How much does is cost.....?

fits wrote: »

If it fits the horse

I must be the only person who doesnt like Berney's saddles. Any I've ridden in seems to have put me in a good old 'stick your legs out in front of you' kind of hunting seat. And the fitting guideline on their website is prehistoric (at least it was the last time I looked).

I've had a Berney Bro's saddle for the last 14 years, and it's done me fine. I bought it new (which is something I wouldn't normally do, but the second hand saddles available weren't suitable for my mare (who had a really high withers). I've not had any problems with it and I've used it on at least 5 or 6 horses since.

I'll admit I found the saddle quite different initially, but I had been using a really old saddle with a low tail, no knee or thigh rolls. I found the knee rolls on the Berney saddle took time to get used to, but I never found it made my lets stick out in front of me, or anything like that.



Jemmy: You have a point that owning a horse doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, but as zaraba and other posters have said, the cost of keeping a horse depends on one's situation:

Do you have sufficient land to keep a horse or has it to be kept in livery? If you need livery, do you want grass, half-board or full livery? Will you do all the work with it or will you need the people in the livery yard to feed, exercise, etc? If you're keeping the horse at home, you have to account for the cost of food and bedding. Round hay bales can cost upwards of €15 per bale for good hay, though, as KG said, it should last a while. Straw is probably more expensive for a round bale, and, when you work it out, bags of shavings and paper aren't that cheap either. Then you have to take into feed into account. A 25kg bag of 11% horse nuts can cost upwards of €7.80, depending on where you buy them, and whether or not you want a higher/lower percentage feed, or whether you want nuts, mix, etc. If you're keeping the horse at home and want to turn it out it's also necessary to consider the fencing. Is the field safely and securely fenced? Do you need to buy white tape and stakes if you want to manage the field(s)for grazing.
Then come all the extras: Do you have tack already or do you need to buy it? (yes, second hand tack can be bought at a reasonable price, but it is still quite expensive). Headcollars, leads, rug(s), grooming kit, buckets, etc. as well as your own gear - helmets, whip, boots, chaps, jodhpurs, gloves, etc. - all add up, even if you only buy the bear minimum.
On top of that, you also have to provide for the welfare of your horse - vaccinations (pretty important if you want to compete), worm doses, teeth, farrier expenses (whether shod or not), and vet expenses (if something unfortunately happens to your horse).

While some of the above expenses are one-offs or rare occurrences, it all mounts up and you need to be aware of exactly how much it costs to keep a horse, even if you choose the cheapest option which suits both you and your horse.

Your financial position will dictate what you can and cannot afford and it's best to take everything into consideration before even attempting to buy a horse. I've heard a huge number of people comment on the perception that everybody who owns a horse must be rich and have lots of money: their response is that they had money until they owned a horse! .



Loopyness: I hope it works out for you and that you manage to buy your horse. Don't rush into it: take your time and make sure to find a horse that suits you and one with which you can have fun!