My daughter just showed at an A show this weekend. My show office bill was $450… that was for 3 jumper classes ( one was a classic). Also… we are usef members so no added fee & we trailed in everyday, did not get a stall. ( $75 dollar haul in fee)
We live in the area… so, no hotel fees.
I can’t speak to the costs of H/J showing but i will say: a young rider here brought a TB up through the equivalent of our B rated shows (hunter rider). They were very successful (high point in assorted divisions multiple years) and the horse was a nice enough mover (flat and over fences). Not super fancy - he was a bit of a homely type, but performed on equal footing with fancier types for the most part. A decent size but probably a little small for a serious prospect (16’1). Even with his show record the most that he would have gone for was in the 30k range - and in large part that was because he was utterly child safe and could be used to bring young riders up through divisions and remain competitive as they went.
I would have extreme reservations about a trainer implying that your horse’s price point could be so dramatically rise that there’s an overall 46k increase in worth.
It is true that show history can generally positively impact an asking price - but between the cost of showing itself, and finding what divisions and how much history add the most net value to a sales price? I would suggest you identify your horse keeping budget and work with a trainer to find ways for your daughter to enjoy her horse within your means. 
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Thank you EVERYONE for your thoughts, experience, & bluntness. It is exactly what I needed!! Seriously…i feel so much better now about entering into showing with a little knowledge in my pocket. You guys are great… love the responsiveness on this forum!
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Get a good video of the horse performing at a show (any show) and post it on a well-traveled site like Big Eq. That is a much more cost-effective way to sell a nice horse than trying to campaign it at big shows.
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You’re probably looking at something in the $1-2k/show range, maybe more if a professional is showing your horse in a second division.
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You should stay within your comfort zone financially, showing should be fun. You will probably spend more than $50K during the next 2 years if you campaign your horse, and selling a TB for that much money could be quite difficult unless he is the next Gem Twist.
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This is great advice, especially for someone who is new to showing. Expect anything “extra” to cost something and don’t be afraid to ask about the cost. Trainers expect to be paid for extras. Unfortunately, horse folks are very busy people and they aren’t always clear about communicating their expectations until the end of the month when the bill is written up.
You may find it useful to befriend another “mom” at the barn who knows the ropes and has a child that shows. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like, “This horse showing thing is new to me. What do you know today that would have been useful to know when your little Susie first started showing?”
One more thought, your daughter has competed in some schooling shows and the cost was very affordable. If you are interested in funding DD to go to bigger and better shows, the next step might be to do a one-day rated show wherein the barn ships in for the day. No doubt the rates will be higher than a schooling show, but it is likely to be in the hundred’s not the thousands that a multi-day A show can cost.
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Get your daughter interested in eventing! Much cheaper and many more options to sell a nice TB once she heads off to college!
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I wouldn’t buy into if you show your horse will be worth more. Although showing does offer your horse experience and PR, too much and people shy away because the horse is too “used” and therefore could be lame.
I had a TB and was told he could be worth $30k (which is A LOT for a TB), 2 years later I gave him away to a riding school. The horse I have now was purchase for $60k, they sold him to be for $3k. Sometimes the price tag isn’t really accurate and I would not put all your marbles in one basket.
I just showed for two days, one day of schooling, at a non-A rated show. No hotel costs (only 15 minutes from my house). The show cost me $620 (not including food and I did my own trailering).
Most A shows cost about $2k a week without the hotel or food.
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This may be OT, but since this one thread is old, I’m wondering how often are we seeing price tags like that on a TB hunter?
It has to be pretty rare, as WBs are the preference and the norm now. (I ask this as someone who is riding a 3 figure horse currently and is a complete spectator at this point in my life 
)
^^ i did know a TB that sold for 50K right around this time last year… he was a relatively successful hunter who had just won a HUGE division. Being relatively young, brave, big, hack winning and healthy did alot for that horse’s price tag - as well as being in the “right” barn.
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My 11 yo shows hunter/jumper. We’re going to VHSA finals early next month. This will be our first multi-day show that involves significant travel. With the exception of Upperville (which is a 15 minute jaunt for us so we trailer in for the day) we’ve stuck to the local associate shows. She usually does the Short Stirrup Eq, Short Stirrup Hunter, and Pleasure Pony. It’s typically $145 in entry fees for those 3 divisions. I agree with our trainer that using the Pleasure division to develop a softness to your riding is valuable. But I sometimes axe the Pleasure to save $. Our pony isn’t exactly pleasurable. Trailering and coaching runs 105-175 for a local show. In our area you can swing a stick and hit several Olympians. The big name trainers certainly go to the big shows, but you will also see them campaigning their young horses in the locals every single time.
Our trainer is from a old Virginia racing family. They’ve always had TBs. And most were freebies. She can regularly get them to where they’re worth $50k. It takes longer than 2 years, though. One of the big names has been campaigning an absolutely stunning mare this year at the locals. I think it’s an Irish Draft X or Irish Sport Horse. Our trainer has been running an even split for 1st place against it all season with one of her OTTB mares. The OTTB isn’t quite as flashy but she’s arguably the more correct mover and better over fences.
We do hunter/jumper because it’s about the only discipline that offers significant options for children. It is horrendously expensive, though. $100k for a pony? And why do short stirrup kids need to have an auto lead change. They’re still learning to steer, for crying out loud. They don’t have the lead change. The pony just knows how to do it. I’ve tried to instill a balance for my daughter. Sure, it’s nice to win a division championship sometimes. But take the risks and tackle the challenging ponies on which you might not always win so that you can eventually be the person who trains and sells the $100K ponies.
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I know this thread is old… but anyway…
The horse may actually be worth MORE if you stick to local shows for the next 2 years, don’t break any green status, and then when it’s time to sell 2 years from now at 7 years old it will be a prime age to send to a sale barn to start doing the greens and sell in its first green year. Frankly for the 3’0 and under set, a good local show record is probably equally valuable as a rated show record. People who are looking for safe/steady will expect a local show record. People who are looking for fancy don’t likely want a TB ridden by a kid. You best market is probably the kids on your circuit who sometime dabble in nicer shows. Your best market, even if the horse truly is nice, is not the WEF set. It’s just not. If you want to sell a horse to that set the horse needs to come out of one of those programs and yours isn’t.
Take the kid to the shows she wants to do, ride and enjoy the horse. When it comes time to sell, THAT might be the time to invest in a little rated showing so you can get a small record and get him in front of the eyes of people shopping. Doing it now if finances are tight and your daughter isn’t that into the showing seems like a waste to me.
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Showing for your daughter should be about her enjoyment and growth as a rider. If your horse is appropriate for your daughter, there is no reason for someone else to show it.
Sounds like this trainer wants to use you for a big commission/show exposure for themsleves or a working student.
I’d be looking at other trainers if it were me.
