How much does a horse cost a month? H&H does the maths so you don’t have to...

When considering how much it costs to keep a horse, it’s important to realise that the ongoing care costs will go way beyond the initial outlay associated with buying a horse. These costs are continuous and should be realistically assessed before you decide to take on the responsibility for a horse of your own.

In my experience, once you’ve calculated what you believe to be a realistic budget, you should add on a buffer – prices always go up and there will undoubtedly be things you haven’t accounted for in your initial budget. I am now spending more than double what I originally budgeted for my horse’s monthly costs before I bought him 10 years ago – and I do everything I can to save money on horse costs. He doesn’t want for anything, but there are certainly no nice-to-have extras.

I’ll share the regular costs of keeping a horse, so that you can step into the wonderful world of horse ownership as prepared as possible for what you’re about to take on. Where the costs vary significantly, I’ll offer some considerations I wish I’d better understood before I bought my first horse. All prices quoted are approximate and based on prices at the time of publishing (March 2026) – spoiler alert: it’s a small fortune, but worth every penny.

I’ll cover the costs of:

• Livery
• Feed and forage
• Bedding
• Insurance
• Farriery
• Regular healthcare

Costs of livery

The costs of livery can vary wildly because there is a full spectrum of options from DIY grass livery (your horse lives in a field without a stable, and you look after it yourself) all the way up to full competition livery with all-singing-and-dancing facilities that includes training, competing, tack cleaning (you name it, they do it).

However, there are also variations depending on your location, similar to buying or renting a house. I moved from Berkshire to Nottinghamshire and got more facilities for my money, but there are parts of the country that are both far more expensive and cheaper than these.

Unfortunately, there are also major differences in livery pricing between lowest and highest prices for the same offering and similar facilities, which can make budgeting more difficult.

It’s hard to put a figure on it as costs vary so wildly, but according to the latest BETA survey (2023), owners spent an average of £257 per month on livery or £129 per month on grazing. Bear in mind, it’s possible to spend an awful lot more and costs will have risen since the survey due to the ever-increasing cost of living and raises to the minimum wage.

When choosing a livery yard, look at as many different yards in your local area as possible and work out what your priorities are – this will help you compare your options and weigh up what’s best. If you choose a DIY yard, don’t forget, if you’re on holiday or need assistance, you’ll need to pay someone to look after your horse, too, unless you can share the work with friends.

Unless you’re in the lucky position of being able to keep your horse at home, livery charges will be one of the largest regular monthly costs of owning a horse. And even if you can keep it at home, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s free.

Cost of feeding a horse

Similar to livery, the costs of feeding a horse are certainly not “one size fits all”. You might have a good-doer, which generally means your costs will be lower, but once you start adding things, such as a joint supplement, which they might need as they age, for example, the costs start to add up.

If you have a horse who struggles to hold weight or needs a specialist diet for any reason, then be prepared for much higher monthly costs. Similarly, feeding competition horses is usually more expensive.

Remember, it’s not just what’s in the bucket that will cost you. Hay, haylage and other types of forage are the foundation of your horse’s diet and likely to account for much of the monthly expense. You can save money on hay by buying in bulk, for example, but I would suggest that you should be prepared to spend at least £50–60 per month on hay for an average sized horse, although again, this varies with location and quality.

The quality of your grazing and the amount of turnout your horse gets, will affect how much forage you need to feed. Despite my horse having 24/7 turnout year round, I still feed hay throughout the year as there is not enough grass – this suits me as he’s a good-doer and it means I can easily monitor his weight, but it would be very expensive to manage a horse that struggles to maintain weight in this way.

There are ways to save money on horse feed and budget wisely, but feed and forage are essential costs that you can’t really cut corners with to ensure your horse gets the nutrition he needs.

Cost of bedding

Stabled horses will need bedding and you may also want rubber stable mats as they make it possible to use less bedding, as well as providing a comfortable and non-slip surface. Straw is the cheapest type of horse bedding, but it’s not typically not suitable for horses with respiratory problems and some horses will eat it.

In the long term, rubber mats combined with a more expensive bedding, such as shavings or wood pellets, can prove more economical, but the initial investment is considerably more.

