Caring for a Horse
Horse Care · Keeping Well

Caring for a Horse

7 guides
Holmescales / Horse Care

It's not the buying, it's the keeping. A horse is a daily, year-round commitment — and going in with clear eyes is the kindest thing you can do.

This is the horse-care edit: buying your first horse without costly mistakes, the true annual cost of ownership, how livery yards work, and the daily craft of feeding, grooming and seeing a horse safely through winter. Honest numbers and practical routines, not romance.

Buying Your First Horse in the UK: A Complete Guide
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Buying Your First Horse in the UK: A Complete Guide

How to buy your first horse in the UK — what to look for, why a vetting matters, avoiding common buyer's mistakes, and the true commitment involved.

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1
Owning & KeepingThe commitment before the pony.
The Real Cost of Owning a Horse in the UK1

The Real Cost of Owning a Horse in the UK

The honest, itemised cost of keeping a horse in the UK — livery, feed, farrier, insurance, dent…

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Horse Care Basics for Beginners2

Horse Care Basics for Beginners

The daily and weekly essentials of caring for a horse — feeding, water, checking over, mucking …

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Livery Yards Explained: DIY, Part and Full Livery3

Livery Yards Explained

A plain-English guide to UK livery — the difference between DIY, part, full and grass livery, w…

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2
Daily CareFeeding, grooming and seasons.
What to Feed Your Horse: A Beginner's Guide1

What to Feed Your Horse

How to feed a horse correctly — why forage comes first, when hard feed is needed, feeding rules…

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Grooming Your Horse: A Beginner's Guide2

Grooming Your Horse

How to groom a horse properly — the order to use each brush, why grooming matters beyond looks,…

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Caring for Your Horse in Winter3

Caring for Your Horse in Winter

A practical UK guide to winter horse care — rugging, mud fever, keeping water from freezing, fe…

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Good to Know

Frequently Asked

How much does it cost to keep a horse in the UK?
Realistically £4,000–£10,000 or more per year, depending mainly on livery type. Livery is usually the biggest cost, followed by the farrier, feed and insurance — and a major vet bill can exceed all of them.
What does a horse need every day?
Clean fresh water, appropriate forage, daily turnout or exercise, and a health check, with feet picked out daily. A stabled horse also needs mucking out every day to protect its feet and lungs.
What is the difference between DIY and full livery?
With DIY livery you do all the daily care yourself; with full livery the yard does everything for you. DIY is cheapest but most time-consuming, while full livery is the most expensive and convenient option.
What should I feed my horse?
Forage first — grass and hay should form the bulk of the diet, with hard feed added only to match workload. Feed little and often, provide constant clean water, and change any feed gradually to avoid colic.