Accepting being priced out of the hobby

[Widget]

I too, am in Texas and currently have my horse on retirement board. They seem to be few and far between for good care. A few places I found were basically 10+ acre pasture turn out and checked on regularly. Hay if there was a drought. I finally found a place that full service retirement board that is 2 hours from me but good/great care. I visit every 6-8 weeks to make sure my horse if doing well. It’s not my favorite to be that far away but with life and costs, it’s as good as I can get it.

In the boarding contract, I had to put a dollar amount I was willing to spend for injuries/illnesses. I had a number in my head, but this made it real and yet easy. My concern is how long is this going to last. How long will my horse be comfortable and I have to pay to board. I would like to get a place with more land so I can have my horse home, but it’s not looking feasible. I am still keeping my ears open and trying to find a place that needs a companion horse that is closer, but even me retaining ownership and expenses, it’s not easy.

[ElementFarm]

This has been a wholly depressing thread to read.

I was a horse-crazy kid from a poor family, and while I did manage to own an inexpensive horse, I never did the “show circuit”. I did 4H and paid for my horse’s board and my lessons by cleaning stalls, and later teaching lessons, at backyard barns. I thought I wanted to be a pro, and spent my high school and college years working part time in the industry, and full time for several years after, and with some good programs. And I gradually realized that to make it as a pro, you really needed a fair bit of talent, money, or bravery. Preferably all three. And I really didn’t have nearly enough of any of them.

So I re-joined the ranks of amateur riders and have a ‘real’ job to support my horse habit.

I did the show thing for a bit, boarding at a mid-level barn and DIYing as much as I could, and attaining fair success thanks to luckily stumbling onto a fantastic horse. And I had a great time but realistically, knew/know I’m never going to be able to show in FL for the season or qualify for Devon. And that really nice horse is now in her 20s and retired.

I’m lucky that I was able to get my own small farm in a great area, and so I can have my retirees, some growing up homebreds, and a project or two. I foxhunt, because it’s fun and sooooo much less expensive than horse showing. But costs are skyrocketing. Hay and grain and bedding prices are increasing every few months. Fuel for the vehicles and tractor and zero turn is more expensive. I still have my ‘real’ job to pay all the bills. I love my lifestyle and wouldn’t trade it for the world, but it’s not for the faint of heart. DH and I don’t have kids. We don’t travel or eat out much. And while I know we make decent money on paper, it’s tough to not be jealous when you’re surrounded by multi-million dollar farms where the owners have gorgeous barns and manicured pastures and full staff who do all the horse care and landscaping.

I refuse to be priced out completely and I’m determined to keep horses in my life somehow, even if it’s eventually just one. I don’t even have to show again, though I do still enjoy the occasional H/J or dressage show. I enjoy trail riding my retired show horses, or galloping with the hunt on a brisk winter morning. I love looking out of my house windows and seeing the herd grazing in the backyard, or doing night check and listening to the horses happily munching hay. I won’t spend a fortune to keep my retirees alive as long as possible, but I am happy that I can give them a safe life post-performance career, even if it’s not in a barn with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

[xeroxchick]

Actually, it depends on where you are.

[Cowboy_Girl]

A good honey is priceless in your situation. They are great at being a pasture ornament, therapist, trail horse and when your body allows, 2’6’’ unrecognized shows and clinics, or fox hunt in the fall and winter. They are thrifty on feed and fun of personality - perfect to keep at home. Sometimes there are times in your life where you need to reevaluate your time, your body and what you need from your horse connection.
I currently have a dutch warm blood and OTTB mare. Both ooze talent and ability, but right now I’d rather trail ride and garden in free time. And look at them in the pasture from my work window. Plus its fun to come out of the polish everyone up and woodwork a few times a year at a schooling show. Point is - no big bills and no big pressure when already struggling with other issues.

[SLW]

This evening on my local horse stuff FB feed someone is offering what appears to be a saint of a gelding. Good for local stuff. 20 years old and was diagnosed with kissing spine in March which is not bothering him. The price for this 20 year old gelding with KS? $4000.

I sure hope that price is to weed out twits and that she finds someone that will by him for maybe 2K.

[fivestrideline]

I saw a 21 year old apparently sound saint with a good bit of maintenance - advertised at $18k so… maybe $4k IS a steal?

[Cowgirl]

I would gladly pay for good boarding. I have my horses at home now, but need access to an indoor arena. I can’t pay for training on all three horses, especially NOT for my retired horse, but training is required most places. I do not want someone else riding my horses and have found that if you board and just pay but do not use the trainer, there are bad feelings. So boarding is DOUBLE when you add the cost of required training packages.

My salary is reviewed every other year and does not keep up with inflation.

I was told about 8 years ago by a clinician that within that next decade, we would get to a point in the industry where the average doctor, lawyer, corporate executive would be priced out. Part of this is the incredible population growth taking all of our barns within driving distance to metropolitan areas for housing developments. We are struggling here to find barns and trainers. Same clinician also told me that the sport would eventually be concentrated in certain parts of the country (for example, Wellington, San Diego area).

[cmdrcltr]

I just saw a 15-year-old mare listed. The poster stated that she was “beyond my experience” and had had “a few years off.” $9500.

This is why I can’t afford to buy the horse I need right now: one who knows more than I do.

[SLW]

@fivestrideline

I saw a 21 year old apparently sound saint with a good bit of maintenance - advertised at $18k so… maybe $4k IS a steal?

Right? The question always is “does the horse actually sell for the asking price?”.

[SLW]

@cmdrcltr

I just saw a 15-year-old mare listed. The poster stated that she was “beyond my experience” and had had “a few years off.” $9500.

