Best Amazon Prime Day deals: Mumsnet favourites

Best Amazon Prime Day deals:
Mumsnet favourites

Shop now

Please or to access all these features

The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Owning a horse

31 replies

chanel925 · 07/06/2026 19:35

asking on behalf of a friend

Please tell me what horse ownership involves with rough costs. Thank you

OP posts:
Reallywhatsthat · 19/06/2026 20:31

I’ve three at home, only 1 ridden, live in Yorkshire.
so no livery costs but obviously when we had a mortgage it was significantly more than it would have been on a property without land and stables.
This winter I was spending £240/month on haylage, down to about £60/month over summer
i have them on a plan with my vets which includes annual dental, inc sedation if needed, vaccinations, worm counts, saliva test for tapeworm, annula health check - this is £42/month for the 3 of them
Farrier is £180 every 6 weeks, the bulk of that is for my ridden horse’s shoes ( yes i have tried barefoot)
Feed merchants I probably spend about £60/month.
replacement stuff etc I am a low spender, several of my rugs are 20 years or more old, but budget maybe £2-300/ year.
Third party insurance is with our property as we are with NFU but the ridden ones insurance is £130/month
Bedding I buy by the pallet which absolutely trims the cost, maybe £15/week averaged over the year.
The killer is training and competing - easily north of £500/month.

ArcticBells · 19/06/2026 20:38

I used to reckon on £450-500 per month on DIY livery

Eyesopenwideawake · 19/06/2026 20:39

Griever · 07/06/2026 20:43

DIY livery £40 a week
hay £7 a small bale. Every three days need one of those
bedding about £15 a week
shoes. £110 every six weeks
vet bills and meds - last year £1,500
saddle £800
feed £30 a month including supplements
about 2 new rugs a year £100 each
back lady £80 twice a year

probably missed something

Dentist.

OhMrDarcy · 19/06/2026 21:11

Two horses, one unshod companion pony in the north west

Kept at home so no livery. I pay for someone to come and spray but we do the rest ourselves. Grass seed/fertiliser/ spraying costs around £400 a year.
Hay = 4.70 per small bale, get through 55 bales in around 7-8 weeks in winter, less in summer.
farrier £210 every 6 weeks
NFU insurance for horses and rider £260 per month
Feed around £100 per month incl supplements.
Tack cleaner, shampoo, new brushes, lead ropes etc maybe £15 a month on average. Fly spray is £20 a bottle and we go through so much in the summer
straw - big bale every 3-4 weeks £40
muck truck emptying £20 every 3-4 weeks
Dental - £200 every 6 months (one horse has dodgy teeth)
vaccinations/fecal worm counts/wormers - prob about £50 a month for all of them

Lessons/arena hire/pony club rallies/competition entries around £100 a week
Annual riding club/BD/pony club membership probably around £400 a year
This peaks in July/August with the national competitions that are always hours and hours away. Upcoming one the entry fees are £90 (fair enough) stabling for 2 nights is £150 and hookup for 2 nights is £70 (daylight robbery) plus a tank of diesel £160. And the commemorative tshirt and photos.

Wagon - we have a 3.5 ton wagon, costs £1000 a year in tax, mot, service etc excl fuel.

Rug/tack - always more than you think. Saddles are so expensive. Saddle fitter costs around £400 a year.
Physio £70 a pop, around 4 times a year for one horse

Fixing fences, repainting stables, replacing hoses on the yard etc - £500 a year

We clip our own, but clipper services/rug cleaning is around £200 a year.

Despite what my husband thinks I do try and keep costs down, like sharing arena hires or lessons, clipping the ponies feet when he's sedated for his teeth etc rather than paying separately, but I'm rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

Ihatemondays1962 · 22/06/2026 23:09

I have mine on DIY and don't compete or get lessons and budget £400 a month. Its a bit cheaper than that in summer and a bit more in winter, so thats the average.

SunnySunnyDayz · 22/06/2026 23:42

Stable and grazing £30 per week
Hay £40 for big round, lasts 3-4 weeks in winter, don't feed May - October
Feed about £10 per week, mainly herbs and supplements for various ailments
Shavings £10 per bag, use 2 a week over winter
Feet trim £30 every 6 weeks
Insurance £75 per month
Jabs and dental annually £180
Worming or counts about £20 every 8 weeks

That's the bare minimum, then you can buy nice stuff til the cows come home.

Eta this is DIY so I go twice a day in winter, once in summer. It's £13 per day if I need someone else to do her.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page