Wait, are those the only two options: low class/minimum wage and rich? If that’s the case I guess I am rich, but I think that’s a pretty ridiculous perspective.
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Bottom line is a huge majority of folks simply can’t. The ‘select few’ either have a ton of money, or have high paying ‘computer’ jobs that allow great flexibility. I’m sure there are ways to make it work for some, and it is always ‘how bad do you want it’? What are you willing to give up and for how long? Once you factor in spouses and children, it really isn’t possible. I see it more available for the young with no real responsibilities other than themselves. Just HAVING a pony is a luxury!
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No, not at all. I’m just saying that there is a huge financial aspect involved and not just “anybody can do it if they try hard enough”.
You are using your savings to go down. I did a similar thing. I saved for months and months… It really is not a reality for some people no matter how much they try or want it, though…
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As I said before, it’s different for horse pros. Indeed, the more the ammie clients are spending, the better the situation for the pros, even the small fry, even the working students who might get tips for grooming or make money braiding. When rich folks are tossing around money, the service sector benefits.
As far as going down there as an ammie rider with your own horse or horses, I can’t quite see the point unless you are already at a level to want to compete in the winter shows at a high level. If you’ve already got an FEI level horse in full training with a trainer who has the profile to make it worthwhile to go to Florida in the winter, then you are already spending more money on horse, board, training, lessons, than the majority of people who ride.
I also think that if you are making big holes in your basic financial security in order to fund horses, then you need to scale back what you are doing with horses. So rather than be impressed, I’m a little horrified that people would be throwing all their savings into doing this once or twice. I’m sure it’s fun and it would be great to be in the sunshine in an upscale horse facility. But how useful is it to do this once or twice, if you aren’t really able to afford the game ongoing?
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Okay, that makes more sense. I can’t disagree with that.
I am using savings, but not all my savings–that would give me panic attacks! I’m viewing it as something I do just this year, because I have a horse who’s worth it and I want to give it a shot, instead of a vacation or something else.
Not every ammy competing in the winter shows at a high level has their horses in full-time training. I take one lesson a week (occasionally two) and I keep my horses at home. But then, I could spend all this money to go down there and totally bomb the shows, so I guess we’ll see! :lol:
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This is my first winter having a horse in Florida. The way I afforded it is, my trainer is my friend so I got a smoking good deal on training and I trust him implicitly. I upgraded from a 2+1 horse trailer to a used trailer with a tiny living quarters. Hauled a few horses down from NY as well as mine, so picked up money for my trip. I left my truck and trailer at the farm, and pay for hookups for the trailer when I fly down and stay in it. I actually spent a month in November, and loved it.
I can’t stay for the whole winter as I have a bunch of horses, a husband and responsibilities back home, so I get cheap flights and go down and stay for a week or two at a time. Still expensive, but do-able. The other way is to just pay for a dry stall and do all the work yourself.
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I am a middle school school teacher (no big bucks there). My horse goes south most years, this year he is going to Wellington (palm beach equine sports complex). It is $1,000 a month for a dry stall 2,000 for training plus my hay, savings, feed. We will go for 6 weeks. How do I afford it on a school teacher salary? I work my a$$ off the rest of the year to save 15,000 beyond my school teacher salary for Florida. If you want something badly enough and you are willing to work hard enough you can make it happen. Here’s how I do it:
- I rent out a room in my townhouse which covers most of my mortgage (do I want a roommate? Not really)
- I work every Saturday and Sunday at an upscale dressage barn cleaning stalls, grooming horses and transporting monthly clinicians to and from the airport. (Do I want to clean stalls all weekend, no not really but it’s an extra $1,000 a month I can put away for Florida—$10,000.)
- I got my masters degree and my national board certification which took years to complete and were very time consuming but gives me a $5000 bonus a year that I put towards Florida.
- I trailer down myself and take another boarders horse along which covers my shipping costs. Plus allows me to bring my own hay down.
- I dog sit for two wealthy clients. Do I want to sleep in other people’s houses and watch their pets…not really but it’s an extra 3-4,00 a year I save up.
- All those years taking a big name clinician to and from the airport each month meant I developed a friendship with the clinician. He knows I work hard to afford my horse so he helps me out whenever he can (getting me a dry stall where he rides in Florida for only 6 weeks, sharing his turnout fields with me, recommending me for grooming side jobs)
- I go on no other vacations, never eat out, use my sister’s Netflix account, wear my sister’s old hand me down work clothes, rarely go out for the evening, drive an old cheap car, have an older diesel truck and a modest horse trailer.