This is why I can’t afford to buy the horse I need right now: one who knows more than I do.

It is a tough market right now for regular people horse hunting.

[Cortana]

Encourage her regardless. There’s so much that can be overcome with education. Make lessons and horse time a reward for school work done and good grades received. She can achieve anything she feels supported and capable of.

Also, I just want to tell you you’re a fabulous person for giving this young girl the opportunity to nourish her heart. She’s so fortunate to have your instruction, care, and attention.

[Larksmom]

I put my niece thru riding lessons and pony club for a couple of years. she absolutely loved it. It gave her courage and poise. This was vey special for us, and even though we weren’t anywhere near as far apart a you and your niece, it has made an unbeakable bond between us.

[Cortana]

I also love this. If a job can’t pay for my horse, I’m not applying

[hillary_again]

@Cowgirl, that’s an interesting observation from the clinician. I think it’s absolutely true - maybe by discipline, or maybe by discipline first. The shows for h/j are concentrating already. Same thing for eventing. Pros in both disciplines leaving Texas and going to Florida. No USEF h/j shows in more and more states.
Not sure where this leaves other disciplines, like quarter horses, Arabians, reiners, paints, … In my area, tons of barrel racing and roping at many income levels, but those are really different sports than any English disciplines.

[Larksmom]

We have a very nice horse park in Southern KC. They do have a nice xc course, three sand arenas, and a ring with a speakers stand in the center. For most disciplines, that is all that is needed. Oh, and permanent stabling too. Paints, western pleasure, saddle seat, arabians, I think most could get by with just an an arena. Not sure if the stand in the middle can be moved, but if so, it could be used by all disciplines. Even if everything else left, that arean could still be used a lot. That is probably what it will come to. How many can use a facility, vs how much can you get for the land.

[CindyCRNA]

I just bought a very nice OTTB that is 5 years off the track and schooling BN with a clean PPE for $20K. Folks are crazy right now!

[fledermaus]

@Tucker5

If horses did not have a purpose then they would not exist.

Well, not really. Horses exist quite well without humans. Feral populations of horses thrive almost anywhere temperate, that humans haven’t taken over and deprived them of. If humans disappeared, horses would be one of the few domesticated animals that would do just fine.

The extended meaning of the statement would be: “if there was no human desire to keep horses, than horses would not be kept, selectively bred, etc., and since humans have overrun and overpopulated almost everywhere on the planet, there would be hardly anywhere they’d be allowed to live.”

[fledermaus]

I also think that there may be two quite different perspectives here. One is the perspective of those who want to compete with their horses.This is obviously becoming an enormously expensive proposition. From purchasing the correctly bred prospect to the training and management and campaigning of same, unbelievably costly now.

But there are also people who live in the country and enjoy riding horses. This is a lot more expensive than it used to be, but it is still within a middle class income. Yes, you do have to live rurally – but that has always been true of affordable horsekeeping. If you don’t have acreage your neighbor probably does, although you might have to pay for safe fencing and a shelter. Where I live in rural New England, every other farm has an empty barn and an unused field. Now, things like arenas might be harder to find but not everyone needs one to have a good time on a horse.

The idea of living in a city or suburb and being able to afford board and train at a high level facility has never been a middle income hobby that I know of. It’s more in the range of keeping a sailboat at an urban marina.

When I was a horse crazy kid in the 1970’s, we kept horses in our backyards or at rundown rental stables and showed in 4-H shows and fun days. We saw fancypants show horses at regional shows (and Grand National at the Cow Palace in San Francisco was a great annual pilgrimage) but could not even dream of such things for ourselves. Our horses were ex ranch horses, camp horses, or other solid cold blooded grades. We were very happy. And I don’t think that most of those kids I hung out with then would be dissatisfied with equivalent horses and horsekeeping now. In fact I know a fair number of older ladies who love trail riding on their unexciting steeds.

What I’m trying to say is, the horse hobby has a large range, and if you are priced out of the top half, there’s also a bottom half.

[Paint_Party]

@hillary_again

In my area, tons of barrel racing and roping at many income levels, but those are really different sports than any English disciplines.

Same in my area (north/central Arizona).

I thought it’d be different if I got involved with Paints. Nope. There are 3 shows a year, down south in Phoenix. There aren’t any decent one-day or weekend shows. My trainer is on the road all the time, hauling clients to shows in Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Idaho, Las Vegas… I’d like to show, but I don’t want to show that badly.

What’s interesting is that those destination horse shows are huge! The cost of classes, hauling fees, show apparel and the horses themselves do not seem to be deterring entrants. What’s missing are mid-level shows for those of us who have nice horses and enjoy improving our horsemanship, but aren’t looking for world titles. We want to compete and test our skills, but we don’t want to be gone for 10 days and don’t want to spend $5K (or more).

While I know there are still areas of the country where there are nicely run, affordable schooling shows that have circuit awards, in my experience those opportunities seem to be disappearing. And while that may be unavoidable for a variety of reasons, I find it sad.

[hillary_again]

@Paint_Party, I agree. The “destination” shows are huge - maybe in every discipline now. The shows now seem to be events, like vacations, with plenty of photos, parties, and fun for everyone in the family. And yeah, $10k for two weekends of showing seems to be the price of it, all summed up. OTOH, the schooling show series in my area is getting BIGGER, but I’m not sure how much of the higher level classes fill. I don’t show any more, but if I did, I’d try to sponsor a class or otherwise encourage the schooling show manager to have classes I want… Like have a higher entry fee, and we could win some of it back.