Cost of keeping a small pony?

ann81

My OH and me are thinking about buying a shetland or another small pony for our daughter and trying to calculate the costs.

My daughter is quite happy (and I think she will be for a few more years) to just groom ponies and go hacking in lead rein so we wouldn't need inside arenas or anything fancy just a stable and grazing, a small livery in the country would be ideal for us.

We'd happily do DIY livery but would need a have the option for full livery for hols etc.

Any ideas how much we should expect to pay for something like this?

We're in North County Dublin.

fits

Ok I'll try and bite. DIY can vary from anything around 20 to 65 euro per week depending on facilities available etc. Full for a shetland should not be more than 100 euro a week.

Do you really want to take a pony on though? Its a lot of work. The money may be better spent on lessons and pony camps until your daughter is a bit bigger. I'm imagining she's very young if you're considering a shettie.

Tanzanite

i think most yards charge the same for ponies regardless of height

needadvice

Yeah most yards do charge a standard rate. Also many do not do diy and switching from one to the other would be tough in some cases. I know the yard I use is so busy that to guarantee a stable you have to pay full as they often have a waiting list for stables. It is a big commitment I'd think it through and consider it when she's independant but each to his own.

eth0_

If your daughter is so small she would be riding a shetland I would say DON'T DO IT. If you just let her do her own thing on her pony without having weekly lessons, she will become a bad and possibly dangerous rider.

Better to invest the money in lessons and get her a pony when she is old enough to take on a lot of the responsibility herself (feeding, grooming, mucking out), i.e. around 9 or 10 years old.

convert

eth0_ wrote: »

If your daughter is so small she would be riding a shetland I would say DON'T DO IT. If you just let her do her own thing on her pony without having weekly lessons, she will become a bad and possibly dangerous rider.

It depends on your situation. If you and your OH are experienced and can provide some tuition for her, then I don't see the problem with it. I got my first pony when I was two, but luckily my family had years of experience and were able to teach me at home rather than have to fork out for lessons. However, we also had facilities at home for grazing and stabling the pony, so livery costs didn't have to be taken into account.

The best idea would be to phone around local riding schools and livery yards and ask them what they would charge for livery for a small pony, and compare their prices for DIY and full livery. You'd also need to factor in veterinary and farrier costs (there was a thread on estimations for these a few months back). If you and your OH don't have experience, then you might have to factor in lessons for your daughter, too. Having a horse or pony, regardless of size, is costly, so it is better to go into horse ownership with your eyes open and all possible costs accounted for.

eth0_

I'm just guessing the OP isn't 'horsey' if they don't have a rough idea of the cost of livery/feed/shoes etc

convert

eth0_ wrote: »

I'm just guessing the OP isn't 'horsey' if they don't have a rough idea of the cost of livery/feed/shoes etc

Until I read recent threads on the topic, I wouldn't have been familiar with the cost of livery either.

needadvice

Straight up livery on the Dublin Wicklow area which is all I,m familiar with will cost you 120 and up for full livery. 60 a set for shoes every second month. Regular worming vaccination and general vet costs as they arise. 400 minimum for tack then rugs in winter. on average 450 to 550 a month in a reputable yard. Lessons in a good school will set you back about 30 a week and let you see whether she is interested but it takes a long time for a small child to learn well.

On the other hand perhaps you have the income and just want a nice interest for her and a cute pony so why not.

One last thought often we assume that a childs pony can live out all summer but due to laminitis that can be impossible so worth a thought.

bnagrrl

Cost of livery varies from place to place. You would need to see what each yard is offering for the cost. Some places will give you cheaper livery if they can use your pony in lessons etc while some will be dearer but will do just about everything for you. Somewhere with an indoor arena would be good though. On those dark winter nights after school your daughter would still be able to go riding.

On a side note if your daughter is very small and just interested in grooming and hacking I would wait a few years, let her develop as a rider and see does she have a real interest in it then invest in a bigger pony that she will have for years and years. She might be interested in doing a pony camp during the holidays which would give her a real feel of what it's like to own a pony.

Nicker2009

I'd say wait a while until she's more experience (cantering etc off the lead rein, secure seat etc) livery is a bit of a waste on a shetland tbh, they are very hardy ponies and only need a field with some shelter. If you can rent some grazing nearby it'd be ideal but there is some work involved. you'd have to get two ponies as they can't live alone, farrier every 2 months or so, worming schedules, hay for the winter (need storage for that really) and shetlands/ponies in generally need strict strip grazing on minimal grass as they are prone to laminitis a lot of the time.