To ask is it really affordable to have a horse?

[Fruitshootjet]

We are moving to an area where it's possible for my daughter to have a horse. My DH wants to her one when we move in.

I have absolutely no idea about horses. Haven't the foggiest how much it would cost in upkeep. So to you mumsnetters who own horses - what are we letting ourselves in for.....

My horse costs me:

£75 every 6 weeks in shoes
£45 a month in insurance
£138 every 4 weeks in stable rent
£200 a year for vaccines, worm counts and teeth rasping
£50 a month in basic feed (chaff and balancer)

I’ve spent thousands probably tens of thousands over the years for equipment - tack, rugs, rubber matting, boots etc

I’m lucky that he lives out rather than being stabled at night otherwise I’d also be paying £11 a week for stable bedding and £8-£12 a week for hay.

He’s a good doer - so doesn’t need much feeding but get a horse that doesn’t do so well you can probably double the feed costs in the winter.

If you have your own land then you won’t have rent but you will have to maintain the land with rolling, harrowing and topping as well as maintaining the fencing and troughs.

And if this is a first time thing then weekly lessons are a good idea. And hour with my intructor costs £45.

Do you mean have a horse at home or at a livery yard ? We have only one pony now ( the rest have died) and she is on full livery and it’s £120 per week plus her medication .

If you have to ask then the answer is no.

They cost a lot of money.

Warning if the horse gets sick or injured you won't be able to ride it, but you will still be paying all the bills. I would recommend riding lessons on a horse first and then investigate loaning a horse, which entails riding the same horse, but not many bills

Horses cost a fortune and they take up a lot of time. What about a part loan/share to start with?

To be honest, it’s brutal.

Will you have your own field and shelter? If so you can expect the following costs:

Insurance - £25 per month
Shoes - £90 every 4-6 weeks
Hay - £45 per month
Bedding - £20 per month
Feed - £30-£40 per month
Supplements - £15 per month
Worming - £50 per year

If you need to have the horse at livery it’s between £80 and £350 per month depending on how much of it you do yourself.

Then there’s tack (initial outlay and upkeep), show fees, lessons, dentistry, transport etc.

It’s honestly so so worth it and the best way to spend money, but go in with your eyes open! It’s so, so expensive.

I read somewhere that Paul Newman complaining of the cost of his wife's horses, said it was like pouring money down a drain.

I dont know how old your daughter is but I would say, please dont. I have had horses for 30 years and all 4 of my children had ponies and rode. The parent MUST know how to care for horses. It takes me between two and four hours a day and I keep them on my own land, Even so it is very expensive, eg a set of shoes every 6 weeks at £70.
Children go off riding frequently. First you need to establish how keen she is, will she get up every day at 7 am through her teenage years to look after the horse and throughout her studies? On what basis does your OH want her to have one? Does he have horse knowledge.
Her is what I would advise, take her to a reputable riding school and let her have regular lessons. For many children, this is enough. If she is keen, let her help out at the weekend mucking out etc. If she is keener, consider a two/ three-day lease of a horse/pony and make sure you keep it at livery at a good place where she can learn all it entails. The worse thing you can do is say, oh there is a nice field at the back of our garden. lets put a horse on it. My life will continue to be restricted until my last horse dies. My choice. If you want a nice field ornament rent the field to a local horse owner who knows what they are doing. If you do buy a horse in the end, keep it at livery for two years until you know what you are doing, and be sure to have backup help. Sorry to be a killjoy but its a terrible idea. They are large expensive and potentially very dangerous animals. My knowledgeable neighbour is in hospital having been kicked in the face

Does your daughter even want one?

I'm not a massive fan of exploitation of animals for human fun at any time but it sounds wrong that your DH wants one even though he knows nothing about them.

Not "affordable" unless you are well-off.

The quick answer is no.

I've owned horses all my life, worked in the industry and have ridden at a very high level, and if you're not horsey yourself, unless you're committed from the outset to spend a considerable chunk of cash, my advice would be to wait until your daughter is old enough to get a job and buy/pay for her own.

Even when I had my own yard, my outgoings were well in excess of £500pcm.

My horse costs me £450 for livery a month and £65 in shoes every 6 weeks. He is retired now, it was a hell of alot more when I was competing which then had the added costs of lessons/entry fees/transport etc.

TBH if you haven't the foggiest about horses then buying one isn't the smartest move. Part loan first.

Has she had riding lessons previously? Might be a good place to start before going the whole hog and buying a horse.

I think it’s fine to have one if you are not horsey- as long as it’s in full livery with a supportive yard owner,
I was adding what I spend the other day, if you include rugs, feet, vacs, dentist, insurance etc plus lessons, I am spending over £900 pcm. That’s one horse on full livery.

If you start doing competitions, more money. A new saddle- about £2k, it’s endless.
We have just bought a new trailer for £7k then that’s has ins too. It’s bloody expensive.
Been great for my dd though, changed her life.

