Can you afford a horse?

The RSPCA recently announced that there were a record number of horse cruelty cases last year. Many were not caused by sadistic cruelty but by neglect as a result of ignorance or lack of money. Unfortunately, it is possible that the number of neglect cases may increase even more this year, as the hay shortage could mean that some owners may not be able to afford to feed their horses properly.

Firstly, where do you want to keep your horse? If you want to keep him at home you will need to provide at least 1.5 acres of grazing land and a companion. You must be able to spare at least two half hour visits a day if he is at grass, and two one hour visits if he is stabled. The land will need to be safely fenced (i.e. preferably thick hedging or post and rails, plain wire at a pinch), free of hazards, with good quality grazing and a suitable field shelter or stable (a stable will be necessary if you intend to keep your horse clipped during the winter). If the land does not already meet these criteria you need to get quotes for pasture improvement, fencing, stabling, etc.

If you cannot keep your horse at home, you will need to investigate livery yards. If you have enough time to look after your horse yourself you could keep him on DIY livery.

If you have not got the time to do all the stable chores yourself, you will need to choose either part or full livery. This is also a good choice is you are not sure of your horse management abilities - there should be knowledgeable staff on hand to give you advice. Full livery means all the horse’s daily needs are cared for by the staff, whereas part livery implies some of the chores still have to be done by the owner - perhaps the staff feed and turn the horses out in the morning, but owners have to attend to them in the evenings.

Listed below are all the categories of expenditure you need to include in your budget. Prices vary greatly according to the locality and to the size and type of horse. You will need to obtain details of suppliers from local and national equestrian magazines and phone round and get quotes for the various products and services. The costs are for one year’s keep.

ALL

• Nine shoeings
• Eight worming doses
• Flu/tetanus vaccinations
• Riding lessons (at least once a month)
• Insurance (third party, theft, death, loss of use and vets fees)

HORSE AT HOME ONLY

• Pasture management (topping and harrowing)
• Fencing and stable repairs

• Bedding (two to three bales for every week the horse will be stabled)
• Hay (see chart below)
• Concentrate feed, e.g. horse & pony nuts (see chart below)

FULL, PART OR DIY LIVERY

• Cost of travelling to yard
• Livery fees

Make a note of the total yearly expenditure. Now work out your net income - take your yearly salary (minus tax) and subtract all your essential expenditure - mortgage, rent, food, travel, insurance, etc. Subtract the yearly cost of keeping a horse from your net income - how much have you got left?

RESULTS

£1000 or more:
You should not have too much problem meeting the cost of keeping a horse - you might even have some cash left over for a few luxuries!

£500-999:
Your finances are going to be quite tight - there are always items of expenditure you forget to include in your budget. You will need to keep tight control of your spending on non-essential items. If you scored high in the dedication and commitment section, however, you should be able to cope - although it will mean making many sacrifices.

£499 OR LESS:
You really cannot afford to meet the cost of caring for a horse. What if your car breaks down and needs expensive repair - that alone could eat up your surplus. A jump in livery or hay prices could leave you unable to pay the essential bills for your horse. Why not consider sharing a horse with someone - there are many owners who advertise in the equestrian press for someone to share the cost and chores of keeping a horse.

Adapted from the article "So you want a horse?" in Todays Horse magazine.