Fulfilling a Fantasy: What You Need to Know as a Prospective Horse Owner

Besides being a princess, owning a horse is every little girl’s fantasy. Many of us, however, fail to see this as a credible option and as a result, our dreams remain unfulfilled.

Speaking from personal experience, I can confirm that I fall into this trap, and dashed my daughter’s dreams of owning a horse. However, having gazed longingly into her ‘puppy dog’ eyes for a number of weeks, I realised that some of the limitations weren’t as restrictive as I had first imagined.

Here are the key areas to consider when deciding whether or not you can afford your dream horse.

Cost of care:

Keeping and caring for a horse undoubtedly comes at a huge financial cost and it would be unwise of me to misinform you of the true cost of owning your dream horse.

Quality of care is a huge factor in deciding whether you should own a horse or not. If you cannot provide care then you should never consider horse ownership. If, however, you have time to provide your horse with love, care and affection then you’d be an ideal horse owner.

However, love is simply not enough for horses and they do require significant financial investment. Luckily, this guide produced by the British Horse Society makes a list of costs and fees so you can plan your budget and see whether it’s affordable.

Space:

There are various rules and regulations about horse ownership but very few of these are surprising in any capacity; for the most part, they are pretty straightforward. The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and their Hybrids sets out all of the guidelines for horse owners and provides a really handy guide to ownership. The focus of the document is mainly on care and space provision. This is the worry of most prospective horse owners and it is one that is highly understandable.

As well as a grazing area, you should put great consideration into your horse’s shelter. The size, scale and quality of these vary hugely, so try checking out somewhere like Vale Stables to see the range of horse shelters on offer.

Time:

Taking care of a horse is a time consuming but ultimately rewarding job. It does take a great deal of time to look after your horse but the results are heart-warming. Looking after a horse is similar to looking after a child; it may be time consuming and tiring but the rewards are great!

Owning a horse really is a dream that can become a reality. We all face restrictions in our lives, and it may be the case that after reading this you still feel that owning a horse is not right for you. It is still ok to think that though, and your time may come in the future.

However, hopefully after reading this guide you’ve realised that owning a horse is an opportunity and a delight rather than a burdensome chore. So, examine the option carefully and see if you can make your dream a reality.

Ellie is a freelance journalist who writes in a number of areas. Currently, she is writing on the behalf of Broadfield Stables and enjoys writing about equine matters and follows showjumping events.