Are You Ready?

You have had the lessons, bought the gear and the next step is to buy your own horse, right? Making the step from simply riding horses to owning a horse is not for the faint hearted, read our guide to help decide if you are ready to embark on the perilous journey of horse ownership.

Owning a horse undoubtedly gives you a huge range of benefits, you get riding on tap and there is genuinely nothing else like the bond between horse and owner when you pick the right equine partner. However, owning a horse throws up a huge range of dilemmas, heartbreaks and responsibilities and this commitment should never be taken lightly.

Make sure you're ready

There are many elements to consider before you decide to buy a horse, they aren’t simply recreational purchases – horses take up time, money and a lot of patience – and you need to be 100% sure that buying a horse is the right decision for you and the horse.  

Nicola Markwell at Redwings Horse Sanctuary reiterates this. "At Redwings we have seen a huge rise in the number of abandoned horses and ponies over the last few months, with 13 abandonment cases involving more than 140 horses being reported to us in March 2011 alone,” she tells us. “There are a number of reasons for this but it is clear that many people are struggling to cope with the care of their horses through these difficult financial times. We would ask anyone thinking of taking on a horse or pony to think it through really carefully before even beginning that search.”

Have I got time to own a horse?

You have heard the phrase time is of the essence? If you are trying to juggle work, family, social life and a horse your time will be stretched to the limit. You need to allow at least one hour every single day just keeping your horse alive! Mucking out, feeding, supplying fresh water, turning out to the field and bringing in, it requires time and effort on a daily basis and that is before you can even think about saddling up for the fun stuff!

Can I afford to own a horse?

Buying your horse may seem like the most expensive aspect of ownership – however the initial outlay is a mere drop in the ocean in comparison to the pennies you will spend in the coming years. There is not a single element of horse ownership that comes cheap! Not only do you need to take in to consideration the day to day costs, but you also need to bear in mind that as a living creature, things do go wrong and vets bills need to be expected! “Horses are expensive animals to keep and you must look very carefully at all the costs of both routine and emergency care and be prepared to meet these outgoings consistently throughout the horse’s life,” says Nicola.

You have a lot of choices to make when you buy a horse; however the basic elements of housing, feeding and caring for them are non-negotiable.

What to think about:

• Where will you keep him? Most owners keep their horses at livery which gives you a range of options. DIY livery means you look after your horse totally on your own, or you can have add-on ‘assisted livery’ or ‘part livery’ which gives you the option to have help when you need it, e.g. turning out or bringing in. Full livery may be your only option if you work full time and don’t have time to muck out and tend to your horse twice a day – but this doesn’t usually come cheap. Livery costs vary around the country but you could be paying anywhere from £100 a month on a basic DIY package to £500-600 plus for a month on full livery.
• What about the ‘running costs’? If your horse is on full livery it may be that some elements of his care are included in the price. However if you are on DIY you will need to think about buying in your hay, feed and bedding. Feed and Hay is not something you can scrimp on as it is important for your horse’s health and with prices rising constantly, you should expect to pay between £4.50 and £7 for a bale of hay. Feed costs will depend on your horse but budget for at least £50 a month and bedding can be between £5 and £10 a week depending on your management system.
• Extras on top? Don’t forget the vital care and maintenance! Shoeing or feet trimming will be necessary every 6 weeks at around £50 - £80 each time, and you need to bear in mind the cost of worming and regular veterinary costs such as vaccinations which need to be administered once a year. Not to mention lessons, competition entry fees, diesel costs driving to and from the stables, paying for someone to look after your horse when you are away on holiday, tack, rugs and equipment and of course the unexpected vet bills which undoubtedly crop up at the most inconvenient time!
• Insurance. Obviously the cost of insurance will vary depending on value, use and type of cover required but an average first time horse doing Riding Club Activities with a value of £3,000 to £5,000 to include vet fees and liability will cost between £350 and £550 a year depending on the level of cover and excesses chosen. If you wish to be covered for Loss of Use the premium will increase by between £200 and £300.  Obviously if you are buying a more expensive horse or one which is going to be doing a more dangerous job such as Hunting or Eventing the prices can increase dramatically.

Before you take the plunge and buy your first horse ensure you have experienced every aspect of horse ownership and that you feel confident carrying out the menial tasks as well as the ridden challenges. Volunteer at your local riding school and spend time mucking out, grooming and tending to the horses. Better still volunteer at your local horse sanctuary where you will see first-hand the result of horse ownership when it goes wrong. If you can, look at loaning or sharing a horse with a friend to experience the responsibility of horse ownership before you dive in to the deep end.