Cost of owning a horse in the UK
See the real first-year, yearly and lifetime cost of keeping a horse, including livery, feed, farriery, insurance and vet care.
Monthly costs
One-off costs
First year
£15,905
£13,519–£18,291
Typical yearly cost
£10,260
£8,721–£11,799
Lifetime total (28.0 yrs)
£312,395
£265,536–£359,254
Cost by year
Insurance premiums typically rise as your pet ages, and vet costs tend to increase in the senior years.
The British Horse Society: keeping a horse commonly costs £4,000–£10,000 a year. Source
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Horse ownership is a different scale of cost
Keeping a horse costs roughly what a family car costs to run, every year, for a couple of decades. The British Horse Society's own research puts typical annual costs at £4,000–£10,000, and that's before the purchase price, which can range from a few hundred pounds for a horse needing rehoming to five figures for a competition prospect. This calculator lets you build a realistic budget from the ground up.
Livery: the cost that varies the most
Where and how your horse is kept dominates the budget. DIY livery, where you handle all turnout, feeding and mucking out yourself, is the cheapest option but the most time-consuming; full livery, where yard staff do everything, is the most expensive but suits owners with less time. Grazing and stabling quality, and how close you are to major towns, both push prices up or down – get a few quotes from local yards before settling on a figure here.
Feed and forage
Forage (hay, haylage or grazing) should make up the bulk of a horse's diet, with hard feed added only if needed for workload or condition. Costs rise sharply in winter when grazing is poor and horses need more hay, and spike further in a bad hay year. Use our horse feed calculator to work out how much forage and feed your horse actually needs for its size and workload, rather than guessing.
Farriery and dental care
Feet need attention every 5–8 weeks without fail, whether shod or barefoot, and skipping visits risks lameness and bigger vet bills later. Add annual dental checks and rasping, typically £50–£90 a visit, plus a proper worming programme based on faecal egg counts rather than routine blanket dosing.
Insurance and the cost of a real emergency
Colic is the classic example of how quickly horse costs escalate: surgery commonly costs £5,000–£10,000, and even medical (non-surgical) treatment can run to four figures. Veterinary fee insurance, sold alongside cover for the horse's value, is worth serious consideration given these numbers, though premiums increase with the horse's age and value, and cover can become harder to get for older horses.
Planning across a long lifespan
Horses commonly live into their late twenties or beyond with good care, meaning total lifetime costs are substantial even when yearly spend feels manageable. Our year-by-year chart shows how costs typically shift over that time, including higher veterinary costs as a horse moves into its senior years.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to keep a horse in the UK per year?
The British Horse Society estimates most owners spend £4,000–£10,000 a year, and that's before the horse's purchase price. Livery is usually the single biggest cost, followed by feed, farriery, insurance and routine veterinary care.
What's the difference between DIY, part and full livery, and how does it affect cost?
DIY livery (you do all the daily care yourself) is cheapest, typically £50–£120 a week; part livery (yard staff cover some tasks) usually runs £120–£250 a week; full livery (all daily care done for you) can be £250–£500+ a week. Our calculator's livery figure defaults to a mid-range part livery – adjust it to match your yard.
Is horse insurance worth it?
Colic surgery alone can cost £5,000–£10,000, and many horses will need at least one significant veterinary intervention in their lifetime. Given these amounts, most owners find insurance worthwhile, though premiums rise with the horse's value and age, and older horses may struggle to get comprehensive veterinary fee cover.
How much should I budget for farriery?
Most horses need shoeing or a trim every 5–8 weeks. Trimming an unshod horse typically costs £25–£40 a visit; shoeing all four feet is usually £70–£120 a visit, adding up to roughly £600–£1,200 a year.
What are the biggest hidden costs of horse ownership?
Bedding, hay in winter when grazing is poor, dental work, worming programmes, tack and rug replacement, and transport costs for competitions or vet visits are all easy to underestimate. Emergency callouts and colic treatment are the costs that catch owners out most, which is why building a savings buffer alongside insurance is worth doing.
Estimates only – not a substitute for advice from your vet.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026