Horse keeping costs

[Jessey]

I know we've done it before but I was just thinking about what we spend on our beasties, what is your rough basic costs per month? livery set up and rough location (only as I think that effects it hugely)?

I am in East Anglia and rent a field I completely look after myself, 1 horse and two half's

Field rent £80
Feed £25
Supps £10
Hay £60
Insurance £37
Meds/wormers £30
Routine jabs/teeth £20
Total £262

I've averaged the costs through the year. I do feet myself. I haven't included things like vets bills, fencing or spraying fields as those are just as needed and fingers crossed not often, I do spend a lot of hours performing maintenance throughout the year so if I factored in my time my field rent is much more really.

 

[Mary Poppins]

Livery (assisted DIY at a posh yard) £400
Feed - included
Supps £10
Hay - included
Insurance £50
Meds/wormers - included
Monthly care plan £16
Shavings - £20
Total £496

I muck out my own stable, but bring in/turn out is included. All poo picking and looking after the yard is included. We have 250 acres of private off road hacking, a 40x60 floodlit school plus free access to the indoor school and facilities at the local riding school. I love it there.

 

[Trewsers]

Well I don't have a livery bill but, our three cost £950 a month.
That includes prascend for one, danilon for one, devil claw for two, hackup mix for one, bedding, nutraquin plus for one, bedding, hayledge, fast fibre for three, everyday pony cubes for two, dengie for one.
Thank goodness we don't have a mortgage on top of all that! Lol
Hayledge and bedding are no more expensive here than where we came from, now I've managed to find a good source. I guess two older special needs horses just cost more. But they are worth it.
That doesn't include extras like teeth, worming.

 

[MrC]

Livery for me is four weekly

This is my winter

£100 (diy) livery
£25 feed
£25 hay
£20 straw
£6 insurance

Summer now should be

£72 grass livery
£17 for balancer

Trims I’m not sure about but previously I was £75 max per year, vets again will be annual jabs now, we worm count so no monthly cost. No arena but loads of fields and off-road and inroad hacking. Local arenas for hire available.

Central Scotland

 

[GaryB]

I don't like to think about it, but roughly

Livery (5 day) £390
Shoes £45 (£75 per set every 6 weeks)
Insurance £45

Then on top of that Horsebox costs, jabs, wormers etc....

 

[Kite_Rider]

Mines £150 for livery, hay included
Feed and supplements I’ve no idea, we don’t use much so I’d guess at £10
Worm counts and wormer as needed is about £60 for the year all in.
Annual jabs £75 including call out.
Teeth £90 twice a year.
We’ve got mixed herd turnout, she’s loads of hacking on and off road and an outdoor school.
I’m in the midlands.

 

[orbvalley]

OMG @Trewsers 950£ per month I thought our bill was bad!

Here's mine :
Full Livery for 2 retirees 280€ per month summer, 387€ pm winter
Half Livery for 1 in work 125€ (on share with RS)
Farrier averages at 55€ pm
Supplementary feed 25€ pm
Riding lessons 140€ pm
Worming 15€ pm
Jabs 15€ pm
Insurance for 1 in work 60€ pm

Stopping there as just added it all up 755€ per month and thats without osteo, dentist, saddle fitter and the inevitable saddle changes!! OMG hope my OH doesn't read this

 

[Trewsers]

OMG @Trewsers 950£ per month I thought our bill was bad!

Here's mine :
Full Livery for 2 retirees 280€ per month summer, 387€ pm winter
Half Livery for 1 in work 125€ (on share with RS)
Farrier averages at 55€ pm
Supplementary feed 25€ pm
Riding lessons 140€ pm
Worming 15€ pm
Jabs 15€ pm
Insurance for 1 in work 60€ pm

Stopping there as just added it all up 755€ per month and thats without osteo, dentist, saddle fitter and the inevitable saddle changes!! OMG hope my OH doesn't read this

Yes, it is a lot, poor old Mr T added it up, scary!!! It has risen due to meds and supplements. I think it could be a lot cheaper keeping three if they were not special needs!!

