Do remember the purchase price is onlhy a small part of any horse ownership. Add training, vet work, shoeing, transportation and show fees…to get to 4*** $50K
[QUOTE=Outyougo;8648576]
Do remember the purchase price is onlhy a small part of any horse ownership. Add training, vet work, shoeing, transportation and show fees…to get to 4*** $50K[/QUOTE]
I seem to recall that 10 years ago the number 60k per year was thrown out around Teddy O’Connor. Prices can only have gone up since then.
[QUOTE=Highflyer;8647917]
It does happen, although it isn’t the norm. Karen O’Connor competed Veronica through at least the *** level (IIRC they went to Rolex but didn’t get around) before she got hurt and Lauren got the ride. Mr. Medicott was an Olympic horse before Karen got him and then went on to do Rolex with Philip Dutton. Shamwari had been to the Olympics for Sweden? before Boyd got him.
But there just aren’t that many **** horses out there, and even fewer that are for sale-- at any price.[/QUOTE]
Indian Mill was just purchased for Phillip Dutton. It happens quite often, really. I also could name a few who were bought as 3* horses from another country and never did anything comparable under new ownership.
[QUOTE=soloudinhere;8648685]
Indian Mill was just purchased for Phillip Dutton. It happens quite often, really. I also could name a few who were bought as 3* horses from another country and never did anything comparable under new ownership.[/QUOTE]
I did not say that it doesnt happen, I just question whether it really works if you want to send a horse/rider combination sucessful to Rolex. There are big odds that the bought made horse will not work as well for the new rider as for the old one.
These top riders are also increasingly running into the problem that exsists in other disciplines-time to develop prospects while teaching, traveling and competing at all levels for clients and keeping their business going. Just no time for greenies so they have assistants and that pushes the boarding/training costs up for clients.
Its worse over in H/J since there’s more competitions but time running a business working with multiple clients and their horses sucks away time that used to go to developing prospects from scratch.
Buying one already partway there costs much more upfront but might save a couple of years of training bills and eliminate some risk. But at the end of the road, when that horse steps in the 4* start box? I bet the total cost to get there, purchase + x years of upkeep/board + vet/farrier + training + competitions equals about the same amount of money.
Pay less for purchase and spend more years training it up or pay more for purchase and spend fewer years getting it there. It’s a classic pay now or pay later, either way you are going to pay.
Less than 10 years ago I was conversing with an owner of a horse who had earned an Olympic medal. The budget for that one year was 100k.
This included board, training, entries, chiro, vet, farrier, shipping across the pond the autumn before the Games for a few shows, , plane fares for national and international shows for owner and rider, etc. etc etc.
13 years ago I figured out that it cost me roughly $40k to get a horse to 2*, and that was with everything on the cheap - didn’t pay for lessons (was a WS), didn’t buy a truck/trailer (parents owned it), purchase price of horse not included (it was only $2,200).
So there’s your basement price for a 2* horse - and any horse that is young and sound and shows potential for 4* is going to be much pricier.
Our family has sent our rider and horse number one 4 times. We have had some help along the way from small grassroots groups, 2 Amanda Warrington grants and a lot of family effort. I like the way we did it.
I don’t know how much it cost, still paying those cards off, but it is worth every penny!
Horse number two was a heartbreaker as he was injured in a trailer wreck on the way to FL one winter.
Horse number 3 is very special, but Rolex would be a stretch.
Horse number 4 developed neurological issues and is no longer on this earth.
We have our fingers crossed that we may get there soon.
We are looking to the next one!
oops, I wasn’t finished.
If you can keep your horse at home, do all your own work, make due with 2nd hand gear, borrow what you don’t own, you can make it happen for $20k per year. Bare bones, no frills.
Blackfoot Mystery came from TBRC (Thoroughbred Rehab Center) in CA.
There is only one way to get experience!
