Recently, I started riding horses as a hobby. So, I wanted to know the answer to this question.
I hope this is relevant to this topic
-feeder
I hope this is relevant to this topic
-feeder
How Much Does Horse Care Cost?
- Thread starter Alex786
- Start date
Please don't tell me you've bought a horse without looking into costs first.
How much it costs depends on where you are, the level of care you're looking at, the horse, and so many other things. It's hard to cut costs below a certain level without compromising welfare, but even if you're very careful with your money a horse costs a lot to keep and you also need to be able to meet large unexpected bills from vets etc.
The standing joke of they cost everything including your soul contains a lot of truth!
How much it costs depends on where you are, the level of care you're looking at, the horse, and so many other things. It's hard to cut costs below a certain level without compromising welfare, but even if you're very careful with your money a horse costs a lot to keep and you also need to be able to meet large unexpected bills from vets etc.
The standing joke of they cost everything including your soul contains a lot of truth!
A small fortune 
There really are a lot of variables, where in the world you are, what level of livery and facilities you want, what you feed, if you have lessons or compete, but ball park average for south UK, probably £500 a month isn't far off for a horse on DIY livery (which means you do it yourself twice a day) having one lesson and doing one comp a month. You can do it for less if you have the know how, you can most definitely pay a lot more too.
There really are a lot of variables, where in the world you are, what level of livery and facilities you want, what you feed, if you have lessons or compete, but ball park average for south UK, probably £500 a month isn't far off for a horse on DIY livery (which means you do it yourself twice a day) having one lesson and doing one comp a month. You can do it for less if you have the know how, you can most definitely pay a lot more too.
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It varies completely but as a rough guide it worked/works out for me as about the following on each livery option I've been on
DIY livery approximately £400-500
Assisted DIY £550-650
Part livery (7 day care but not including riding, grooming or tack cleaning) approximately £850 to over four figures a month
It depends on so many factors though. Size and type of horse, time of year, facilities of yard, what your interests are, horses dietary or management needs, how competitive you want to be.
I tend to spend more in the summer than I do in winter normally, too.
DIY livery approximately £400-500
Assisted DIY £550-650
Part livery (7 day care but not including riding, grooming or tack cleaning) approximately £850 to over four figures a month
It depends on so many factors though. Size and type of horse, time of year, facilities of yard, what your interests are, horses dietary or management needs, how competitive you want to be.
I tend to spend more in the summer than I do in winter normally, too.
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Whatever sum you come to, make sure you double it!! Put it this way, since my horse very sadly died last year I have brought a brand new car and booked a ski-ing trip!
I did go to answer this. Then quickly decided I didn’t want to acknowledge what it costs by writing numbers down. I would agree with the pick and number and double it. Especially the times you think you have a little spare which will invariably mean a Sunday evening vet call out.
Expect to pay between £200 and £300 per month. With full livery, the livery yard is responsible for your horses' needs including stabling, field access, exercising, feed, hay and bedding. Costs start from around £400 a month, though near London you could find yourself having to pay almost double this.
@Yogi0124 I'm not near London but there is no way you'd get full livery for close to £400 a month here, you'd be lucky to get part livery with no riding done. The yard I used to take Luka to when I was on holiday so he'd still get some work and proper care was more than 3 times what you suggest, and as I said I'm not near London and am in a very horsey area.
@Alex786 you can't really get a useful idea of prices asking on here, you need to ring round the yards in your area that you're interested in and ask what they charge and what's included in that. Then budget for regular farriery, wormers, any hay, feed and bedding you need to provide, lessons, the inevitable vet bills, insurance and then any unexpected costs. I an concerned that you say "my horse" elsewhere and therefore have gone ahead and bought something very quickly without looking into these costs, and no asking the question on here doesn't mean you've looked into it.
@Alex786 you can't really get a useful idea of prices asking on here, you need to ring round the yards in your area that you're interested in and ask what they charge and what's included in that. Then budget for regular farriery, wormers, any hay, feed and bedding you need to provide, lessons, the inevitable vet bills, insurance and then any unexpected costs. I an concerned that you say "my horse" elsewhere and therefore have gone ahead and bought something very quickly without looking into these costs, and no asking the question on here doesn't mean you've looked into it.
Even part or full grass livery (without exercise) here is more than £400 a month.
Honestly, most months when I was on seven day part livery I was spending very close to, if not more than four figures without really trying.
I'm now on a hybrid of DIY but with a freelance groom but £200 only just covers the livery rent portion. Even on the basics hay, feed, bedding & insurance are more than £100 a month.
I also think horse care costs are going to increase soon too, so you need to factor that in.
Honestly, most months when I was on seven day part livery I was spending very close to, if not more than four figures without really trying.
I'm now on a hybrid of DIY but with a freelance groom but £200 only just covers the livery rent portion. Even on the basics hay, feed, bedding & insurance are more than £100 a month.
I also think horse care costs are going to increase soon too, so you need to factor that in.
Do you know anyone from California who can serve as a freelancer? I will get some ideas from them.
Please be sensible! California is a big place, even if most of our members were there rather than U based the chances of them knowing someone suitable that's local to you is low. You need to get out and find things out for yourself so contact local stables, riding clubs, tack and feed shops etc. Where have you been taking lessons? They would seem the obvious place to ask for information.
it is the Riding Academy. Yes, you are right I should have to search for Local ones. Hopefully, I can get them on week-offs.
