Horses are great at teaching us responsibility, compassion and self confidence. We’ve previously written about the many benefits of spending time with ponies and other animals. Today we’re looking at the costs of buying and owning your own pony. This includes monetery costs and the cost of your time. We also take a look at some interesting alternatives that are available.
1. What you need to know before buying a pony
Deciding where to keep the pony will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Whatever you decide, it can positively or negatively impact your ponies quality of life. And yours! Do you live on a property? Does it have suitable fences for a pony? Does it have enough grass? Or will you need to pay someone for agistment, to keep it at their paddock? In Victorias temperate zone, a general rule of thumb is 1 horse/pony per acre. However, in reality, 2 acres per pony is needed, so 1/2 of it can be rested and therefore recover, while the other half is being grazed. This is called rotational grazing. For more information about pasture and caring for it, there is a great resource called Yarra Valley Equestrian Landcare Group.
A pony’s needs
Horses and ponies have physical, mental and emotional needs that should be recognised before actually purchasing your pony.
2. Monetary costs of owning a pony
Emptying your pockets just once might hurt a bit, but be prepared for this to happen on a regular basis. Buying the pony is a one off payment, but maintenance costs are ongoing, and may include food, agistment, farrier, parasite treatment, vet fees, riding lessons and gear for the pony and the rider.
The initial purchase price depends on many things. These include the type or breed of pony, it’s age, it’s experience in doing what you may want the pony to do, such as jumping, Pony Club, showing, or just being a quiet friend. $1000-$5000+.
The costs of horse feed and accommodation
- Agistment can cost anywhere from $50 per week, depending on how much care they will give your pony. It may be that you pay the agistment fee but need to check the pony every day yourself, including any additional food the pony might need. If it’s winter, you may want to have a rug for your pony that keeps him warm and dry. This will need to be checked daily. If the agistment provider offers these services, obviously you will pay a higher fee. One of the advantages of having your pony on agistment is that they will most likely have other horses or ponies there, so yours won’t be lonely. However some agistment facilities have each horse separated and in their own yard, so make sure you check this when making enquiries.
- Hay– During winter in Victoria, you will most likely need to buy some hay for your pony, as the grass will have stoppped growing. Hay is $20-$30 per bale depending on the type of hay.
- Extra food $30-$60 per bag of chaff and/or supplementary pellets may need to be bought every few weeks, depending on how much grass the pony has access to.
Other necessaties
- Worming treatment can involve giving a paste regularly $15-$30 each time. Or alternatively, you can have a faecal egg count done by your vet for around $25.
- Farrier $50-$80 to trim your pony’s hooves. If he needs metal shoes this will be significantly more. This needs to be done regularly, every 6 weeks or so. It may be worthwhile looking at getting your pony some rubber hoof boots such as Easy Boots from Barehoof Care. They are initially costly, but are only worn when the pony is being ridden, so last for many years, and are healthier for your pony’s hooves than metal shoes.
- Vet fees may be incurred if your pony is sick or has an accident. It makes sense to budget for this. It may cost a minimum of $300 or more to have your vet visit your pony. It will be extra for medication, xrays, etc.
- Riding lessons are something you will most likely want to do if you haven’t had any experience in riding. Lesson prices vary enormously, depending on what you want to achieve. Maybe to start with, it’s a good option to join a Pony Club, where you will learn about caring for your pony as well as riding. It is also a great place to meet other like minded people, for kids, mums and dads.
The costs of horse gear
- Horse Gear can include things such as a rug for winter $100-$300, saddle $300-$1300, halter $20-$80, bridle $70-$250, saddle pad $40-$100, grooming kit $50-$100, and other accessories. Like most things, if they are good quality you will pay more, but they should last longer, eg. a leather saddle costs significantly more than a synthetic one, but if looked after will outlive a synthetic one by decades. Sometimes when a pony is sold or passed on to someone new, the saddle and halter may be included too. Things like the grooming kit can be given as a birthday or Christmas present by a doting aunt, uncle, or grandparent!
The costs of rider gear
Depending on your chosen riding activity, there will be things you will need for the rider to stay safe.
