Everyone knows that keeping a horse can be expensive. The cost can be higher if you need to board your horse. If you’re considering owning a horse, then it is a good idea to know about what some of the costs will be before you make a purchase.
Rent for livery yard or field
If you don’t have space on your property to keep a horse, you’ll have to find someone who’ll rent you space. The best idea, in this case, is to make calls to local farmers. You can always find someone willing to rent field space. The lowest cost comes in at about £10 per week, but you’ll have to maintain the field yourself. Before you commit, take the time to check out the space offered and see if it looks all right for your horse.
If you wish, you can choose to keep your horse at a livery yard. Livery yards offer a range of facilities such as tack rooms, and they’ll take care of field maintenance. The costs, however, are much higher:
• About £20-25 per week for Grass Livery
• £30-40 per week for DIY Stabled Livery
• £100-150 per week for a full livery service
Extra costs are any specific care taken for the horse by the livery yard staff.
Straw, hay, and shavings
If you’re going to keep your horse on grass livery, it will need hay in the winter. The amount of hay depends on the size and kind of horse or pony you have. You’ll need about five-month worth hay. If you have stabled livery, a year’s supply of hay is required. There is also stable bedding to consider, like shavings or straw.
• About £10 additional per week during the winter month added to fees for grass livery
• £10-20 extra per week for Stabled Livery
Horse Feed
The amount of horse feed depends entirely on the size and type of horse. Take into consideration how much exercise the horse gets and if it feeds on grass or in the stable. A horse getting only light exercise won’t require as much feed as one that has regular training. A stabled horse gets strenuous exercise regularly and requires extra feed all year long, which will come to £5-10 per week.
Veterinarian and insurance fees
Horses are required to have annual vaccinations against tetanus and flu that cost £70 per year. The cost includes the injection and the vet’s call out charge. Since a horse can come down with a sudden illness or have an unexpected accident, you need to buy horse insurance.
Farrier
Horses need continuous farrier service because their feet grow. So it does not matter if the horse has horseshoes or not they need trimming and balance. Horses require farrier services about every one and a half months:
• £25-30 for trimming and balancing
• £50-85 for shoeing
Dental Checkups
Every year a horse should get a dental check-up by a vet or an equine dentist. To make sure the horse’s teeth are healthy and that there are no problems that might cause pain or discomfort. If there are problems, the horse might require regular visits for a while. A visit from an equine dentist costs £50-70.
Worming
Horses do get worms occasionally. These parasites are in grazing pastures where they live as eggs or larvae. If a horse has worms, they have a fever, colic, and diarrhoea. If this happens, the horse has to be wormed regularly. Costs of worming are £10-15 each time and can continue as long as necessary for the horse to get rid of the worms.
Extra Expenses
These are just some of the more basic costs you can expect if you choose to buy a horse. As with owning any pet, there can be unforeseen costs cropping up, Horses can cast their shoes, they can suffer an injury, and they can get sick. At any time, you have to be prepared to cover unexpected costs, so it is advisable to have extra money put aside. To calculate the right costs and to be prepared if you want to be a horse owner, you can find all you need in this guide.
Considering Loans Options
If you find that purchasing a horse is an expense you didn’t think would cost so much, you can opt for loans. Keep in mind that there are lending institutions that might not want to loan money to purchase a horse. This is because the value of horses depreciated over time, and your horse might get injured or sick. It’s always worth comparing multiple lenders to make sure you find a lender willing to lend to you and also you’ll likely get a better deal.
