So what can be done to make Dressage more affordable?

[kris0227]

@lenapesadie

I’m not terribly familiar with the opportunity classes. Isn’t the whole point of those that the scores aren’t recorded? Why pay to show rated if the score isn’t recorded? If what one is looking for is just feedback then wouldn’t a clinic be a better choice?

The rated show local to me allows haul ins. I wonder why it’s different in different areas? I love the opportunity to stable at shows, even for one day. The convenience of a stall really improves my experience, so that’s a fee I’m always happy to pay.

Look! I quoted you.

The opportunity classes, I believe, were designed to give people a taste of a rated show without paying all the membership fees to see if they wanted to attend a rated show. I believe USDF/USEF believed people weren’t going to rated shows cause they didn’t know how “awesome” they were. Unfortunately, that’s really not the case. Many people on this thread have commented that for them, dressage affordability is related to showing because when you go to a show, you get the feedback to make sure you’re moving in the right direction. Clinics are great… if there are some near you that you can afford. Obviously, the price of affordability is an individual thing. Personally, I do enjoy showing and getting my pony out for others to see because I want to promote the breed, but I don’t care about recording or medals. I use it to gauge if I’m moving in the right direction, or moving at all! I do the majority of my training at home by myself, I am the epitome of DIY when it comes to dressage.

I believe the haul-ins is actually a requirement of the facility. It’s either related to insurance or a money grab, I don’t know which as it’s never spelled out. I know one of our local facilities years ago allowed haul-ins and now they’ve decided you have to have a stall even at their schooling shows. I have friends that will haul-in to those shows with their required stall and show off the trailer any way because it’s just silly to unpack everything for a test or two. I would be interested to know why some facilities allow it and some don’t, but just as good footing is a requirement for USDF/USEF shows, so should the requirement that they be run in as affordable a manner as possible to improve accessibility of the sport.

My suggestions aren’t the only improvements needed or going to benefit everyone, but I think they’re sort of the low hanging fruit type of solutions. They aren’t the end-all be all answers, but I think these type of simple suggestions should be what USDF/USEF are pursuing to make the sport more accessible.

[Manni01]

No opportunity classes… that’s another rip off… they are not recorded… so you pay 3 membership fees and 2 registration fees per year and get nothing for it…
I think it’s amazing how many “cheap” alternatives there are offered, all without even storing your results…

[kris0227]

@Manni01

No opportunity classes… that’s another rip off… they are not recorded… so you pay 3 membership fees and 2 registration fees per year and get nothing for it…
I think it’s amazing how many “cheap” alternatives there are offered, all without even storing your results…

You don’t have to pay the membership or registration fees for the opportunity classes. But those classes don’t exist above first level.

[Manni01]

Agree totally!!!

[lenapesadie]

@Piaffe11

I pay $400 in membership fees and get nothing back from that.

Ok so let’s say USDF contributes nothing to the sport. We, the dressage enthusiast, revolt and overthrow their tyrannical reign. Now we are saving $400 per year. Let’s say as a result we negotiate with USEF to place price caps on dressage shows resulting in $1500 worth of saving if you show 8 times per year. Is this $2000 per year breaking your ability to enjoy your luxury hobby? Because compared to the costs of buying, training and keeping a horse, that’s chump change.

If we don’t like the idea that luxury hobbies are for those that can afford them, then we need to discuss politics and economics.

What can be done to make dressage more affordable? Realistically, very little.

[lenapesadie]

I like the idea of haul ins being allowed at all shows. I’m not sure how the opportunity classes at higher levels would work. Don’t higher levels require higher rated judges? Wouldn’t the cost to pay those judges have to be passed on to the competitor?

[Piaffe11]

Dressage doesn’t have to be a luxury hobby. We get charged because of the sport we are involved in. It’s marked up, like the wedding industry.

Why should I be fine spending $2000 a year in show fees, when the actual cost of putting on (and regulating) those shows is peanuts in comparison to what I’m paying?

I board in a very english-dressage oriented area. I actually board at a western facility because that is where my horse does best. The amenities in both my current facility and my past facility were the exact same. Both have large indoors, outdoor sand rings, trails, nice stalls, good care, etc. One cost me $900/month and the other $525.

English riders expect to pay more, western riders expect to pay less. I don’t understand why I’m supposed to just accept I have to pay more and move on.

[kris0227]

It is probably a show by show thing as I think they can be different levels. At the shows around here, they already offer Grand Prix, so they have the appropriate judges. They would just need to offer an opportunity version at each level. There are different levels of judges but I envision that if they offer the rated version of the test, they could just as easily offer the opportunity version.

