The costs of a horse - have I thought of everything?

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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My search for my first horse is almost upon me. I have been costing out everything on a month by month basis. Are my costs realistic and is there anything I have missed?

Full Livery (including hay, bedding and hard feed): £105 per week - £455 per month
Insurance: £50 per month
Shoes: £40 per month (based on £80 per set every 8 weeks)
Dentist/back/vaccinations etc: £50 per month
Worming: £10 per month

That is a grand total of £605 per month!!!

Or, I could opt for DIY

DIY livery with stable:£170 per month
Hay/bedding/hard feed: £100 per month
Help with turn out/bring in etc. when needed: £50 per month
Insurance: £50 per month
Shoes: £40 per month (based on £80 per set every 8 weeks)
Dentist/back/vaccinations etc: £50 per month
Worming: £10 per month

That adds up to £470 per month.

While in a perfect world I would prefer to do DIY, the yard that I want to be at only offers full livery and with my lifestyle (2 little kids, part time work), I need some help. Obviously I haven't included lessons but I would try and have at least once a month. So what do you think, are these realistic costs?
 
Very useful post MaryPoppins.
However, are these actual current livery costs where you live? They sound lowish by Surrey standards.
 
Skib said:
Very useful post MaryPoppins.
However, are these actual current livery costs where you live? They sound lowish by Surrey standards.
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The livery prices are based on 2 local yards. I want to go for the full livery and this isn't that much cheaper than the DIY anyway!

I have estimated the insurance costs, as this all depends on the horse I buy, but I thought that £50 per month would cover it. As I won't be doing any roadwork at all, I'm hoping that the horse will manage with either no shoes or front shoes only, but even a full set of shoes shouldn't be more than £80 per shot.

For the densist/back/vacinnations etc. I figured that it would cost £140 for the dentist (2 visits per year), £100 for yearly jabs and then 2 lots of £100 for any back checks/treatments.
 
Wow what an expensive horse!!! It probably works out at 300-350 for mine In total?!

Perhaps a little more with vet bills but should have Been covered by insurance.
 
And I would have thought 8 weeks for a set of shoes is optimistic. I have mind done every five weeks (full set at £77 incl. road nails), and pretty much the original shoes have to be chucked away unless we have been poorly!). I would bank on £80 (if that is what farriers your way charge) every five weeks, or six at a push.
 
it must be cheaper to have a horse...well pony where i am :giggle:

Scarlet is full livery the now and in total including insurance, she doesnt get shoes but trims, she is vaccinated and wormed that costs about £300 a month. Add bits and pieces and hard feed I'm prob about £380-£400 a month
 
Your full livery option is similar to what I spend on Izzy. My livery is £500 per month including lorry parking. But my insurance is only about £30 a month. I also have 2 lessons a week which is another £200 a month.

I also have competition and clinic fees on top of that, but that varies with whatever we are doing.

Izzy has a massage once a month as well which is about £40. Osteo every 3 months at £60. Can't think how much dentist is. He has fronts and backs which is £75 every 6 weeks.

Also need to think about tack, but that will only be a one-off cost, unless you are like me and addicted to buying stuff that I really don't need.:giggle:

Also rugs will not be a monthly cost once you have the basics.
 
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I agree that it is expensive, but we are near London and that's what it costs! There are many smaller, cheaper DIY yards around, but I want to be on a big yard with lots of support (at least initially). I also want to have private hacking. I am a complete wuss when it comes to hacking and nothing will make me ride out on the roads. I want somewhere with facilities which will let me ride round without having to meet any cars or other people! Both of these yards have over 200 acres of private, off road hacking. That is probably why they cost so much!
 
Wow MP youre certainly being thorough :wub:

Very envious of your finanical planning, im awfull with money :nerd:

Just trying to think if you;ve missed anything...

hmmmm...

Saddle checks x 2 a year?
Not sure if horse will come with decent saddle or bridle but maybe worth having the extra money just incase he/she comes with a crappy saddle?

I cant believe how exspensive even DIY is! I pay £120 per month for 2 ponies :eek:
 
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Vicki100 said:
I cant believe how exspensive even DIY is! I pay £120 per month for 2 ponies :eek:
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That's cheap I pay £130 for my two only a tenner difference i know but still cheaper than me. lol

I pay £25 every 8 weeks for trims. I pay around £100 a month for hay, i use wood pellets and they are £200 for 66 bags that should last the winter ( i use rubber matting) Feed is £20 a month supps £20 a month.
 
Tack, supplements (wouldn't think those would be inc in full livery), one off costs like boots, rugs, shampoo/flyspray etc and other non essentials. The one offs are what push up my costs and I try not to think about them too much. :tongue:
 
I budgeted for Roxy when I first got her & still stick by it (obviously it varies but overall we do pretty good) however what I didn't take into consideration was things like grooming kit, shavings fork, sweeping brush, buckets, feed bins etc etc. And bloody hell does it add up, at the start it nearly crippled me, not to mention the cost of the tack itself (and why you buy a saddle it doesn't include girth, irons, leathers etc) which I didn't even think about. It's one off costs that are hard to predict and are really hard to fork out for.

£50 pcm for vet/dentist/back etc seems a bit too much but I guess better to over estimate than under. I budget £300pcm for Roxy for everything apart from lessons & we're on DIY. Some months we have quite a bit left over, others we have only a few quid but we certain get by quite comfortably on that.
 
GOODNESS ME:giggle:

Gonna give my two an extra slice of hay cos I suddenly realise just
how lucky we are:giggle:

£130 per month Yard Rent (on our own at yard)

£35.00 Large Bale of Hay, delivered.

£43.00 Insurance

£40.00 Trim for both every 6 - 8 weeks

Bag of food........as and when......... usually Hi Fi Light or similar

Wormers when due probably about £20 - £24.00

Obviously then have Jabs, Teeth checks etc.
 
fairlady said:
GOODNESS ME:giggle:

Gonna give my two an extra slice of hay cos I suddenly realise just
how lucky we are:giggle:

£130 per month Yard Rent (on our own at yard)

£35.00 Large Bale of Hay, delivered.

£43.00 Insurance

£40.00 Trim for both every 6 - 8 weeks

Bag of food........as and when......... usually Hi Fi Light or similar

Wormers when due probably about £20 - £24.00

Obviously then have Jabs, Teeth checks etc.
Click to expand...

But when you add up everything - hay, bedding, jabs, teeth etc. don't you think that you would be paying about £400 per month? It's not that much cheaper than my DIY prediction.
 
Roxy's Mum said:
I budgeted for Roxy when I first got her & still stick by it (obviously it varies but overall we do pretty good) however what I didn't take into consideration was things like grooming kit, shavings fork, sweeping brush, buckets, feed bins etc etc. And bloody hell does it add up, at the start it nearly crippled me, not to mention the cost of the tack itself (and why you buy a saddle it doesn't include girth, irons, leathers etc) which I didn't even think about. It's one off costs that are hard to predict and are really hard to fork out for..
Click to expand...

All of the above (apart from the grooming kit) are provided for by the yard. I have another budget for the cost of the horse and the one off like saddle, rugs etc. I am hoping that for £5000 I can get the horse I want, plus everything I will need to go with it.
 
It's scary to see it written out if you're not used to it - Roxy has her own bank account, which I pay money in to (no she doesn't keep her own debit card!) and then use solely for her. That way I know I can't accidentally spend money that's been budgeted for her and if I have any/much left over and I can afford an extra lesson or treat for her then great. If not, I let the money accumulate and spend it on a rainy day (or keep it for just in cases!)
 
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