Ways to Save Money as a Horse Owner

Ways to Save Money as a Horse Owner

Keeping a horse can be an expensive endeavor, especially when there are unexpected costs involved! Managing your budget on horse supplies is never easy but fortunately there a few simple ways that will allow you to help you cut your horse costs.

Here are a few to help get you started!

Feeding

• Horse feed is expensive, but sometimes buying bulk feed such as hay and grain can result in better deals and more savings! Remember to check the quality of your feed, good feed equal’s healthy horses/to optimise feed conversion efficiency.
• Storage of your feed is very important to ensure that there is minimised spillage and wastage. Storing your hay off the ground reduces moisture and mould growth. Grains are best stored in feed bins where to keep put moisture and rodents!
• Utilising and managing your pastures as much as possible can help with horse costs. It is a great source of roughage and if well looked after, can reduce the amount of hay you will need to feed. Good pasture management may include mowing, seeding, irrigation, fertilizing, weed control and rotational grazing.
• Mixing your own feeds can be much cheaper than buying premixed feeds when it comes to reducing your horse costs. Wheaten/oaten chaff and barley are economical and can make up an excellent ration especially when balanced with a good quality protein, and vitamin and mineral supplement. Ranvet’s Topline FX and Ration Balancer are ideal additions to a mix-your-own ration. These two supplements, in conjunction with roughage, barley and salt can provide a well-balanced diet for performance horses.
• Balance your horses ration! We often find that horse owners feed their horses multiple premixed feeds and a whole range of supplements on top. By having your horses diet analysed you can check what nutrients you might be feeding too much or too little of. Ranvet provides a FREE Nutritional Service that can help simplify your feeding regime and reduce your horse costs!
  
  Click HERE complete our Diet Evaluation

Equipment

• A great way to save money on horse equipment is to shop second hand! You can find good quality gear at a much lower price when shopping this way. Buying good quality gear will also last longer rather than the cheap equivalent. We recommend checking out buy & sell Facebook pages for picking up great second-hand bargains!
• Take good care of your equipment. Regular cleaning and correct storage can increase the longevity of your equipment and save you from having to replace them as often!
• Look for sales! Take advantage of end-of-season sales, this way you can purchase next year’s winter rugs in early spring when stores are clearing out winter stock at discounted prices.
• Sell unused equipment that you may not use or need any more to help you afford the essentials.

Riding

• If you are currently taking lessons it may be a good idea to switch to group lessons to make them more affordable as your trainer may offer a discount for a group.
• You may also be able to cut your horse costs by auditing or volunteering for lessons where you can take along your notebook and pen to make some notes from the lesson.

Care

• Vet bills can turn up very unexpectedly and may be quite costly. Purchasing equine insurance is a worthwhile expenditure and can help you cover vet bills. If you have taken out insurance you can rest easy knowing that your horse is covered just in case the worst should happen.
• Shoeing is a major contribution to your horse costs. It might be worthwhile talking to your farrier to see if your horse may be able cut back to front shoes only or barefoot altogether. This isn’t suitable for every horse so ask your farriers opinion.
• Good basic horse care can prevent colic and other health problems. Regular worming, dental checks, and farrier visits can help save you from the major expense of emergency veterinary care for serious health issues that could be prevented. Our Ranvet tip is to make sure your horse received salt in their daily feed and an Electrolyte Supplement such as Salkavite or Electrolyte Replacer whenever your horses sweat. Keeping your horse hydrated, promotes healthy gut function and can help reduce the risk of impact on colic.
• Everyday products such as Vaseline, Aloe Vera, baby wipes and sponges can be bought at your local pharmacy or super market to help you save on horse costs, keep an eye out for when they are on special and stock up when you can.

We hope you enjoyed our tips of saving money as a horse owner!