A horse of your own – that is the dream of many riders, but as is well known, it is not only time-consuming, but also cost-intensive. Even if you can afford the purchase price, there are still many additional costs that you have to take into account. If you are thinking about owning your own horse, you will find below an overview of the acquisition and follow-up costs that you have to expect. This way you can see if you can afford your own horse or if you have to save a little bit first.

Purchase Prices For A Horse

The cost of purchasing a horse depends on many different factors. A foal that was a “pasture accident” or is an emergency, you can sometimes get for (almost) free. A prospective leisure horse costs on average 1,500 to 2,500 euros.

A pedigree foal, on the other hand, can cost tens of thousands of euros. The same applies to adult horses: the better trained they are and the more valuable the breed, the deeper you have to dig into your wallet. Award-winning competition or breeding horses are sometimes even worth a six- to seven-figure sum. The most expensive horse in the world was once sold for $64 million. It is therefore difficult to make general statements about the purchase price.

If you are looking for a leisure horse in the middle age with normal basic training, you are good with about 3,500 to 9,000 euros. For a successful sport horse you can expect at least 10,000 euros. The older the horse is, the cheaper it will be. So you have a rough orientation for your calculation – depending on what you are looking for.

Other Acquisition Costs

The horse alone is not the only investment you have to make right at the beginning. Many horses are sold with equipment like saddle and snaffle, but even then you have to pay for them. Alternatively, you can look for suitable equipment yourself. Especially with the saddle, you must not save money in the wrong place, otherwise painful pressure points or lameness can occur. In total, you have to calculate with about 1,000 euros for the saddle, the bridle, a halter, a lead rope, a lunge, grooming kit & Co.

In addition, it is important to take out insurance for the horse at the same time as buying it. Although horse liability insurance is not required by law, you should have it. Otherwise you risk high costs if, for example, an accident occurs. Without insurance, this could mean financial ruin for you. The cost of such an insurance is about 70 to 100 euros per year, usually with a deductible in the three-digit range.

There may be additional costs before or directly after the purchase, for example for a check by the vet, the farrier or the transport of the animal. Once the purchase is complete, you will also have to expect the following costs.

Monthly Follow-Up Costs For A Horse

Buying a horse does mean a relatively large amount of money all at once – but in the long run, it’s the additional costs that make keeping a horse so expensive. These include:

– Keeping: the rent for an (open) stable as well as a pasture often makes up the largest cost item. The most expensive option is to have your own box with “full board”, i.e. the horse is fed and taken to the pasture by the stable operator, so that you don’t have to come to the stable yourself every day and your animal is still well looked after. For such a service you have to calculate with about 250 to 600 euros per month. If, on the other hand, you choose the open stable with self-care, you can get away with about 180 euros – depending on the region and other factors. So there are big cost differences, so you should check all options before (!) buying your horse and reserve a place that is affordable for you and suitable for the animal.

– Feed: There are also big differences in the price of feed. A small pony naturally eats less than a large show horse that is promoted athletically. In addition, there are big differences in quality. For example, you can buy concentrated feed for 25 or for 90 euros. Furthermore, the animal needs sufficient hay, carrots or apples from time to time, and possibly additional mineral feed and vitamins. As a rough guide, you should calculate with at least 150 euros per month – better a little more.

– Hoof care: As a rule, the farrier must come every six to eight weeks. Depending on whether he only does the hoof care or also the shoeing, you will pay around 30 to 120 euros for this. – Vet: Even a healthy horse needs to see the vet regularly. Once a year the most important vaccinations are due, which cost about 150 euros. In addition, you should have the teeth of your animal examined and maintained once a year, which costs an additional 130 euros. However, it becomes particularly expensive if your horse is ill. Veterinary treatments or even operations then quickly come to a four- to five-figure amount. You should therefore consider in advance whether you want to take out health insurance for your horse. This also costs between 100 and 200 euros per year, but can prevent extremely high costs in emergencies and is therefore easier to calculate.

– Clothing: In addition, you will of course need some equipment yourself if you want to care for your own horse as well as ride it. This includes riding boots, breeches and of course a riding helmet. You may also need a riding crop, a safety vest, tournament clothing or other items. If you limit yourself to the absolute basic equipment, you will be there with about 100 to 200 euros

– Lessons: If you are still a beginner or not too experienced, it is important that you continue to take riding lessons – preferably on your own horse, of course. This way, rider and animal can learn together. In addition, the riding instructor can help you with important things, such as lunging. Such riding lessons usually cost between 15 and 40 euros. Individual lessons are much more expensive.

– Training: If you have chosen a foal or a young animal that has not yet been broken in, you must either train the horse yourself or have it trained by a professional. In the first case you need a lot of know-how and experience, which also applies to the further training of the horse. Here, too, you may be saving in the wrong place. Therefore, it is important that you calculate the costs for the training and the education of the horse. These are around 800 to 1,000 euros per month during the training period. This lasts about three months for the basic training and then, depending on your individual goals, possibly longer – for example for a show horse.

– Additional costs: In addition to all these cost items, unexpected additional costs can always arise. For example, horse and rider equipment are wear and tear items, so you may need to replace the saddle at some point. Or you may have fallen and now need a new helmet, even though yours was only a few weeks old. These are just two examples of many. But they make it clear how important it is that you never calculate too tightly, but always with a sufficient buffer.

Can You Afford A Horse?

You now have a rough idea of how much your own horse would cost you to buy and how much it would cost per month. You can afford your own horse if these monthly costs are not a problem for you and you are also able to build up a certain financial buffer. You will need this buffer in case of unforeseen costs, for example for the veterinarian. Large cost blocks such as the purchase of the horse or an operation can also be financed externally if necessary. You only need to provide a few details about yourself to obtain quotes. It is best to compare several providers with each other and then select the offer that suits you best.

You can then pay off the loan in affordable installments. A financial buffer is also important for this. However, you must not finance the monthly costs by credit, otherwise you will quickly end up in the debt trap. In that case, it makes more sense to either make adjustments, such as renting a cheaper stall, or to continue saving and limit yourself to a riding partnership – until you can afford your own horse one day.