Costs of Keeping a Horse or Pony
Horses can make wonderful companions but are expensive to keep and are a long-term financial commitment. If you are thinking about taking on a horse or pony check out the information below to help you make sure you are making the right choice for your family and your future equine companion.
All costs are approximate and there will be variations based on location.
Livery/Field Rent
Unless you have suitable land available on your own premises, livery or field rent is the only option when taking on ownership of a horse. Field rent can come at a minimum of around £10 a week. Although renting a field may be a cheaper option, they often have less facilities than a specialised livery yard, which may have resources such as tack rooms, arenas, schooling equipment and wash bays. We do advise that when taking on one of our horses that a field shelter is available.
Costs of keeping a horse on a livery yard depend on what kind of livery you are interested in. Grass livery can usually cost within the region of £20 - £25 a week, stabled DIY livery can cost around £30 - £50 a week and full livery can cost anywhere between £100 - £200 per week. Keep in mind that any activities carried out by the staff at the yard, such as turning your horse out, or even the use of the arena can cost extra. These prices are an average and will probably vary depending on your location or what the livery yard has to offer.
Forage and Bedding
For horses kept at grass it is expected that extra hay will only be needed around the winter when grazing is scarce. For stabled horses, hay will have to be provided on a daily basis to compensate for the lack of grass. Hay can cost around an extra £10 a week on top of livery charges. For a stabled horse, bedding will also have to be provided. Straw and shavings are the most common options for bedding and can be expected to cost anywhere in the region of £10 - £20 a week.
Hard Feed
The amount of hard feed a horse or pony requires depends entirely on their type, size and age, whether they are stabled or kept out and the amount of exercise they are required to do. A pony purely used for companionship that does little exercise will need only a small amount of concentrated feed, if any at all. A stabled horse with a strenuous exercise routine on the other hand will need larger amounts. Depending on the brand of feed you choose, it can be expected to cost around £5 - £10 a week.
