General Costs help

[Idunno8]

Hi there, I’m really hoping to get some help forecasting costs… I’m hoping to get a horse in the next 6 months but I want to make sure that I’ve taken all costs into consideration, this would be my first horse, so I figure I don’t know what I don’t know right?!
I have a few different livery options near me, which I’m weighing up, none include hard feed or supps, I suspect I will get an ex-racer, (I have been riding alot of young ex racers recently with no bother and think they’d be a good fit.)
So I will need hard feed, how
much roughly for a 16hh TB EXR would that be, also any other costs, I know farrier 6-8 £60+ , teeth once a year (usually) £50 but what else do I need to factor in…?
Sorry if I sound clueless, any help and advice appreciated.

Don't assume you'll automatically need hard feed, lots of good doers don't need it (mine do very well on just beet mash, balancer and ad lib hay) and also consider barefoot, although you will still need to budget for trimming (unless you DIY). Other things to consider are faecal testing/worming if required, vaccinations, insurance plus an emergency fund for physio, etc.

I think you're wise to assume a TB will need some hard feed, I'm not that up in how much feed is costing these days as I get it included with livery, mine has fast fibre and unmolassed chaff both of which are quite cheap (£20 a bag for the fast fibre and a bag would last a couple of weeks) but he's a pretty good do-er and yours may need something more like a mix or nut and a balancer which are more expensive, and may need more meals per day. Don't forget supplements too, most horses have these now, I spend probably £35 a month on mine. Maybe budget £100 a month and hope you might get away with less?

Other costs:

-Special/extra bedding if you need it, some liveries only provide straw which not all horses get on with, some offer shavings but are stingy as to the amount
-Physio/back lady
-Saddle fit checks (should be done regularly, not just when there's a problem)
-Worming and vaccination
-Rug repair, replacement and washing
-Extra services provided by the yard e.g. clipping, mane and tail today up, bringing in / holding for vet/farrier
-Holiday cover (depends on if you're on full or DIY but even if full, with an ex racer you may want someone to exercise and keep them in their routine while you're away).
-Lessons/clinics/competition fees
-Transport for outings
-Insurance (personal and for horse)

Thank you so much for coming back to me on this :) great points and things I hadn’t considered.

£60 sounds very cheap for farrier these days, most around me are more like 85-90 for a full set.

As well as what previous posters have said, here's some more:
clipping in winter - either paying someone to do it, or buying clippers and having them sharpened now and then. some horses need sedating too which is an extra cost

fly spray in summer

random things that you end up needing - recently I've bought a grazing muzzle, fly fringe, regular new pairs of overreach boots (exracers especially often pull shoes a lot), new leadrope as my old one broke

Also costs often extend beyond your initial budget - for example I started off with no supplements, but now feed magnitude, acid ease and a joint supplement on vet advice, and my horse has special shoes which cost me £140 a set... so make sure you have space in your budget to absorb increasing costs (plus everything increasing with inflation etc too)

I have a TB and other hunter and they both need hard feed to maintain condition. This costs about £50 to £60 a month for both. But they have lots of grass in the summer and lots of hay ledge in the winter! When I had poorer quality hay I gave them more hard feed in the winter

agree shoeing likely to be closer to £100 a go. Obviously less if barefoot but a lot of TBs have rubbish feet so will need shoes and more regular shoeing. Mine sometimes only manages 4 weeks in the summer 🙁

check out local vets. Mine does a health care plan where you pay monthly and annual dental, flu jabs, worm testing, one lot of wormer and some other bits are all included. I find this very cost effective

How exciting! I got my first horse about 6 months ago now and really recommend Riding with Rhi’s website Equestrian Money Diaries for some idea of what people are really spending on their horses monthly. It was a good reality check for me.

My chap has needed different things since moving from his previous owner. Poorer quality grass has meant a change in his feed to something more expensive, and I’ve added in a supplement. His shoes are £110 every 6 weeks. Don’t forget to factor in things like lessons, transport and arena hire that you may find yourself wanting to do. Depending on where you plan to keep your horse, don’t forget to budget for needing things like a strangles test before moving to a livery yard.

