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Want to know how to save at least $1,000 bucks? GO TO ITALY!*  This was surprisingly cheaper than taking a lesson or showing! *this advice is free (you get what you pay for and all that), so Bakersfield Dressage is not responsible for the state of your finances upon your return. Seriously. I just ran my monthly budget report and had to double check my settings. The window that popped open was so small, and the line item entries were so few that I was certain a bunch of categories must have been de-selected. Nope. The report is correct. I just wasn't in the USA long enough to spend any money on my horses last month.  Cheapest. Month. Ever. On average, I spend $1750 a month to keep and show two horses. Some months, my bills are higher (around $2,200), and in other months, they are slightly lower. Since I started keeping track, the least I have ever spent was around $1,200 - until now. In June, I paid my board bill, bought beet pulp and rice bran, bought Izzy's supplemental hay, and paid my farrier. I didn't even buy fly spray. I made up for it in July though; I've already bought two bottles!  So much fun! So. If your equine budget feels like it's getting out of hand, my suggestion is that you spend a few weeks traveling to somewhere on your bucket list. I guarantee that your equine expenses will be much smaller. I can't say that your wallet will be any fuller though. I know mine's not!
Happy 4th of July! 7/4/2016 10:34:02 am
I know, it's not my favorite thing to know, but it's actually super easy to do with Quicken. Normally I just focus on my household budget and don't look at the sub categories. The first time I did this series (Horses Are Expensive), I did it to find out exactly how much I was spending. For this "season," I wanted to know (several years later) if my spending habits had changed or if prices had gone up or down. 7/4/2016 12:43:27 pm
HAHAHA! You are totally right, Tracy! I wasn't really thinking about it like that, but you are correct. With what we spend on our horses throughout the year, we could afford several European vacations! Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. 
Photo by Lori Ovanessian
About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)
Bakersfield Dressage approved!
My favorite breeches!
FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
I love her stuff!
Watercolor Artist and Friend
National Rider Awards
USDF Bronze Medal - 2020
USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013
State Rider Awards
CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
State Horse Awards
Speedy G - 3rd Level Horse Performance Award - 2020
Speedy G - 2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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