How do people afford to consistently show multiple horses?

[Scribbler]

One of the things it’s hard to fathom as a teen is that most professions with good pay and conditions require that you identify with the job and get real satisfaction out of doing it and being it. Those satisfactions vary obviously depending on the job and person. I’m speaking as someone that made a midlife shift to being a university professor. Very decent income but you had to really commit to the field and trust the process to get there. Not IB money or winter circuit money but good enough for me. Same is true of you’re in law, medicine, politics etc etc. You can have big expensive hobbies like a horse for sure once you are established but you won’t get established if all your identity and sense of self is wrapped up in your horse.

A professional identity is something you grow into over time in your 20s. It’s not something you have at 15. It’s normal and good to have a huge emotional commitment to a hobby or sport or horse as a teen. But as you go through college and your 20s hopefully you find a profession that you can whole heartedly buy into and that gives you joy and identity and autonomy.

As a teen I only felt those things around horses but as an adult I have multiple sources.

[2bayboys]

The only advice I have for the OP is this. Unless you have a trust fund behind you, you’re going to spend many many more hours in whatever profession you choose than you are going to spend riding and showing. You are literally going to devote 8-10-12 hours per day in your profession so you can spend 2-3 hours at the barn. So choose wisely. Choose something that you enjoy well enough that you deem it’s worth it.

Also remember that a healthy life is about balance. Yes, your hobby is important, but a career and relationships and taking care of your home and having children (if you choose) and spending time on your spiritual/emotional/personal growth are also important. The least interesting people I know are those who have nothing and do nothing but horses.

[Rel6]

@Scribbler

Same is true of you’re in law, medicine, politics etc etc. You can have big expensive hobbies like a horse for sure once you are established but you won’t get established if all your identity and sense of self is wrapped up in your horse.

I will say some of this is location dependent. I’m in a lower COL area, and have many friends who bought horses early into their careers. The could afford to, because owning a horse just isn’t as big an expense where I am.

I’m in law, started my career in NYC, and definitely took the approach of establishing myself before buying a horse. Still bought one early on in my career because I moved out of NYC, but if I had stayed I would have waited longer until I was more established. The time commitment and money commitment is just so different when you’re paying $2500+ and spending 45 minutes+ in a commute, vs living someplace where the barn is 20 minutes and $600 a month in board.

[Foitin]

It is a lot. Most adults have zero desire to work that many hours.

[Scribbler]

Absolutely horses can be affordable in lower cost areas. Indeed I am in a high cost area but at a self board club barn where my stall plus hay are less than $500 a month. But I don’t think this is the kind of low-key recreational and trail riding and schooling show world the OP wants. Of course at 35 it may look wonderful to OP, but no one there is showing multiple horses in nationally ranked shows

[Rel6]

My point was that horses don’t have to be a big expensive hobby. Absolutely OP’s original post was talking about showing the AA circuit with multiple horses, but the conversation has continued to grow.

Your point about your situation vs mine highlights it as well. People are absolutely showing multiple horses at nationally ranked shows out of my barn and other comparably priced programs in my area. For around that cost you can be in a show barn program that goes to Florida, HITs, etc. But it doesn’t sound like that is feasible where you are.

I’m not saying moving to a lower cost of living area magically solves the problem. You’ve raised completely valid points about the drawbacks (including overall lower salaries). But it may be a lot more feasible to have a cute horse in a good program and afford some shows as a young professional in a lower COL area than it is in a major city.

[Scribbler]

Yes. If I had landed my same job in one of the smaller cities in my province, my salary would not be lower but my cost of living would be very much lower, for my own housing and for a horse.

[Midge]

@Scribbler

A professional identity is something you grow into over time in your 20s

Or something you never have. I never did figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

[touchstone]

@2bayboys

The only advice I have for the OP is this. Unless you have a trust fund behind you, you’re going to spend many many more hours in whatever profession you choose than you are going to spend riding and showing. You are literally going to devote 8-10-12 hours per day in your profession so you can spend 2-3 hours at the barn. So choose wisely. Choose something that you enjoy well enough that you deem it’s worth it.

This is such good advice. You are going to spend more waking hours working than doing anything else. Choosing something you actually enjoy and find satisfying is incredibly valuable. Not everyone has that choice. But if you do, choose to do something that brings you joy as well as money. Showing multiple horses (the post title) will not make your life enough better to compensate for choosing a career you hate. Plus, as many have suggested, very few careers provide enough money and free time for that anyway.

[hrlo_1722]

Love me some Kai Ryssdal!

[hrlo_1722]

Happy to take a look at yours as well!