[SillyHorse]

@Manni01

No opportunity classes… that’s another rip off… they are not recorded… so you pay 3 membership fees and 2 registration fees per year and get nothing for it…
I think it’s amazing how many “cheap” alternatives there are offered, all without even storing your results…

@kris0227

You don’t have to pay the membership or registration fees for the opportunity classes. But those classes don’t exist above first level.

@Manni01 Please familiarize yourself with the topics you trying to discuss. And yes, maybe you should start a scholarship fund or something similar if you think everyone should be able to compete at horse shows regardless of how much or how little money they have. It’s a fact of life that some have more than others. Horse sports are expensive, even without competing.

[lenapesadie]

I don’t see how the show fees are inflated compared to the cost of production of said event. Please explain where you see the cost of putting on a show being so much less than the costs of entries.

I have never once seen a western barn with truly comparable care, facilities and location be appreciably cheaper than an English barn. Clearly your experience is different

I just looked at a reining championship entry form. One class cost $1800 to enter. Just the class fee + judging fee. That’s not a stall or any other costs. Sure there’s some prize money, but guarantee there are for more entries than winners of any size able sum. Tell me again how western disciplines are cheaper. Disciplines often backed by a large governing body that makes money on breed registrations.

I’m saying the costs have very little room to go down and are relatively fairly priced for the market.

[lenapesadie]

@SillyHorse

have. It’s a fact of life that some have more than others. Horse sports are expensive, even without competing.

Exactly

[kris0227]

@lenapesadie

I have never once seen a western barn with truly comparable care, facilities and location be appreciably cheaper than an English barn. Clearly your experience is different

I have. Here you can board at a nice western barn with hot wash rack, fully insulated barn, large indoor, enormous outdoor and it’ll cost you $300 per month (it was only $250 a few years ago), but a comparable English barn will cost you no less than $500 per month for the same facilities and care. That is an appreciable difference for those without unlimited funds.

I think a reining championship cost would be more comparable to the US Dressage Finals, not your average open show. And as I pointed out, we need to be focusing our attention on why other shows are more affordable and not just keep justifying the cost of dressage shows because X discipline shows are more expensive. Obviously, a large contingent of people feel it’s cost prohibitive to show, so something needs to change. I’ve made a couple of suggestions, do you have any that would improve the cost of showing or make it more accessible?

[Piaffe11]

I agree with you.

And the reining classes are that expensive because most of the large classes have quite a lot of prize money. Breeders start paying into the entry fees when the horses are born - small payments per month as soon as the foal is registered. Not very comparable.

[lorilu]

Why dont you volunteer with a local show organizer? Here are some places it goes: Venue rental. Arena rental (yes, an additional charge for those rails), fees for ring grooming; sometimes fees for the rental of the warm up area; judge fees, travel, and housing and feeding), EMT, TD pay etc; scribes get $10/hour here in north central florida; ribbons and prizes; and oh, the show manager gets paid also. And, if I am not wrong, USDF/USEF both also get a cut of the class fee. (someone will correct me I am sure).

[lorilu]

I wonder how many folks here cheered the fight between WEC-Ocala, and USEF… I wonder how you feel about the possibility that in the future he gets all the dates he wants then he can charge anythign he wants - his shows are already more expensive than the other local managers and venues (and all have great footing, most have covered (but not indoor) arenas, and of course quality judges…)

Otherwise: If you are not interested in awards other than Rider awards, you only need a GMO membership. If you show only to test your training, there are many organizations that offer quality schooling shows with quality judges. I have no idea where the $400 in membership fees quoted above comes from… If you are including breed organizations, that does not belong in this conversation.

[lenapesadie]

Just pulled a regular AQHA show bill. Flat entry fee of 475, does not include stall, parking or warm up fees. This backed by the organization that makes money on breed registrations. Tell me again how ludicrously over priced dressage shows are.

I was under the impression that these shows are restricted to AQHA registered horses. I could be wrong though.

[lenapesadie]

Agree agree. Yes the sport is expensive because it costs money to put it on!

[lenapesadie]

@Piaffe11

Dressage doesn’t have to be a luxury hobby.

Actually it does because horses themselves are a luxury hobby.

[lenapesadie]

@kris0227

do you have any that would improve the cost of showing or make it more accessible?

Price caps on hay? Joking.

I suggest that there is minimal difference in costs between showing in different horse disciplines when compared to the overall costs of horse ownership. I also suggest that the cost of production of a dressage show, open to all breeds and not backed by breed registrations income, is greater than some disciplines and less than others. I suggest it’s priced accordingly. I suggest that if individuals can afford 95% of a luxury hobby that they should check their privilege before whining that they can’t afford the other 5% of a luxury hobby.

[kris0227]

So then you’re ok with the sport dying out because the base grass roots are being priced out of the sport entirely?