The cost of owning a horse or pony

Buying a horse or pony is a bit like buying a car as the initial outlay to buy the horse is only part of the expense. Let’s compare a horse and a car for a moment: you need petrol (hay and hard feed), regular servicing (vet), new tyres (horse shoes), washing and polishing (grooming), road tax and insurance (passport, registrations for competitions and accident insurance) and repairs (vet again). How much this all costs is worth checking out before you commit yourself to a horse or pony. The bad news is that a horse probably has more expenses attached to it than a car! The good news is that you’ll have a lot of fun and, hopefully, a great relationship with your horse. You can’t have a relationship with a car, can you? I remember someone telling me once that a bad horse eats as much as a good horse so it’s really worth shopping around and taking your time to find something suitable.

If you’re lucky enough to have your own field and stable, then you won’t have to pay livery costs which mount up over the years to a considerable sum of money. I don’t always stable my horses and ponies. The competition horses are kept in a stable with grazing turn out during the day but most of the ponies live out in a field in summer and winter. They have good rugs and are fed extra food in the field during the colder months, of course, and they are all looking well with plenty of condition on them in March after a particularly harsh Irish winter. I kept an old thoroughbred horse living out most of his time with me as he used to get very stiff in a stable and preferred being able to walk around outside. With a rug and good food, he lived to his 30th year.

So what are the main expenses associated with owning a horse or pony? Click here to find out.