Where is that?
Mine too, in central MD.
More power to you, OP, supporting your daughter, and lucky that you can afford it. Even local shows were something I had to foot my own bill for by the time I was in high school. I love the hunters, but these prices are eye-watering to me. I can’t imagine ever moving out of the local, unrated circuits, or smaller, local rated shows that you can trailer in and out of for the day. Or dabbling in baby eventing and dressage.
8 Likes
The child isn’t under 12 or green from the OP’s wording?? If she can ride good enough to show at this level ( and cost 
) she should be able to do most of the work to care for the horse and earn at least a tiny % of the cost of showing.
1 Like
How many horses were with the trainer? Multiply that by $334.00 (the splits for lodging and transportation) to get a sense of the possible magnitude of that cost.
Everything looks reasonable, though. Shocking how expensive our sport is, yes?
My impression and memory is that it’s very frustrating as a child and tween and teen to be around adults that are passive aggressive or inconsistent with boundaries or run hot and cold. And most overly permissive parents "are Inconsistent because eventually parents do need to lay down the law. It’s just like Horses.
So teens can appreciate an adult that is straight up and consistent and not overly emotionally invested. Who isn’t whining and being vague and actually not really listening.
2 Likes
Shipping was a separate bill which was already paid according to one of OP’s earlier posts.
2 Likes
I have to say I show driving horses and I was shocked when I saw the total to begin with, My wife rides and we trailer into some cheaper shows, where if you pre enter it is $13.00 a class, but then there is the $15 admin fee, $15 grounds fee, and a drug fee so a few classes with one horse quickly approaches $100 with no help, driving my truck and trailer and feeding my own hay.
Then I think back to the fair we just got back from, my shavings that I drive to the place where they make them and pay less than half what they charge at my local feed stores set me back almost $400, my 2 paid help was $1200, we slept in the trucks and stalls, plus my entries, plus my transport cost of over $2.00 a mile, and I remember why I try not to think about it. If I counted mine and my families time, plus volunteers the expenses would be more than I like to even thing about. Fortunately we love doing this, together as a family.
I would not hesitate to ask the trainer if your daughter could work to help offset some of the costs, I find honest clear communication of expectations goes along way.
3 Likes
Eastern Ontario Canada. BUT we have a severe lacking of recognized shows in our area. Our H/J series just poofed. Dressage series is almost dying, and our recognized event ran its last show about 8 years ago.
Closest recognized show series/horse trials = 2.5/3 hrs.
So while schooling shows are great for so many things, they also can kill the recognized circuit if the recognized shows can’t compete with the big fancy shows.
1 Like
Where I am (Baltimore, Maryland), our local shows are $20-$25/class, decent footing, and lines usually set well. This area of Maryland is VERY horse-dense, so we have a lot of options (which creates competition, which drives prices down). We can show most weekends year round, Not all areas are that lucky, I know the local circuit where I grew up disbanded years ago. A few local barns up that way will host shows, but it’s very hit or miss. I do not know what the price per class is, probably comparable to what I pay around here.
We don’t know where exactly OP is. There may be no local circuit. Or maybe the barns that go to the local circuit aren’t great, or are not near OP. There are a lot of factors. She didn’t ask IF she should be spending money to go to these shows, only if the charges looked normal (they do) and if there was anything questionable that more experienced equestrians noted.
OP, I see nothing of concern. Your barn appears to be organized and transparent, that is not always the case. I am sure they would welcome you opening a dialog to better understand how to plan and what to expect. Some barns have price sheets which is super helpful, you might want to ask if they have a price sheet for show related stuff. My barn does mostly local shows (see above about healthy local circuits) and a few times a year we go to bigger shows. Because this is not our norm, there is usually an email outlining what to expect in detail, with estimates on cost and what the time commitment is. It is very helpful for families like yours where the child is the only one who is involved in horses and customers aren’t accustomed to the prices.
4 Likes
She’s doing the short stirrup, which is 12 and under, age wise and the first real division riders do at the horse show. So green.
8 Likes
A local H/J show series in my area (two rings, GGT footing, slightly too-creative although not unsafe course design) structures entry fees as $35 warmup, $40 hunter, $50 jumper, $60 classic/derby.
Meanwhile at the rated show around the corner, warmup is $50, outreach is $55, jumper $60, USHJA hunter/AA hunter/children’s pony $60, etc.
The real savings at the local show is on your stalls, office fees, drug fees, memberships… not the classes themselves.
4 Likes
Check in from a major metro area in Kansas/Missouri and we’ve got those too. For rated shows you’re going to be travelling a couple hours, but there are two associations that run several local shows in the area that are run efficiently and with proper lines, decent footing, decent facilities, etc. For a couple divisions plus a stall (granted these are weekend shows and not full week shows) it is around $200 or less. To trailer in and pop into a few puddle jumper classes around $70. I’m guessing the opportunities are less so around areas that are close in proximity to rated shows that occur on a regular basis, but depending on the area there are definitely still well run schooling/C/B level shows around.
1 Like
Then I’m envious. I spent $30 a class recently to go to a local schooling show where they had a 2 stride (that walked a one and a half) in the 2ft jumpers.
2 Likes
There are plenty of well run schooling shows or local association shows around in a lot of areas still. But they are not at a bargain basement $15/class anymore, at least in any of the major metros on the east/west coast. And to Rel6’s point, even at twice the price point, you don’t get lines set correctly a fair amount of the time.
3 Likes
Exactly what I was wondering. I’m also curious why the SS eq division would be more expensive than the hunter division? Is it more than just one eq o/f and one eq flat to the division?
I know this is in Vermont, but in Virginia, the VHSA Short Stirrup Eq is typically 4 classes. 1 walk/trot flat class, 1 walk/trot/canter flat class, and two over fences. The Short Stirrup Hunter is typically two over fences and one under saddle.
1 Like
A quick look at the HITS VT prize list shows short stirrup as 14 and under. The Hunter division pays a $175 division fee only (no option of paying separate classes). The Equitation division does not have a division fee but has a $50/class fee. Both divisions are 4 classes. For whatever reason, the hunter divisions have a division fee and the equitation divisions have a class fee. 
3 Likes
Based on my experience in the PNW, those are pretty cheap expenses. However, as a parent of grown children, it is entirely within your right as the parent and payor of these expenses to ask. Perhaps you can have a conversation with your child about why she/he is so reluctant to let you ask questions. Could there be something going on with her relationship with the trainer that is causing her/him to not want any parental interest? Good luck
I had the same thought. The OP did not ask whether she should be spending that much, or if she could figure out a way to cut costs.
She just asked if the expenses looked normal to people with more horse show experience. Which, sadly, they do for many of us. Lol.
At the very least, this thread might help people who have less expensive showing options to appreciate their good fortune a bit more.
9 Likes
And fewer days and no braiding.
There’s a county-level series around here. One-day shows. Prices as what @173north described. https://www.ka-productions.com/_files/ugd/a94909_11887ea38e3c433189e7523e77310c95.pdf There are others at similar or probably somewhat lower price points.
There are some super local shows in Southern California with no rating that are cheaper, but I don’t know that I’d bring a group of riders to them without checking one out first for footing, courses, etc.
Then there’s the No Show at the Oaks which is a great deal, but kids often want ribbons.
2 Likes