 

[MrA]

Far too much for a 'pet'

Per month
£160 for livery
£20 insurance (just field injury)
£12 flu/tetanus/teeth spread over the year
£3 ish wormer and worm counts spread over the year
£30 trim (£50 every 6 weeks)
Feed about £1 haha
Supplement £17
Hay £40 (winter only)
Satsumas £100 (ale wishes )

Whoops forgot to add, SW London/ surrey border so all things considered very lucky to have perfect yard and not really that expensive. Part livery round here starts at £550 per month. I do everything myself

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Livery for 2 (grass, I do everything) £210
Feed about £60
Hay about £30
Trimmer every 6 weeks £100 for 2
Prascend £30
Herbal remedies, supplements treats and unnecessary nonsense £100
Worms and worm counts £5 or so
My lessons £60

God what a lot of money

 

[lauren123]

Hmmm
Current yard
Livery 100 per month
Hay 80
Straw 20
Feed 80
Insurance 25
Meds 44
Extra services 100
About £350

 

[mystiquemalaika]

Per month
Hay/haylage £70
Trims average at £42
Feed/supplements £30
Insurance £28 (only Rhan)
Public liability £3.50 (Torin)
Teeth/vaccines average roughly £20 a month over the year
Field is free with job so I save alot not having that.
It is walking distance easily but I often flit back and forwards in the car which probably equates to £25ish fuel. People don't often take this into consideration I've noticed but I saved a fortune in fuel when I managed to have mine near home so it made a difference.

So roughly £200 for my 2.

 

[chunky monkey]

I dread to think. I do actually keep a tally on my spending tracker app but I've never actually added up my horse costs. So could be interesting.
For the 2 horses per month.
£20 Feed
£55 for Farrier every 6 weeks.
£110 Insurance
£17 Vet
£0 for livery or hay
Total approx £257 for the month

So those that say it's monthly now shock yourself and x12, spending for year £3084

Then add in all your horse accessories you've bought over the year.
Other costs for me saddle check, clipper sharpening, new tack/rugs, horse accessories, riding hat. I've spent about £500 this year.
I've also spent about £220 on Funrides and lessons.
So that equates to approx £3800 all in for the year. Oh well i have never had a holiday. So why shouldn't I enjoy my hobby.

 

[Star the Fell]

Feed about £5.00
Farrier £15.00 (barefoot so just trimmed)
Public liability ins 3.50
Self insurance £25.00
Dentist etc £25.00
Bedding £30.00
Lessons £100 ( normally £50 but having extra help at the moment)
Supplement £40
Approx 225 per month

I have my own place so am very lucky.

How quickly it mounts up though

 

[Skib]

We do keep detailed accounts. At the yard where I helped and shared the full livery included daily exercise and cost £30 a day. At yards with no turn out or further out in Surrey, the livery was less - round about £8,000 a year.
Although I rode Maisie as often as I wanted and budgeted £5,000 a year for riding, the accounts showed that I never ever spent that amount. Owners need to pay the whole year. 52 weeks. But our holidays or my work or school holidays when the RS asked me not to ride meant my actual riding year was more like 10 months.
I have been thinking of buying a horse as owning seems to me the safest way to continue riding in old age, but the figures in this thread make me hesitate.

 

[orbvalley]

Oh go on @Skib treat yourself! You'd make a lovely owner. Go on, make a horse happy and give him a safe place to live.............

 

[mystiquemalaika]

I think it can be scary when you see it all written down but I just ask myself what would I spend it on if I didn't have them? Truthfully I doubt I'd be any better off as I'd likely be more into going out, clothes,parties,holidays etc all as ways to fill the time I would undoubtedly have too much of without them and for me I can't honestly think of anything I would get so much back from every single day. They are a life choice rather than a monthly spend really and I know for sure my life choice is worth every penny

 

[Jessey]

I think it can be scary when you see it all written down but I just ask myself what would I spend it on if I didn't have them? Truthfully I doubt I'd be any better off as I'd likely be more into going out, clothes,parties,holidays etc all as ways to fill the time I would undoubtedly have too much of without them and for me I can't honestly think of anything I would get so much back from every single day. They are a life choice rather than a monthly spend really and I know for sure my life choice is worth every penny

Oh yeah I totally agree, it's easy to spend a hundred quid on a night out (with taxi's, a few drinks, dinner etc.) so would I rather go out 2 or 3 times a month or have my horses to see every day, obvious choice for me

 

[Trewsers]

I think it can be scary when you see it all written down but I just ask myself what would I spend it on if I didn't have them? Truthfully I doubt I'd be any better off as I'd likely be more into going out, clothes,parties,holidays etc all as ways to fill the time I would undoubtedly have too much of without them and for me I can't honestly think of anything I would get so much back from every single day. They are a life choice rather than a monthly spend really and I know for sure my life choice is worth every penny

So true. What would we spend it on? Why work at all?!!!

Tho today I could happily lead mine into the sea and run off! Bad bad horses. Argh. (Everyone is silly side out !!!)

 

[GaryB]

So true. What would we spend it on? Why work at all?!!

That's exactly what I would do if I didn't have Harvey - retire!