Cali is very expensive to keep a horse, especially near the big cities, unless you have your own property but then you would need to have more than one horse as they don't like being alone. A quick google found this site that has several boarding (livery) facilities, this one starts at $450/month https://www.newhorse.com/profile/b.510.r.26162.u.89a19a.html
If you use a free lance groom you should expect to have them come twice a day to care for your horse, and you generally pay them on an hourly basis, paying someone to come to your property to take care of one horse is often more expensive than using a full care facility.
If you use a free lance groom you should expect to have them come twice a day to care for your horse, and you generally pay them on an hourly basis, paying someone to come to your property to take care of one horse is often more expensive than using a full care facility.
But you check all this before you buy the horse.
The op has said they've bought a horse, so ensure to put it and how much it costs should have been looked into?
<sigh>. I told myself I would stay out of this
@Alex786 This forum is mostly UK folks (United Kingdom) so they are not familiar with costs in the United States.
There are some of us that do live in the U.S. I am now in the SE U.S. but did live in Southern California with three horses for five years. I can tell you that any manner of horse keeping in ANY part of California is going to be double what it costs me, in Middle Tennessee. Hay of any type pretty much has to be imported into most areas of Southern California, making it expensive.
Horses living in southern California need their forage supplemented because grass doesn’t grow unless the barn owner is worth a bloody fortune and can afford to irrigate the land.
@Jessey posted the NewHorse.com website above. That is the best possible place for you to look for horse boarding in your area of California.
I am another one who hopes you have not bought a horse and have nowhere to keep it. Also, PLEASE get a trainer for yourself. You can buy the best “been there done that” well trained horse on the planet and we can all promise you, it will eventually turn sour without proper and fair guidance from the human. We have all heard “this isn’t the same horse I bought six months ago.” THAT is always the human’s fault for not having the proper knowledge to care for, manage, and know how/when to correct the horse When it needs corrected.
My favorite saying is “if it has a heart and pumps blood —- it’s unpredictable.” Sooner or later any of our critters are going to make a mistake — it’s up to us to recognize that mistake and fix it five minutes ago. You have zero knowledge of horses therefore a fair-minded, experienced trainer needs to be in your budget.
@Alex786 This forum is mostly UK folks (United Kingdom) so they are not familiar with costs in the United States.
There are some of us that do live in the U.S. I am now in the SE U.S. but did live in Southern California with three horses for five years. I can tell you that any manner of horse keeping in ANY part of California is going to be double what it costs me, in Middle Tennessee. Hay of any type pretty much has to be imported into most areas of Southern California, making it expensive.
Horses living in southern California need their forage supplemented because grass doesn’t grow unless the barn owner is worth a bloody fortune and can afford to irrigate the land.
@Jessey posted the NewHorse.com website above. That is the best possible place for you to look for horse boarding in your area of California.
I am another one who hopes you have not bought a horse and have nowhere to keep it. Also, PLEASE get a trainer for yourself. You can buy the best “been there done that” well trained horse on the planet and we can all promise you, it will eventually turn sour without proper and fair guidance from the human. We have all heard “this isn’t the same horse I bought six months ago.” THAT is always the human’s fault for not having the proper knowledge to care for, manage, and know how/when to correct the horse When it needs corrected.
My favorite saying is “if it has a heart and pumps blood —- it’s unpredictable.” Sooner or later any of our critters are going to make a mistake — it’s up to us to recognize that mistake and fix it five minutes ago. You have zero knowledge of horses therefore a fair-minded, experienced trainer needs to be in your budget.
I think you can be a great guide for me in the future.<sigh>. I told myself I would stay out of this
@Alex786 This forum is mostly UK folks (United Kingdom) so they are not familiar with costs in the United States.
There are some of us that do live in the U.S. I am now in the SE U.S. but did live in Southern California with three horses for five years. I can tell you that any manner of horse keeping in ANY part of California is going to be double what it costs me, in Middle Tennessee. Hay of any type pretty much has to be imported into most areas of Southern California, making it expensive.
Horses living in southern California need their forage supplemented because grass doesn’t grow unless the barn owner is worth a bloody fortune and can afford to irrigate the land.
@Jessey posted the NewHorse.com website above. That is the best possible place for you to look for horse boarding in your area of California.
I am another one who hopes you have not bought a horse and have nowhere to keep it. Also, PLEASE get a trainer for yourself. You can buy the best “been there done that” well trained horse on the planet and we can all promise you, it will eventually turn sour without proper and fair guidance from the human. We have all heard “this isn’t the same horse I bought six months ago.” THAT is always the human’s fault for not having the proper knowledge to care for, manage, and know how/when to correct the horse When it needs corrected.
My favorite saying is “if it has a heart and pumps blood —- it’s unpredictable.” Sooner or later any of our critters are going to make a mistake — it’s up to us to recognize that mistake and fix it five minutes ago. You have zero knowledge of horses therefore a fair-minded, experienced trainer needs to be in your budget.
Although this is true, OH and I travelled many miles on road trips through USA after he retired and we did find horses kept on their own. I remember one in particular at a remote fort in Texas. He (or she) was in an earth pen wth an enormous hay feeder. There was also an NR member from Montana who kept a horse at his home where we visited. I am not saying it is ideal, but it is a cultural thing. In rural USA a person may well keep a single horse.
And it used to be so in UK. OH's grandfather kept a horse to take veg from his small holding to the market in Wakefield. Two of my gt grandfathers who were more middle class, a doctor and a parson, and both of them kept a single horse for making house calls. A horse was always an expensive posession and an ancestor of mine listed his horse (just the one) in his will in about 1799.
newrider.com