How do people afford horses?

[RayBansWife]

Really want my own eventually but I work exceptionally long hours so no way I could at the moment. But then if I give up / downgrade my crazy long hours but well paid job no way I could afford to keep a horse! Vicious circle!

Do how do people afford to keep horses?!

We have 5 at the moment but we rent a yard/paddocks so doesn't cost much more to keep 5 than 1. It is a total committment and we're light on holidays (although I travel loads with work anyway) and we couldn't do if we weren't both really keen. DD is now 9 and she can help as well which makes life much easier. Its a lifestyle choice - ponies first...

We just have one pony on full livery now as all our others have passed away , the pony is retired . As I said on a different post at one point I was paying over £ 1000 a month on livery bills ,fortunately I have avery nice DH , but I couldn't commit the time to it now . For us loaning or selling wasn't an option and still isn't so buying a new one is not something we would do lightly as it is a lifetime of the horse commitment . Our current pony is our biggest monthly outgoing ,including the mortgage !

Cut back in other areas, keep out at grass, unshod.

We have two horses - one is ours and one on loan. To have horses we have to go without other things - no foreign holidays, the car is 10 years old, we shop at Lidl and charity shops, I buy and sell stuff on ebay, we don't eat out. It's a choice of what you spend your money on and we chose this hobby. We don't have 'days out' to theme parks, for example, our day out is watching DD compete in a one day event. People think we are 'posh' because we have horses and yet these people drive new cars and take 2 holidays abroad each year. Of course there are many privileged folk who can afford an affluent lifestyle AND have horses, but for a great many of us, it's a choice.

A horse isn't a pet, its a vocation ! You have to change your whole life, but its worth it !

I have a very understanding OH, who works away and earns a decent wage, so doesn't mind subsidising my pony habit. I do realise how bloody lucky I am!!

I rarely treat myself to anything though, am not remotely materialistic and I am a little scruff, but the ponies have a wardrobe of nice rugs :)

I afford mine by going without other things.
I've got better and better about "buying" for them and getting the best possible value for money I can, eg, where they are kept, the hay feed and bedding I use and where I get it from, the rugs I buy etc etc. I rent a little yard on my own, like gold dust to find but so much cheaper and you can do things the way you want to.
Not bothered about holidays (passport ran out in 2004 and hasn't been renewed!)
24 year old Landrover (it tows the trailer, passes MOT's, couldn't care less about anything else)
Buy quite a lot of my clothes from ebay/charity shops.
I don't smoke.

I work part time, but it is a struggle to fit it all in at this time of year (as it is for others too).

It might sound odd, but many many horse owners go without themselves so their animals don't have to. I don't consider myself "deprived" at all. I do get my hair cut and coloured every 6 weeks without fail so I don't go without everything!

Poshpenny are you sure you aren't me [paranoid].

Anyway, what she said.

LOL ponydilemma, it appears we may both have a fondness for NF ponies too PMSL.

Well for me and my mum to afford a horse each we really have to cut back on a lot of things, like when you normally go out and treat yourself, buy clothes, luxuries. We have something simple for tea twice a week like beans on toast or pasta pesto xx

we have ours on our property so not so much the cost in money as in time, mucking, feeding and all that. but they live out (we don't have a barn) and get to wear blankets if the weather is too bad.

It's great greeting them every morning as I make my coffee in the kitchen, and they welcome me home from work very enthusiastically!

Mine are outside on our own land ( very lucky and bought at the right time! ) so no livery costs , but still work full time with DH and Ds1 doing them when I'm at work .

Have two here , one who eats his own body weight in hay daily , and a slightly more economical welsh pony . We buy our hay for the year straight off the field , buy feed in bulk , and my next door neighbour is our farrier who does their feet with a hefty discount .

Don't drink , smoke , socialise , and buy a shitload of sainsburys basics!

How do you make a small fortune from horses?
Start with a big one

They are expensive no doubt about it, on top of the usual care coming up as a for example I have - saddle refit c.£130 (saddle over £1k few years ago but horse changing shape) that is booked in for payday, initial visit was £50 last month. Annual jabs also needed trying to sort with others at yard should be £35 ish each for group visit plus teeth coming up at around £40. Factor in the time spent as most of the people you need work the hours you do and is very difficult to get time off work as most bosses do not understand why saddle fitting etc is important and why should they. Make sure you get a good to handle horse as well or you are talking vet sedation for the teeth (plus possible clipping) and no one willing to help with vet jabs if you can't be there. Plus all of last winter mine was on box rest mucking out morning and night with horsey eating tonnes, thank goodness he was insured with NFU who were great, btw that is £60 a month without tack cover or any of the extras for me but they paid out - horse had chipped bone and without insurance xrays just to find out what was wrong would have cost around £600 a visit. I love my horse and wouldn't change having him but sometimes think I can't really afford him and I am well paid, no way he is going anywhere at 17 though especially as he can be a tricky ride and a bit riggy to be honest, beautiful though, schooled this morning at 7am for 20 mins after mucking out and he was a saint. I did not need a 16.3 warm blood x tb and would recommend if you do get a horse get a hardy type that can live out and do with less rugs and food, it will be cheaper, not everyone needs a stunner and the power of mine means even at 5'9 and well built he is strong for me, tried hunting and he was a good boy but astoundingly strong, would go native 16hh max next time I think, although I do love how beautiful my boy is and as very proud of him. I am at about £5k per year and that's DIY, hard feed = at least £50 a month at the moment, am trying for a baby and then it will have to be field livery near home I think as statutory maternity will not cover livery yard, will miss social side and menage/ hot water on tap and advice but can't see another way. Sorry for long post but best to have eyes open to this it is a huge commitment verging on ridiculous really but I wouldn't change things even if it means I am poor and ungroomed myself!

I am extremely lucky - my DH has a highly paid job so we have our own land, yard, school and stables. I have liveries which pay horse bills and several horses and ponies of our own.