I think it varies massively depending on where you live but, DD’s horse costs

£50 a week DIY livery, includes year round turnout in her own paddock, straw and hay, use of indoor and outdoor schools, water and electricity
£75 every 6 weeks for shoes
£50 every 8 months for the dentist
£30 a month for hard feed
£10 every 3 months for wormer
£47 a month for insurance (horse is a veteran and I wanted illness cover so it is more expensive)
Can’t remember her annual vaccination cost

Plus a few hundred £ for tack, rugs (stable and turnout plus washing costs), high-vis, matchy-matchy shite that horse never looks that impressed about wearing, body armour, boots (yard and riding) and hat.

1 hour weekly individual lesson - £20

If they want to do shows or spider rides - £5 - £8 per class/ride

I read somewhere that Paul Newman complaining of the cost of his wife's horses, said it was like pouring money down a drain.

My dad used to liken it to standing in a muddy field ripping up fifty pound notes

I agree that a loan is a good idea at first.

"It's like standing on your doorstep and throwing £10 notes into the wind" - is how it was once described to me. I had horses when younger but haven't bought my daughter one - we just don't have time and living in town would mean the horse would have to be on full livery - which here is £150 a week, before shoes, insurance, worming, vets, tack, rugs, feed, etc etc etc.......

They are a wonderful hobby, but cheap they aint!

Oh hang in I assumed the daughter was at least competent around horses already/regular rider etc!? If that isn't the case then you are flat out bonkers BUYING a horse.

Apologies, hit return too quickly.

What I meant to say was 'if you're not horsey yourself, unless you're committed from the outset to spend a considerable chunk of cash on livery/trainers etc...'

Horses are not just big hamsters: they require a lot of knowledge to care for and maintain, and if that's not something you or your OH has, you will have to buy the time of other adults to fill in the gaps (and that's NOT cheap).

Yes to matchy matchy shite 💸💸💸

They cost EVERYTHING! Including your soul. If your daughter is a capable rider, OP, I would recommend you do a loan first, so you can get an idea of the financial commitment and she can get an idea of the time commitment. When my kids still went up to the yard in snow and ice and mucked out and had their lessons in a downpour, I knew they would look after a pony. We were lucky enough to be liveried at a riding school when the children were very young so I used to do a part loan during summer holidays, that sort of thing. If your daughter is very young then all the day to day care of looking after the animal will fall to you, so working out a loan through a riding school when they are very small might be a good compromise. She will also get the company of other kids. And if you do decide to buy, get a native! We have six, never sick or sorry and live on fresh air. I only give them hard feed and hay in the depths of winter, when the grass is almost gone on their winter grazing and they are all thriving. My eldest daughter on the other hand, bought herself a Thoroughbred that she planned to school and sell on. HA! She has decided to keep her and I feel like I might as be feeding the mare £10 notes, she needs to eat so much. Don't dismiss hairy little ponies either, we have a very stocky 13.2 black and white cob, she can carry me as well as the kids, but she is my youngest daughter's pony. She is an equine angel, perfect with young kids, will stand and walk quietly if that is all they want to do but will also gallop across country for a more confident rider. It is a very expensive hobby but I am glad both my girls ride, even if it means I have to buy all our clothes on ebay and we don't have holidays! It has taught them a lot of life lessons, like patience and hard work and they love their animals so much. We are busy in the summer going to shows and the like but they have made a lot of friends through it and it is a genuine passion.

How to make a small fortune? Start with large one and then buy a horse.

I'm a groom looking after two horses.

£25 per week DIY livery. Two visits a day, three if farrier or vet or dentist coming.

£60 per set of shoes every six weeks for one, £25 every 8 weeks for trimming the other.

Worming - £60-80 a year each

Hay - £5 per small bale, 7 a week for these two (very large), or around £40 for a large bale but then you need space to store it.

Feed - anything from £10 bag lasting a month for a low maintenance good doer, to £40 every two weeks for comp horses/special diet needs.

Supplements & vitamins - available for all sorts. Feet, breathing, sweet itch (awful condition which is an allergy to midge bite saliva), joints, general health.

Bits and bobs - fly spray, hoof grease, grooming tools, stable care tools, field mantenance tools, electric fencing.

Tack and rugs - possible on a budget but better to buy quality and hope it lasts. A £200 rug can be destroyed as easily and quickly as a £50 rug. Washing and reproofing of rugs after the winter season. Saddle fit very importnat and a horse can change shape 2/3 times a year and need refitting/new saddle.

Clothes for DD - budget or latest fads?

Insurance, competition costs, lessons or schooling costs.

Petrol and time to and fro to the yard.

An emergency fund for vet emergencies. In the past year there have been a cut leg in the field - £200, extra dental work £300, pulled muscle again in the field £200. Plus the extra time to attend to these needs.

Winter is tough. rain, cold, mud, miserable horses and miserble owners.

Groom/temporary care if needed. They still need (usually) two visits a day no matter if it's Christmas/Bank Hol/holiday away etc.

I realised late in life it's easier getting paid to look after them rather than having to fork out to keep them.

My sister has one, she never stops moaning about the expense!