Year round

Rent
We have field rent and/or water to pay across the three sites;
Leigh Sinton
Lower Howsell
Bosbury

Worming
Costs an average £8.00 a pony/horse every 8 to 10 weeks

Farrier
This costs £20 per pony/horse.
Hooves are trimmed as and when needed by the farrier, he visits regularly to trim hooves of those that need it at any given time, sometimes it might be front feet only, others the back feet. There is no set schedule as the horses live as naturally as possible.

Vet
As and when needed, also when ponies first arrive. The call out fee applies each time plus any treatment and medication they receive.

The following costs apply year round but increase significantly in the winter

Short feed
This is the cereal, sugarbeet, chaff/alfalfa, mash and any additives i.e. Garlic, Oil, Molasses. This is fed to the more in need or elderly amongst our animals. During the summer we spend an average of £20 a week but in winter this increases to £65. More is needed in winter as there is less grass available to graze.

Straw
This is mostly used in winter to bed down the stables so the ponies who need extra care can be in, protected from the elements and have somewhere soft to lie. It is used in summer on an ad-hoc basis. The costs in winter for Straw is £21 a week (winter 2020/21)

Hay
By far our biggest expense is hay. Hay is fed from October until May dependent on the weather and on the particular horses in various fields. Some fields need hay sooner and will need it for longer. Better weather helps the spring grass grow quicker so less hay is needed and vice versa. Hay for horses is used for feed, their internal central heating and they like to stand on it to get out of the mud in high traffic and feeding areas. We buy the horses hay from a number of different suppliers and in different sized bales according to the location it is delivered to. The average cost of hay per year is £10,000, this is weather dependent, a colder and wetter winter means more hay whereas a dry winter with an early spring means the grass grows back sooner and less hay is needed.

Ad hoc costs through the year are for…

Salt links
Mineral licks
Carrots / treats

After winter we have to straighten up the fields, help them to level out and promote the growth of the spring grass, this comes with its own costs for work such as;
Old hay/muck clearance
Chain harrowing
Scrape yard of debris
Fertiliser
New grass seed

Throughout the year we have fence repairs to do, this can come in the form of;
Electric fencing
Post and wire
Post and stock fencing
The costs for this vary dependent on the type of fencing needed, the equipment needing to be replaced and whether or not we can do repairs ourselves or have to hire in help.

Other costs that can arise on an occasional basis are for equipment, items such as;

Electric fencer units (£60each)
Tape for electric fence
Wheelbarrows
Brooms
Forks
Shovels

We also have to replace
Headcollars
Rugs
Lead ropes
Feed buckets
Feed scoops
Dustbins for feed storage
First aid kits and bandages

We receive donations for a number of items but these aren’t always the right size for what is needed at the time so we have to buy them instead but we do appreciate all donations received.

To support us and provide for the horses please click the donate button…