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Keeping a Horse can cost as much as £3,500 per year. With expenses including food, ongoing care, and insurance requirements, this amount isn’t even difficult to justify. Yet, for keen owners who have always dreamt of horse ownership, these high costs can also be the thing that prevents a dream from becoming a reality.

After all, we don’t all have that amount of money spare each year. But, what if we were to tell you that owning a horse needn’t cost you the earth? Keep on reading to find out how you could more easily manage the costs of horse ownership. 

Top Tips For Managing The Costs Of Horse Ownership

1. Look into leasing

Owning a horse can be a wonderful experience, offering a range of exercise and mental health benefits that you’d struggle to find with any other pet. And those benefits needn’t even cost you as much as you think if you’re willing to consider horse leasing. Many owners will lease out their horses for brief six-month periods, or even indefinitely, due to a range of reasons including a horse being in-season, issues with housing, and just general cost saving themselves. Look online, and you should find that you can secure a horse for a reasonable monthly rate across a term that suits you. 

2. Keep on top of regular checks

It can be tempting to cut costs on things like regular worming and farrier visits, but with even a single vet visit ending up pretty expensive for an animal as sizeable as a horse, letting things slide is when costs can add up. Instead, you want to keep your horse in the best health possible for as long as possible, which requires small ongoing investments into things like a farrier every month (around £100), and worming every six months (up to £30). These are manageable sums spread across the year and are far preferable to a vet bill that could be as high as around £250 just for an initial check.

3. Look after your equipment

Horses require equipment including riding tack, blankets for out in the field, and protective field equipment like this Rambo Protector fly sheet. You can buy your equipment second hand or new, but in order to make the most of this investment, and save yourself from having to spend on these things more than once, you should make sure you buy items of good quality and condition, and also ensure the proper storage and care of these items.

A well-kept and regularly conditioned saddle, for instance, can last as long as twenty years. Equally, the proper storage of rugs and fly sheets that are regularly washed down, dried out, and placed in vacuum packs when not in use, can significantly lengthen their lifespan, and keep your ownership costs down by quite some margin.

Managing The Costs Of Horse Ownership – Summing Up

Horse ownership is a major responsibility, and it’s never going to be completely free of cost. However, if you consider leasing, keep on top of essential checks, and take good care of your equipment, all these things will help to lower the costs of horse ownership in the long-term. With these tips, you should find it easier to ride the costs of horse ownership, without any bumps or surprises along the way!

Read more: 5 Everyday Money Management Tips To Help You Feel In Control of Your Finances

The post 3 Top Tips For Managing The Costs Of Horse Ownership first appeared on This Brilliant Day.

The post 3 Top Tips For Managing The Costs Of Horse Ownership appeared first on This Brilliant Day.