Ownership
Introduction to ownership
Owning a racehorse is growing in popularity as an interest and hobby. People may choose to buy a racehorse for all sorts of reasons, but of course the overriding motivation is a love of racehorses and an enjoyment of the fun, excitement and interest that is associated with owning one.
There are several thousand racehorse owners in Britain, and over 7,000 of these are members of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA). There is a wide range of questions and issues that every potential racehorse owner needs to consider before deciding which racehorse to buy. It is possible to buy a racehorse together with other people – this is called a ‘partnership’ – which helps to share or spread the costs of buying the racehorse and looking after it.
This section of the Training Zone is intended to help you gain an insight into the sorts of decisions that need to be addressed before deciding whether to become a racehorse owner. It is an exciting but challenging decision: can you handle all of the different issues and work out which racehorse you want and, moreover, how much money you need to finance it?
The average cost of keeping a racehorse in training is around £16,000 a year. This includes:
- Training fees (which include getting and keeping your racehorse fit, feed charges, and wages for stable staff).
- Veterinary and blacksmith fees.
- Transport costs to and from the races.
- Entry fees for races.
- The jockey’s riding fees.
- Registration fees.
- Insurance.
On top of these annual costs, you have the initial cost of the racehorse itself. The price can vary enormously, but the typical cost is around £15,000.
Which horse to own?
Like all animals, each racehorse has a unique set of characteristics. Some are strong and have great stamina; some are very fast over short distances; while others are more competitive at long distances. You’ll want to want to see which prefer flat racing or which would rather jump over hurdles or fences. See the descriptions of three racehorses: Enter »