How to Save Money with Horses
If you have horses, you know that they can be expensive. I used to joke that it would be easier just to feed my horse cash. But there are a few things you can do to save money while keeping your horse cared for and happy. Before we get into money saving though, let’s cover a few things that are well worth the expense.
Training
The help of an experienced trainer can be invaluable and ultimately save you lots of time, money, and heartache by helping you navigate your experience with your horse. Everyone (even the most experienced of us out there) need help sometimes, so training is not a place to mess around with trying to save money. That said, if money is tight, you might be able to switch to group lessons, shorter sessions, or move to every other week instead of weekly rides. Talk to your trainer, and be open about the fact that money is tight but you value their help and knowledge, and you’re wondering if there is a way to make a more budget friendly program for you and your horse.
Farrier
You really do get what you pay for here. There is nothing like a good farrier when it comes to keeping your horse healthy, happy, and sound. And yes, that often means you’re going to shell out more cash. But you’ll also save plenty of money in vet bills and time off from lameness or thrown shoes. Trust me, this is one to spend the money on.
Feed
I realize I’m a bit biased here, but as an equine nutritionist I can tell you some serious horror stories about bad feed. You don’t need to go all out and get the top of the line options, but you definitely shouldn’t be cutting corners here either.
Now that we have that straight, let’s look at some easy ways to save money on your horses.
DIY
This one may seem like a no brainer, but it’s important to think about. Are there things you are paying for that you could be doing yourself? Is there a cheaper board option if you clean your own stall? Could you learn to body clip your horse yourself? Look at all of the services you are paying for and see if you can cut back on any of them.
Buy Used
Instead of heading to the tack store any time you need something, check facebook market place, craigslist, or ask around your barn to see if you can find used items.
Collaborate
Work with barn mates and friends to get work done without having to hire help. Offer to take care of your friend’s horse while they are out of town if they do the same for you. Or you feed wednesdays and they feed fridays. You can also team up to share lesson costs, vet visits, or other expenses.
Audit Clinics
Instead of riding in clinics, find out if its cheaper or even free to audit them instead. You can still learn a lot and you won’t have the expense of the clinic fee, trailering, or stabling.
As a last resort, consider half leasing your horse
Think about finding someone to half lease your horse. In exchange for half of the days in a week, they will pay half of the bills. This can make horse ownership much more manageable in financially challenging times. Also, some trainers may pay per lesson for the ability to use your horse. Consider these options if you’re looking to save a large portion of your monthly horse expenses.
These are just a few ideas, you can definitely get creative here if you’re really in a pinch. Just make sure to never let your financial savings result in subpar care for your horse.