How Do You Afford Your Horses?

I make sacrifices elsewhere in life. At the moment, I work a full time day job, and my OH works evenings, but he is taking a second day time job in the Spring to bring a bit more money in. Salsa's expenses come before everything else (except mortgage!) - we don't go on holiday, don't really go out a lot, my OH smokes on a tight budget, and we have learnt to keep luxuries to a minimum. Slowly, we're dragging ourselves out of debt, and making Salsa affordable. I don't think I make any concious savings, but somehow it is just about affordable.
 
with my first horse I worked part time around uni. i also was lucky enough to get free livery as the lady needed a companion for her pony. i had to do things like repair fencing, repair field shelter roofing etc.

i then worked in IT for 5 years, in and out of london, working away in ireland 2 weeks of the month, only seeing horse in darkness all winter. now i am lucky enough to have a job where i work 7 days a week but am based from home. the money is good, although can be random. i also have a husband who earns slightly more than me which pays for the house.

my mare lives out 24x7 x 365, although i do pay for a stable and ad lib straw as you never know when you may need it. i get that for £110 per month. i feed mainly hay and lots of it with only 1 feed per day.

realistically, factoring in vets bills, insurance, farrier, dentist etc, it probably costs me £300 per month on average, if i am honest. if i am not being honest i'll say it costs £140 per month livery and insurance!!
 
I don't keep mine on a livery yard, i rent my own yard so that has taken monthly 'accomodation' bills from well over £600 down to £180. Since i have my own yard, i can shop around for hay and bedding suppliers so save a few pence there. I always try to buy the best for my horses, best rugs, bridles etc. May cost more short term but i've turnouts that are 8 years old and still like brand new. I'm also doing a saddle fitting course, so soon shall be qualified to asses my own horses saddles. will save a fortune not being ripped off by cowboy fitters that haven't a clue what they are talking about.

I also make sacrifices in other areas of my life. I don't go out much, i don't drink and i don't buy my clothes on the high street. Tesco's and Asda do clothes that are just as fashionable yet a fraction of the price.
 
with difficulty....:D No more luxuries- shopping, the odd facial etc.. being a thing of the past!
As for moving pielena back to the UK.... I discovered my moving contract on my posting includes pets. Look forward to that conversation with HR...:D :D :D
 
Puzzles

There are no 'tricks of the trade' in keeping and paying out for horses....just work, work, work. You will always have cashflow problems, no new clothes (only rarely) and certainly no holidays. But....it's worth it.​
 
Tesco's and Asda do clothes that are just as fashionable yet a fraction of the price

I know! i got a really nice top from asda the other day, and wearing it as a dress, with legins :D was only like 20 quid for my WHOLE outfit inc beads etc, i was really chuffed.
I went in oasis and found a really nice dress at 65 pounds and it had been reduced lol was 130 ! haha mum said i could have it if i wanted but i went on a bargin hunt and hey it payed off! just thought i would share LOL!
 
Yea lol sorry got carried away haha, my mummy and daddy pay for it all!!
EEWWW i hate MK one all they seem to have is kiddie stuff with like dogs and monkeys on them LOL, i like werehouse, oasis, and Dp's lol:D
 
I'm a bit of a night mare, due to my lanky frame I like expensive jeans such as diesil, luckily OH treats me for Xmas and Birthday and then I mix and match them with cheap tops! And they last for ages!

In fact my favorite shirt is from Marks and Spencers, if you read the label you will realise it is an age 11 school shirt, I dyed it pink and it has the best cut of any shirt I own, I roll the sleves up and it looks lush, wish I'd kept more of my old school shirts (that one is a good 12 years old now!)

One of the biggest ways I've started to save money recently is to make my sandwiches at home and have a packed lunch at work, that saves me about £20 a week!

I should really try and get a lift in with OH to work more as we work in the same office, but he leaves so early and as he travels around country to meetings several times a week so not always practical!
 
