Horses are expensive to begin with, but few horse owners factor in the additional costs that they incur when going on holidays. Not only are the usual costs of food and care, but now there’s also the added cost of either getting a horse sitter or sending your horse on holidays to the local stables.

Of course, this problem only really crops up if you are keeping the horse on your own property. Not everyone can do this, and while you may feel unlucky not to be able to do so the rest of the year, when you’re thinking about going on holidays, you actually begin to count yourself lucky.

Cost of Stables

Full livery is an option, but there are a lot of factors to consider. First of all there’s the cost, which if you haven’t already factored it in, will eat into your holiday budget. Typical prices in the UK are roughly around £100-£140 per week, but this will vary depending on where in the UK you are based.

For most horse owners, a bigger consideration than cost is the way your horse is treated. While you’re getting spoilt rotten on your holiday, you want to know that the same is happening to your horse or pony. You also want to be certain that they’re getting good bedding, proper exercise and at least basic grooming. This can be difficult to work out without any prior experience of that ‘holiday livery’ or ‘horse hotel’ so it’s always worth asking around, particularly on forums, to see what other horse owner’s experiences have been.

A Horse Sitter

Then there’s the option of a horse sitter, something that’s becoming more and more popular these days, for a number of reasons. The first is the costs of full livery, but more important than that is the peace of mind it can bring horse owners. Not having to uproot your horse and play him in new surroundings is probably the key reason for the increased demand for a horse sitter.

A Few Important Points

Horse sitters vary from professional horse sitters, to friends and family to members of house and pet sitting websites. The last two options are often free, although you shouldn’t expect these people to be as skilled in minding horses as a professional horse sitter. That said, the savings in cost may make up for this, as most chores and tasks can be taught to someone if you’re only going away for a few weeks.

If you’re thinking about taking on a house or pet sitter, trustedhousesitters.com is a good place to start. There are hundreds of eager house sitters based around the world, all looking for house sitting opportunities.

The kind of person you can expect to be minding your horse (and house) is someone who’s either retired or who works from home, as many (although not all) of the house sitters on these websites work for free (in return for free accommodation).

In return for the accommodation, the house sitter usually agrees to take on some chores and tasks and this could involve mucking out, basic grooming, feeding and cleaning – although you will need to explain all of these tasks in detail to your prospective house sitter first.

Jemma from thehousesittingcouple.com recommends setting up a Skype interview first, in order to make sure that they’re aware of all the tasks and challenges involved. Once you’re happy, get something in writing to make sure you’re both, literally on the same page.

“We do list pet sitting services on our website” says Jemma, “but we’re always clear to point out that we’re animal lovers and not vets. We’re happy to undertake any task and we do put heart and soul into it, but having this agreement, even if it’s just over email, helps to set expectations properly beforehand.

I think the biggest concern for pet and home owners is reliability. If you’ve trusted a sitter to take care of a pet, or your home, or carry out a few important chores (starting the car regularly, cleaning the pool, taking important deliveries etc) you want to be certain that they’re not going to bail on you half way through. It’s difficult to figure out, but the references and the amount of time they’ve been working as a house sitter should give some indication to this. “

What if it’s an emergency?

If it’s an emergency, it’s probably better to either go with a professional horse sitter or to take your horse to the nearest livery yard. Although there are plenty of willing horse sitters on sites like Trusted Housesitters, organizing an emergency house sitter at least minute can be quite tricky. That’s not to say that it can’t be done of course. There are plenty of willing participants who are available last minute, but it’s always worth having a backup plan.

What costs are involved?

In the case of an emergency, where you’re employing the services of a traditional, professional horse sitter, especially a pet sitting agency, expect to pay a daily rate as well as possibly additional fees per animal. Some companies will charge a travel fee, which is usually priced per mile, so be sure to look out for horse sitters in your area.

You will also be expected to cover the cost of food and supplies as per normal, and to be liable for any veterinary bills that occur whilst the horse is under the sitters case (the small print). It’s worth pointing out that sitters on websites like Trusted House Sitters or The House Sitting Couple aren’t as stringent with costs, but may not be as easy to get a hold of at short notice.

Where to begin:

If you have friends or family that already own a horse, it’s worth speaking to them first of all, especially if they’re nearby and it’s only for a few days. If you have the time, look out for a trustworthy and reliable house sitter from one of the many pet and house sitting websites out there. This way you also get someone minding your home, which can be a major deterrent to burglars. Finally, take the time to research a few livery yards. Even if you don’t plan on using one straight away, it’s always good to keep your options open.

Jeni is a freelance equestrian writer, based in London. She is currently working on her first ebook on horse training tips.

This article is a guest post from Hayley at Anything Equine (http://www.anythingequine.co.uk) who runs an online store selling equestrian clothing and equine wear.

Horse Care

As any horse lover knows, there is no better feeling than tucking your horse in to bed (so to speak) at the end of the day, knowing that they are comfortable, content and safe.  There are a few hints and handy tips that can help all horse owners do the very best by their horse.

Stick to a routine

Horses are creatures of routine, keeping them in a daily routine can be so rewarding for both of you.  The following is based upon a single horse owner and their horse being stabled at night and turned out when possible.  Despite this, the practices detailed can be followed by most,  it may just be the timings that differ.

Morning greeting

In the morning if you visit your horse daily at the same time they will become accustomed to seeing you at this time, in turn they will realize their breakfast will also be arriving at this time.  They will not only become potentially more vocal and say hello when greeting you as you arrive, but the risk of them becoming stressed by being stabled for a longer period of time will be reduced.  This helps you and your horse begin your day together on a pleasant and happy note.

