Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

So, I last owned a horse 10 years ago

13 replies

Wintersunsets · 29/12/2013 12:03

I would LOVE to get back into it.

Can someone lovely talk to me about costs? I don't have my own stables - how much is livery these days? I think I'd need part or full livery as my job is fairly demanding.

Who do you insure with and how much is it?

And just talk to me about your horses Grin

OP posts:
Pixel · 29/12/2013 18:27

Can't help with full/part livery I'm afraid as we've always been DIY and anyway it does vary massively depending on where you live. The best thing is to ask around where you are.

We are insured with Shearwater and it cost £380 this year for dhorse (8 year old cob). That's including vet bills, death, theft, third party, personal accident etc but not tack as we have to take it home anyway. Made our first claim this year as dhorse picked up a virus and couldn't fault them for helpfulness and speed of payment.

Do I sense a New Year resolution in the air? Grin

Lovesswimming · 29/12/2013 18:29

Hi! I had a bigggg break from aged 18 to a few years ago. After a year or so of lessons I bought a horse and kept him on full livery for 6 months whilst I re-learn everything (and all the new changes!) then went to DIY and now have them at home Smile
Full livery (not including exercise) was feeding, mucking out, turn out etc for me. Was about £400 a month then extra such as jabs, shoes etc etc!
DIY livery including hay was about £35 a week with feeds/bedding on top and you could pay for morning turn out (about £10 a week? )
Insurance: don't go for the cheapest like E&L they often don't pay out. Go for NFU, or Stoneways or some of the well known providers. You're looking at about £40 a month. I would insure as I've had 2 payouts of up to £5k in the past 3 years! Hope that helps a bit

Original poster
Wintersunsets · 29/12/2013 18:39

Ooh, you are stars! Xmas Grin

Yes, it is a sort of NYR - I have had a terrible year (2013) and reflecting on what really makes me happy, well, horses are right up there.

I could afford £400: is that including food, straw, etc?

OP posts:
Volume121 · 29/12/2013 18:53

Maybe consider a share - I am getting back into riding and have a share - am glad I have done it this way rather than taking the plunge and buying as it has been an eye-opener (in a good way!).

I pay £70 per month for one day per week.

Iverkevinao · 29/12/2013 20:10

Whereabouts are you, might be a local mumsnetter prepared to let you muck and muck out!

Original poster
Wintersunsets · 29/12/2013 20:17

Midlands (Staffs) :)

OP posts:
Lovesswimming · 30/12/2013 10:54

The £400 a month full livery I paid included a straw bed and a basic chop/chaff feed if I'd wanted shavings or specific feed I would have needed to pay it. You'll possibly pay a lot for extras at 1st, head collars, rugs, saddle and fittings and it's easy to get carried away (as well as stuff for yourself!) shoes, about £40-£65 every 6-8 weeks, teeth, jabs. I'd allow for £550 a month at least and be sure that's not a stretch as the extras add up when you're not looking Smile
Also check what full livery means when you look, some full livery yards charge more but it means exercise etc and what I have described is called part livery. Where I was part livery was morning turn out and feed etc.
Where you live will make a difference to prices.
Shame you're not near me I could do with someone exercising my lad and doing a few jobs!
A loan is a good idea 1st but if not then full livery somewhere you can muck in as well is a good start before changing to part livery. I know people with demanding jobs (travel and 6am starts etc) that stick with full livery happily.

willyoulistentome · 30/12/2013 11:07

Loveswimming. That's called part livery around here. Same sort of cost. Full livery to my understanding includes exercising the horse. That would be about £600 a month in my area assuming you have good facilities I.e a decent school to ride in.

RatherBeRiding · 31/12/2013 11:03

I insure with Scottish Equestrian after being with NFU for years (excellent though just got really expensive) and so far they have paid out without a quibble on spavin treatment for my mare. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive and came highly recommended on my other (horsey) forum. Full set of shoes up here (North Yorks) costs £65 and my horses go 7-8 weeks between shoes. A trim (I currently have a barefoot youngster and took my mare's shoes off for the winter) costs £30. Livery is just the start of my outgoings - the two ridden horses have the dentist annually and ad hoc physio treatments. Not to mention saddle checks. I would definitely start with a part loan - often the best way to get yourself into the local horsey scene and could lead to finding yourself a nice horse to buy via the local grapevine.

MagicLlama · 31/12/2013 19:52

Hey winter im in staffs, and ive got a con that needs riding due to me breaking my leg again if you fancy doing some horse care duties / riding!

MagicLlama · 31/12/2013 19:53

Cost wise. Mine are kept at home, so I don't have livery costs, but I know people around here ay between £15 - £70 per week depending on what livery they are on, then all the normal farrier, wormer, feed, etc costs on top

Iverkevinao · 01/01/2014 08:20

Does anyone use the BHS gold membership for third party insurance, I've been using Pet Plan for years but wondering whether I need it.

Pixel · 01/01/2014 13:21

My sister does, at 24 her pony is too old to insure for vet bills anyway.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page