Hi folks, I would like to know how you are coping with your horse expenses during these economic times. Are you buying things like tack used? or making due with what you have? Have you had to economize more in other areas of life to afford your horse? What are you doing that could help others?

Thanks,

Patty

Hi.  I am doing the best I can to make do w/what tack I have.  Did get a Used saddle.  Sold some things that were here that I haven't used in years or wouldn't use.  We haven't gone out to eat as much.  We did start feeding round bales of hay...the price from the same supplier was $25 for a round bale (equivalent to 12 squares), the price for a square is $4.  That is a savings of almost 1/2.  Not to mention, less physical work .  With the round bales my horses actually seem to be wasting less.

Both my horses are more or less retired pasture ornaments now, so I'm already saving money by not showing or having lessons as I used to in the past. The tack I have is fine for the occassional riding that I do.

Both horses are at pasture board, where they get two feeds a day and all the grass and hay they can eat.  It's less expensive than the full care stable board I've had in the past and I know the horses prefer being able to wander where they want, when they want.

The ladies I board with all go in together to have the vet out for routine shots, teeth floating etc, to save on barn calls.  Ditto the farrier.

 

Unfortunately I'm saving by not riding right now. I had planned on trying to find a horse sometime within the next year or two, but I have not been able to find a place to board that is cheaper than $450 around here, and that is just too expensive for me. I may splurge and take some lessons soon, but right now I'm focusing on trying to put away money so that hopefully in a few years or if I find a good boarding situation I'll be able to afford the right horse even in this market.

Gritting my teeth and closing my eyes.  I've always been low income as far as the horse world is concerned.  So used tack and saving money is a status quo for me.  So I guess not much has changed for me really.  I afford my horse by buying cheap groceries for me, I rarely travel unless it's a horse trip, I don't go out, I drive an old truck, and I only do recreational non-horse shopping about once every five or six years.

Me too - I've always been low income, period!  But that's just fine with me, because as long as I have my 2 horses at home with me, I have more than I could ever want.  I was fortunate to be born and raised with horses, so I've always had the basic necessities, thank God.  As far as extras, an extra for me is a new halter, fancy headstall, or brush rather than going out to eat or to the movies (I haven't seen a movie on the big screen since Seabiscuit).  We used to go to the NFR every year in December, and that is one thing we cut out to save money, and I make way fewer trips to the tack store now.  We also don't haul to any trail rides or play days that are more than 3 or 4 hours away anymore to save fuel, which is a big cut back for us considering where we live.   I also have far fewer pairs of boots and jeans in my closet these days, but I have enough.

We manage by scraping by as always.  We rarely eat out.  We don't travel.  We cut Christmas to the bone buying only needed things and bought extra hay instead.  Choctaw gets more kitchen treats (carrots, apple, etc) now instead of the expensive commercial horse treats.  She still gets Purina Compete in the evening to supplement her hay.  We haven't bought any tack since my car died back in the summer on the way home from a tack/horse sale.  Choctaw has our whole 40 ares to herself now to graze during the day.  So, she is getting plenty of grass. 

I, too, am a member of the "Broke Horse Owners Club," lol. I think a lot of people have the impression that anyone who owns a horse must be very well-off, but that is certainly not the case with most of us!

So far, I've been managing to barely make ends meet - haven't had to cut anything out yet. I still get all of his supplements (I feel like they're all necessary), although I might end up having to switch from SmartPaks to "bulk buying." Also, I haven't gotten any of the extras that I would like to give my horse - chiropractic, equine massage therapist, Legend, etc. My guy is 23 and I do the best I can for him, but I would certainly like to be able to pamper him even more.