Some horses are particularly wet and dirty, which will inevitably mean you use more bedding. If you’re in a position to deep litter, then this could reduce your costs, although this needs to be carefully managed to avoid negative impacts on your horse’s health.

Be prepared to use a minimum of one bale of shavings a week, which would cost around £10 per bale (although this varies with quality and your location). Good quality rubber mats will cost around £40 each, and you’d typically need six for a 12x12ft stable.

Cost of insurance

Following legal cases that have ruled that owners can be held responsible for any damage caused by their horses, all horse owners should be insured for third-party/public liability. One way to do this is to become a BHS Gold Member at £105 a year, which provides up to £30million of cover.

Horse insurance to cover death, straying, theft, vets fees and more is not mandatory, but many horse owners opt for it for peace of mind as costs can quickly escalate. You may also wish to take out rider insurance or tack insurance, which will add to the premium. Insuring high-value horses is more expensive, as is insuring horses that compete, while you can get specialist policies to insure veteran horses, which should prevent you paying for aspects you don’t need.

The cost of insurance varies a lot depending on what exactly you want to cover, but there are ways to save money on horse insurance. I would suggest budgeting at least £100 per month for a ridden horse, but get quotes before you buy your horse – the same as you would if you were buying a car – and be prepared that they may well be higher.

Costs of farriery

This is likely to be your largest cost after livery, feed and bedding is accounted for, especially if your horse is shod all round. Trimming a barefoot horse may cost around £30–40, while front shoes may cost £60–70 and a full set £90–100. If your horse needs remedial shoeing then it is likely to be a lot more.

Due to variation across the country, I would suggest using these numbers as a guide to compare the costs of different shoeing options. I know even within my local area, it’s possible to be paying up to £150 for a full set – and on average a horse is likely to need new shoes, or a trim, every four to six weeks.

Costs of regular healthcare

While you’ll inevitably encounter some vet fees over your horse’s lifetime, these are not regular occurrences. Instead, I’ll run through the costs you can expect to pay as part of the maintenance care for your horse.

Vaccinations

It’s recommended that your horse receives an annual equine flu vaccination, plus tetanus every other year, and the flu vaccination is mandatory if you’re competing. You can find more information about what’s required in our guide to equine vaccinations, but I would suggest putting aside £100 a year to cover the vaccinations and call-out fee.

Dentistry

Horses need a visit from an equine dental technician or vet who practices dentistry every six to 12 months, depending on their age and oral health. If your horse can be done without sedation and needs no additional treatment, you might be looking at around £50–60 a visit, but this will increase with sedation and any further treatment.

Physio

Regular maintenance sessions with a physical therapist can keep your horse moving freely and feeling their best. Costs will likely depend on the therapist’s qualifications as there are a wide range of therapies available, but you should be prepared to spend at least £50 a session. Your horse might only need seeing once every three months, but if your practitioner needs to work a specific issue this could be more frequent.

Saddle fitting

It’s recommended that your horse’s saddle is checked for fit at least every six months as their shape can change throughout the year. Depending on how the saddle fitter structures their costs and whether they include visit fees, this could cost anything from £40–100 depending on where you live, whether you’re part of a group visit, and whether you’re booked on an initial assessment or follow-up visit. Adjustments to your saddle are likely to be additional.

Worming

The most cost-effective worming programme is a “targeted” plan, which uses worm egg counts (around £10 per horse) and worming only if the results suggest it’s necessary. It’s recommended to perform a worm egg count test every 12 weeks, and a saliva test for tapeworm every six months.

Annual worming packs that include everything you need delivered to your door cost £6–10 per month, depending on your package.

How much does it cost to keep a horse: total costs

The costs I’ve covered so far are simply the basics – further significant costs to be considered are tack, rugs (plus washing and repairs) and grooming products, before you even start on transport or training.

Below is an example of what the basics costs to keep a horse on DIY livery might be. Of course, for you some things may be less and others more, so do some research in your local area and add up the numbers.

Costs such as dentistry aren’t paid monthly, but I prefer to put the money aside each month so that when vaccinations and a dentist visit land in the same month as my farriery appointment, it’s not a problem because the cost is already accounted for. I also find this a clearer way to understand whether I can afford to take on a new ongoing expense.

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