How on earth do you manage it?!

[PerfectlyChaotic]

Having owned until my late teens I've come back to riding fairly recently with weekly group lessons and the odd private lesson thrown in.

I'm quite distraught that im now going to have to have a slightly extended break over the Christmas period as so busy with work & family not to mention the guilt about the cost.

It's like an addiction though...I'd so love to own again one day but can't imagine how it'll ever be possible in terms of finance or time... How on earth does everyone else manage?

ive ridden since i was about 4 and owned my own for the last 15years. ive got two kids now under 5. it is a struggle time and finance wise sometimes but i wouldnt be without my horse. keeps me sane when the kids are driving me mad lol

Realistically I think it takes up a lot of my free time and a lot of our joint finances so it has to be a family decision. When I was working full time (horses at home) I had a p/t groom to help in the afternoons, so I rode/mucked out/turned out in the mornings and she brought in/lunged/mucked out in the aftetnoons so I could stay late at work. Weekends were taken over by horses which my DP had never been happy about (e.g. if we went out for the day we'd have to be back in time to bring in, if it was raining I was worried and wanted to bring in, if I had a show I was out all day long).

Now with DD I have a lot less time for the horses even though I am SAHM (for me a baby/young child and two competition horses are not very compatible). I have a full time nanny/groom who helps with everything but, as indulgent as it sounds to have f/t help, it is still difficult to fit everything in.

If you can afford it full livery is the way to go as you know your horse is well looked after and you can chose whether to go see him or not, but the cost is considerable. My horsey costs have always been a matter of intense discussion in our family and I can appreciate why - the bloody things cost a fortune!

I've gone the other direction. Horse kept on a budget (DIY, lives out 24/7 all year and unshod. We can't afford shows), I have a half share in him which means there is always someone else to share the burden timewise. Also being DIY we can make arrangements with other liveries to cover for each other, even if it amounts to little more than chucking some hay in the shelter in the morning or evening to avoid an extra trip it makes a huge difference.
And yes, I do have a lovely and understanding dh, plus a ds who shares my pony love which helps keep Daddy on side .

My ponies probably want for nothing. I on the other hand buy my clothes from charity shops and eBay and economise wherever I can so I can afford to indulge them. I wouldn't have it any other way, and there are a LOT of others out there just like me!

Ha ha yes, no designer gear in this house! Holidays always involve a tent, food is from Aldi and the car is full of water atm . We are poor but 'appy .
would be even appier with a nice lottery win

Ha ha...see I'd be quite happy with that as long as it meant I could also walk around with hay in my hair ;) Convincing the DH, on the other hand, would be a huge challenge!

I feel sure full livery would be the only way to manage but realistically it would be totally out of the question cost-wise. Is it very cheeky to ask what your horsey budget is a month (ish)? Do tell me to mind my own business if so!

Just roughly, totting up field rent, foot trimming, hay/feed, insurance it's about £150, of which I pay half because I share. Of course there are extras throughout the year like jabs, teeth checks, wormers etc but we don't need much hay in the summer so it more or less balances out. Oh and petrol to the field I suppose, and the rug I just bought (£40), and I go through a ridiculous amount of wellies...better stop now before I frighten myself! .

I can only manage now as DPony is on full livery. This was something I never thought I would consider by since having DS something had to change as I work long hours with a long commute.

In the summer I would estimate this costs me approx £250/month for grass livery and shoes and in the winter that increases to £450-£500/month.

Eye watering figures but DPony has been around for much longer than DH so there isn't much he can say about it as we come as a package deal

ohhh and life is for living, ok we many not be able to hold a conversation about Eastenders. Oh and sometimes I look like death and feel like death 'long days'

I can only do it as I have a native "live off fresh air" type who lives out, plus a share person who is great.
Anything more high maintenance and I would be stuffed.

I don't - I have a share horse one day per week as I know I could not manage any more time wise (I work long hours and have a long commute) but I could not afford full livery. It has been a lifelong dream to have my own though........I keep on dreaming for now and in the meantime my share horse is lovely