Living through the credit crunch is never easy, but when you have horses and ponies who rely on you for nurishment, a place to shelter and medical attention, every little bit helps.
It’s tremendously sad that many horses and ponies are given up every single, as horse owners struggle to cope with the economy as it is, because of this there are currently many horses for sale.
Sara Tuppen from the Horse Refuge in Wittersham Kent, knows all about looking after horses when money is scarce, having to rely purely on donations to keep over 40 rescued horses in good condition. She believes there are a few points which could help make keeping a horses on a tight budget a little easier:
1. Many horses can live comfortably outside for most of the year, as long as there’s nurishment, water and shelter available. Providing this is an acceptable option for your horse, it could help reduce your stabling prices considerably.
2. Taking off shoes can be an easy way to reduce outlay. If not ridden regularly, and not ridden on rocky ground, a great deal of horses will be happy without shoes.
3. Sharing your horse is a great way to severely reduce costs, and helps to provide a cheaper introduction to horse riding for someone else.
4. In many cases you can get free stabling and occasionally hay and bedding in return for helping out around the yard. Mucking out, grooming the horses, maintenance etc. are all jobs which could reduce your outlay for a little work!
5. Visits to the vets are an unknown quantity but still have to be allowed for. If money’s a little tight, you may find a lot of Vets will allow you to pay in instalments.
6. Many people can also make lifestyle adaptations! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your horse for less, see if you can do it for yourself!
7. Wherever possible, horse owners can often club together to purchase feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the overall price and passing on savings to all.
8. As a last resort, you can look into getting your horse a foster home, even as a companion.
If you’re in a position to share, or even buy a horse or pony, there are still many horses for sale and ponies for sale available.