Dividing stalling costs at a show -what’s fair?

[Angela_Freda]

@red_mares

I wasn’t talking explicitly about her. I was actually thinking of some people I’ve shown with who are pretty cheap. No one in my barn is rolling in money, but we make it work. The simple reality is that this is an expensive hobby. Showing at a half dozen shows or more in a season, then writing your horse’s name on the leather on the halter with a sharpie because you won’t spring for a $10 nameplate is just silly…and people notice.

I disagree
The shows are experience for horse and rider.
They serve as education.
The nameplate… Is not.

Some of you are seriously unkind to those doing it on a shoestring.

[fivestrideline]

@red_mares

Showing at a half dozen shows or more in a season, then writing your horse’s name on the leather on the halter with a sharpie because you won’t spring for a $10 nameplate is just silly…and people notice.

@red_mares

When it gets to the point where someone is borrowing show tack for years and often returns it dirty, that support dwindles.

Okay but… now you’re just creating imaginary characters to get mad about.

Nothing in the OP suggested she is anything like this “someone”. Sounds like the post hit a sore spot for you, and that’s okay! But let’s not create a straw man to be upset about.

[fivestrideline]

@KBC

No it’s silly to me to spend money you don’t have on things that don’t matter.

This. I think it’s valid to do a gut check, if only to shut up the “cheapskate” about it. Maybe the wording tripped a few people up, but if you(g) read the rest of @KBC’s posts in the thread it is clear they aren’t looking to shortchange their trainer.

A nameplate doesn’t make a horse any safer and doesn’t even appear in the show ring.

[KBC]

@red_mares

You do you. It’s just a head’s up on real life. If you are fine with it great, but don’t gripe about it later. ‘Support the team’ is great to a point. When it gets to the point where someone is borrowing show tack for years and often returns it dirty, that support dwindles.

Well thanks for the permission to “do me”

Support team was kind of the rule, or there was no point. Never heard anyone bitching about anyone about what they did or didn’t have, but PLENTY, about what they did and didn’t do. Fail to keep your stall clean, your horse fed and watered, or failure to pitch in to keep the aisleway in our area swept clean would get you sacked, not having a name plate on your halter would not.

Remember that every team, in every discipline, in every different area will vary. My experiences are no less valid than yours, simply different. My experience has been at Dressage shows, either a mix of Western and Traditional, or simply Western. Or Provincial finals where the Hunter/jumper team came as well, but the rules remained the same.

It’s good to hear everyone’s view, but please remember that everyone has different experience’s and observations on life. I have no fears that “me doing me” will get me griped at, as I am the one who always has extra bands, safety pins, a hole punch, and all the random stuff, more important in my world than a name plate!

[BeeHoney]

Actually, I thought it was a good post. I think this board is a great place to bring forward cost/billing issues to work through various deals or situations. Shared horses going to shows and clinics is a common and complex scenario.

Horses are super expensive and no respectable person wants to shirk paying reasonable costs…OTOH there are many, many scenarios where clients do get ripped off. It’s can be really shocking and embarrassing to get taken advantage of–it’s so much better to insist that all financial expectations be clarified ahead of time.

Just being real here–many equine professionals are not great businesspersons and are not always as good at communicating costs and expectations as they should be, so I think it really is a great skill for a client to have to be comfortable thinking through and asking about these things ahead of time.

Cheapskate was not the correct word to use in the opening post. I find that even very wealthy, generous clients have questions about costs, the value of what they are getting for their money, and keep an eye on what other barns/ trainers/ practitioners are charging for their services. It’s not being a cheapskate to ask questions about what is fair and reasonable ahead of time. This board is the perfect place to ask embarrassing questions about what’s fair.

[sascha]

@red_mares

Showing at a half dozen shows or more in a season, then writing your horse’s name on the leather on the halter with a sharpie because you won’t spring for a $10 nameplate is just silly…and people notice.

People may notice, but only those with their hatpins shoved in so far as to keep their rectal-cranial fascinator in place during a tornado actually care.

Here’s a clue. For someone trying to get as much show experience as possible on a budget that measly $10 is lunch. Choosing to label things as cheaply as possible in order to be able to eat lunch? THAT is making it work.

[risuenaVT]

@BeeHoney

Actually, I thought it was a good post. I think this board is a great place to bring forward cost/billing issues to work through various deals or situations. Shared horses going to shows and clinics is a common and complex scenario.

Agreed! I have very little experience taking a horse to an offsite show or clinic with a trainer, so I would have similar questions. Plus I thought OP was asking for different points of view so that she had an idea of what to expect before having the conversation with her trainer, so she had an idea of what was fair and expected for both her and the trainer.

I’ll also note that it does seem that there are some differences between the disciplines, so what is standard in H/J may not be the same for WP which may not be the same for working equitation.