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.....

OP - I'm glad to hear at this stage that you're deciding against, because you and DH have said you don't know anything and DD has had lessons - a lesson once a week is far cry from owning one of these money eating, self harming, time and energy consuming creatures! And being fully responsible.
That said, please don't discourage DD where horses are concerned! It is a wonderful thing, a bond with a horse, but you need to respect the sheer commitment financially, physically and emotionally that they take.
I would suggest speaking to the riding school and asking about more lessons, days when she can help, stable management courses etc, to get her on the right track, and if the ultimate aim is to own one, you and DH joining in! Then when you have some proper knowledge look at part loaning or sharing from a yard, then progress from there.
My family isn't horsey at all, still aren't, but I started in a riding school and progressed through them, then part loan with a pony from a good yard and got the help and guidance I needed.
Be prepared for it to take over your life - you and DH have to have knowledge if it's going to be kept at home - it will also need a companion of some description, another herd animal, ideally a horse.
It's not an impossible dream, but it's hard - very hard, and I slogged for years 'paying my dues' so to speak. 10 years ago I got my first very own, at 16 I've had to semi retire him due to illness, which is doubly heartbreaking because DD has just started on him and they were getting a good partnership going. I'm now looking for another (🤨 I must be mad!) For her.
Apart from the risk of the horse not getting what it needs, they are big, heavy animals and they can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

It depends how keen your DD is. If she's really, really keen and horses are all she talks about, it's worth the hard work and the money.

If she just likes riding lessons, then no.

Aside from the cost, there are other practical reasons against this. Most horses will be very unsettled an their own, you need to keep them in pairs and often they bond to each other and you need a third one! You can’t buy anyone a horse as a surprise, it takes months of horse viewings to find the right horse. How much land will you have? You need minimum 1.5 acres for the first horse, plus an acre extra for every horse thereafter and this estimate depends on weather conditions where you live, ground conditions, whether the horse lives out or not. Finally an adult will need to care for the horse and you need quite a bit of experience to handle a horse safely and effectively, as well as be able to meet its basic needs and care for it.

Your DH is being silly. He shouldn’t breath a word of this to your DD!

I'm skipping to the end so I'm not sure if this has been said but it's better not to keep a horse alone. They're herd animals and generally do better with company.

I've not read everything but I remember reading an article in the money pages years ago which basically said that it would be cheaper, take much less of your time and result in a higher standard of horsemanship (both riding and care) to pay for five lessons a week. It also avoids problems with buying an unsuitable animal, growing out of a horse either in terms of size or ability or your daughter losing interest.

As a non horsey parent, please don’t get one. Is your land suitable/big enough? One acre per horse, absolute minimum, lots more if the land is trashed over winter. You need 3, as previously mentioned, so the companion one isn’t left screaming for his mate when the main one is being worked. How on earth would you manage horses alone if you don’t know what you’re doing? I could show you a picture of what happened to my leg when I had an accident if you need to persuade your dh against it!

Mine’s a good doer, but now on pain meds probably for life, £90 a month on top of an average monthly £280 livery bill, shoes every 6 weeks.