What Does It Cost to Keep a Horse

The largest item is accommodation. Livery in Croatia usually ranges from 200 to 450 euros a month, depending on whether it includes a stall, turnout, hay, bedding and daily care. Keeping a horse at home lowers that cost but raises the time and labour you invest.

The farrier comes every six to eight weeks. A trim costs roughly 30 to 50 euros, a full set of shoes 70 to 120 euros. That is between 300 and 900 euros a year, depending on how much the horse works on hard ground.

The vet is a predictable part of the budget: vaccination once or twice a year, deworming two to four times, a dental check and float once a year. Together that is usually 150 to 300 euros. Unexpected costs — colic, injury, lameness — can exceed the whole annual figure in a single day, so a reserve is sensible.

Feed is often already part of the livery fee. If it is not, hay for one horse costs around 80 to 150 euros a month, plus minerals and salt. Add grain only when the workload calls for it.

Equipment is mostly an upfront cost: saddle, bridle, rugs, brushes and leg protection easily reach 1,000 to 2,500 euros. After that you only replace what wears out. Realistically, a horse in livery costs between 350 and 700 euros a month, plus a recommended reserve of at least a thousand euros for the unexpected.