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As the economic situation appears to worsen in the UK, we would like to offer some advice to horse owners who may find the going getting increasingly tough.

Caring for any horse, pony, donkey or mule properly is never going to be cheap. Anyone who is thinking of taking on an equine must look very carefully at all the costs of both routine and emergency care and be prepared to meet these outgoings consistently throughout the horse’s life. The fundamentals of good horse management should never be delayed or done on the cheap to try and save money; this is both irresponsible and a false economy as it will invariably lead to extra bills further down the line. Vet visits and treatments, good farriery, dental checks by a qualified professional and worm control are non negotiable, as are insurance, good quality food, secure fencing and housing and vehicle maintenance. Ultimately, using good quality products and professional services, and being prepared to spend a little more on the essentials if necessary, should help to reduce the need for lots of ‘extras’ and the number of expensive emergencies that arise.

There are also things that an owner can do to reduce the financial drain every month without compromising the quality of care their horse receives. There are just a few ideas here to show that what is needed is a bit of lateral thinking and a willingness to club together with other owners so everybody involved can benefit.

Horse ownership is a shopaholics’ dream. The market is flooded with products the manufacturers want to convince us are ‘essential’ to us and our equines. It can be a minefield trying to work out what our horses do actually need, but time spent cutting down on non-essential supplements, lotions and gadgets can save an owner a significant amount of money.

Don’t just read what the manufacturer tells you about a product. Look at the active ingredients and do a little research. Ask your vet or other relevant professionals for their opinion and look on the web site for statistics or independent articles about the product. If you then choose to buy the product, make sure it really does work for you and your horse. Try asking yourself every so often, ‘would my horse actually notice if I stopped using….?’. If the answer is no it is time to think carefully about what you are spending money on a product for.

There are often cheaper alternatives to ‘equine’ products. Baby shampoo should work just as well as horse shampoo; vegetable oil is a perfectly adequate alternative to hoof oil and you can make your own fly spray (lots of recipes on the web!)

It is hard for humans, with our varied and colourful diet, to accept that horses are generally quite happy to eat the same, seemingly boring food day in and day out. Make sure you’re not putting meals together based subconsciously on how appealing they look to you. Keep food purchases nutritional. This should always be based on a high fibre content, with grass and/or good quality hay invariably being both the best and cheapest fibre source. Horses digestive systems thrive on very simple food and too many supplements and extras can actually do them more harm than good. Look again at what you feed your horse and see if you can go back to basics. People are often surprised to learn that Redwings stocks only three basic types of hard feed to supplement grass and forage when needed and that this provides healthy nutrition for more than 1,000 resident, non-working equines of all types, from Shires to Shetlands, cobs to Arabs. With a basic mineral lick on all paddocks, the only other supplements we give individuals are those prescribed by our vets.

If you keep your horse on a livery yard, think of ways of sharing services and buying in bulk. Arranging for foot trimming, dental checks, back checks, vaccinations and so on for everyone may enable to negotiate reduced rates as the service provider is saving both time and petrol themselves. Buying standard items like feed, forage and shavings as a group can offer the same opportunity. It does need one or two people being willing to co-ordinate things and everyone else being prompt with payments, but can work to everyone’s advantage.

Alternatively, you could try looking round for a suitable field to rent instead of paying livery fees. Think about sharing with another horse owner so you and your horse both have company. Make sure you talk things through carefully with your potential new landowner and draw up a contract so everyone knows what is expected of them.

Look after things well and they will either last longer or be worth more money if you choose to sell them. Don’t dump a used Winter rug in a corner once Spring arrives and wait till next Autumn to have it cleaned and repaired. Dealing with it straight away will not only be a job done, but the rug will come back in its own plastic bag to keep it clean in storage over the Summer.

With escalating petrol prices, it is more cost effective than ever to think of ways of reducing your mileage. Can you share lifts to and from your yard or to shows and events? Try taking turns to go to the saddlery with a shopping list from anyone who wants something. This should mean you only need to pay the petrol when your turn comes around, and not going yourself should also cut down on those non-necessary, spontaneous purchases!

If you need advice on any aspect of horse care and management, please feel free to telephone our Welfare helpline on 01508 481008.

Also, if you have a good money saving tip, email it to us at info@redwings.co.uk and we will print as many as we can on this site!

We also worked with other members of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) on two leaflets in response to the high number of requests for help that their members are receiving from horse owners struggling financially across the UK. “Responsible Re-homing” and “Cutting Costs without Compromising on Welfare” are the first to be produced by the group and available to download here free of charge.

• Welfare leaflets

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