Living through the credit crunch is never easy, but when you have ponies and horses who completely rely on you for nurishment, a place to shelter and medicine, every small amount saved helps.
It’s a well known fact that dozens of horses and ponies are abandoned every week, as horse owners struggle financially with the current economic climate, because of this there are presently many horses for sale.
Sara Tuppen from the Horse Refuge in Kent, knows all about looking after horses on a tight budget, having to rely purely on donations to help keep over 40 rescued horses in good condition. She believes there are many ways which could help make owning a horse during a recession a little easier:
1. A lot of horses can live quite happily outside for most of the year, providing there’s nurishment, water and shelter available. If this is a suitable option for your horse, it could help reduce the cost of stabling considerably.
2. Removing shoes can be an easy way to reduce outlay. If only ridden occasionally, and not ridden on rough surfaces, a great deal of horses will not need shoes.
3. Sharing your horse is a great way to cut (even halve!) costs, and helps to provide a cheaper introduction to horse ownership for another person.
4. In many cases it is possible to receive free stabling and occasionally hay and bedding in return for helping out around the yard. Mucking out, grooming, yard and paddock maintenance etc. are all ways which could save you money for a little hard work!
5. Vets bills are an unknown quantity but still have to be considered. If you’re budget is low, you may discover a lot of Vets will allow you to pay in instalments.
6. Many people can also make lifestyle adaptations! It’s not just finding ways to keep your horse more cheaply, see if you can do it for yourself!
7. If achievable, horse owners can often club together to purchase feed and straw in bigger numbers, reducing the overall price and helping everyone save a little.
8. As a last resort, you can look into getting your horse a foster home, even as a companion.
If you’re fortunate enough to be in a position to share, or even purchase a horse or pony, there are still many horses for sale and ponies for sale available.
Tags: horses for sale, horses on budget, horses recession, ponies for sale