As most of you have said, I also don't spend much money on myself these days. Instead of buying clothes for myself, getting expensive haircuts, having shopping frenzies @ Sephora, etc., all of my money goes to board, vet, farrier, and SmartPak. I may be broke, but I'm happy! And, even with the whole economy collapsing, I've been fine because  "if youy don't have any money, you can't lose it." When my bank was being bought out, my mom called me in a frenzy. I said, "Mom, I'm really not that worried about the $4 I have in my bank account @ the moment." LOL

Frizzle:

I still get all of his supplements (I feel like they're all necessary), although I might end up having to switch from SmartPaks to "bulk buying." Also, I haven't gotten any of the extras that I would like to give my horse - chiropractic, equine massage therapist, Legend, etc. My guy is 23 and I do the best I can for him, but I would certainly like to be able to pamper him even more.

Exactly Frizzle!  I guess that's what I mean too, I would love to do more for my guys, I see stuff all the time that "we could use" but will have to wait for another time, now that feed, hay, horseshoer, gas and all the necessities have gone up.  But really and truly I don't think they feel they're missing anything - just like your guy Frizzle, they know they're loved and they have everything they need, so we're happy!

Frizzle:

And, even with the whole economy collapsing, I've been fine because  "if youy don't have any money, you can't lose it." When my bank was being bought out, my mom called me in a frenzy. I said, "Mom, I'm really not that worried about the $4 I have in my bank account @ the moment." LOL

This made me laugh -- the day after the first crash, I came to work and a co-worker asked me "how much did you lose in the stock market crash?"  I said, "huh?  It crashed?"  They stared at me like I had three heads.  I then explained that when you have no money and certainly can't afford to invest in anything that doesn't even exist, you can't lose anything!!!

 Like everyone else I try to cut back on things I don't need. I haven't had a hair cut in a while because it's super expensive. I don't buy new clothes so if I gain weight I'm screwed. Haha. My husband and I try to eat out less, I clip coupons for grocery shopping, etc. I'm young enough that I still have a car that I have to pay on, we have been trying to do things to our house here and there so I have other stupid little bills to pay on, etc. I do plan to show this year so I have been skimping even more for that so I can save for show fees.

I barter when I can, for example in the fall I traded a saddle that didn't fit my mare for hauling fees and a week's board.  My mare is pasture boarded, which she prefers anyways.  Vet and farrier calls are shared with fellow boarders.  Most of what I wear comes from thrift stores, or at least discount stores (the clothing rack at the grocery store is surprisingly good!).

Like a lot of people have said, a lot of this is normal because I'm just generally broke!

As others have said, I've never had a whole lot of extra money lying around so I've always had to be frugal with my horses.  I keep my horses out at my parents' place and do all my own farrier work.  I give my own shots and do my own training.  I only buy used tack off ebay.

To Txspots and Solaris - see, yet another way that we horse people are happier than the non-horsey bunch. While everyone else is freaking out about the economy, we're just smiling and carrying on as usual because we're used to being completely broke! Lol, I always have my money spent before I actually have it. I'll see something in a catalog and go, "Oooo, that looks fun. Next time I have $50 burning a hole in my pocket, it's mine."

Ya know what, I just realized that I haven't bought a single item of clothing for myself in months. And yet, my horse (who, mind you, lives in Miami, Florida) has a brand-new turnout sheet and fuzzy polarfleece blanket liner. Lol. I guess I'm just finally living out my lifelong fantasy (ya know, where you browse through catalogs and get to pick stuff out for your horse - heaven!). Yes, we horse peeps are nuts, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Oh, and P.S. I also started selling some stuff on ebay, which helps. You would be surprised how much money people will pay for junk that you found at the back of your closet!

Now this has hit in the UK, the shows and lessons have been the first to be put on the back boiler.  My friend and I are now sharing a slot with our trainer - we take turns to have the lesson.  Cuts our costs in half but we still keep the slot on the clinic.

Fuel prices have come down, which is a big help, as has tax, which used to be 17.5% on everything.

The shortages at the stores and now having an impact.  Wood shavings are hard to get hold of as the building industry has ground to a halt.   Our local store will only sell them to their regulars and we are having to go and stock pile tomorrow as they have warned us that there wont be another delivery for over a month.