Horsey money saving hints? (merged)

A question about : Horsey money saving hints? (merged)

Any other moneysavers out there with horses?

If there are then I'm sure you are all aware just how expensive this hobby is and also how addictive...there is no way I should be able to afford a horse, but I scrimp and save and I would be without food or shoes before she would be...think I must be mad and frequently wonder why I bother, but I do and I'm keen to hear any hints on how to save money when it comes to horses

I'll start off by saying that at one stage we were struggling to afford bedding so we spent 40 minutes each night shredding newspaper. I'm fortunate in that my horse now lives out most of the time, but I have started keeping any documents that I shred and it has soon built up into a supply of bedding for nights when she is in the stable or bedding for the horsebox...recycling as well!

I also use cheap furniture polish in my horse's tail instead of expensive mane and tail detangler...works a treat!

Any tips from anyone out there?

Best answers:

• To be honest i dont really think there are any money saving shortcuts , feed , vets fee's ,shoes, tack are things that have to be provided at any expense! You can either afford a horse or not , the only savings you can really make are by shopping around for the best prices.
• never use horse shampoo, use baby shampoo.
  don't scrimp on hay
  regular cleaning and care of tack makes it last longer.
  Baby wipes can be used for just about anything.
  Corn oil is the only supplement most horses will ever need.
  Don't know, most of it is common sense, even if we ignore it to buy that new bridle cos it will go so well with her coloring.... and forget that there are 2 at home already....
• I had to laugh then...... Horseowning and Moneysaving... Don't often see that in the same sentence!!
  - Horsey Apples and carrots are always available from your local greengrocer at the end of the day, normally for a very nominal sum (or free!)
  - Soya oil from Tescos is great for shiny coats...
  - Make up your own fly spray out of Citronella oil/meths/watered down..bugs hate it..
  - Polos will always be more appreciated than expensive horsey treats!
  - Baby oil is great for shiny mouths....Never heard about furniture polish though (!!!) Spose I shouldn't knock it until I try it
  - But as you are aware being a horsey bod, never scrimp on feed, shoes (no hoof no horse etc) vets bills.... How about getting insurance if you don't have it already?
  - If you're still struggling money or time wise, how about getting in a sharer/loaner? Could be a flexible arrangement for you? Or putting your horse on working livery at a local riding school?
  Anyway! Hope that helps....I'll be keeping an idea on this post for some more ideas....
  ~ditzy x
• I'm not sure that it's a good idea to use furniture polish on a horse.
  I used to use hair conditioner after I had washed mine's mane and tail and that worked well. Supermarkets big bargain bottles are fine, you don't need to use a proprietary brand.
  I used supermarket baby shampoo to wash him. That worked well too.
  I'll have a think about any other money saving things I can come up with.
• Veg oil as hoof oil works well, not as dark so good for horses with light hoofs,
  Boots also sell a lemon leave in conditioner with is a great canter replacement.
• Baby oil is meant to be good for de-tangling.
  Use webbing tack, it can be slung in the washing machine.
  Use buttonhole sewing thread instead of plaiting thread.
• Buy in bulk if you can with particular ref to bedding and Hay. Pay farrier by cash and most will give a reduction for prompt hassle free payment. Good quality secondhand tack that you care for well is better than new inferior tack. Ebay is very good for this. My biggest saving is rugs I do have my two inside a lot but sometimes they are stabled. So invest in breathable turnouts that can be worn at night and 1 Thermatex rug as this can be used as a stable rug on milder nights and for emergencies/ or sweaty horses. Save having lots of differant rugs, they are epensive but you can get them secondhand both of mine were. Even if the horse does not wear a rug at present there will come a time. You can cut costs down but you cannot cut corners but you already know this. Oh and last one that I can think of an old tool box makes a great grooming kit!
• Thanks for all the replies...always useful to hear other people's money saving tips as we all know how expensive our four legged friends can be!!
  Finding it interesting to hear what people find they can skrimp in and what has to be top quality.
  I always book routine visits from the dentist and physio rather than waiting for a problem to appear, usually only once a year. I have found this to be both cheaper and offer a better service than vets, who with the best will in the world can't be specialists at everything.
  Just been looking to save money on horse box insurance and found Anthony D Evans to be good value. I managed to get fully comp for the same price as third party anywhere else and for the same price as other fully comp policies got breakdown cover included as well. An extra expense, but I feel far happier with the peace of mind that if we did breakdown we could get the horse home.
  Currently looking for a yard in the Stafford area, be great if anyone had any recommendations.
• Baby oil is mentioned for the coats above, but also works really well to prevent mud fever! Clean all the mud of the legs, dry and apply baby oil. Acts as a barrier tot he wet and mud and my horse who was prone to mud fever hasn't had it now for 2 years! Lots cheaper than all the mud shield products etc and works better in my opinion.
