Local one-day schooling dressage show with multiple people going, so splitting coaching and trailer: Maybe $150 or a little higher.
Recognized show 4 hours away (split trailer with one other person who owned trailer so just split cost of gas with her), two days of showing with two nights of stall and hotel: Around $1200 not counting my memberships for USEF/USDF.
[QUOTE=cnigh;8803534]
The trainer made out like a bandit with all her expensed paid for plus all of her various fees.[/QUOTE]
Yabbut, going to horse shows is one of the horse trainer’s jobs. There should be profit in it. I don’t see how the pro you mention is doing wrong. Can you explain?
dressage schooling shows for me
GMO membership: 55 family
private lessons: 6 for $300
entry fees: 25 to 30 per test ridden
office fee: 15
day stall: 25
trainer fee for the day: one lesson; I buy meals and provide a cooler of drinks
tall boots: 300
show coat: 200
white breeches: 100
helmet that didn’t hurt my head: 300
show bridle/used: 100
good used saddle: 1000
show pads: 80
horses live at home on the farm; that was what, 300K?
Hauling my own horses; truck was 36k, trailer ( a nice LQ) was 46K but that’s just the cost of us having trail horses we camp with anyway.
why do I want my instructor there? she’s a great calmer. I like having her eyes on me and we use her audio system so we can easily chat during my warm up. Also, my DH can’t usually come along so having someone to hand me my coat and a gatorade is worth the price! 
Hunter/Jumper one day schooling show on site, with use of horse fee as I do not own my own, is around $200ish give or take… higher if you want to do more than one division. Rated shows? I haven’t done one because the cost with trailering, boarding, shavings, trainer fee, horse use fee, braiding fee, schooling fee, class fee, association fee (30 minutes away so no hotel needed for this one) was easily $1000 for one division. This is why I don’t really show. I don’t have that much money just laying around for fun.
I stick to schooling shows right now. I prefer the more relaxed atmosphere and don’t see the need for the big costs since I do it for fun. Plus I can do more shows :winkgrin:.
Dressage shows are usually $30-35 per test, so $60-70. Combined tests are $50-60 per division so $100-110 if I do two. Horse trials $90-110. Sometimes I take my trainer ($50-70, depending on which one), sometimes I go it alone. Paper chases are also fun–$25-35.
When my trainer is available I’ve been taking my young horse along, which doubles the cost. It also quadruples the annoyance (he likes to eat every reachable part of my trailer when I leave with my other horse).
We may do a recognized event or 2 next year, once the baby gets more focused in dressage. He can lay down a low 20 when his mind is in the game, or have a complete meltdown if that is the way the wind is blowing. I splurged once this year for a recognized dressage show. He won his first class and got eliminated in his second. Sigh.
I have shown hunters/jumpers/eq, horse trials (eventing), dressage, and breed specific shows, all with and without trainers.
Rated/Recognized shows of course are the most expensive. The most I have ever paid was for rated Arabian horse shows. Entry fees would be in the neighborhood of $3-400 depending on number of divisions shown, and if the pro showed my horse or just me. Then there are all the other things that others have mentioned (shipping, stall, tack stalls, day fees, cuts of trainer expenses, etc.). This will put you in the thousands range. For me it was $2k and up for a weekend show. This is not the trainer I used, but here is a link to one breed-specific who provides a price list for their show fees, including a list of what is covered and what isn’t included:
http://kiesnertraining.com/training.php
Next cheapest option is rated/recognized shows within driving distance, where you just go for one day. This would involve me hauling my own horse to the show, meeting the trainer there. Sometimes I would pay the trainer to take my horse in a few divisions, sometimes not. This would run me anywhere from $300-500 for entry fees and the money I would pay the pro. Here is another example of a price list from a farm that provides similar services (although I think these are on the low/very reasonable side as I have paid more):
http://snapdragonstables.com/Services.php
Next cheapest would be going to local unrated shows, but still with a trainer. I have not done this route. Typically this would be a good solution for a person who doesn’t have their own horse or trailer and who is leasing or renting a show horse. It’s also a good introduction for someone new to showing to have support at the shows. Again, here’s a sample price list:
http://annettfarms.com/html/show_fees.html
Similar to this echelon of showing would be going solo to rated/recognized shows. Keep in mind that depending upon what style of riding, you may have to join certain organizations to make your points count. For example, with dressage you must join USEF and USDF. For breed specific shows (APHA, AQHA, Arabian, etc.) you have to be a member of the parent organization and sometimes USEF also. Those are all one time annual or every 3-year fees depending on which level membership you choose. Classes/tests and fees tend to be higher here. Some breed shows (usually stock breeds) have all-day fees where for a set price (around $400) you get a stall and unlimited classes for one horse.
