05/17/2026
This has nearly driven me away from breeding many times over the years. I always try to keep my prices down to attract the type of people that I think will benefit from this amazing breed. And mine are relatively easy to breed and care for. That said there are a lot of costs, time and promotion was not really accounted for in this article. I also try to sell the ponies unbroke to give young Pony Clubbers or adults to have an easy starting project. But itās a very tough business. I lose more than I gain apart from loving this breed so very much I want to share.
And I try to breed and sell with integrity. Working with owners to be sure they have the right pony or project and help wherever I can. So please have a bit of consideration when looking for your next pony.
Ok we need to talk about the elephant in the roomā¦
I already felt quite strongly on this topic and then I saw this post and it tipped me over the edge š
Whether itās a scruffy cob or a sport horseā¦ let me tell you thisā¦ horses are EXPENSIVE. To breed, to rear over the next 4 years, to break, to keepā¦ the list goes on. They are not a cheap hobby. Itās a fact of life. No amount of moaning or āitās not fairā, āitās elitestā, āthe average person canāt afford itā etc etc comments will make it any cheaperā¦. It is the way it is!!
We have taken a step back from breeding and reduced our numbers because quite frankly - it does not pay. We never ran it as a business anyway but I refuse to fund other peopleās hobbyās. Iād sooner just keep a couple of my own and enjoy them!
Letās take a hypothetical example. Say a 5yo horse that we bred sells for Ā£25k. This horse isnāt a superstar, this is a nice, kind, quality animal that has been well started and has a great attitude. āThatās really expensive!ā some sayā¦. Is it? Letās look more closely at itā¦
That horse has taken 6years of care and love to shape into what it is today, including the year in utero. The stud fee was likely at least Ā£1000 (as we use proven jump stallions) and the mareās value should be factored in, letās call her Ā£5,000 (which is an insult for a performance dam line broodmare but letās roll with it) and assume she has 5 viable foals (I can assure you that that is realistic, we have some mares who only ever produce 2 or 3) so letās attribute Ā£1000 (1/5 of her value) to this horse. Vets fees and travel for breeding? At least Ā£500. Lets assume everything goes to plan, they take first time and there are no complications through pregnancy/foaling or that they slip the pregnancy. Because then the costs listed above will multiply significantly.
Breaking - Ā£200+ a week. āYou can do it yourself, it doesnāt cost anythingā some sayā¦ š« time is not freeā¦ letās call it Ā£1500 for a good job. Now you want the horse educated and out to training shows? Ok how many weeks? Letās say 6 weeks as a 4yo and 8 weeks as a 5yo. itās going to be very green but thatās another Ā£2800 and most people canāt handle a horse that is this green and want a lot more done. Clipping, physio, farrier, schooling hire/entry fees for the training? Letās call that a conservative Ā£500.
So we are down to Ā£17,700 ā¦ but they didnāt go from semen to soldā¦ we have kept the horse for 6 years (including the year in utero)ā¦ yes they are at grass most of the year but the land isnāt free nor are the sheds that they need to come into when the weather is really bad, nor are the many bales of haylage and bags of hard feed they get through in winter when the grass is poor. 6 years is 312 weeks ā¦. Ā£17,700 divided by 292 weeks (312 minus the breaking/schooling weeks we accounted for above) - Thatās Ā£60 per week we got towards the keep of this horseā¦. Can you keep and feed your horse properly (plus worming, trimming, vaccinations, routine vetās fees) for Ā£60 a week? I donāt think soā¦ and thatās assuming nothing goes wrong!! Also - what about the hypothetical 3 other foals we bred the same year? One died, one had a terrible temperament and decided it didnāt want a career in sport aged 5 and the other one was āniceā but not as nice as this oneā¦ so we lose money across all 4.
Can you see why breeders are leaving the industry? It does not pay!! Iām not talking about MAKING money, just simply covering costs!!
Itās a sad reality that it is an expensive sport and no amount of moaning will make it more affordable. But in my opinion horses are too cheap when you actually look at the costs in the cold light of day.
