There's no doubt that horses are expensive to run – and buying the horse is often the cheapest part. Costs can soon skyrocket, so if you are considering buying your first horse, make sure you know what it entails...
How much does it cost to own a horse?
Costs will vary, depending on whether you can keep your horse at home or whether you have to pay livery and what type of horse you plan to buy - from a native pony breed to a thoroughbred, but here is a breakdown of all the usual costs you can expect.
Livery: If you don't have your own land, you will need to rent somewhere, which is called livery. The cost of livery depends very much whether you want grass, DIY (where you rent a stable and grazing but have to do everything) or full (where everything is done for you). You can expect to pay between £20-£25 per week for grass livery, while DIY is around £30-£40 per week. For full livery, you could be looking at around £600 a month or more. Expect to pay more in London and Home Counties.
Bedding: Bedding options can range from the age-old traditional straw or shavings to more expensive and environmentally friendly options, or even rubber matting. Probably best to budget around £70 a month.
Feed: This can vary depending on the type you need and the type of horse you have and the work they are in, but you should budget about £50 a month for hard feed.
Even if they are out at grass, they will need additional hay in winter. A small bale of hay will last a few days and will cost around £7 a week - £60 a month at a minimum. Haylage is more expensive, at around £10 a small bale.
Worming: Although experts no longer recommend you worm your horse every eight weeks, due to increasing resistance, and instead advise a testing-led programme and only worming when necessary, you can expect your testing/worming bill to be £200 a year.
Shoeing: Farriers are expensive, with a new set required every six to eight weeks at between £80-£120 a set, so around £720 a year.
Veterinary costs: Even if you are fortunate and your horse doesn't need veterinary care, you will still have annual flu vaccinations and a biannual tetanus to pay for. Vaccinations start at around £25, but that doesn't include a call-out fee. And if you do need to call a vet out for treatment, costs can soon skyrocket.
Insurance: The British Horse Society advises: "Anyone who owns, rides or looks after a horse is strongly advised to carry public-liability insurance cover, because they may be legally liable to pay compensation for any damage or injury caused by their horse."
Basic insurance starts at around £30 per month but you might want to consider extras, such as cover for vet bills or being able to replace the horse if he is injured, which will all add up, cost-wise.
Pony Club: If you have a child, they may want to join Pony Club, which will cost £82 a year. Or you may like to join a riding club.
Dentistry: Ideally, an equine dentist should come out once a year to check your horse's teeth, which will be around £75. If lengthy dentistry work is needed, it could be more.
And then there's tack - including regular tack fitting, rugs, equipment, competition entries, lessons and transporting costs. Owning a horse is not for the faint-hearted and you need deep pockets – or forever resign yourself to being poor – but the rewards could be worth it.
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