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As horse lovers, we all get excited at the prospect of owning a horse for the first time, and rightly so. Horses can and do provide companionship, loyalty and nothing but complete pleasure for many owners. But, and yes there is a but, they also need a lot of time, energy, love and money in return, to ensure that they have the highest level of care to suit their very demanding and real needs.
This includes recognising that horses are naturally grazing animals that live in a herd with access to other horses for company and play. As owners, it is our responsibility to ensure that they live a lifestyle that is as close to their natural environment as possible.
Take a look at the guide below regarding all that is involved in taking the first and most important step to buy a horse. It should be noted that all costs are approximate and provide only a guide to possible prices in the UK in 1999, which may vary greatly from region to region.
As a first time buyer you may require a school master type upon whom you can build up confidence and have a go at the wide range of disciplines open to you. A 4 or 5yr old, for example, can often be a handful for even the most experienced rider as they are still very much in the process of developing both physically and mentally. A horse between 8 - 12 years old is likely to be much more established in their way of going and also their behavioural traits. They may therefore be considered a far wiser choice.
A Thoroughbred type of horse may look striking in appearance but their use tends to be as a performance / sport horse due to their ability and scope. A good solid riding club type that has been used for a wide range of activities, may be more suited to your needs. As a general rule, do not choose a horse on type or looks, but on their suitability for your intended purpose.
As a first time buyer it is not likely that you will want to spend huge amounts of money on your first horse. Somewhere in the region of £1500 - £2500 (in the United Kingdom in 1999) should buy you a pretty good all rounder upon which you will be able to have a go at most things (this estimation may well be less if you are looking to buy a pony). It may be more reasonable for you to share the cost of the horse with a friend through joint ownership or for you to try one on loan first. Loaning is often a good option if you only wish to have a horse on a short term basis, or if you are a first time buyer who may be unsure of exactly how well you might adapt to being an owner. Loaning involves the ownership of the horse belonging to someone else but with most, if not all costs, together with all day to day needs, requirements and responsibilities of the horse to be provided by you. This can, and often does, work out exceptionally well. However, problems may be faced, for example, if the standards of the owner are different from your own or if there are confrontations and mixed opinions between parties. Remember that either owning or loaning a horse is no easy step and you must be 100% committed to providing for all your horses needs. Loan agreements are a simple but effective way to iron out most issues of responsibility. Organisations such as the British Horse Society (BHS) may be able to help with such an agreement.
You should also ensure that you are made aware of any health concerns and stereotypes (often incorrectly referred to as stable vices. Stereotypes are repetitive behavioural patterns such as crib-biting & box walking) that the horse may have before you buy. More behaviour related information is available within the Behavioural Aspects section. It is also advisable to find out about the way that the horse is currently managed. For example, how much and what type of exercise do they normally get e.g. a horse from the riding school might currently get 13 hours of exercise per week - can you match / meet this. If not, is it likely to be a problem? Their current situation may be very different to the daily routine that you are able to follow. This may affect the horse's suitability to you, and yours to them.
When considering the amount of grazing required, think of around 1.5 acres for the first horse followed by an extra one acre for every horse thereafter (this will depend upon the type of land, drainage, etc). The field should also provide some kind of shelter from the elements. Although hedge rows and trees may provide some shelter, it is preferable to have a three sided man-made shed, erected with the opening side away from the prevailing wind. Daily checks should be made to ensure that the water supply is constant, clean, and that ice is broken during winter months. Horses should ideally be kept with the company of at least one other to provide the companionship (and a playmate) they would naturally have in a herd environment.
An important consideration on whether or not you can keep and
afford a horse is the availability and cost of appropriate stabling and or suitable
grazing, especially if you do not have your own land. Horses can be expensive
animals not only to buy, but also to keep both on a long and short term basis.
Many of the points addressed below will invariably have a cost implication.
Costs given are approximate (referring to UK prices only) and could vary considerably,
but remember that some may also be an underestimation. Personal research on
your part will be needed to provide a more accurate guide to the costs involved
in you keeping a horse in your particular area. Stabling, together with feed,
bedding and shoeing, are probably the most regular and consistent costs for
the horse owner. These costs will vary greatly from area to area.
Full grass livery is offered at some yards for as little as £10 per week. Unfortunately,
for the horse, this is usually not as convenient or as practical an option for
the owner as other methods of management. However, if we choose not to keep
our horse out at grass we must ensure that there is sufficient turnout available,
wherever he is kept, so that he can enjoy at least one part of his natural habitat.
Any of the alternative livery types, mentioned below, should be closely investigated.
Ask loads of questions about what is available now and throughout the year.
For example, how much time will each horse spend out at grass and will this
differ depending upon the time of year or during wet weather conditions?