Cheapest is local, unrated shows that you do yourself. I don’t factor in the cost of my own trailer for hauling but I should. We have a couple of local circuits that are $8/class with minimal office fees. I spent $40 to show this past weekend (not including the purchase price of my trailer, maintenance on my tow vehicle, etc.). Fortunately the local circuits have nice year-end awards and banquets. As a full-time working mom, I just don’t have the time or money to do the whole trainer thing, although I certainly don’t begrudge anyone who does. For anyone who questions why people spend that kind of money, I can tell you it is so much easier and less stressful than doing it yourself. Obviously you pay a premium for that.
I just did a local charity fun show the weekend before last:
Entry fees: ~$50
Stall: $16 (they only charged the cost of shavings)
Hauling: $25 (I have an amazing friend who insisted on just half the diesel, I’ll be working on getting her back in our ongoing thoughtfulness war)
Hotel: $90 (2 nights, priceline, didn’t even get murdered)
Food: I’m not willing to admit this but probably somewhere around $100-150 because it was YAY FUN HORSE SHOW CHEAT WEEKEND
I’m not a good enough rider/trainer and I don’t have a good enough horse to justify EVER spending $1500+ for a weekend. Even when I did have a horse good enough I don’t think I could have justified it.
Everyone has different goals and I love having horse shows be a goal - but I figure I can prove things to myself at a modest level 
I’m planning on a hunter schooling show in September and it’s $12 a class, lol. You could say things are getting serious
I just entered a non-recognized (but big to my area) 3 phase at a local venue scheduled for Sept 5… It’s 1-day – $130. Fingers crossed!
I’m glad this thread came up.
This year I’ve done a handful of recognized HT’s, and other than paying more, and having to be more aware of the times on course, I did not see a huge difference from unrec - though unrec is more casual.
I have debated going further away to other HT’s - but for me that involves a house sitter, hotels, stabling, etc, and that just adds up too quick.
So I will stay within a two hour radius, and mix unrec and rec ht’s
I show AMHR classes with my Miniatures, and I have to say it’s pretty reasonable.
This is our next show, the prices are pretty typical:
Office Fee (per Horse per Registry) $ 10
Late Entry Fee (per Horse) $ 30
Open Classes $ 27
COOL Classes $ 17 (these are for mentally and physically challenged people)
Amateur Classes (must have Amateur #) $ 17
Youth Classes (have Youth #) $ 10
Non Rated Classes $ 10
Stall Fee $ 50
Second Horse in Stall $ 20
Shavings $ 9
Showing off of trailer per day $ 20
RV Parking per day $ 30
Adult Costume & Doggie Costume $ 5
And this show is double judged, so two ribbons per class.
Add $60 for gas, as I own my own trailer, and I typically sleep in the tack stall so no hotel.
I added all mine up to respond to this thread but it got too depressing. I’m leaving for two weeks of rated H/J showing today and I don’t like looking at the grand total!!!
Here’s a pretty typical two-day dressage show for me:
Trailer: $$$$$, but I own it.
Gas: $50
Office fee: $35
Drug testing fee: $16
2 FEI tests, Qualifying: $150
Stall (Fri-Sun): $175
Hotel (Fri-Sun): $200
Shavings: $60
Coaching: $50/day = $100 (depends on the show, about 50% of the time I’m on my own)
Hotel/Food split for trainer if she’s staying over: ?
ETA: I do all my own grooming, care, and braiding.
I show rather cheap, I do my own grooming and I don’t have a trainer(at least a paid one - my coach is a close family friend). My entry fees are rather cheap as well, generally $30 per horse for eventing and around $50 for show jumping. Championships are a fair bit more, $100 for the first horse and then $70 every other. We don’t stable execpt at the royal which ends up $15 per night a stall and that doesn’t include bedding. Plus gas as well. I am in Tasmania, Australia.
[QUOTE=541hunter;8812989]
I added all mine up to respond to this thread but it got too depressing. I’m leaving for two weeks of rated H/J showing today and I don’t like looking at the grand total!!![/QUOTE]
For me, local H/J show (2 days of showing - full division each day) around $650. Includes my trainer’s fee and staying on grounds ($35/night) in my LQ trailer. Does not include my gas or meals. We do our own grooming and horse care at all shows (local and rated.)
AA rated show costs $1,000-$1,250 per week, including trainer’s fee, braiding (done by trainer), RV fee (way too expensive, anywhere from $225-$325) and doing 1 amateur division.
