Cost of maintaining a horse

[bexj]

I'm looking at a loan of a 16.2hh TB to be kept at DIY livery - outside most of the time in the summer, outside during the day in the winter. I have found a nice friendly livery yard today which is £15 a week for DIY, which includes bringing it in and out of the field, and giving it a feed in the morning.

But what else do I need to consider?

Hay? I know its about £2.50 a bale here - but how much would he eat (light work - very occasional shows)

Bedding? Again about £2.50 for straw - how many bales fill an 12' x 12' average stable? And how often does this get replaced?

Hard feed? What? how much? Cost?

Shoes - thats Ok - I know about those!!!

I'm trying to work out an average monthly cost - I don't want to take this on then find out 3 months down the line that its way too expensive!

Thanks everyone!

[lamprellsarah]

rugs, they cost a bomb, particually as TB's can be prone to losing weight, the bigger the horse the more the feed, hay, and rugs get more expensive

saddle, bridle, girths, sprays of all types, brushes, nummnahs etc all one off but cost a bit added up, and may need to be replaced/changed altered

worming is about £9, 6-8 weeks and more expensive depending on time of year plus your horse is big.

hay, really depends, properly 2-3 bales a week during the winter but your amount and quality oif grazing comes into this.

bedding again 3 bales a week ish but some horses are cleaner than other, if you deep litter less than this but the whole stable will need to be cleared out once a week!!

hard feed, well it depend on the weight my mare is 16HH and pretty average in feeding, she costs me spread out about £10 a week in hard feed, only a copule of pound a week in summer but a lot in winter

theres are so much
my16HH mare works out at about £170 a month, but she lives out for £16.00 a week, with good grazing, and hay given in the winter but no straw

so this is very estimate you are talking for your horse bettween £150-£200 a month but other people on here will have both ideas that is may be more and maybe less, it depend on the horses tempermant, weight, feeding requirements etc

don't forget those all important vet bill, for injections, teeth and problems oh and insurance

insurance is likely to be way over £100

[lamprellsarah]

although if you are loaning and not handing the insurance then it will be less

[maverick927]

i deep litter my bed and only clear it out every two weeks, and that's when I add shavings at £4.50 a bale. My stable is 10x10 and it takes three bales too fill, and then a bale the next week. after that the shavings go in fortnightly.

I have a very stocky 13.3hh who ways about 450kg and he costs me no more than £25 a week altough that doesn't include the stable as i have one at home. I got some good rugs cheap as well, off the internet. When i first bought Maverick I bought everything 2nd hand but now that I buy things every sao often i can afford to buy things new which I like.

P.S I have a few things for sale. they're small (except for the saddle). the list on on Top Pony in my small auction and in the classifieds