After breakfast you can set about grooming and generally spending some time with your horse.  Grooming, cleaning and taking care of your horse is an important part of building and maintaining a happy relationship together.  Horses in herds in the wild spend part of their day grooming each other, essentially by doing this you are developing your friendship together.  As well as this, it also gives you the opportunity to possibly find any knocks or bruises that may have happened during the night.  Any of which can then be treated to prevent it from becoming a problem.

Once clean and their breakfast has had time to digest, you can then enjoy your daily ride.  Whether this is exercising in the school, practicing for that all important next competition or taking a leisurely hack, this is up to you.

On return from your ride, post exercise routine may vary slightly depending on what you did together.  It is essential that horses that have become sweaty and hot during their exercise be cooled off, washed off if the weather and temperature allows and a wicking rug be put on to prevent the horse from getting a chill.  If this is not the case and your horse has had time to cool off on your way back to the yard, be sure to brush off any dried on sweat and mud.

When suitably dry and comfortable you can turn your horse out into the field.  Be sure to check the water supply is fresh and readily available and all fences are safe and secure.  Once you have done this you can head back and muck out your horses stable.  Many people, knowing they will be back again in the afternoon to bring their horses in, will muck out the stable and leave it up against the sides of the stable.  This gives the stable a chance to dry out and air out over the course of the day.  This is up to you.  One small hint is not to do the horses water until you bring them in. This helps the water stay fresh and clean, rather than getting dusty and stale over the course of the day.   You can also choose whether to put your horses hay / haylage in the stable ready for later or do it when you come back.

Afternoon routine

In the afternoon on arrival to the yard you can complete your horses stable, put the bed down if applicable, fill their water, put their hay in and make up their dinner.  Then you can go and fetch your horse from the field.  Many will have enjoyed a roll, so it is important to ensure you are putting your horse to bed comfortable.  This requires you to pick out their feet, brush off any dry mud, wash off any wet mud and change from outdoor rug to indoor rug if you have decided to rug them.  Once all this has been done you can put your horse in their stable (if you have been doing this on the yard) and feed them their dinner.  Once you are sure they are settled and comfortable you can leave them to their nightly slumber.

This is a very basic, yet applicable routine that most horses will find easy to become accustomed to and happy involved in.  Of course each horse owner will know their horses and variations of this will suit their days and their horse better.

Related articles

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FREE! Equine Learning Teleseminars beginning March 2

Your not going to want to miss these five free calls where you can learn more about horse health and horse training. Your education on horses never has to end when there is so much to learn. This is an equine learning opportunity that should not be missed.

1. March 2: Equine Problem Solving
2. March 9: No Hoof – No Horse: Basic Hoofcare
3. March 16: Homeopathy for the Horse
4. March 23: Clicker Training for the Horse with Leslie Pavlich
5. March 30: Saddle Fitting with Joanne Miller

To learn more and visit www.horsecourses.net All seminars at 8 pm Eastern Time.

Register for FREE! Simply email to: caballus (at) charter . net (remove spaces and replace (at) with @) with the Subject Header reading: FREE TELESEMINAR!

A couple of these horse courses have been requested for/are under review by members of the International Association of Animal Behavioral Consultants as well as were approved for full credits for a student at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA in 2006.

The Horse Care & Management course is based on a course by Gwenyth Santagate written in 1993 and sanctioned and approved by the Florida County Extension Equine Division as well as the Lee County 4-H. It has been edited to keep up with changes that have occurred over the years with regard to health care and general husbandry (and also to add material with regard to Alternative and Complementary Medicine Health Care).

Gwenyth Santagate is a published author of numerous articles that have been printed in several major Equine Publications as well as a contributory author to the United States Mounter Border Patrol Training Manual of 2001. Gwen has over 40 years of experience with horses; Have been training horses for 38 years — instructor since the 1980′s.

More of Gwenyth Santagate’s credentials can be found at www.thepenzancehorse.com as well as a general view of her beliefs and principles with regard to horses and horsemanship.

The other horse course instructorshave varying degrees of certification and affiliations. You can view that info at www.horsecourses.net under the Course Listings.

These free equine teleseminars are put on by Horse Courses owned by Gwenyth Santagate. Gwen is also the owner of PENZANCE Equine Solutions and Bare Foot Trim. The Meaning of the name PENZANCE: “God’s Holy Headland; A place for spiritual growth”.

Please view these videos to learn a little more about Gwenyth Santagate and how she works with horses…

Youtube video: Training Natural Horses: Working with the Spooky Horse

Insight into the way horses think and how to work and play with them … naturally!

Youtube video: Beyond Round Pen

Displays the “herding” that exponetially decreases the time spent in traditional round pen “driving”.

What people are saying about Gwen’s classes…

I am SO impressed with Gwen’s classes. I have learned so much in such a little time! I want to glean as much as I can, as Gwen is very knowledgeable about her subjects and is so down to earth. THEY WORK!!
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“Writing that book was so hard. I can’t believe it is finally done. … I always say Gwenyth Santagate is how I got started. Your wisdom slowed me down and allowed me to get rid of my bad habits. The support I was given by you made the real difference and allowed me to look at the horse differently so I could find a New World that I never knew before. So I Thank You.
–Leslie Pavlich, Author of “Clicker Training: Colt Starting the Natural Horse”