Thank you so much for these tips and cost tip offs, honestly so appreciated.

I agree with pp £60 for shoes sounds very cheap.
Aa well as all pps good tips don't forget things like
Grooming kit's
First aid kit for you and horse
Boots , bandages, travel boots
Tack ( easily over £1000 )
Winter / summer/ sweat and fly rugs
And all your gear hat , body protection, riding/ jodhpur/wellie boots. gloves
If your diy'ing fork, brush , shovel , wheelbarrow etc ( tho some yards may let you share)

Don't forget insurance! Mine is pretty paired down and still nearly £700 per year for my pony. Honestly, renewal time was a bit of a hear attack moment

8K per year if DIY livery as average. You've purposely chosen the most expensive breed 🤣🤣

Monthly:
Livery
Feed
Supplements
Insurance
Lessons

Every 6 weeks:
Farrier

Every 3 months:
Physio
Saddle fitter
Worming

Every year:
Vaccinations
Dentist
Contingency for vets bills not covered in insurance

Then add on cost of:
Tack
Equipment for yard
Equipment for you
Clothing for you
First aid top ups
Travel
Competitions

It’s not so much the monthly costs, it’s also the set up costs. Until you get one you often don’t realise just how much stuff you need to set yourself up. I really didn’t do my calculations well. Things like haynets, feed bowls, bins for feed, girths, saddle pads, cleaning and grooming supplies for example.

When you get one it’s sensible to have them MOT’d so getting teeth, back etc done. Mine needed a new saddle as soon as she arrived. All of these costs added up to thousands I hadn’t even thought about during my first couple of weeks of ownership. I could rent and run a flat each month for what mine costs!!

do try and buy second hand where possible. Vinted, Facebook marketplace and eBay are all good places to try.

@Idunno8 why an ex-racer as first horse? They are the last I would recommend for a first time owner

Farrier: £120/six weeks.(more if you want stud holes and for thrown shoes add extra in)
Physio: £80/12 weeks
Dentist:£100/26 weeks (possibly yearly- take their advice)
Hay(if not included in livery):£25-30/week
Hard feed: £50/4 weeks
Bedding (if not included in livery):£30/week
Various bits and pieces of equipment from tack shop: £billion/week
Lessons/clinics/competitions:£40/week- £250/week

Why? I've paired up a few first time owners with safe sensible OTTB's - plenty exist!

But on the whole it isn't generally a good match. Speaking from the point of observing many such combinations.

I love TBs and ex-racers, in the right hands. In the wrong hands they are a disaster!

we have a warm blood. full set every 6wks £90
food (excluding hay) about £40 a month
tack cleaner etc £20 a month
we spend loads on rallies, clinics, competitions, fun rides
trailer - wheels, service, electrics
vaccinations
random vet requirements
insurance
teeth £75
hay, straw

then there's new tack, rugs, headcollar etc etc

it never ends!

I forgot worming, chiropractor etc.
fuel for towing trailer!

Must admit I thought the same...

A lot of ex racers are "ex" because they were pretty rubbish and barely trained, let alone raced! I've known a fair few that are/were perfectly fine for a first time owner.
Plus, by the time I bought my first horse, I'd been riding for years, worked at a riding/livery yard, loaned for several years and was also being paid to look after a couple, so just because this is their first horse, doesn't mean they're a novice.

Plenty of TB are safe & sane but tbh I still wouldn't recommend them as a first horse especially if you are wary of costs.
They can prove very expensive in terms of vet bills, farrier etc. Insurance will also be higher.
The breed is known for having a variety of weaknesses - especially feet & backs even if they never raced.
They were selectively bred for speed rather than survival & longevity so are obviously more prone to problems.

It's always a gamble - you can have a Shetland with no end of ailments & a TB that lives healthily to 30 but the odds are never going to be in favour with a TB

(Spent many years working in racing & in studs)