the cost of keeping a pony

[ginorwine]

Help- desperate to get a pony for myself and DD- 14.2ish to share.Please may anyone tell us how much it costs -am aware that ther will be differing methods re bedding and food etc - but thats as far as it goes. We have only loaned at a yard before and it was a set amount each week . cant afford a livery yard with care .Fingers crossed...............

It obv does vary hugely, but if you get something hardy that can live out all the time it is a lot cheaper (and easier).

Our pony lives out, and is not shod - the only bucket food he has is a bit of chaff to have a vit supplement in.

Grass livery is £120 a month inc haylage, full use of facilites, worming, no poo picking, and they will bring in for vet/farrier and include in a general call out so much cheaper.
Farrier is £20 every 6 weeks or so.
Vaccinations £49 a year
Food is £20 every 3 months
Insurance £300 a year

i think its also depends where you are in the country. I pay £10 pw grass keep for mine but I am aware that its sky high in other places!

I would add it up, but that would make me feel very poor, but on top of your livery you need to budget for hay, bedding and feed if not included.

If you have one that lives out all year round it's a lot cheaper but then you have to be conservative with clipping and the pony can't do as much over the winter (oh, and you'll either need to buy clippers or pay someone to do it)

Then insurance, feed, shoeing (every 6 weeks), dentist and physio (twice a year). Then there's transport (you will end up towing dd and pony to shows!) entry fees if dd gets into going to shows.

Then there's all the stuff you buy for your first pony (worse than first baby in my experience).

Then you'll find that you and dd want to ride together so you'll need another pony. Then your dh will get into it because it's the only way to spend time with you and you'll have to get him one so he can ride out with you. Then dd will have a growth spurt and need something bigger so you'll have to get another one. That's how it ended up for us. We got gd a pony, and now we've got four of the little money scoffers. BUT despite the fact that I've not had a decent haircut, any new clothes or a proper holiday since I can't remember I've never been happier.

However, Saggy will come along and give you much better advice about how to do it on a budget. She is a mine of good advice and will make it sound loads better!

We pay £15 a week for sole use of a private yard,with paddocks,stable,tack store,manege ect.Hay is £2.80 a bale,shoes £60 every 9-12 weeks [luckily dpony has very slow growing hooves].Then there is wormer,feed supplements at £19 a tub,pony nuts at £5 a sack,back man and dentist £25 a time,lessons £20 a week.Insurance is about £80 per year.

Then there is Pony Club membership,rally fees,a trailer to get to PC,suitable car to tow trailer,'smart' clothes for Pony Club and hunting,hairnets [never thought I'd be stockpiling those],replacement hats and boots that seem to be outgrown very fast,replacement rugs and tack that dpony has destroyed [ebay is my friend].

I bought a pony for my daughters to share,I managed to convince my husband that it would be cheaper than lessons,he won't fall for that one again!.However,sharing isn't ideal,so we are looking for another one.Ponies are just like chocolates,you can't have just one.......

Ours is around £400 a month. Livery costs vary widely around the country - ours is £28 a week including hay, and that's cheap for this area. We do pay for things that other people don't (lots of lessons) and don't do some of the things other people do (e.g. travelling to shows) so you'll need to work out what you want to do with the pony.

Some costs have been unexpected, e.g. the amount of lessons needed to get the better of numpty pony , supplements (I'm not a great one for supplements but pony has just gone on a joint supplement recommended by a physio, and we've tried calmers etc. - all comes at a cost!).

I do think a lot of people underestimate - or just don't count - predictable costs, like petrol to the yard, or replacement kit for horse and rider when things wear out.

Dpony has a very awkward to fit shape and we are on our third saddle in 18 months , despite getting things "cost" or secondhand I reckon we've spent in the region of £1500 on saddles, fittings and restuffings.

On the up side DD rarely wears "normal" clothes any more so my spending on her wardrobe has decreased overal!