• I know this will appeal to a very small group of people but even more reason to share your knowledge!
  I'm hoping to compile a list of ways to keep horses for less as the cost of food and bedding, is, like everything else at the moment rocketing up.
  Here's what I do....
  1. Bulk buy woodshavings from a local timber merchant and have them delivered. A bale in the shop Ј6.10, a bale delivered Ј4.25
  2. Buy hay in small amounts from local farmers. I can't store large amounts so there's no point in letting it rot.
  3. Buy sugar beet pellets rather than flakes.
  4. Look carefully at different feeds available. I now feed leisure mix instead of pasture mix, its cheaper, has most of the same ingredients and I dont compete so the exact make up of the food doesn't matter too much to me.
  5. Wash, mend and reproof rugs. This can cost a lot, but with some elbow grease you can do it your self by hand. I luckily know someone who has a special washing machine I can use for free.
  6. Use baling twine to repair the holes in your haynets.
  7. Have their feet trimmed rather than shod. I know this can be a little controversial and I did consult both the vet and farrier first. I think of it as natural!
  8. Buy their wormers and louse powder etc online. I'm currently a fan of vetuk.com
  9. If you can turn them out as much as possible, then they aren't using as much bedding and are eating the grass God provides for free!
  10. Use a car battery to power electric fences, expensive at first but much cheaper than ordinary batteries in the long run.
  These are just a few of my ideas.... anything else anyone does that they can share I'd really like to hear some ideas.
• Great idea!
  I keep my two....Welsh Cob and a Haflinger
  1. Live out 24/7.....cheaper and they seem to stay healthier.
  2. Unshod in winter ( I'm a very fair weather rider )
  3. Buy the BEST hay possible....it saves money in the long run
  4. Have natives, no hard feed needed, but you do struggle to keep the weight off in summer
  5. Fal rugs, expensive to start with but they are very tough, never needed to repair one yet
  6. Deal with any health problems sooner rather than later, saves a fortune in vet bills
  7. Have public liability insurance as a minimum, ideally you would have full cover but if your horse is old or had previous problems it can be difficult to get, it's only Ј58 a year with BHS membership but if your horse causes an accident on the road it could cost you millions!!!!
  8. Group together on the yard to bulk buy a years wormers, Ј48 instead of Ј68.50 at local tack shop
  Countrygirl27, I haven't kept mine stabled for 10 years now and I've found that I've not only saved a fortune in money but with the hours I work now I would struggle to do stables twice a day and I doubt I could afford part livery for one let alone two As they live out I can check them at any time, they're not waiting to be brought in/fed( they live in hope though! )so they're so much more relaxed! Also my livery, in Essex, is Ј20 a week including hay with a stable if required for ill horses.Around here it's usually Ј20 for stable and grazing not including hay, bedding, feed etc
• Keep them out 24/7, all year.
  Keep them barefoot.
  Buy hay in off the field - it usually works out cheaper per bale. Even better if you've got storage is to buy big bales.
  Repair your rugs etc.
  Beg, borrow and steal (well, OK, not steal!) old car batteries - I've got 2 that I alternate that were abandoned at the field I rent.
  Rent a field rather than being on a livery yard - saves a small fortune.
• Some good ideas on this thread too https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...t=cheap+horses
• Thanks Chameoleon I looked for ages and didnt find that!
  Looks like Im doing what most people do already. On the shoe thing, my pony who has lived 'wild' on the New Forest for the first few years of his life has not had shoes for about three years and obvioulsy didnt for the three years he lived wild. It seems to have no bad effects (touch wood) and is vastly cheaper. He still sees a proper farrier who trims his feet and keeps an eye on him so I think it makes no difference whether they have shoes or not. He only hacks out on the road once a week so Im not grinding his feet away. What do other people think of the no shoes approach? One of my horses always has shoes cos his previous owner tried him without and said it played merry hell with his feet so Im not going to risk and injury or anything with him.
• orlao
  are the fal rugs you mentioned fal pro rugs? Im probably being thick but thought Id check.
• I have 2 horse and here are some of my tips.
  Yes on Fal rugs but I buy mine on ebay from a company called Hollinline Equestrian (think thats the name) if you put in fal rugs it is always there is the sellers bit. They always have old models and excess stock and you can pick up a Fal Viking for up to Ј100 and thats in a 7ft. Good company, also try Pessoa rugs as they are excellent and a better fit on large cobs.
  Go to sawmill and bag your own shavings, costs about Ј1.50 a bag and they normally deliver. Or better still use straw if no allergies and the best tip if at livery is work with your friends saves a fortune on extra charges for turnout ect or if you want a day off.
• My mare hasn't had shoes on for about 10 years, even when she was working quite hard she didn't need them and now she's semi-retired she certainly doesn't need shoeing.
• I must admit Ive never quite mastered the art of money saving where the horses are concerned - they have the biggest budget out of all of us!
  My elderly mare is bare foot and I have cut down on the amount of rugs and stuff I buy - just get whats necessary.
  I have to buy all the bedding, hay and feed from the livery but they are definately my luxery! x x x