- I also work a summer job every year when school lets out. (Summer school, curriculum writing, camp etc.)
So like I said it really depends on how much you want something…I give up A LOT to have my horse and go to Wellington. I don’t complain and whine about how only rich people get to go to Florida: I work hard, make many sacrifices and get it done.
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“We will go for 6 weeks.” So does this mean you AND the horse? How do you take that much time off during the school year? I greatly admire your planning and earning. I’ve always just wondered, money aside, how people can be missing from their job for weeks? Although, some people can telework/work remotely I suppose. This is irrelevant to me due to my location (and desires) but just a curiousity. I know there are probably many ways to work the whole thing out.
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I’m not the poster you asked, but I’m taking five weeks off work to go show in Florida starting next week (woo hoo!). I work for a local government agency with a union. My leave accrues from year to year and I can take overtime in leave instead of pay, so it adds up. I have a pretty large leave reserve right now that I’m tapping for this trip. I’m wrapping up all my current projects before I go and plan to do very little work while I’m gone except field the occasional email. I’m almost as excited about the break from work as I am for the trip itself! I usually have to carry my work phone everywhere since I’m on call, and I’m really looking forward to leaving it in my room for the duration. 
Sometimes it’s the small things!
I too am curious about how a teacher manages it. I imagine their leave might accrue like mine since many of them have unions too, but I don’t know if there are limitations on taking it since the school would have to hire a substitute.
My job (government) has a program where I can defer some of my income so I can still receive a (reduced) paycheque while taking time off.
We can reduce and defer income from 10-33.3% for up to 6 years, and take 6-12 months off.
I That’s good that some of you have flexible options for earning. I just think my employer would not be too keen on me being off for more than 2-3 weeks. This seems to be the norm at most places I’ve worked. Could be the nature of my job(s).
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Me, too.I work for a state agency, and I’m pretty sure my security code would no longer work if I took 3-4 weeks off (even with accruing the time legitimately). :lol:
impeggysue
May I ask what level you ride?
Thank you.
I’m still very interested in how a teacher takes six weeks off during the season. I spent a couple weeks in Wellington at the beginning of a season as I taught university and had late January start that year, and took a few days off to spend w-Sun in Gulfport the next spring, But no way during a normal school year or semester could I see a teacher just taking six weeks off
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I m curious what the benefits are of making such a huge economic sacrifice to get your horse down to Florida every winter, even if you are only able to fly down for weekends?
Is it about being able to compete all winter? Do you also compete all summer?
Is it about accompanying a trainer who needs to keep riding your horse daily?
If you can only fly down on weekends is this better or worse for your riding than having the horse at home and schooling every day?
I totally get wanting a warm holiday, especially if it’s too cold to ride at home. I also get wanting to be around the big time even if you are not competing.
But in terms of actual measurable improvements to horse and rider, how does a winter in Florida compare to schooling every day at home?
I can see the attraction if you have lots of spare time and money. But if you are making real sacrifices in your own life, foregoing retirement savings, working weekends all year around, what is the measurable pay off in improvement?
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This is a serious question. How do the “very wealthy” legitimately “write off” all their expenses when they go to Wellington? What are the relevant tax codes wherein an individual (not a business) can do this?
Believe me, it is all “business expense” - their business “sponsors” the horse, or their child/wife/whomever is hoping to be an Olympian, or they set up a shell business. Happens all the time, whether legitimate or not.
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I think at the university level you could do it during your sabbatical if your school has those. We usually go somewhere the semester my DH is on sabbatical. One year we spent a semester in London, next year we are likely going abroad as well. I would never ask him to use his sabbatical to let me show in FL, because it is his, but I imagine if the horse person was the professor it would be an option. Dh gets a sabbatical every 5 years, I think, now that he’s got tenure. (I work from home and just switch my call forwarding to Skype. It is hard getting up for meetings in the middle of the night, hiring a reliable farmsitter etc. but worth it. Good for the kids to get some different perspectives.)
But I can’t see a high school teacher. My brother is a teacher and isn’t allowed to take vacation leave during the school year. He can take sick leave of course, but not vacation time. Of course he has flexibility in the summer but it would make WEF impossible. I am sure it differs from state to state though.
yeah at university level I could manage it by messing with my schedule and doing some remote teaching. It would not be possible when I taught middle and high school.
My horse is in Loxahatchee this winter, but solely for the purpose of being sold. It’s a big compromise financially but I’m confident that the location will make him easier to sell faster and for more money that I would ever get for him on my own.