You can expect to pay anywhere between £70 - £130 for full livery at a yard, per week, and exercise may or may not be included in this cost. All costs will also depend on the size, breed and general requirements of your horse, i.e. a larger horse will need more feed, a bigger stable and therefore more bedding; a horse with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) may require a specialised bedding type that is more expensive than straw or shavings etc.. The cost should, however, include the provision of all feed and bedding to your horse and the fulfilment of all day to day duties of care. Full livery requires the least in the way of time commitment from you, although you must always ensure that your horse receives sufficient exercise and handling time from somebody else if not yourself. Shoeing is unlikely to be included in the bill, neither will vet fees.
If the horse is to be stabled, then the minimum requirement, in terms of size, should be no less than 10ft x 10ft (3.3m x 3.3m) for a pony, or 12ft x 12ft (4m x 4m) for a horse. This allows them sufficient space to move, turn around and lie down. The exact requirement for space will largely depend upon the size and breed of horse that you buy.
This usually includes the carrying out of either the morning or afternoon duties by the staff; variations may include a full livery style management routine without the inclusion of exercise. The cost in the UK may be between £40 - £90 per week, varying with duties or items that may or may not be included. Part livery will often leave you to finish the horse off in the evenings, or to sort things out first thing in the morning, dependent upon which way your arrangements are made. Exercise may or may not be included (as with full livery) so this is something to be negotiated with the yard manager based on the needs of you and your horse.
Working livery is usually available at riding schools or equestrian centres. It involves the use of your horse by the yard for a set number of hours per week in return for their keep, although there will usually be an additional charge. Worming costs, shoeing bills and certainly veterinarian's bills are normally an added cost payable by you. The disadvantages are that you may have very little say as to when your horse is used and by whom; the riding school may have a large number of different riders who could vary greatly in standard. Working livery costs are lower than part or full livery prices ranging from around £25 up to £50 per week in the UK dependent upon the management needs of the horse and the total number of hours the horse will be used by the school.
DIY livery is the least expensive option, apart from having your own land, and costs can vary greatly between the rent of a field and the provision of a stable and existing facilities (usually between £10 - £25 per week). It does however require the most time and dedication from you. All responsibilities for your horse will be your own, including the provision of all feed and bedding together with any other costs that may have otherwise been included in a full livery package. Your horse is unlikely to be provided with 24hour supervision, which he may receive at a riding school or livery yard. DIY is a similar option to keeping your horse at home but without the added requirement of the need for your own space and land.
Having a stable available to you whether your horse lives out or not can prove to be extremely worthwhile, especially during the dark nights associated with the winter months. It may also be of use should your horse be injured and therefore required to take a period of box rest.
If you are intending to keep your horse at home you must ensure
that you have plenty of grazing available to him (preferably 1.5 acres per horse
and then 1 acre for every other horse thereafter). Even if this is to be used
as an exercise paddock rather than for the provision of grass (in which case
you will need to provide an alternative source of forage), the horse will still
require at least this quantity of land. You will also need a storage barn for
their bedding, hay, feed and somewhere safe for a grooming kit, tack, rugs,
mucking out tools, veterinary cupboard etc. Fire and health and safety hazards
will also need to be assessed not only for you but your horse's sake. Your
home insurance policy may also need to be altered to suit the new situation.
If you do decide to keep your horse at home it is likely that you will already have stables. If you do not but you are hoping to get them in the future then it is important that you check with your local Council about any planning requirements that might be needed.
Unless a horse is not being worked or is in light work on soft ground, it is likely that they will need shoeing. This will need to be carried out every four - six weeks; again costs will vary from farrier to farrier (around 35 - 60 per set). Even if your horse is not shod, it will still require to have its' feet trimmed as and when it is necessary, again usually every 4-6 weeks.
All horses should be wormed on a regular basis, every 8 - 10 weeks, but specific advice should be obtained from your veterinarian. Prices will vary from shop to shop and from wormer to wormer but high and low prices can vary from £2.50 - £22 in the UK (may depend upon whether the wormer is powder or paste, single or multi-dose). The careful maintenance of pasture and turning out paddocks is also required to ensure that horses are given the greatest protection against the infestation of worms. This will involve the daily or weekly collection of faeces from the land. This will have the added benefit of improving the quality of the grass for grazing purposes.
These will always be of an unquantified amount and although it would be unrealistic to save large amounts of money, it is worth having some set aside for the unknown (insurance cover can help). Remember that even in good health the horse will still require annual injections and vacinations from a vet. Specific costs can be obtained from your local veterinary practice.
