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.
