THE CHIBLEY FARM PARENTAL GUIDE TO OWNING OR LOANING A PONY
I have lost count of how many times I have been asked how much it will cost to keep, buy & look after a pony or horse. Today another parent & this same set of questions. I will try to keep this article as up to date as I can, but please bear with me as it may take some watching.
Firstly forget the cost, do you or your child have the time & the dedication. At Christmas we used to run an interesting loan a pony scheme which ran over the Christmas week, actually covering Christmas Day & Boxing Day. There are about ten animals that could be available & yet for the last three years we have only seen a maximum of three dedicated parents, the main drawback being visiting the pony twice a day means that someone has to go without a drink.
For those that know, Chibley Farm & the many horses that I own are a 365 day commitment, not due to the fact that it is a business, simply that these animals do not look after themselves someone has to do them & at least twice day & this includes bank holidays.
D.I.Y. LIVERY
Many farmers & stables offer D.I.Y. stabling with grazing & in many cases this is as described do it yourself. Get up early feed, turn the horse out unless there is a frost, in which case leave it in until the frost has gone otherwise you could give it a stomach ache & yourself a vet bill. Muck out your stable, check the horse can get water, remove any ice from the bucket or trough. If you drop the ice on the floor by the trough remember this will thaw leaving a very wet area. In winter these wet areas can cause mud fever & yes more vet bills, be prepared to dry the ponies legs in winter when it comes in from the field.
Some of these yards offer very good facilities including an all weather surfaced arena, it may even be floodlit. If the place you find has no such area you need to remember the light goes early in winter so you may only be able to ride at weekends from October ‑ April. So now you have checked the water are you going to ride? Ideally someone should check the field fence daily, has any kind neighbour thoughtlessly thrown a bucket of apples over the fence, or their nice fresh grass cuttings have you checked? As this could be curtains for your pony or a vet bill at least. The perfect owner checks three times a day i.e. has it still got four legs, is it still breathing, how much poo has it done, how much water has it drunk, well if it is out in the field with twenty others you would be hard pushed to give an accurate answer to more than two of those questions even though they are all potentially life threatening.
Most owners put out in the morning then go up after work, this is evening stables, again they will need additional food in the winter, so this visit is essential, rugs need to be changed over, if the pony does not live in it may require a dry rug, this is also a chance to check over for cuts, bumps, sores, coughs, runny eyes, swollen legs, missing shoes or on the bright side a very happy to see you pony.
A novice owner is always best to seek the advice of a professional when it comes to how much to feed & how often, many yards carry a share of misinformed owners willing to give what they honestly believe as good advice. There are many rules to feeding. For example feed according to age, size, work & the ability of the rider requesting the work. So feeding is a fine art.
PART LIVERY
This is for the owner with not enough time to go D.I.Y., who realises that having just laid out the money to buy the pony in order to enjoy it as well, it is going to cost you even more. On this site you will find a livery section which tells you what is supplied & included in our own livery service. Every yard in the country will differ. Part livery can be a good arrangement especially when it is for a child's pony, it means the two can get to know each other, which if you ever decide to go out competing will mean your child should realise when their pony is off colour or even lame & not just expect a robotic performance every time. 'The other part of the livery provides the professional assistance and regular backup.
FULL LIVERY
This is ideal for people who live away from a riding country area & have their horse as a brilliant way of relaxing, for people with unpredictable working times, limited transport & for those that want to have the horse or pony cared for properly so that they can enjoy without any worries or time commitment, the only drawback is this can be expensive.
I have focused on the winter care, the summer also has specific care points, which are very time consuming, it would be very easy to lose at least a couple of hours each day if you enter into horse ownership.
LOANING A HORSE OR PONY
You can look forward to the same time commitment as ownership. Possibly even more responsibility, plus rules & regulations as laid down by the current owner. A legally binding document is an essential item. The BHS has a sample loan agreement on its web site. There have been instances where a person has taken a horse on loan during which time the owner has sold the horse, so one day it is there & the next day it has gone. Or the boot on the other foot, the person loaning the horse has sold the animal & disappeared. It is essential to decide upon who pays what bills, legally binding contracts protecting both parties are a must.
HOW MUCH IF I BUY MY OWN HORSE?
Yes that is a good question. A similar character to Rodney would range from £1,000 ‑ £1,800 it really just depends how dependable it is? Who is going to give it a reference, the person selling it?
• Similar character to Georgie would range from £1,500 ‑ £2,750
• Similar character to Brandy would range from £1,900 ‑ £3,250
• Similar character to Whisper would range from £2,200 ‑ £4,500
These prices are simply to give you some idea, if you want to make us an offer for any I have mentioned remember they are a key part of Chibley Farm, any offers would have to be substantially higher than those quoted.
When purchasing a horse it is becoming a nightmare, if you buy privately you have no comeback, if you buy from a dealer you need to make sure they have other horses in stock of a similar value so in the event of a mismatch you can try another.
How long has it taken you to save this money? Ask for our advice, we may charge you to look but that look could save you loads of money. Horses & ponies can be given calmers, long acting pain killers, etc I have been caught buying privately, lies can roll from the most trustworthy tongues.
EQUIPMENT
You can add about £1,000 ‑ £1,300 to kit out your new acquisition with its rugs, saddle, bridle, headcollar, brushes, etc.
INSURANCE
Another vital extra especially if you only have one animal to pay for, this provides a big safety net. Vet bills can easily escalate. (Example quote from PetPlan for a 9 year old,16.2 Bay Gelding Hanoverian TB X with £100 excess for vet bill, max vets bill claim is £5000 costs £50 per month).
Please note the PetPlan web site was used as it can give an online quote for animals valued under £10,000 as for other types of insurance it pays to shop around.
INSTRUCTION
CALCULATE THE COST OF A YEARS WORTH OF LESSONS. If you are trying to cut the cost by buying a horse think again.
Horse owners who do this properly continue their regular lessons. Virtually all of our instructors still continue with their lessons as do the people who teach them.