It is wise to take out an insurance policy for both you and your horse so that you are both covered by some form of financial support should something go wrong. For example, it may be that you have an accident and fall off which leaves you unable to return to work for some time. You should seriously consider a policy that will cover you for 3rd party accidents (those involving someone else or another horse e.g. where your horse may kick another resulting in the need for veterinary attention to a horse that is not your own) as an absolute minimum. In the situation where your horse is injured, many policies will provide some amount of financial support towards the veterinarian's bills that are incurred. Always check out your policy first to see exactly what it does cover and speak to your local vet who may be able to advise you about a reputable company.
The cost of insuring a horse can vary greatly so it is a good idea to get in touch with the company you are thinking of using to obtain a reliable quote.
If you are wanting your horse to be schooled by others at
the yard then this may cost extra. However, the exact cost will largely depend
upon whom you wish to do the job and how long you would like them to ride for.
If you are happy for the trainee staff to ride then the cost will naturally
be less than asking a qualified person to do the job.
Do not assume that if you are ready to own a horse, you will automatically lose the need for lessons.
You and your horse will probably need tuition more than ever in the first few months as you get to know one another. It will be very important to your success as a partnership to iron out any issues or problems that you may have at the beginning.
If you keep your horse at home and work on a full time basis, riding may become a problem in the winter months with the accompanying dark nights. A local yard with an indoor or floodlit outdoor school may be able to provide these facilities on a hiring basis. The only trouble may be that you will need transport to get there and you may not have the school to yourself or necessarily when it suits. The alternative would be to rough the horse off in the winter to bring back into work in the spring, although the horse may still require rugs, shelter, feed etc. and you may be unable to ride.
Do not forget though, that even if you are unable to ride, it is advisable that you allow some time for one to one contact. This may be in the form of play and mutual grooming (where you can rub their 'itchy spots' and they can nuzzle you back). Or, it may be more structured towards exercise in the form of lunging, long reining or loose schooling. Either way, you will need to spend quality time with your horse in order to keep and build upon your relationship with one another.
So, now you have your horse stabled. What next? Your horse may not have arrived
with any tack or rugs. It is well worth negotiating with the old owner to include
any saddlery in with the cost but do have it checked out by a qualified person
as ill-fitting tack can often be the cause of many problems. The tack that the
previous owner has been using may not be your ideal as not everybody will use
tack that is as best a fit or as high in quality as you would like. However,
providing that it is acceptable to the horse, it may be worth making do on a
short term basis. This will mean that you can spend time finding a saddle that
fits (it really may not be as easy as you think) and rugs to suit specific needs
and requirements. A new, good quality saddle for general purpose can cost as
much as £500 - £800 (and a lot more if you wish to splash out!!) and around
£60 - £100 for a bridle.
You are likely to need a feed bowl, a haynet, water buckets, grooming kit, headcollar, lead-rope, numnah, tack cleaning equipment, possibly brushing boots etc. The list goes on and again the cost will soon mount up. Do not forget that you may also need more jodhpurs, wellington boots (gum boots), mucking out boots and if you are going to compete you will need the correct dress e.g. hacking jacket, top boots, shirt, tie / stock etc.
If you are buying your horse with the wish to compete then the chances are that
you are going to have to travel to some shows. This may involve the rent or
hire of a trailer or lorry (with a competent driver of horses provided) and
the cost of this will usually depend on how far you are going and how long you
are intending to be there. If you decide to purchase your own trailer then you
will need a suitable vehicle with which to tow it.
Lorries are by far the more common and preferred choice of transport but of course they cost a lot more and there are also running, maintenance, tax and insurance costs to be incurred. Both lorries and trailers will also require regular cleaning after each journey, and regular inspection especially with respect to the state of the flooring. They should also have a suitable floor covering (e.g. gripable rubber) with some bedding on top encouraging the horse to defecate and urinate if they wish.
Come the winter it is likely that, unless you are intending
to turn your horse out and rough them off, they will need to be clipped. Once
again this will probably cost extra either on top of your livery bill or you
may have to hire someone personally to do the job (if you have your horse at
home, at a DIY only yard, and do not clip yourself). The alternative if you
can clip is to buy your own clippers, which can be costly. However, if you look
after your clippers (approximately £200 to buy), you can repeat the clip without
added cost and they should last for years with regular servicing and sharpening
of the blades.
Your horse will also require at least a yearly check from the vet to ensure that all is well with their teeth etc. and to give the annual injections that are needed. The teeth may need to be seen to more frequently when the horse is younger or if problems arise with biting, evasion or grinding for example. These are also checks that should be made (jointly by you and a vet) if a horse has been left to rough off over a period of time (before and continually throughout their return into work).
If you have decided that buying a horse is the right thing to do, bear the following points in mind:
You will also need to check out the insurance cover for your tack if it is to be kept at any type of livery yard. Do not forget though that despite all the hurdles you may have faced in the process of buying a horse, the rewards can be huge. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy horses for the pleasure and companionship that they can provide.