How Much Do Horses Cost in the UK?

How Much Is a Horse in the UK?

If you are trying to get a general ballpark figure on how much a horse costs, there are many different factors to consider. This post aims to include a range of these factors to get a good general overview and insight into how much you should be paying. Plus, we will get into where you can go to carry out some research to make sure you’re getting the best possible price.

That said, if you are wanting a general guideline—they can cost anywhere from £500 to £50,000. There are a lot of different factors at play, with the average (median) continuing to increase, but you can expect somewhere around the £3,000 range as a ballpark figure. As we say though, it can vary a lot. The general market is always changing, so it’s important to do your due diligence and get a general idea of the sentiment and demand for horses and ponies. We have got some tips below on how to do just this.

Age of the Horse

The age of the horse is a big factor to consider. A foal or under 3-year-old doesn’t have as much experience as a 6-year-old should have, making the 6-year-old more expensive. Horses usually get broken in at 3-4 years old and then the price of the horse will dramatically increase, as a lot of time and money is spent on breaking them in.

As a horse is ridden more and gains more experience throughout its riding career, it increases in price. They should gain more confidence, more jumping knowledge, have more competition experience, etc.—all working to increase the price of this particular horse. Once a horse reaches around 15+ or sometimes lower depending on its career, a horse can fall back down in price as they are getting older and as with humans, will take a little more care and money.

Breed

The breed of the horse is a huge contributor to the price of the horse. There are tons and tons of breeds out there, all reaching different price points. For example, connemaras are a very popular children’s pony, so they are in high demand, increasing the price point. There are some rarer breeds like knabstruppers which aren't as common, therefore they are hard to get hold of and this can increase the price. Larger breeds tend to be more expensive than smaller breeds too as you are basically buying more horses.