeks
Feed- hardfeed is about lb8 a sack (depending what you want too feed your horse eg pony nuts are going to be cheeper than competition mix) wich would last more or less a month, Oil is about lb2 from tesco or you can get the special horse cod liver oil for something like lb5-lb10 from a horse store.
Treats etc- Polo's abvout 40p and last 1-2 weeks ( you dont want too feed the horse lots of these in sizeable quantities) or a lick-it at about lb2.50 and if your horse eats it properly should final 3-4 wekks (mine just bite it all out and it lasts a morning haha)
Insurance- around lb10-20 a month depending on the age, breed where you are keeping it and what you are doing with it etc.
Extras- Hoof oil at nearly lb6 and lasts 5months(ish)
Bedding- Straw about lb2 a bale and use 2-3 a week or shavings at lb6 a bag and use 1 every month (ish)
Dentist- About lb20 once every 6 months
One Offs include tack range from about lb200-lb800 for a saddle and approx lb20 for a basic bride lb20 for a basic bit lb20 for stirrup leathers lb20 for stirrups lb15-lb25 for reins and lb10-lb30 for a girth
Rugs which alter from lb20-lb60 depending on what kind
And the odd vets vill for vaccination etc wich will vary.
Ooh and if your keeping it at a livery yard the livery patio fee we have our own yard and charge lb20 a week including a steady, grazing and use of facilities so it will depend of what kind of yard you run to.
Hope this helps, it's all i can think of at the moment, Good Luck near your new horse :) hope all goes all right (:
X
The hay and that should be included at the yard but it's about lb20 for a large round bale which last a 15hh for a month. Or lb2 for a small bale, lasts a couple of days.
Shoeing- about lb60 a time for all four elementary shoes.
Feed- For hard feed we normally in recent times buy Dodson and Horrell Country cubes. They are around lb8 for a 20kg bag and last for about a month.
Insurance- roughly lb10 for the basic insurance a month.
Treats- We just buy a big bag of pony nuts for lb5 from our local farmers marketplace and they last for ages, are healty and the horses love them. So treats about lb25 a year.
Supplements- Hoof oil last us about 6 months for a 800ml can. It sells for around lb10 so about lb20 a year.
Jabs- One flu and one adjectives round. Done buy your vet for about lb100 for both.
Worming- Every 2 months about lb15 a time.
Overall about lb1800 but I would disappear about lb2000 in case of tack breakages and stuff.
It's cheaper contained by the summer when you horse is out a grass and doesn't need any feed.
But anyways Good luck!! =)
Answers: How long is a piece of string?! Nobody can answer this accurately for you, so I will suggest the following as a guideline.
It depends on so many factor, including the size and type of horse, whether he is a 'good doer' or not (i.e. takes less feed than some).
It also depends on location as it varies throughout the country for livery fees.
Assuming you are in the UK, as a rough and approximate guide for you.
*Livery offering field and steady only (DIY) - lb30 pw, (you have to muck out and do everything yourself). lb90++pw if the livery patio are looking after the horse and supplying feed/bedding.
*bedding shavings lb7 per bale - allow at least 8-10 bales to get a bed started, then at tiniest a bale per week to keep it topped up.
*Hay lb3.60 per bale (you will have to feed this contained by the winter months when there is little goodness in the grass), and expect a bale to ending 2, maybe 3 days.
*Bags of feed lb8 each and how long it last will vary according to the animal and the work you are doing with him.
*farrier lb80 every 6-8 weeks
*wormer lb15 every 12 weeks
*insurance for horse vet fees/public liability/tack/trailer as much as lb200 per year
*rugs from lb40-lb200 depending on make/quality/function etc
Then there are fees for competition entries, kitting yourself and the horse out whether it doesn't come with tack (saddle lb400/bridle lb50-lb200).
However much you think it will cost, from my own experience, it always costs more! If dosh is a serious issue for you, loaning or sharing a horse is a really good option.
I hope that gives you some concept.
It would help people to reply if you told them where approximately you are located.
this may depend on where you live south england i can update you about. north england should be cheaper.
livery lb140 pcm
hay lb50 pcm
straw lb20-lb30 pcm
feed pony nuts and molly chaff lb 20 pcm
farrier trim lb20 every 8 wks, shoeing lb70 every 6-8 wks
dentist lb35 per year
flue and tet lb90 guessing and due in nov
after you got tack, rugs etc.
then any vets bills
insurance depends on what cover you want. pet plan is a good one though
They can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make them. they tend to cost more to keep in the winter than summer as specifically when they are in the most. Your main costs are going to be straw, hay, feed and farrier. Hidden costs are wormers, insurance and any little extras you want to buy ie hoof moist, supplements, carrot, apples, treats. My farrier is lb60 per 6 weekly visit, I never go for a re fit. Talk to, your farrier about this as it can retrieve you money but depends on how good the shoes are. I pay lb90 per month for stable and grazing, I own year round turnout but he has to come in at night surrounded by the winter months till the clocks go forward again.It is not a big yard but it does have a schooll. I pay envelope lb2.00 for straw and lb3.00 for hay and I will more than likely get through about 30 of respectively at a rough guess. shavings will cost about lb7.00 per bale. Feed costs depend on what you feed and the level of work, big horses don't enjoy bigger feeds as some people think but you must nurture acording to work load, heavy work requires more energy giving food. When you buy your horse ask whether the price includes tack and rugs if not negotiate a price. You will need at least 3 rugs to start near, a light weight turn out, a heavy immensity turn out and a stable rug. If it is really cold you can put a light weight turnout over the steady rug. A girl I once know used old single duvets till she could afford a new rug. Rugs also vary widely contained by price. The best thing to do is to give yourself a budget and stick to it. If you don't use all your budget for one moth amass it until the next and in the summer put as much away as you can for the winter. Don't forget the insurance, I am near e&l which also insures my trailer. Don't forget regular worming. If your new horse does not have a worming record you can start from chisel. Just ask at your local tack shop. Supplements are at your own discretion I suppose. My boy has garlic and Biotin for his hooves and in summer I use hoof moist to help prevent them drying out and cracking but I still use it twice a week within the winter when he is stabled. Hope this has been helpful or enjoy I confused you even more? Oh yes one more thing about when you budge to buy your horse, it is now law that a horse cannot be sold without it's passport so take home sure you ask for it. when the vet comes to give injections you will need to produce it, oh yes that is to say another hidden cost as is teeth rasping. My god so much to remember! Good luck.
