Why we bought horses after moving to France – and what it taught us

In 2016, I moved from Leeds, UK, to a village near Toulouse with my husband Mark, 51, and two daughters: Coco, then 10, and Summer, then seven. 

I work as a psychologist and Mark is a businessman. I have always had a passion for horses but never really did anything about it in the UK. 

However, we discovered a riding school down the road in France and the girls started lessons. I eventually also started learning. 

After a couple of years of riding once a week, I wanted more. Weekly classes did not really scratch the itch. 

So I started talking to the club about getting a horse and began looking around on classifi ed ads website Leboncoin. 

The first horse I bought was an eight-year-old chestnut gelding called Coppers and I kept him at livery. 

The second we bought in Spain on a two-year detour there: a bay gelding called Indio for my daughter. 

We had space there to keep the horses at home. at was a steep learning curve in terms of security and feeding. 

When we returned to France, we bought a third horse – a chestnut called Diego. 

We have since sold him because the girls were riding less. 

How much a horse costs in France

The cost of buying a horse and its upkeep is really variable and depends on lots of factors eg. personal budget, breed/age, what kind of feed you select, if they get sick etc. It can certainly add up though! 

We have learned so much about keeping horses, about land management, and about ailments such as colic. is can kill horses, so when one of the horses got colic, it was a major emergency. at made me very aware of the horses’ behaviour. 

At a club, you just go and ride, but when it is your horse, you have to know about land management and hoof care and everything. 

The experience has integrated us into France, and helped us learn more French in the process.

We have learned so much about keeping horses, about land management and about ailments such as colic. This can kill horses, so when one of the horses got colic it was a major emergency. 

That made me very aware of the horses' behaviour. At a club, you just go and ride, but when it is your horse, you have to know about land management and hoof care and everything. 

The experience has truly integrated us into France, and helped us learn more French in the process. 

Sam’s tips for horse ownership

• You can find horses for sale on Leboncoin or by asking around. We did not spend more than €2,000 on any of ours. 
• It is hard to know exactly what you are getting because horses are so affected by their environments. Try a horse on several occasions and make sure you are the one who tacks it up. Sometimes you can take the horse home for a trial period. 
• A horse should have an ID chip and a passport giving all details of breeding, birth, markings, and vaccination history. You should also ask about health history and get a veterinary check (€300-€500). 
• Ensure that the sale contract states that the sellers have made you aware of any health conditions, the price, and the exact time the ownership changes. 
• You must register the change of ownership with the Fédération Française d’Equitation (FFE). The seller signs a certificate and the buyer is responsible for declaring the change of ownership. 
• All horses in France are supposed to be chipped, ID’d and registered, although not all of them are.
• When purchasing a horse, you must declare where it will be kept to the Institut Français du Cheval et de l’Equitation (IFCE). You will also need to sign a certificate of commitment and knowledge issued by an official equine organisation, such as the FFE.
• If keeping a horse on your land, make sure they have access to year-round shelter. In some situations, the horses’ natural environment might be sufficient: trees, hedges or vegetation. 
• Other considerations include hay, straw and feed storage, and water. You will need an annual dentist and osteopath visit. 
• The saddle must be fitted properly, and you will need a tack room. Who will cover for holidays and trips away? We have cats, dogs, chickens and horses, so we really need someone experienced when we go away. 
• Keeping horses at livery is one answer but can be expensive (up to €500/month). You can partly pay for it by letting the horse be used as a riding school horse. That was a good solution when we were novice owners, and it meant Coppers was being ridden by more experienced riders.