I honestly don’t want to know. It has escalated so so very dramatically in the past 5 years.
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mostly it is by long term relationships of knowing people within the industry,
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In my area, those people are retiring and selling out to people who have dramatically different business plans.
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This. $5k a week showing. Board + training $2100/month in Zone 9.
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I was speaking to a trainer recently about Florida and they were saying that some well-established barns/trainers are starting to think about their future show plans cause their clients are starting to get priced out. And if millionaires can’t afford it, then RIP to the rest of us.
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I would love to know which trainers bc the ones here by us in FL seem to act like it’s NBD that customers seem price-concerned and just seem to shrug and act like it’s the price of doing business.
Interestingly enough, I have seen some of them take the foot off the gas about showing expectations as they’ve picked up on the fact that they have lost customers from the pressure of the showing expectations.
That being said… some of the prices I’ve heard around Ocala, Wellington, and TerraNova lead me to believe that no one is truly acting like they’re empathizing with the current state of our economy and the transitioning workplace environments that many are needing to adapt to as companies cut back and expect workers back in the office.
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Exactly. Barn after barn in our area. New owners only want horses that are in full training and trainer controls (and bills for) everything. Not only their training program, but their vet, farrier, chiropractor, saddle fitter, theraplate, bemer blanket, matching trunks and blankets for the whole barn, shipped to shows with trainer even if you have your own trailer, owner isn’t allowed opinions on anything and isn’t even always informed, just billed. If trainer gets a new saddle sponsor you will be buying a new saddle from them. Maybe not right away, but within a few months there will be a reason why the saddle she insisted you needed a year and a half ago is no longer good enough. If she goes to Florida and you don’t (if that is even an option) you will stay in full training by having assistant trainer ride your horse and having video lessons with her.
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I’m a DINK in Zone 3. Both my husband and I make 6 figure incomes (120k-140k ish range). We have a modest home with a low payment thanks to purchasing before rates skyrocketed. We only have one car payment and no other debt besides those two payments and the monthly CC which we pay off each month.
I am currently horseless and don’t plan on purchasing any time soon due to the costs just getting to be too high - both the initial purchase cost and the subsequent care. And that’s before showing.
The H/J discipline has always been difficult but it’s border line broken at this point if people like me no longer feel like we can make it work without undue risk.
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I agree wholeheartedly - also z3 here, DC suburb. The sentiment at many A rated program, mine included, is that many of us are financially not interested in dropping $20k+ a year on showing ALONE, nor CAN we with the economy the way it is. More and more of my friends are saying they need to take a step back, or start doing local shows again. I do wonder what this means for the industry’s C and regional shows- maybe we will see more entries at the one day or unrated types due to how insane rated showing has become….
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Also DINK (for now), and I’m primary breadwinner in a high risk/high reward field. SO and I have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C in case I lose my job and am out of work for an extended period of time–which can and does happen in my industry. Plan A is to immediately lease or sell the horse. There is no hanging on. That is part of the deal I struck going into horse ownership. It really is just winging it.
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Scroll down past the last post. There’s a drop down tracking menu. Mute!
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Just read this, and her board is only $250 and she doesn’t mention any other horse related expense like farrier or insurance or vet - I’m sure that $250 number is low for her. Another great potential rider in the sport lost to finances.
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I think pros should do this for show trunks and wardrobes.
So the barn owns the trunks with the farm’s art on it; client’s name gets put on the trunk in the form of a name plate that can be switched out. Barn owns whatever wool coolers, scrims etc. in their farm’s fabrics/embroidery in the various sizes. Clients then rent those supplies for the season or time they are at the barn.
All of this saves the client looking down the barrel of lot of expensive, custom stuff that they can’t use at their next place. It often gets sold back to the pro at a huge loss to the client.
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Plus storing all of those trunks at the barn!! 
Trainer owns 5-10 trunks, clients pay to use them at the show and the barn has lockers at home.
No trunks in the aisle, no packing/unpacking your trunk with “just show stuff” every time you go, and the tack room stays organized with everyone’s things in lockers. Win/win/win!
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My barn’s trunks are barn logo embossed on the front with nameplate on the lid. We have to buy them, but trainer did choose that design so that when/if someone leaves, they can recoup their expense by selling the trunk within the barn. It’s worked pretty well so far.
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B
B
Zone 3
It is bananas that an overall spend of $5500 a month only puts me in category B. To put it in perspective, that is more than the median income (after taxes) of American families. In other words, what I spend on horses is more than the average American family lives on. Yuck.
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This is how they do it in ASB land. Trainer provides all the trunks, boots, pads, and things needed except for saddle, bridle, bits for horse to show. You pay a seasonal or per show fee. It works out well as trainer keeps track of everything.
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