Many women have held onto the dream of owning a horse since childhood. Owning a pony or purebred horse someday and being able to care for your darling whenever you like, without restrictions, is a lovely thought. Because of the high purchase costs and expensive upkeep, though, the dream of owning a horse never comes true for most of us. What realistic alternatives are there if your savings aren't enough to make the dream of owning a horse a reality?

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Dreaming of owning a horse: part-lease horses

Even if you can't make your dream of owning a horse come true yourself, you don't necessarily have to go without horses in your life. Most stud farms and riding stables are happy to entrust you with a part-lease horse after a proper introduction. Horse owners with several ponies or horses in particular don't have the time to look after each of their animals as much as they'd like.

Dreaming of owning a horse: a time-intensive hobby

Horses are very sensitive animals, though, and need attention and loving contact. On top of that, as strong working animals, horses need an enormous amount of exercise to stay healthy and happy for many years. Trail rides on part-lease horses are therefore a natural fit. Both horse owners and caretakers benefit, and so, of course, does the animal, which is happy not to spend the whole day in the stable or the pasture.

Horses naturally need to be groomed, too. Besides feeding, coat and hoof care are among the tasks you can take on with part-lease horses. Long trail rides through the countryside can get quite dirty, and your horse will love a thorough brushing after the outing. As you can see, there are plenty of ways to spend time with part-lease horses, even if the dream of owning a horse seems out of reach for now.

 

Dreaming of owning a horse: financing

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For most of us, the staggering costs are the biggest obstacle to owning a horse. Although purchase prices in Germany can vary widely depending on breed and stud farm, working animals are never really cheap to buy. A full-grown horse also needs quite a lot of space and ideally a home or stable near a wooded area. Monthly upkeep costs for a horse aren't small either. A full-grown horse not only eats a great deal of feed, there are also vet bills and possibly heating the stable in winter.

 

Lucky are those of us who have someone by our side who is on board with the dream of owning a horse…