Horses and money – is it really either/or?

2) Consider warming up with unaffiliated competitions – and beware direct debits! Skip past this one if you’re not competing – but if you are, it may be possible to affiliate part way through the season, saving money by starting with cheaper unaffiliated events. How much you save depends on your sport, and your area (down here in Devon and Cornwall, unaffiliated events are are usually perhaps half to three quarters as much as an affiliated event), but at the very least you save the up-front cost of affiliation and membership.

3) Buy medicines online. This is a fairly new area, and can be controversial. However, without any doubt you can save money on prescription drugs if you buy them from a reputable online pharmacy or dispensary. If your horse needs a prescription medicine, your vet is legally obliged to give you a written prescription if you ask for it (although they will normally charge an administration fee). In general, you can get the same medicines online for about half to two thirds the price.

However, its important to make sure you deal with a reputable company: as a rule of thumb, if they don’t ask for a prescription, or they’re not based in the UK, don’t touch them. In addition, you should check to see who is in charge of dispensing the medicines at that company – if they’re legit, they’ll be able to tell you the name and registration number of the pharmacist or vet who is responsible. Having worked in this sector, there are four companies I’ve dealt with who I would consider safe and reliable to buy from (AniMed Direct, MedicAnimal, MyVetMeds and VioVet), but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other good ones out there. Bear in mind as well that a few companies change their prices through the day, and also make sure that the price includes VAT – if in doubt, phone them up and ask!