Horsey money saving hints? (merged)

Riablo

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 :beer:

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?

kickstart_3

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.

tiamai_d

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....

ditzymuppet

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

walwin

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.

angie_baby

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.

LizD_2

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.

Chesnut1

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!

Riablo

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.

saverone

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.

countrygirl27

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 £6.10, a bale delivered £4.25
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.