Attn Mary N

[MaryN]

Crikey, NR, what a question. I've never actually sat down and calculated the cost - I think I may regret this. Here goes.

First, you need somewhere to keep your gg. A field is a good start - you need at least one acre per equine. A nice stable/shelter for bad weather would be appreciated. I have no idea what the rent is for land these days.

Food - well, how long is a piece of string. Big horses eat more than littl'uns. Grass is free if you have enough of it, but they will need to have a top up of hard feed (grain) and hay or haylage in winter, particularly if they are working for a living. Sacks of feed cost anything from £7 upwards, depending what you buy. A sack of feed lasts our three about one week - but they don't get it in summer, and we don't work them hard. You do the math. Hay is pretty expensive at times - comes in at about £5 a small bale. We feed haylage usually - works out at about £40 for a large round. It will last about 10 days between 3 horses - less in really crappy weather. We feed haylage from about October to April.

Vet - er, again, depends on how often you need to see him. Most vets charge a call out fee and that can run at about £40-50 a time. We vaccinate every year, and that will run at about £100. Worming is done (by us) 4 times a year at about £50 a time for the 3 animals.

Farrier - ours charges us £20 per horse to trim and rasp. He visits us about every six weeks in summer, and eight weeks in winter. A set of shoes will cost more - depends on farrier - but could be about £60 a set, depending on what you have. If horse is in work on roads you will need shoes.

This is getting scary! Tack is expensive. You can get some very good second-hand saddles, and this is often quite a good move because they will be worn in and less stiff. They need to fit properly. A saddle could cost £300 or so upwards - again depending what you want. Bridle will cost about £50 (a good quality one), headcollar £10-ish, and grooming tools a set for about £20.

Grooming will cost you elbow grease. You'll get the hang of that and your gg will point you to the bits he likes being brushed best. Most important is care of the feet. Breaking - best left to those who know what they are doing. Get it wrong and you could have a problem - you need to be safe on horseback.

Equine health can be precarious. For such big animals they can be remarkably delicate. There is a saying "no foot, no horse" and that is the best saying I know that really sums it up. I won't go into the myriad health problems you can encounter, it might put you off.

Anything else I can help you with??