Owning a National Hunt horse should be seen as a hobby and not a money-spinner. With its breeding opportunities, Flat racing is a much more viable financial proposition than its cousin over the jumps.
But the down side of the Flat is many horses are retired to stud at a young age, potentially depriving the sport of its future stars.
It costs about �14,000 a year to own a National Hunt horse in training.
Prize money is relatively poor compared to the Flat - and the risks of injury are obviously higher.
But there are cheaper ways of ownership, such as joining a syndicate.
Racehorse owners range from farmers to lottery winners and celebrities.
Several famous names have a whole string of jumping horses.
These include Lord Lloyd-Webber and footballers Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler, whose horses run under the name of the Macca & Growler Partnership.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
