What’s the real cost of keeping a horse?
Owning a horse might be the ultimate dream for equine lovers – but horse ownership can be expensive. Once you’ve paid the initial purchase price, you’ll need to budget for food, equipment, a place to keep it, livery charges, and horse insurance. So it’s not long before your bill can start to run into thousands of pounds a year.
Key Takeaways
Horses typically cost £3,000 to £4,000 to buy, but pedigrees can be a lot more
Experts put the annual cost of owning a horse at £5,800 to £14,820
Horse insurance can cover some vets fees as well as death, theft or straying, and public liability
Insurance won’t cover routine treatment or services such as vaccinations, worming and shoeing
Cost of a horse
The most obvious outlay is the initial cost of the animal. The price of horses varies enormously depending on the type of horse and its size, age, breed, pedigree, and level of training.
For example, a small, young pony could cost you a few hundred pounds while a pedigree horse could set you back several thousand. The average price is between £3,000 and £4,000 - but it could also cost far more for a pedigree breed.
It may be worthwhile to hire a solicitor to draw up a legal agreement when you buy a horse, especially if you are buying an expensive breed.
The agreement would set out the terms of the sale and would act as evidence in any dispute over the ownership of the animal. Solicitor fees may vary but expect to pay a couple of hundred pounds.
You might also incur travel costs while you are searching for a suitable horse.
Veterinary exams
Pre-purchase equine vetting's are designed to provide a vet’s expert opinion on whether the horse is physically suitable for the job it is intended for. From the vet’s report, you can decide whether it’s worth the purchase price.
There are two types of vetting available: two stage and five stage.
The two stage process observes the horse at rest and while walking/trotting. The five stage process includes these but also looks at exercise, recovery after exercise or work, and a final trot-up examination.
According to the RSPCA, a two-stage vetting will cost around £75 and five-stage vetting will cost about £250.
Some insurers will insist on a five-stage vetting procedure, particularly if you are seeking to insure your horse for more than £5,000.
Make sure you discuss how you intend to use the horse with the vet before they carry out the assessment. That way they can make a fully formed opinion.
If a horse fails your chosen vetting procedure, you can’t claim the money back and another exam – or vetting another horse – will come at an additional cost.
Insuring your horse
It’s not a legal requirement to insure your horse – but it can be false economy not to buy insurance.
Horse insurance provides financial protection for horse owners in the event of injury, illness, or death. It can also protect owners from legal liability if their horse injures someone or damages property.
Policies vary but horse insurance can cover the following:
Vet’s fees: For illnesses, surgeries and accidents
Third-party liability: If you're found liable for injury, death, or damage caused by your horse
Personal accident: If you are injured in an accident involving your horse
Colic cover: Covers the costs of diagnosing and treating colic
Loss of use: Covers your losses if you're unable to use your horse
Saddlery and tack: Pays towards the cost of repair or replacement of lost or damaged saddlery and tack.
Death of your horse: Provides a cash settlement if your horse dies or needs to be euthanised
Theft or straying: Money to help cover the costs of finding a lost or stolen horse, or compensation if they cannot be found.
Keeping your horse healthy
All horses should have an annual flu vaccination, which usually costs around £35, plus a £35 call-out fee. The horse should also receive a tetanus vaccination every year, which usually costs around £50.
Your horse’s teeth should be checked by a qualified equine dental technician every six months. The typical cost is about £50 to £70 per visit.
Your horse will also need to be wormed. A ‘targeted’ plan, using worm egg counts costs about £10 to £12 each time, while an annual worming pack costs about £70.
Vet costs for horses
If you don’t have horse insurance, you’ll need to pay vet’s fees if your horse needs to see a vet. Costs vary widely depending on what’s wrong with your horse, where you live and the vet you use.
Some examples from Animal Friends show the typical cost of treating certain conditions:
Gastric Ulcers - £2,579
Lameness - £2,411
Tendonitis - £2,080
Wound - £1,823
Livery Costs
Unless you have land or stables to home your horse, you will need to pay livery costs.
A livery stable is a private facility where horse owners pay to house and care for their horses. The livery stable may offer a range of services, from basic stabling to full-time care.
DIY livery, where the horse is housed in a field or stable but you are responsible for daily upkeep of your animal, is usually the cheapest option, typically costing between £100 and £160 a month. But you will need to visit every day to care for your horse, including mucking out the stable, feeding and exercising.
Full livery, where staff look after all of your horse’s needs, normally costs about £300 a month.
Field rent
Another option is trying to find a local farmer or landowner who is willing to rent a field for your horse. It’s often cheaper, but you will also usually have to maintain the land as well as your horse.
Horse tacking
Tacking a horse is the process of putting on all the equipment needed to ride a horse. This includes the saddle, bridle, reins, and stirrups.
Some sellers include the horse’s existing tack and equipment in the deal, or you might be able to buy it for an additional fee. Alternatively, tacking out a horse can cost between £200 and £800, with second-hand tack the cheapest option.
Unless your horse is stabled all year round, you should normally budget for two turnout rugs or stable rugs, which will keep your animal warm. Prices for these differ wildly depending on brand and material but generally start from around £50 for the former and £30 for the latter.
Horse feed
If your horse is turned out all year, it will need hay to supplement the grass in the winter – hay costs about £45 a bale. Stables will usually provide this during the winter months at a cost of around £10 a week.
The amount of extra feed your horse will need will depend on a number of factors including its size, the amount of exercise it gets and how much grass it has to eat. Most horses will need at least a small amount of extra feed typically costing about £40 a month.
Stabled horses also need bedding. Straw is the cheapest option, but it can cause coughs; other options include rubber mats covered with shavings or hemp.
Farrier costs
Most horses need their hooves clipped and/or new shoes every four to six weeks.
Trimming a horse's hooves normally costs about £25 to £50, while shoeing a horse costs between £60 and £180.
Transport
If you plan to transport your horse up and down the country, you’ll need a trailer and car to tow it. Trailers can be expensive – typically from £3,500 up to £10,000 or more.
Annual cost of owning a horse
Equine Premium puts the annual cost of owning a horse at £5,800 to £14,820. Costs will vary depending on individual circumstances, location, and the specific needs of your horse.
Some horse owners will pay for riding lessons or a horse trainer. You should also have some cash set aside for emergency or unexpected expenses.
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Emma Lunn
Personal finance expert
Emma has written about personal finance for almost 20 years, with a career spanning several recessions and their inevitable consequences. Emma’s main focus is helping people learn to manage their...
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Saarrah Mussa
Former Content Writer
Saarrah was a MoneySuperMarket's in-house pet insurance expert. With broad experience writing across insurance products Saarrah is acutely aware of the complexities and costs consumers have to face...