How it feels to be greeted by a chorus of joyful whinnies is beyond price – even if only for my treats

Fleur, half a ton of opinionated, ill-mannered, but endearing horsepower, came into my life 21 years ago. Like many horse people I have existed in a state of total denial about how much she actually costs to keep.

Basics gobble up well over £8,000 a year. Stabling and livery fees for her lovely home on a farm in Hertfordshire come in at about £100 a week. Basic hay, bedding and feed add another £50, and Fleur, pictured right with Ruth Bloomfield, requires new shoes (£95 for a set) every five or six weeks.

Insurance averages around £1,000 per year. But it comes with strings attached. Most insurers impose sneaky exclusion clauses – if your horse cuts its leg and requires stitches, say, that leg is then excluded from all future claims even if totally unrelated. In Fleur’s case all four legs have been excluded, making insuring her a pointless exercise, and veterinary costs are not only unpredictable, but steep.

Horses also require endless extras. For winter Fleur possesses a complete wardrobe of rugs to keep her warm and dry.

Fleur’s mane and tail are regularly trimmed and washed using special whitening shampoo.

She also receives regular visits from the dentist, saddler and physiotherapist.

In total I suspect that the annual cost of keeping Fleur in the manner to which she is accustomed is at least £10,000.

But it is hard to put a price on how it feels to arrive at the stables to a chorus of joyful whinnies even if what Fleur and her pals really want are the horse treats I distribute liberally.