The UAE is home to some of the world’s most beautiful horses. If you are considering housing a horse in the UAE, you are likely thinking about the average cost of ownership. Here is everything you need to know about owning a horse in the UAE.
Cost analysis of owning a horse in the UAE
The cost of owning a horse in the UAE can vary depending on the activities you plan to do with your horse. Riders looking to compete in eventing or showjumping will need an equestrian center fully prepared to house competition horses. They will also make sure that the arenas and tracks are set up with jumping fences. Ideally, they will look for the ideal place where they can train with their horses without moving to other facilities.
The cost of buying a horse already trained for a specific activity and with some competition history it’s completely different from the cost of a generic saddle-trained horse. All these fundamental aspects are to be considered before making the decision to buy a horse.
The stable community is also an important aspect to consider. If you adopt natural horsemanship methods, you would likely want to end up in a stable with like-minded equestrians. Prices to house a horse may vary a lot based on the services & facilities available.
If you are simply aiming for desert hacking, well, there are plenty of options for you at much more contained prices. Countless stables in the UAE offer outdoor livery and riding lessons and are very close to desert tracks.
In this article you can find a listing of the stables and equestrian centers in Dubai. I tried to list here the most popular stables as well giving an overview of the services and facilities available for each one. Come back to this list after getting more accurate info about the cost of owning a horse in the UAE.
Horse ownership is a big responsibility
A horse requires a lot of care and attention. Initially you may need a relatively big capital to invest and you want to make sure to adopt all precautions when buying a horse. Ideally you will need to do a pre purchase exam with a vet and get the horse vaccinated, dewormed, right after the purchase. Make sure to be able to financially commit to this long-term investment before deciding to own a horse.
Let’s now take a look at all the single expenses related to owning a horse in the UAE.
Finding the right horse according to your budget: How much does a horse cost?
Horse prices in the UAE may vary depending on many factors, including the horse’s passport, breed, and training. To provide a range, for an average saddle-trained horse, relatively young and with a passport, the cost is between AED 3,000 and AED 10,000. Probably the most important expense and the biggest to sustain at once. I’m not gonna talk here about all the necessary aspects to consider when choosing the right horse but you can take a look at this article if you want to read more about the topic.
Let’s analyze different scenarios of how much a horse can cost in the UAE.
Crossbred horse with no passport – Located in the UAE
A young, relatively green horse between 3-6 years old can be cost 3.000/5.000 AED
The price for a more experienced crossbreed horse with no passport can fluctuate between 5.000 AED and 8.000 AED.
Crossbred horse with passport – Located in the UAE
Most crossbreeds have a passport simply because they have been used for competitions. If the crossbreed you fell in love with has a good history in competitions (endurance, show jumping, racing…) the price can easily start from 20.000AED.
Cost of an Arabian horse with passport – Located in the UAE
For an Arabian horse with the famous “red passport” (issued by the Emirates Arabian Horse Society), prices don’t usually go lower than 7.000AED and can easily reach 15.000/20.000 AED.
Of course a couple of good ancestors on the pedigree make the price go up.
Thoroughbred, Akhal-Teke. Non-native breeds of the UAE – Located in the UAE
Before getting into this section, please consider carefully the choice of getting a non-native breed. I’ve seen different non-native warm blooded-horses suffering a lot during summer in Dubai. If you want to buy any other breed than the Arabian breed, please consider giving the horse the comfort of an indoor box with AC.
Cost of importing a horse to the UAE
Importing a horse, for example from Europe, is without a doubt the most expensive choice. If you are looking to do so it’s most probably because you want to get a high level competition horse. In any case, I’m sure you are aware (probably better than me) about the cost of a sport horse.
The good thing is that there are plenty of companies in the UAE that you can refer to. They generally offer a complete package including air transport from the city of origin to the final destination. If you already decided to import a horse, you may want to check out Equitrans Logistic LLC. To import a horse from Italy with final destination Dubai, price can be between 30.0000 and 35.000 AED.
This cost generally includes the vet exams and all the needed health certifications, ground transportation to the airport, airport charges, a 10 days period of quarantine and import permits. I did not include in the total the expenses related to custom clearance (yes, you need to pay that as well) since this amount is calculated on the estimated value of the horse.
Please consider adding on top of the sale price at least 200/300 AED to transport the horse to the new stable.
If you have already decided to buy a horse but still didn’t find the right one for you, take a look at these instagram accounts:
How much does a pre-purchase horse exam cost in the UAE?
The price for a complete examination with all the above checks may cost around 1800-2500 AED.
Total cost can be reduced by removing x-rays and ultrasound examinations. Ideally you would want to include them if you are buying any competition horse or a retired one with a history in endurance or flat race.