Either these numbers are low or eventing is still seriously cheaper to do than showjumping. In the late nineties our clients in a jumper barn were told to budget $30k just to do the Ocala winter circuit, including entries, splits, expenses, etc. And this was for green but developing horses, like Preliminary Jumpers (say a 1.1-1.4m horse).
There wasn’t enough prize money offered in those divisions, and those classes were so big you couldn’t count on winning anything to offset the expense.
And that’s not counting any of the spring/summer shows once we got back home. or training the rest of the year. That’s just Ocala.
Oh, it’s much, much cheaper than show jumping. But there is little to no prize money.
[QUOTE=fordtraktor;8649908]
Either these numbers are low or eventing is still seriously cheaper to do than showjumping. In the late nineties our clients in a jumper barn were told to budget $30k just to do the Ocala winter circuit, including entries, splits, expenses, etc. And this was for green but developing horses, like Preliminary Jumpers (say a 1.1-1.4m horse).
There wasn’t enough prize money offered in those divisions, and those classes were so big you couldn’t count on winning anything to offset the expense.
And that’s not counting any of the spring/summer shows once we got back home. or training the rest of the year. That’s just Ocala.[/QUOTE]
It is significantly cheaper than the jumpers and dressage. But heading south (if not already based there) does increase costs. As does going abroad to compete.
To run Rolex…that year you generally do need to be South as it is relatively early in the season so best to be a bit south for conditioning purposes (Aiken is better than FLAT Florida for this). But in the years leading up…I would not say it is a requirement.
From what I can tell, some costs in Eventing are a lot lower but it costs a bare minimum of around 20k a year to keep a horse in almost any all weather, year round training facility with courses and trainers appropriate to the discipline and you definately need a serious coach, top vet care and an excellent farrier if you are aiming to advance to the top tier of competition. That’s without additional coaching fees and show expenses, probably do need to go to Europe, 20k round trip for the plane ticket for the horse.
Doubt you could get by much lower and for sure that minimum could double or even triple in some areas. Areas where the better trainers capable of developing an upper level are going to be centered. You could keep at home and haul yourself but then you’d need to figure in a rig, haul in fees and all these coaching sessions. Unless you own property, you’d need to buy that too.
I notice the rider if that 750 OTTB is a former investment banker and owns WBs too, she’s not on a skimpy budget.
Lauren Kieffer purchased Vermiculus from his breede, I think started him, and is moving him up the levels. I know she was aiming him at the Olympics. I’ve been following him as she’s a big name eventer who purchased an Anglo Arab on purpose for the upper levels. He’s the full brother to snooze alar.
What is interesting to me is that these numbers are what I figured, and it’s not much less to run around the lower levels seriously :eek: :lol: I mean sure it can be done on a tight budget, but it’s not much less…
I have looked into a couple of syndicates for up-and-coming riders who have been to Rolex and want to develop a string of horses, and I think their figures for expenses are pretty reasonable to play the game at a high level. I don’t remember the exact figures off the top of my head, but I think maintenance was 2500-5000 per share, per year. Multiply that by the number of shares and that’s probably as close as anyone can really guess.
In addition to the other benefits, there is a (small) economy of scale to having a string of horses in training.
I have looked into a couple of syndicates for up-and-coming riders who have been to Rolex and want to develop a string of horses, and I think their figures for expenses are pretty reasonable to play the game at a high level. I don’t remember the exact figures off the top of my head, but I think maintenance was 2500-5000 per share, per year. Multiply that by the number of shares and that’s probably as close as anyone can really guess.
In addition to the other benefits, there is a (small) economy of scale to having a string of horses in training.
Thanks, everyone, these are great responses and have given me so much insight.
I know that sending a dressage horse to horse to the olympics can cost ~ $200-250K/year or more, depending on the deal of the rider. Sans cost of horse but more like shares in the horse (sans outright ownership)
I really appreciate the feedback given here…thanks!
In a related idea, the costs here suggest that it is quite difficult for the quality rider with one quality horse to really make it to “the top of the heap” without significant family money or sponsorship.
