Cutting costs without cutting equine welfare

Keeping horses is expensive - no one can argue with that! But there are ways we may be able to save a little money without reducing the quality of care we offer our equine friends.

Management... Keeping your horse out as much as possible can cut feed and bedding bills, as well as being healthier for the horse. If the horse is to live out 24/7 all year, you will need at least 2 acres per horse - probably 3. Ensure there’s ample shelter. Hedges, banks, stone walls and woodland are all good - and are often better than conflict over space in a field shelter. You may need a contingency plan to cope with prolonged wet or snowy weather - we all remember last winter! 

Old, thin or sensitive horses may need rugging depending on the weather. If you don’t clip your horse they will need less feed and fewer, or no rugs. If you do clip due to workload or sweating, keep to the smallest clip possible, so on good days, you can leave rugs off and at other times, less rugging is needed.

Bedding... Often the most economical bedding is locally bought straw. Straw rots down well in the muck heap and makes excellent compost, but make sure it is not dusty and the crop was not sprayed immediately prior to harvest. 

Straw beds can be deep littered during the week, just removing droppings and topping up with a full muck out at the weekend. 

Some horses may eat straw which isn’t good for them. Ensure there is ample hay / hay replacer to see them through the whole time they are stabled. Wheat straw is less palatable than barley straw.

Feeding... The cheapest feed is forage with good hay and grazing being the most economical options. A quality forage balancer such as Total Eclipse or Simple Balance + can be fed alongside to top-up essential vitamins. Nature’s own mineral and vitamin supplement is Pure Ocean Seaweed, a much underutilised feed - and very economical.

Some horses will need additional forage in the feed bowl to maintain condition and performance. The price per kilo of forage pellets is usually considerably less than that for chops / chaffs. Soak the pellets and you have the same ‘bulk’ as provided by a chop. The pellets that go the furthest are unmolassed beet pulp - PuraBeet. They swell up to five times their original volume, whereas our other pellets make half that. Beet pulp is a good source of soluble fibre but is not a good source of vitamins. Only use this to replace up to 1/3 of your regular feed.

Check the feed value of feeds, as sometimes higher calorie versions are not always more expensive than lower calorie. By switching to higher calories, you will need to feed less to achieve the same result but don’t reduce overall intake. If you’re unsure about how this could work for your horse’s individual needs give our Feed Line a call on 01728 604 008 or send an email to info@simplesystem.co.uk. We’ll be more than happy to advise.

Shoeing... Most horses don’t do huge amounts of work in the winter and they rarely wear out their shoes at any time of the year. Discuss with your farrier if your horse needs shoes at all, or if they will be fine with just front shoes. The hind feet are a different shape to fore feet and take wear better. Also, the horse bears less weight on the hinds. 

Work closely with your farrier – a good farrier will be able to give the best advice for your horse’s individual needs. 

Choice of horse... Big horses eat more than small horses and they need more space both in the stable or field. If you are seeking a new horse avoid buying bigger than you need. 

Research breeds and types to check for genetic disorders that will cost you in terms of vet fees and medication. Some responsible breeders will have their stock tested for inherited conditions. Native breeds and their crosses are hardy, generally good doers, have good feet and are well adapted to live out. Retrained racehorses are not expensive but may need more management. Rehomed horses from a charity can be very rewarding.

Temperament is important and young horses with a good temperament will grow out of being young, can be less money to buy and you will have them for longer. They will not have the wear and tear of an older horse.

Always have any purchase vetted and if it is a mare or filly, include a check for pregnancy. Two for one could sound like a bargain, but in the long term the costs will be greater.

Competing... Entry fees are soaring and often involve membership fees too. Competing should be enjoyable for you and your horse so choose to support the events you have the most fun at if you need to minimise spend.

As an alternative, consider Fun or Pleasure Rides. For an entry fee of around £15 - £30 you can have 3 hours or so of great hacking, a choice of marked routes - usually mainly off road, back up in case of emergency and like-minded people to ride with.

It’s fabulous education for your horse, very enjoyable, accessible and excellent value for money. Local drag hunts, riding clubs and distance riding groups all organise these increasingly popular events.

Budgeting... Some expenses come up annually – winter bedding supplies, routine vaccinations, insurance, car / horsebox MOT. Try to space these out so you don’t have two or more big bills together. 

If you can, bulk buy bedding in summer when your feed bills are less. You can even stock up on your Simple System feeds in the same way. Our feeds have a long shelf-life when stored correctly and we offer a discount for buying in bulk-  just check the website for the discounted pallet price.

If you have your own transport, it may be cheaper to take the horse to the vet for routine work rather than the vet come to the horse. See if any costs can be shared with others at your livery yard, such as visits from farrier, physio, vet, dental technician etc.

Keeping up to date with health care saves money long term. Locating some additional storage will enable you to benefit from bulk deals and exploiting special offers.

The team at Simple System can offer suggestions for saving money, without compromising welfare, with our extensive knowledge and experience. Contact us on 01728 604 008 or complete our online form. 

Our service includes hay analysis – good hay may well provide most of your horse’s needs, but poor hay will certainly need supplementing.  Analyse your hay and know for sure!