I’m sure like in your example of your situation, Highflyer, that some of the eventers who don’t hunt in my area are also planning time/money carefully so they can event - I totally understand the rationing every penny as that is how I’m able to afford hunting! We are lucky in that our capping fees are $35 year round and that we have reduced rates for junior members to encourage the next generation. I always offer one of my horses (my most saintly horse - usually my husband’s mount, but sometimes his work conflicts with hunts) as an option for potential hunt guests of mine in case someone thinks or knows their horse would not be a good hunter right off the bat. I was really lucky to do a bit of hunting on someone else’s made horses before starting my own in the hunt field and it made a huge difference in my understanding and enjoyment of the sport.
I think overall the rising costs of ALL (at least the ones I am familiar) with equestrian sports may be a big part of what encourages modern day riders to specialize so much. I enjoy dabbling in different disciplines (for ex: am also hoping to do my first endurance ride this year) and definitely would seek out a wider variety of lessons and experiences if I had the financial means to do so.
