Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
One of my New Year's resolutions was to track just how much my ponies cost me in a year. It's not that I don't already suspect, but I want to actually know. It's not as though I buy a bunch of ... things, instead, I think I spend a lot on their care. That's one area that I don't scrimp on. If they need medical attention of any kind, I tend to spring for it, and I spend a lot on preventative stuff. I also spend a chunk on feed which includes beet pulp and rice bran. I know you spend a lot as well. You probably spend a lot more if you show at higher rated shows, but you might spend less if you have your horses at home, or if you don't show or travel. As part of my New Year's resolution I'll post a monthly expenditure list. If it seems too personal, it feels REALLY personal to me, please feel free to skip it. If you're like me however, and like to get into the nuts and bolt of things, please feel free to study the numbers and compare them to your own. Are horses more expensive in California, or am I getting a good deal? Here is what owning two horses cost me in the month of January ... There are often other expenditures, but I managed to avoid them this month: gas for my truck and bedding for stalls. I filled up last month and I bought several month's worth of bedding in November. I'll need an oil change soon and tires will probably be on the list eventually.
We're going to Pomona for the Horse Expo on Saturday. That will probably influence February's spending! I'll let you know on Leap Day.
jennifer keneman
1/30/2012 11:23:25 pm
I need to do this. Like you I know approximately what I spend but on certain months it's a lot more than others. Like you said bedding and feed and such can hit all at once. Unfortunately tires are lurking in my future too! Have fun at the expo!
Karen
1/31/2012 09:34:37 am
Thanks!
I'm glad you're tracking this, because I REALLY don't want to know. Call it a coping strategy...
Karen
1/31/2012 09:36:27 am
Angie does have a funny way of looking at life! I bought my car because I got tired of filling my truck up twice a week. Now the truck is ONLY used to pull the trailer. January was a slow month so I didn't need to top off my tank. The next six months will be different, I am sure!
Mia
1/31/2012 01:19:29 am
Is your board for both horses? I pay that for just one.
Karen
1/31/2012 09:39:03 am
The expenses listed are for both horses. My horses get shod every 5 - 6 weeks, so the $220 is for nearly every month. Once or twice a year I get a break because the 5 - 6 weeks will span an entire month. Woohoo! i think we all need more money. :0)
Val
1/31/2012 08:55:59 am
Just looking at the Board/Feed/Stall Care section, I think that you are getting a very good deal. That's for two horses on full care?
Karen
1/31/2012 09:41:35 am
Yep ... board is for two horses and includes full care. It's actually on the slightly higher end for Bakersfield. You can go quite a bit higher, but for the average board, it's a bit high. I was paying $185 each at Silverado, now I pay $200 each. When you multiply everything times two, it adds up quickly. Yours sounds high though.
Yozo's Mom
1/31/2012 02:47:47 pm
What program are you using? I used to track my spending in Excel, but got a new computer without Office... really should have re-started the obsessive tracking again this January, as it has been many months since I've bothered. Anyways, Bakersfield is definitely one of the cheapest places in California to live and to keep a horse. I'm sure you knew that already. I pay a pretty cheap board for Northern California at Horse Quarters at $240 a month. It is a VERY large dirt paddock. I pay $115 every 6 weeks for trim x4 and shoes x2. I also only use my truck for hauling and only put gas in it when I use it. I didn't haul at all in January, but I did pay a $350 truck payment and approx $40 to insure the truck. I also couldn't help but buy a few stall mats and bags of shavings to give Yozo a dry place to stand during the muddy days, so another $80 at Tractor Supply. Plus $80 for 2 riding lessons, so for me that's $905 for January for me!
Karen
1/31/2012 09:38:28 pm
I use Quicken for Mac. 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. 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.
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.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
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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