Talk to me about cost

[horsemad24]

Had ponies when I was a child and in teens and now my children have a good 2 years behind them of lessons and I thinking dreaming about getting a pony for them.

Aside from livery fees, can you please tell me what your costs are per month? Things like bedding/feed/insurance/farrier etc. I really don't want to commit before I am 100% sure that it is financially viable.

TIA

[Tyrannosaurus]

Mine are very roughly because I don't like to think about it too much bedding, I buy large bales of straw for £20 each, which last about 3 weeks each in the winter, nothing in the summer when the horse is out 24/7.

Hay costs about £10 a week in winter, next to nothing in summer. Feed, is about £40 a month, but I have a big horse, who needs a lot of feeding, it would obviously be much much less for a pony.

Insurance is £45 a month, shoes are £70 every 6 weeks. Wormers are about £7 to £20 each, depending on which one they need, that is about 4 times a year. Vet for teeth, jabs etc, once a year. I can't remember how much that is, but it is always more than I think it should be. I think it was £80 for just jabs last time.

Then there are new rugs, or having rugs cleaned as and when they need it, new bits of tack, new boots, hats etc for growing children, as well as the cost of lessons.

It is not cheap, but it is well worth it if you can. It is the only thing that keeps me sane!

[IconicTonic]

£10 per week is cheap for hay, I pay £3 a day on haylage for a large pony in winter.

My dentist is £45 every 9 months but I only have hooves trimmed so that is £20 a time.

There will also be huge variations depending where you live and how much of the work you are prepared to do. Generally though it is cheaper to keep a pony living out as much as possible.

[horsemad24]

Thanks a lot.
It certainly does cost! Will need to have a word with the livery yard for local costs. Would love them to have a pony of my their own.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Used to have two. Now don't have any (just one on loan at £20 per week)

Remarkably I find myself almost £9,000 per year better off

[PuppyMouse]

I've just got my first DHorse. She's on loan so slightly different but I pay everything while she's mine. I pay:
£234 DIY livery (includes hay/haulage but this is on the high side I think but I had location reasons for this).
£7 per bag of bedding (Aquamax - not using much while she's out 24/7).
Shoes - £70odd every 6 weeks. More if like today she flipping loses one.
Wormer - as pp said nearly £20
Vacs - £78 (includes call out)
Hard feed (£20-30 a month)
Insurance - £50 a month
Dentist I have yet to need but think pp mentioned this.

I had to buy her a new rug £30 (thank you ebay)
A new saddle £500

And I had all the stuff to get started like feed scoops, bowls, hay nets, rubber matting for her stable, shavings forks, grooming stuff, first aid kit etc. That all came to about £700 but is all fairly long lasting.

I am a shoe and bag-aholic but I can barely contemplate shopping any more - I don't have the time or the money!!

[Salene]

I was (sold my mare a few months ago)

£96 every 6 weeks for shoes

£90 a month for insurance (£9000)

£570 a month full livery (hay included)

£45 a month bedding

£30 a month feed

£60 dentist every 6 months

£125 saddle fittings every 3 months as I used a semiflex dressage saddle

Sold my horse as after having my baby my time was limited and it was a lot to fork out for a horse I wasn't getting to compete as much

[Millie2013]

Mine costs

• £25/month for hay (large bale from local farmer)
  

-£40/month approx for bedding (aubiose on rubber mats)
-£45/month for insurance
-£20/month for joint supps
-£10/month for feed (will increase over the winter, but she's a fatty, so just had a token)
-£15 every 6-8 weeks for a trim
-£45/year dentist
-Then there are jabs and wormers on top and random costs for rugs, rug cleaning, etc

[TheWindowDonkey]

This months livery bill was £240 but that included 14 days full livery which we wouldnt usually use, normally it costs us between £140 and 180 a month hay price/use dependant.
Dpony gets a couple of bags of feed a month so about £25, (£300 p/a) then insurance (£500 p/a) vacs, wormer, hoof trimming (she is not shod), dentist add about £300 p/a. Rug cleaning and repair twice a year, £20 a time for us.
Lessons are £22 p/w for half an hour and dd has them about twice a month, and we ask the instructor to give her things to work on in between.
One of the biggest costs is all the little bits and pieces that ots absolutely impossible to resist getting her.
Honestly though, getting her has been far and away the best thing we ever did! We are on thebest yard, where we have met a great bunch who have taken dd under their wing. She's learned loads and we often hang out there as a family when we muck out so ita brought us closer together too. I dont think I ever expected to get so much out of it. :) :) :)