The smaller A rated shows are usually $800-$1,000 per week.
Getting harder and harder to justify spending that kind of money to show.
30 to 40 years ago, I used to do all the A shows in this area. Jumpers. Winnings paid my university tuition LOL. That was “profit” over entry and stabling fees. Then, I didn’t show much for 20 or so years (other than a few local unrated schooling shows with project horses), being involved with racing instead. Then, I returned to showing. Things have changed ROTFLMAO!
Started with some local schooling shows, which aren’t that much different than they used to be. Then moved on to the “Fall Fair” circuit. Then did one “Gold” rated show last fall. That was expensive. But fun, other than the rain. But really, the Fall Fair circuit is a pretty good option. Lower level, more local than the rated shows, and the government kicks in a huge supplement into prize money. Entry fees and stabling are minimal, and lots of prize money available. I can still make money going to these shows, as well as have some fun, and relive a bit of my past. One has to be a bit careful about who is doing the courses, and who is doing the show organization, because it is often NOT the regular rated crew. But, it’s been OK, for the most part. 3’6" Mini Prix, with $1800 purse money, isn’t something to sneeze at. Specialty classes, with prize money, held to amuse the public, which is present, wanting to be entertained at the fair. It is the opportunity to sell horse showing to the general public, who normally do not attend rated horseshows in any number. It is an opportunity to infect the next generation of children who wouldn’t normally get this exposure, with the horse bug. That’s kind of nice, IMO. The fall fairs are a step back in time in some ways. Give them a try, if you want to try something different. Be prepared for some new attitudes you may encounter there.
Of course, being old, I grew up in the beginning of the “needing the coach at the show watching the client, coaching the client, giving instructions to the client, solving problems for the client, making sure the client is behaving” era. I always showed alone as a kid, coaching happened in training lessons, and at clinics. (It still does). So I am accustomed to solving my own problems at shows, and the coaching fee is an expense that I can avoid. I don’t need the show curtains on the tack room door, and the opulence of the “tack room” experience, and I often prefer my own company. I just need a place to store my stuff that is secure, and I do my own work, make my own decisions. The quality of the coaching is always the question, and some of what I see going on I find questionable in it’s value to “the client”. But hey, whatever floats your boat! Not all coaches are GM. Some are simply some yo yo who spouts crap in a loud voice, and the clients lap it up happily and believe it all, because they are too green to know the difference. And pay the bill. Stimulates the economy. Ra Ra! But know that there are other options, if you dare.
[QUOTE=mvp;8809828]
Yabbut, going to horse shows is one of the horse trainer’s jobs. There should be profit in it. I don’t see how the pro you mention is doing wrong. Can you explain?[/QUOTE]
In my case the trainer was taking 4 or 5 students and showing herself.
She charged them for everything she possibly could. She charged extra for bedding and stalls etc. So if the venue price was $6/bag of shavings the girls would pay her $8. No discounts, no cost sharing. Each student got a bill and had to pay in full.
So yes she made out like a bandit on show days.
I don’t have a trainer, but primarily stall with likeminded friends that do their own training/showing, so we can split tack stalls, supplies, and so forth.
I show Arabians and dressage shows, both rated and unrated in the general area.
My last rated show came in around the $350 mark for entries, hauling, camping, food, shavings.
I did an unrated dressage show for $60 more or less, but that <20 miles from home, so that was awesome.
It can be done on a reasonable budget if you want to. There’s no way otherwise I could show with having grad school student loan payments, etc.
I love showing and am happy to keep things simple, split hotel rooms, camp, and generally hang out with a group of awesome amateurs to keep things affordable.
I know that I am not as competitive than if I would have a trainer, but that’s OK. It’s not in the cards right now.
I also do a bit of other showing with catch handling horses for showing in hand, so I have had the privilege of showing on the national level last year in an amateur to handle class. It was still an expensive adventure, but an incredible journey.
See what you like and what makes your heart sing.
Take up fox hunting! The riding attire never changes from year to year nor does the tack. Full riding membership is $2200, no office fees, no drug testing fees, no schooling fees and that fee provides anywhere from 52-60 hunting opportunities each season. Some people use a trainer when starting a new horse.
It’ll always be $1,000 at least doing rated shows. Budget between 1500 and 2500 depending where and for weekend or full week.
Yet another reason why I love endurance. Yearly membership fees are around $175 (includes AERC and ECTRA and any local clubs). Usually entry fees are around $100 and even include your meals for the weekend and your camping space. My only other expense is generally fuel and if I want to bring other food to feed crew members etc.
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