My parents pay for all the big bills: Insurance (£270 p/a), Livery (£68 p/m), shoes (£40 p/6 weeks) and any sudden vet bills or routine vaccinations. They also paid for my saddle which I got about 2 months ago but that was second hand and much needed.

I pay for: Rugs, hay, half hard feed costs (parents usually pay other half), riding lessons, entry and travelling fees, bridles, bits, grooming kits etc..all the little bits like that.

I get £30 per week EMA so 90% of that goes towards something horsey.
 
I bought some jeans from Jane norman last week. I thought i'd go in and try some stuff on for fun and ended up buying a pair. All 3 i tried out were lovely and fit my figure perfectly. they cost me £35. All the cheapy shops apart from george dont seem to have a great choice in jeans, i was lucky i grabbed a nice pair from george for £15. But the more fashionable shops suit my figure because im quite a slim build who goes for the more hippy skinny jeans.
 
With great difficulty! You have to be prepared to do without things (unless you're loaded) - but I don't mind, I much prefer the horsey lifestyle to the old one I had spending money on boring outfits and trawling around shopping centres etc. Nothing like fresh air and and seeing our pair's faces first thing!!!
 
Im lucky that im a teen still at home, so i dont have bills to pay for etc. BUT i only have a weekend (ish) job which pays me £50 a week. My part-loan is £20 a week, the rest on whatever really.

When i had Aramis my parents paid for the livery, and i paid just about everything else, so i managed that way.
 
I don't relise how lucky i am.
I pay for nothing, at all!
You forget about the entry fees for the shows, patrol, and all the odd bits and bobs.
 
jenren!! said:
I bought some jeans from Jane norman last week. I thought i'd go in and try some stuff on for fun and ended up buying a pair. All 3 i tried out were lovely and fit my figure perfectly. they cost me £35. All the cheapy shops apart from george dont seem to have a great choice in jeans, i was lucky i grabbed a nice pair from george for £15. But the more fashionable shops suit my figure because im quite a slim build who goes for the more hippy skinny jeans.
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OH bought me a pair of £120 jeans for my birthday :o :o

Which is ALOT of money, I normally spend £50 on my jeans (but I only buy them once a year/ 18 months)

Although his parents are getting me some more Jodphurs for Christmas and they got me chaps and a Joules T Shirt for my Birthday...

OH spoils me!:D
 
My own 4 ponies - that's fine, the grazing is free as it's my parents land, and I still live at home, they don't get any hard feed, my dad buys carrots to chuck at them every morning, they are all barefoot and don't often need them trimmed, they don't wear rugs, we have our own hay, the only real expenses are wormer and yearly vaccinations. My dad very kindly tows us to shows and lessons and never asks for petrol money, he is a saint.

Saphy, on the other hand, worries me sometimes. Her stable costs me £10 a week, grazing free at home, food is chaff and sugarbeet which lasts ages and is cheap but her mix is £8.65 a bag, I make that last a month now. Her shoes are every 8 weeks, £45 or £35 for re-fits, Big bale of straw a month £15, big bale of haylage £15 lasts for ages, wormer and vaccinations, er that's it, but it's still a lot to me!

I'm a third year degree student and I will proabably be a primary school teacher or lecturer before long, then I will be able to afford nice things like insurance and my trailer test. I work part time, only earn about a tenner a week as my pub has no shifts. Xmas will be good money wise though, working xmas eve, xmas day, and boxing day! Sell stuff on ebay too to make extra money. The way to save money is to keep your horse as naturally as possible, not only is this nice for your horse, it saves you money and time! :)
 
Well it depends, well me i have my horses at home, ( so no livery fee's)...but yet again i spoil my horses!...And hay? some need it others don't...stabling? straw? can your horse live out?...personally i have all mine stabled:D ...and like a thoroughbred will cost more to keep then a more stockier breed,


xx love Jay and crew
 
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