I once had a check bounce because they cashed it SIX (6) weeks after the show - yes, embarassing on my part, but I don’t normally keep 4 figures available in my bank account unless I know I’m showing. I called them and told them I would hand deliver a new check that afternoon but it needed to be cashed the same day. They told me I could just venmo the treasurer the amount. Made no sense then, still makes no sense now.
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You totally nailed it! And yes, people are now spending money elsewhere - vacation homes, luxury travel, etc. And who wants to pay for your horse to go on the road 2 weeks of the month regardless of if you can be there to show it or not. It’s crazy town! She also did mention how she thinks it’s going to be 10 families long term that horse show!
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Agreed. I lived in the bay area for 8 years and when people with google money don’t want their kids getting into horses because it’s too expensive the sport is dying.
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That sentiment really kills me. It’s the 2’/2’6" amateurs that are bankrolling the trainers at this point! And we’re told we need to tip them and buy them a 3’6" horse to campaign!
I laughed with my trainer today because at some point in the next 2 years, 3 of us in my barn - one of whom has been riding 40+ years and doesn’t want to do the 3’, another who did the 3’6" as a junior, has accomplished their goals at 3’, and whose horse needs to step down, and myself, an adult who never jumped as a kid and would love to do 3’+ one day, will all probably be duking it out at the 2’6" every show. I’d imagine this scenario is quite common in a lot of barns.
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There is some video of Mark Wahlberg complaining about how expensive the Hunter/jumper sport is! Impossible for us plebeians to play along, really.
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I noticed today that a horse that won JHF west (and I say “a” horse not “the” horse because we’ve now added a million 3” increment divisions…I digress) is showing this week at another show. No breaks. Until it “breaks”. Insane!!
Said horse has been to SIXTEEN horse shows so far this year. It’s 10. And a Hunter. That’s…a LOT.
(Ps obviously the kid has nothing to do with the trainer advising this kind of over-showing).
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That barn routinely does 20+ shows a year fyi including indoors and thermal which now starts in early Dec.
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And can you imagine how many injections and shockwave it’s had? I can only guess but that’s just so sad. Yeah and the parents probably don’t know anything about horses, they’re just wanting to enable their kids dream. My parents were those people way back when, thank goodness it was a bit of a different time!
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I didn’t move from the hunters to the ranch horse world because of the cost, but what a breath of fresh air this world has been, financially and environment wise.
This is the show bill for a very competitive, good-sized (10-20 horses per class) show I’m headed to tomorrow:
As a bonus, I can stay at home (so no hotel bill), and a fellow competitor does night check for me just because she’s a nice person. My trainer isn’t attending this weekend, and no one will raise an eyebrow at that.
Lest anyone think this is a “western” thing, an AQHA show at the same facility charges $150/weekend per stall (i.e. double what this series, which SELLS OUT of RV hookups at every show and comes darn close to selling out of stalls at most events, charges).
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I saw the exact opposite thing happen at at show many years ago by now.
They were waiting on one trainer to come and train the last horse or two in some division. And the show manager happened to step outside the show office at just the exact right time to see that trainer walk out of his barn and turn left to go to the food stand instead of turning right to go to the ring where they were waiting for him
And the manager pulled out his radio, called over to that ingate person, and told him to close that class. It was hilarious.
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There also to be a mindshift as seeing horses as “disposable” and moving on to the next one. Growing up, I remember many people had the same horse from the beginning divisions to the juniors. If the horse had the scope and could do that job, people would move up the ranks with that horse. It seems like it isn’t a thing anymore, but a push towards buy/sell every 1-2 years.
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Yes. My barn goes to about that many shows also - the difference is our horses do fewer classes than most. I’m entered in a whopping 3 classes this week.
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This. I bred a couple in my younger days. They are still out there showing. I have received calls on several saying “Tommy is lame and they’ve decided to just find him a spot to land instead of investigating further, will you take Tommy back?”. Just like that Tommy went lame in his older age and is no longer of service so they just want to dump him off. Incredible sad.
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I think you are turning something into something it is not.
I have no doubt that if someone had a horse with the scope and ability to successfully move up the levels they would keep that horse and move up the levels with it.
The problem is, a horse with the ability to shine with itty bitty fences with a new rider is likely not the same horse that can win at the higher levels and a more experienced rider.
Nothing to do with people wanting the nuisance and expense of getting a new horse every two years.
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Is asking if you would take him back as a first step in finding him a retirement situation a terrible thing? What do you do with all your horses when they need to retire? Do you still have all of them?
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Them asking is not a bad thing, no. My issue is the show crowd treats them disposably and rarely steps up to retire them themselves. And for your information, yes, I do have all of my retirees here: all 8 of them. They will live out their days here.
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Part that is because some people, many people even, that show do not have their own barn to retiree eight horses on.
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Much of the “show crowd” boards out while others or their families do own their own stables/farm not only retire all theirs on family owned property but bred them. Generalizations are odious and misleading.
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this is getting off topic but yes and no. There are retirement options out there, affordably too. Most at the show level just don’t want to explore that route because it costs more money in the end. If you are showing weekly at the AA level and have millions in self worth, these folks can certainly entertain the idea of retiring the horses they own. I am not nit picking those at the local C level show level who can barely afford to show never mind own horses.
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Said horse has been to SIXTEEN horse shows so far this year. It’s 10. And a Hunter. That’s…a LOT.
Some of them have been to over 20 shows so far this year.
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