You finally found the horse of your dreams and can’t wait for him to be yours. You may be thinking of saving money by skipping the pre-purchase exam with the vet. Love is blind right? Trust me, this is something you don’t want to do. Horses are the most delicate beings on mother Earth. They are big and powerful, but when it comes to health it’s like if they become fragile like a porcelain vase.
A complete pre-purchase examination usually includes:
– Visual exam of hooves and shoeing
– Looks at the eyes for cataracts
– Checking the heart, gut and lungs
– Visually looking for swelling, scars or joint disjunctions
– Walk and trot in hand to look for lameness
– Blood sample
– Limb x-rays
– Ultrasound examination.
The pre-purchase exam is your insurance against expensive vet bills that may come sooner than later. Especially here in the UAE, horses are often used for long canters in deep sand. Some of them may hide neglected fractures, bowed tendons, kissing spine. For how much experience you have with horses, nothing can be compared to the accuracy of a good x-ray exam.
The cost of transferring ownership of a registered Arabian horse
Transfer ownership of an Arabian horse for example, it’s pretty easy and not that expensive. You can find the list of documents required on the Eahs website. Total cost of transfer it’s 525 AED (in cash). To issue a new passport if damaged or lost, consider an additional cost of 420 AED.
Overview of horse livery costs and expenses
When housing a private horse in a stable, you will be required to pay a monthly fee commonly called “livery”. Livery usually includes a private box for the horse, feed and hay, basic grooming and turnout time. Depending on the arrangement you make with the stable, you could be able to exclude feed and hay that eventually you will need to purchase yourself. To allow more flexibility to horse owners, some stables offer different tiers. Generally there are 3 or 4 packages depending on the facilities available at the stable.
Basic horse livery package (excluding feed)
A basic package could include an outdoor box + grooming and exclude feed and hay. Prices for this are usually very small compared to a premium tier and can be around 1000/1300 AED monthly.
Before committing to this attractive package from a price perspective that doesn’t include feed and hay keep reading this article. An average calculation of how much feed and hay you will need for a month can be easily done.
Here’s a generic example for an Arabian horse of 450 kg weight used for pleasure activities.
Forage needs:
An Arabian horse needs at least 2% forage of their weight x day. Ideally hay should anyways be available 24H, especially since here in the UAE there is not much other alternative for horses to graze around. That 2% is equivalent to 9 kg of hay per day.
The price of a bale of timothy hay of an average weight of 45/50 kg can be around 120 – 150 AED. In the end, prices for hay are always fluctuating a lot since all these products are imported from other countries. Most incisive factors are of course the kind of hay (alfalfa hay is usually much more expensive than roadass grass) , the quality of the cut and its origin but can also be partially influenced by petrol prices.
Monthly you would need around 6/7 bales of hay for a total cost of 800/950 AED that includes average delivery fee of 150 AED.
Horse feed:
Quantities for feed are calculated very approximately since for every feed there are specific instructions to be followed.
An average feed for a pleasure horse can cost 100 AED for 20kg.
A horse consuming 2,5 kg of feed 3 times a day can consume a total of 225 kg of feed monthly.
This translates into a final purchase of 1.125 AED per month. Usually delivery fee is free of charges for feeds purchased in bulk.
To summarize.
A basic livery package + feed and hay purchased privately for a full month supply can cost in total:
1000 AED + 950 AED + 1.125 AED = 3075 AED
Please keep in mind that all the information provided here is only aimed to give you an overview of prices related to horse feeds. Sometimes, in the attempt of making a horse gain weight, we can end up feeding too many proteins, sugars or fibers. Every horse is different and you always need to consult with an expert in equine nutrition. The attempt to create a combination of feed and hay yourself can cause issues to your horse’s health. The copy and paste method doesn’t work either. A diet that works perfectly for one horse can translate into a fatal choice for another one.
Here you can find a couple of importer companies for your hay & feed supply:
Outdoor horse livery package (including feed)
This package is probably the most common livery solution for equestrians in the UAE. Depending on the location and the facilities available at the stable, the monthly cost can be between 1500 and 2000 AED.
Indoor, AC horse livery package (including feed)
Indoor livery is highly recommended for thoroughbred horses and any other horse not born in the Gulf region. Average prices for this solution are a bit higher and can be between 2.000 and 2.700 AED. Some stables charge higher fees in summer and lower fees in winter for the same indoor box. Just a few very renowned equestrian centers may charge more than 3.000 for indoor livery.
Premium horse livery packages
Premium livery packages can sometimes overlap with normal packages depending on the stable philosophy. A “premium” package includes daily vitamins and electrolytes on top of the consumed feed & the administration of psyllium fiber 1 week per month to prevent sand colics. If you want to read more about psyllium fiber and why that is important in a horse diet I suggest you read this article.
