Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I am really good at saving money. Do you remember how much money I "saved" last June when we went to Italy? Sure, I spent bazillions on the trip, but my horses were practically free that month. I have an even better tip for saving money this month: buy a new house! Not only will you save money on your equestrian budget, you can practically eliminate it all together once you start paying for repairs and then furnishing your new house. Refrigerator ... oven ... stove burner all not working? No lessons for you! Leaky roof ... busted garage door opener? No showing either. Replace your perfectly good electric dryer for a new gas model - no new tack or gizmos either. In fact, since you're not even going out to the barn at all, why not only pay for the board bill and a farrier visit? Buying a house is guaranteed to cut your horse related expenses down to almost nothing! All joking aside, I finally know what is the absolute least I can spend and still keep my ponies alive. Of course, I had already purchased their beet pulp and fly spray the month before. And since I missed a big chunk of visits in October, I pushed the shipping date for my next bucket of Platinum Performance until the first of November.
The $1500 that I "saved" from my normal expenses went toward a number of repairs (locksmith and a few others) and the purchase of a new love seat, bar stools, kitchen table, dining room table (seats 8!), and some large area rugs. Since we're not going to Africa next summer, we also used that money. So next summer, I won't have a "Go to Africa and Save Money" post for you ... sorry. I already bought a new car this past December. I wonder what else I can buy to keep on "saving money?" Oh, I know! How about a new truck? Just kidding, Universe ... just kidding!
jenj
11/1/2016 06:12:41 am
I am SO JEALOUS of your new kitchen. SO JEALOUS. Can I just have your stove? 11/1/2016 12:23:30 pm
It is beautiful, but it is also HORRIBLY expensive to repair (the rubber fan knob alone cost $33!). It's also really hard to keep clean. With that said, I am really enjoying cooking on it. :0) 11/1/2016 12:24:26 pm
Now that we're settling in, ME TOO! I cook every night and KNEW that a "gourmet" kitchen would be so much easier to cook in. It is! LOL
Appydoesdressage
11/1/2016 11:08:10 am
Yeah, but that house looks awfully amazing. As someone who very recently did this exact same theory test, I can say that it is a very solid way to save money on horses! 11/1/2016 12:26:02 pm
Thank you! We have more projects to complete - painting the walls is high on my list, but my husband keeps asking me to just slow down and enjoy what we've done so far. :0) 11/1/2016 06:12:57 pm
I should write a blog post about the cost of living here in Bakersfield. We are the eighth largest city in the state, but our median income is pretty low, around $54,000. Very few people are college educated in my particular community, and most people work in agriculture, oil, or service jobs. All of that means that if you ARE college educated and work in a more lucrative field, your dollars go a loooong way in Bakersfield. 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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