- A riding helmet is a necessary part of riding, no matter what type of riding you will do. Safety helmets range from $100 – $600, or even more if you get into jumping or eventing.
- Riding boots are are a necessity for being around horses and ponies on the ground, as well as in the saddle.
- There is an array of riding clothes available, and what you need will depend on what type or style of riding that the rider will be participating in.
3. The cost of time
Taking care of your ponies needs is a daily task, or sometimes a twice daily task. You may need to feed him once or twice a day, check his health and wellbeing, top up the water source if needed, check his rug if he’s wearing one, and keep a general eye on his environment. Is the fence secure? Is he behaving normally?
How can we put a price on the time you may spend as a parent, driving your horse lover to the paddock every day, helping them to learn how to handle a large animal, comforting them when it becomes overwhelming, drive them to competitions or shows, and cheer them on from the sidelines? Yes it will cost you plenty, but what a rewarding way to accompany them in their growing up years!
4. Other things to consider when buying a pony
The weather will now play a ridiculously important role in your life! The weather dictates how much to feed your pony, and when. It dictates if you need to rug them or not, if you will be able to ride today, when you may be able to clean up the poo in the paddock, will Pony Club still be on, how wet or sunburnt you may get, etc. etc. Yes ponies still need care in the rain, snow, heat wave, wind storm, and even if it’s your birthday or Christmas. Also, your whole opinion about what is clean and what isn’t will likely change drastically! Horse manure that you may have avoided stepping on in the past, will now be a large part of your life.
When is the right time to buy a pony?
The right time to get your pony depends on the experience of parents, age of the person wanting a pony, and the amount of responsibility they show.
Where can you get a pony?
The world of purchasing a pony or horse can be quite overwhelming, so it’s best to take someone with you who has experience in this. It’s important that the pony suits the level of experience of the buyer, otherwise you may end up with a pony that you can’t understand or handle. It may seem a good idea to buy a young pony that will grow up with the rider, but it isn’t. An unexperienced rider together with an unexperienced pony, can open the door to a multitude of problems. An older pony will have a “been there, done that” attitude which is really what a beginner rider needs. More experienced ponies are usually more expensive, and the most suitable for beginners.
Alternatives to owning a pony
It is possible to lease a pony from someone trustworthy. Leasing usually means that the new rider takes on the responsibility of looking after the pony, not only the riding, but feeding it and caring for all of it’s needs, such as farrier, vet, etc. without actually buying it. The pony still belongs to the original owner, but you get to experience what it’s like to care for a large animal. The principal of looking for an older, more experienced pony still applies. Pony Clubs are often a good place to source a pony that is potentially suitable for leasing.
If all this has left you feeling overwhelmed, and now you’re not sure if you really want take on the resposibility of buying a pony, take heart, we have an idea…
We can help!
Melbourne’s Pony Parties and Forest Rides offer a flexible pony share program, My Own Pony, that can help you enter the equine world. Kids aged 1-10 years old can visit, ride, learn about, brush, and bond with your own special pony – without the cost or committment of ownership.
My Own Pony gives children a unique opportunity to lend one of our ponies, for a set amount of time, with no additional responsibility. The pony stays on our property, with all care done by us. Experienced horse handlers supervise all the activities, and all the rides are hand led by us. It is different to formal riding school lessons, and is designed specifically for confidence building and independence. You can experience all the fun of having your own pony, without the worry of buying one. Our ponies are very quiet, having attended kids parties for most of their life, and they are older and more experienced with beginners than most.
What we can offer
- Choose how often you would like to visit, and for how long
- Includes a fact sheet and photo of your pony
- We supply helmets and all the gear needed
- Gain practical pony skills and grow in confidence
- Bring siblings or friends to share the experience
All this while enjoying stimulating physical exercise in beautiful bush surroundings teeming with wildlife. And parents love it as much as the kids!
This is a safe and fun way to experience what having your own pony would be like, and is open to all levels of experience. It is a great way to set you up for future pony ownership. We can cater for intrepid pony lovers.
Come and try! Available all year round.
Gift certificates are available.
Phone Janet 0417 330 948 or email janet@ponyparties.com.au