Some good premium packages are a one-stop solution for horse owners that don’t have a lot of time to spend on keeping track of all the things that a horse needs. Those may include farrier services, blood tests and deworming twice per year and vaccinations. Prices and services can be agreed with the stable. For sure this is the simplest solution for some but of course the most expensive. Please keep in mind that even if you don’t subscribe to a similar package, that doesn’t mean that your horse will not need those things. I’m sure most people (especially women) would probably prefer to be on top of these things anyways and wouldn’t opt for a similar solution if not strictly needed for logistic purposes. Owning a horse is almost like having a child. As a horse owner you are responsible for a horse’s physical and mental health, diet and training and no one can really replace you in this job.
Farrier pricing in the UAE: What to expect
Independently if your horse wears or doesn’t wear shoes, your farrier will need to show up at least every 5 weeks. This is the very basics of a good healthy life for a horse. DO NOT SAVE money on farrier services. Farriers are often self employed professionals and their prices can vary a lot depending on the demand and their client portfolio.
Trimming only: 150 – 300 AED
Front shoeing + back trimming: 250 – 500 AED
Front & back shoeing: 300 – 700 AED
Shoes customizations: Customizations are usually priced on top of normal shoeing and can include leather pads, hooves reconstruction, any alteration to the horseshoe. Prices can start from 100 AED x customization.
Not all farriers are trained to do customizations to your horse shoes. If your vet suggested a specific shoeing, make sure your vet knows what is doing before experimenting on your horse.
Grooming tool expenses:
Grooming your horse doesn’t have a cost per se. But It requires a series of products that sooner or later you will have to get. Brushes, shampoos, first aid kit. These things can sometimes be supplied by the stable of course so i’m sure you will not have to buy them right the way.
Keep in mind a 500-700 AED budget for grooming and first aid tools.
The cost of horse riding lessons & horse training
Almost all stables come with an equestrian center (at least for basic riding lessons) and some professional horsemen to help with horse training. You may want to speak to your stable manager to find out more about these services. From looking around at different stables in all the emirates, prices for riding lessons are pretty much flat. A single lesson can cost between 120-150 AED but most equestrian centers offer packages (10 lessons for 1000 AED).
Training your horse with a horsemanship expert is a completely different story. I have to admit that even though there is a very high percentage of horse riders in the UAE, not all of them can be defined as horsemen or proper equestrians. Looking for a horse trainer can be tough and I guess that’s why prices usually are not lower than 300 AED per hour. Before choosing the person to entrust your horse to, it is advisable to ask for a demonstration to make sure you are aligned with his training methods.
Regular horse health care and emergencies: Costs and considerations
Becoming a horse owner will give your horse the occasion to hurt himself through a series of improbable actions and events. While I was renting horses for riding lessons or desert hacks, I’ve never seen anything happen to a horse. The moment I decided to lease and buy my own horse, it looked like he was searching for the most fantastic ways of hurting himself.
Vet bills can get very expensive pretty quickly and prevention is always the best cure to anything.
Emergency calls to the vet are usually charged separately as the doctor is required to reach your horse in a matter of a few hours max. Before even reaching the stable you will be charged for 300 – 500 AED. The exams and actions performed by the vet, locally or at the hospital will be included and listed separately in the bill. I’m sure all the recommended actions are always 100% needed, you can ask your vet to help you keep count of the expenses before moving to the next step.
Horse ownership expenses summary
To summarize the cost of owning a horse in the UAE, here’s a summary table providing an overview of the minimum monthly expenses (without compromising the horse’s well-being). The example is based on an Arabian purebred, allowing me to include costs related to the purchase.
Horse purchase cost overview (one time expense)
Horse price | 7000 AED |
Pre purchase exam | 2000 AED |
Register the new owner | 525 AED |
Transportation to the new stable | 250 AED |
Total of 9.775 AED
Monthly costs of regular horse care
Outdoor livery (including feed) | 1500 AED |
Farrier (front shoeing – back trimming)* | 280 AED |
Grooming* | 50 AED |
Vaccines & deworming (twice a year)* | 70 AED |
Annual blood test | 15 AED |
*These expenses don’t have a monthly cadence but are shown on a monthly amortization schedule.
Total of 1.915 AED
Please again, bear in mind that owning a horse is a big responsibility and a big expense. A horse’s lifespan is usually between 25-30 years old. For how much you cannot predict what will happen in 20 years from now, you shouldn’t get yourself a horse if you are not completely honest about the intention of providing for him all he needs to live a dignified life.
If you are curious to know more about my horse’s monthly expenses in Dubai, well, I suggest you read the linked articles. I’m keeping no secrets there!
