kristina Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Hi I am after picking someone's brains about the cost involved with keeping/insuring horses and I am sure someone on here will know!! My youngest daughter (13yrs) has been riding/working at our local stables for 18 months and really loves working with the horses. She has been loaning Wallace over the holidays and the yard are putting him up for sale. Now I have plenty of experience with looking after dogs but think a horse could be a whole new ball game!! The yard would like £1500 for him and £500 for his tack, then £30 a week for living out, he is a 7 yr old skewbald cob cross (a bitzer!!). Does anyone know cost for insurance etc and I'm sure there's more involved!! Any advice would be good! Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 HiI am after picking someone's brains about the cost involved with keeping/insuring horses and I am sure someone on here will know!! My youngest daughter (13yrs) has been riding/working at our local stables for 18 months and really loves working with the horses. She has been loaning Wallace over the holidays and the yard are putting him up for sale. Now I have plenty of experience with looking after dogs but think a horse could be a whole new ball game!! The yard would like £1500 for him and £500 for his tack, then £30 a week for living out, he is a 7 yr old skewbald cob cross (a bitzer!!). Does anyone know cost for insurance etc and I'm sure there's more involved!! Any advice would be good! Kris Hi Kris This is a really useful leaflet which will give you an insight into what you are letting youreslf in for! http://www.horsetrust.org.uk/pdfs/beforeyo...ffordahorse.pdf Hope it helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 £30 a week for living out seems a lot. I have 2 ponies and livery at Bexley sidcup is £80 - £100 a month. Does the yard have good facilities? Flood lit sand school etc? I was only paying £150 - £160 a month for stable and turnout. Look on http://trfrolics.proboards.com/index.cgi its like this forum but for people to have an interest in horses! lots of advice on there.... I'm "tabboo" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 We have horses and £30 does seem a lot for a live out pony - it should be the cheapest option - its a long time since I loaned but having five children - 3 of which started to show an interest at a young age - it worked out cheaper for us to buy our own land! I know huge outlay but we see as an investment - an opportunity - we bought 2 acres locally and pay the same amount on our mortgage as we would for livery - we have had the horses for 7 years now and its a pleasure - not a chore, keeps my girls off the streets and gives them responsibility - plus i get to ride too! On paper and in theory we cannot afford horses - but we do it on a shoestring - the advantages to my children growing up have far outweighed the disadvantages - of course our house is falling down and in need of repair...but the horses have a lovely field and stables! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristina Posted August 23, 2011 Author Share Posted August 23, 2011 Thank you for the replies we have decided to let the stables sell Wallace instead! My daughter is a bit upset but agrees with us that Wallace is a bit of a liability, she spends half her time fighting to get him to do anything! Stables have agreed he is a hack out pony and as she is the only 1 who will get on him (he consistently bucks & rears!) the best option is to let him go! Sure she will forgive me in time! Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Where abouts in Essex are you Kris? My 2 ponies are now both on full loan to a family near Basildon. Must admit I am so lucky, the girls are loved and pampered as if they were here with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristina Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 Hi Riverview We live in Ongar so if you hear of anyone who has a horse/pony to loan please let me know! My daughter is 13 and has been riding for about 2 years, curtesy of Wallace she is a fairly advanced rider!! Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristina Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 Quick update and a bit of a problem! Stables didn't sell Wallace in the end and we have been loaning him since August. Now here is the new problem, I may have told hubby a small white lie about how much I pay per week for the loan (I pay £50 told him £30!!) seemed a good idea at the time!! The stables are now putting Wallace back up for sale to be kept at the yard on working livery, so we would buy him then £50 per week as he's livery (this includes food, bedding, stabling etc), hubby is saying we cant afford £50 per week so we cant do it even though we already are and he doesn't know it!! You know when you do something and really wish you hadn't! So any suggestions on winning hubby round without dropping me in it would be greatly appreciated!! Other wise I'm going to have have 1 heartbroken 13 year old! Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) Oh little white lies eh? They have a habit of jumping up and biting us in the bum dont they? I told the RSPCA both our ferrets were vaccinated against cnine distemper and then on the home visit the guy asked to see the vets certs! Oh heck. Could you tell hubby they will let you have him for £30? That way, he'll probably say yes, and he will never need to know the full cost. You could tell him about April time that the bills increasing to £40 and then in the summer put it up to £50 and hope in the meantime the bills dont rise for real! Or you could wait till he's in a mellow mood, you've just had a lovely day together and then tell him the truth Edited December 14, 2011 by Rea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristina Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 Thanks for the reply Rea did make me chuckle about the ferrets!! Always seems like a good idea at the time and anything for a quiet life!! Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) Golly! I'd call that a little more than a small white lie. You're probably just better to come clean and hope for the best rather than risking it snowballing aren't you? When you consider the cost of owning rather than loaning have you factored in vet's bills/insurance, rider insurance, rug buying/cleaning/mending, shoeing/feet trimming, tack replacement, winter supplements, etc? There's a lot to take into account and if you're struggling to find the money for the livery you could end up on a very sticky wicket if a few big expenses come in at once. I would think very carefully about buying the pony you describe for a child who has only been riding for two years. Have his teeth and back been checked to see if there's a reason why he is bucking and rearing? My daughter has been riding several times a week for ten years and is a very competent rider. Although she could easily handle a pony like the one you describe I wouldn't buy him for her (no matter how much it broke her heart) unless I was convinced that she was capable of schooling him out of these habits. Rearing, particularly, is a dangerous trait and, although I accept that horse riding is a high risk sport, safety is an important consideration. I'd take a broken heart over a broken neck any day. Another consideration is that your daughter could get far more pleasure in the long run from owning and riding a better schooled pony who will allow her to develop her own riding skill. It is hard to move on when the pony has such bad habits. Yes it is good to ride the challenging ones but it is also important to ride ponies which respond better and help you to learn. My advice would be to let this pony go to someone who can afford him and can school him. Then look at your finances and, if you really can afford to buy and keep a pony, look long and hard until you find a decent schoolmaster who likes to jump and has good manners. Then you can all enjoy him or her safely and with a clear conscience. Edited December 14, 2011 by Upsy Daisy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristina Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 The reason I call mine a small white lie is that other mum's are loaning down there for their children and haven't even told their partners!! So I prefer to call mine a small white lie I have considered all the known costs with regards rugs, tack, insurance etc so I have worked out the costings. It's the actual livery that is the problem! He is a bit unpredictable Upsy Daisy however the instructor at the school has been working with him along with my daughter and there has been significant improvement since I originally posted in August. Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.