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## SophieCyde

hi everyone 

I am really considering getting a horse but I just don't knoe if in this financial situation it would be fair on the horse. How much is it roughly a year to look after a horse (including livery) just want a rought number to work with 

thanks


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## blackdiamond

Livery can vary depending in which part of the country you are living.
There is DIY, Part & Full so anything from £15 per week to £150 per week.

Essentials:
Livery £15 - £150 per week
Trailer parking £20
Bedding - summer zero, winter say £15.00, 
Feed (including supplements & haylage) - summer about £20.00, winter £60.00 per week !
Feet - £20 - £60 every 8 weeks depending if your horse needs shoes or just trimmed
Insurance - £35 approx
Dentist/physio/vaccinations etc - vets charge different amounts
Misc grooming stuff (eg fly spray, mane conditioner etc) depending where you shop
Depending on your livery prices you may need to buy your own hay again prices depending on what area. Hay seems to be getting more expensive every year.

Extras:
Lessons - £20 plus

Of course you can add on to this an unspecified amount for tack, clothing, boots, rugs, etc, etc, etc, and I'm sure there'll be other things I've forgotten...

This could run into hundreds depending on hiow much you want to spend on tack, rugs etc etc.

Horses can be very expensive to keep, luckily i have my own land so at least i don't have to pay for livery but i do have to source my own hay/haylage.

Hope that is some sort of help  

XxX


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## Melx

Hi I think blackdiamond just about covered everything but do remember that with horses there is never solid prices per month!! You also need to allow money for vet bills incase Your horse comes down ill or injured and also things could break (i.e tack, rugs, buckets, bins) and you may need to buy a replacement asap which would be a bit extra a month. 
You also have vacs. This price varies a lot as in you may have to start the course again if say you have bought a horse which hasnt been vaccinated in a couple years which would mean having the first one, then 6 weeks later the second and then 6 months later the third and then you can have yearly's. Prices vary a lot from where you live and also to which vets you use. Like I just started a new course and that was £41, £41, £38, and then £41 yearly, but I got quoted from another surgey, £60, £60, £51.
Also dentist which is about £35 every 6 months- 1year.
The problem with horses is you always forget about little things you would have to pay and things creep up without you realising until you have to pay for it! lol

Good luck!!


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## candysmum

SophieCyde said:


> hi everyone
> 
> I am really considering getting a horse but I just don't knoe if in this financial situation it would be fair on the horse. How much is it roughly a year to look after a horse (including livery) just want a rought number to work with
> 
> thanks


Hye i have DIY livery, costs me £132 a month this includes stable, paddock (shared and on a poo picking rota) the use of a huge school, hay, straw and haylege and on top of all that on farm hacking! 

Then you have shoes cost me £50 for fronts only every 6 to 8 weeks
then vaccines £60 a year 
back checks every 6 months to a year £45
teeth every 6 months £45
food £30 roughly a month depending on what you need to buy
then tack maintainance
new tack when needed 
grooming supplies
your own suppiles for riding etc
Insurance £40 a month

i spend around £350 a month and what i dont spend out of that £350 its put away in case


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## celicababe1986

As everyone has put, it can vary depending on area you live, size of horse, breed, livery type etc....I shall tell you my costs...
I have a 12.2 welsh who live out on field livery.

so £35 a week for her livery, hay and feed
(my yard has 2 outdoor sand paddocks, an indoor school and a lunge ring for use anytime)

£15 every 10 weeks for the farrier (she doesnt wear shoes so only trimming)
£5 a week insurance (to cover any illness or accidents she may come across)
£35 a year for her injections.
£9 every 4 months for worming
Then the initial cost of her tack was £550
This year I have also had to buy a rug (she's never worn one before but we had bad snow and freezing temperatures) that was £60

and everything elso really deoends on what gear you want, treats, grooming brushes, lunge equipment, riding wear, etc etc etc......

(sorry if I have missed anything)
where abouts in England are you??


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## Steff

Like people have said previous it does depend on where you are and what horse you have, heres my payments for my pony who is 13.2hh

Stable and paddock is £28 a week
We have to pay £1 per half an hour to use the sand school
He does not have shoes over winter so it costs £20 every 7-8 weeks over winter, last year he had front shoes in the summer which was £40 every 6-7 weeks, £60 every 6-7 weeks if he has all four shoes.
We have just brought our wormers for the year which was £50 for the years supply.
He has 1-2 bales of hay a week which is £4.50 at the moment
Shavings once a week which are £6.50
Feed varies depending on the horse, mine is on very low feed as being a native he is very fat and on a diet lol His is £11 a bag which lasts about 2-3 months or so. He is also on garlic which i cant remember the cost.
Vaccination was £41 this year. Which caused a problem with his neck (i think she got the muscle with the needle) which then cost another £10 in bute and a few days stable rest.
Then you have insurance which again vary with the horse.

Ermm i think thats everything  Apart from all that they take up alot of time


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## FletcherThePatterdale

Reading some of these, i really think we can afford a horse.
All I need to do now is show i'm Responsible


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## Starlight Express

SophieCyde said:


> hi everyone
> 
> I am really considering getting a horse but I just don't knoe if in this financial situation it would be fair on the horse. How much is it roughly a year to look after a horse (including livery) just want a rought number to work with
> 
> thanks


Have you thought of taking a horse on full loan to experience what owning a horse is like, before you buy your own?


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## Melx

If you are serious about goin ahead with buy a horse then I think Starlight express has made a very good point. This was what I done when I first got into to "owning" part of the horse world as it really does prepare you and if you soon realise you cant afford it then u can give the horse back!
Like everyone has said, where you live and the size/breed of your horse will determine how much it will cost.
I used to have a 14.2 arab Gelding and he cost me about £30 a week as lived on thin air and lived out all year and didnt have shoes etc. I now have a 16.3hh TB mare who costs me more like £60 a week as she is so rubbish at keeping weight on, keeping condition and needs feeding nearly double (in hay) due to her size. Has taken me a year to get her on a balanced diet which works for her too. 
Just gotta think about it long and hard and then if you wanna go for it then just take your time and find the right horse!


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## Steff

Its a shame you wasn't closer you could have come along to help with mine to see how you get on etc. I originally got my pony on loan and after some time brought him from the owner. Maybe a good idea to find one for loan with the view to buy


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## SophieCyde

thanks everyone guys , going ot look around for loaning first , anyone know where I can find one ? thanks


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## blackdiamond

What area of England are you in ??

Look in your local tack/feed shop notice board. Have you a local horses for sale/loan websites ?? 
There are loads of websites you can look on.

XxX


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## SophieCyde

blackdiamond said:


> What area of England are you in ??
> 
> Look in your local tack/feed shop notice board. Have you a local horses for sale/loan websites ??
> There are loads of websites you can look on.
> 
> XxX


I'm in County Durham  will look in farmway


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## CountrySmiths

There is an approximate guide at Cost Of Keeping A Horse - table at the bottom totals all the costs.


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