Thats given me quite a lot of information about how much it will cost, thank you so much

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Have you thought about getting a horse on loan share, sharing the costs with another person? Or from riding stables, I think they ask for a set amount each week and you get a set amount of time to do as you please with the horse.

Would be much cheaper and then you don't have the full responsibility of the horse as it is either shared with someone else or at riding stables.

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I would def recommend loaning a horse to start with, that way you get the experience of caring for a horse as if it was yours with only a fraction of the cost. I would love to own my own horse but i cant afford it and even if i could i just know i wouldnt have the time. think i will stick to loaning.
Best of luck though with whatver you decide!

Right, heres my breakdown, of keeping a horse for a year!!

Its not for the faint hearted and I have never added it up myself before!

Stable and field £1560 (£130 per month at a cheap diy)
Hay (very expensive at the moment! Paying £55 for a large bale of hay!) £900
Insurance £540
Shoes £390 (Full set £60 every 6 weeks)
Worming £60
Vaccinations&Dentist £100
Bedding £416 (1 bale shavings per week)



saddle £700 /
Bridle £50 /One offs
Rugs £500 /

Thats without broom/fork/wheelbarrow/hat/gloves/boots/shampoos/brushes/treats/whips/brushing boots etc etc etc

Thats well over £5000 before you even buy a horse!!

This is almost what I spend but I do try to buy and sell stuff on ebay alot and mine have their shoes off over winter.

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Lol there is no way I would want to sit & work out what Romeo costs to keep each year, far too scary! I would agree with what others have suggested though, perhaps take a horse on part loan for a while, you can share the costs, learn about keeping him & if the worst should ever happen & you can't keep him anymore he has an owner he can go back to. I loaned for years before I got my own

There is advice about deciding to buy a horse at Buying Horses and this includes a page with a rough guide on the costs of keeping a horse through the year.

If you had a horse on loan the costs would be much the same, although insurance may be covered by the owner and the owner would usually supply you with all tack, rugs, etc.

A cheaper alternative would be to look for a horse on part-loan or share where you pay a fixed monthly fee to share the horse with the owner.