The Frugal Horseman
January 27, 2009
Follow this advice for a budget-friendly horse showing experience.
Get big success on a small budget.
By The Journal’s Holly Clanahan
Tom McBeath, an AQHA Professional Horseman from Union, Mississippi, says that people showing on a shoestring – if they have talent and lots of dedication – can be just as successful as those for whom money is no object.
Exhibitors who keep their horses at home and haul to a trainer for occasional lessons often benefit from their hard work. “Their legs’ll be stronger, and they’ll have a better bond with that horse,” Tom says. Plus, because they spend more time in the saddle, they’ll be better able to recognize their horse’s quirks or problem areas.
He emphasizes, though, that it’s important to put a great deal of thought into each day’s ride time, since that’s what differentiates training from just riding around.
Make YOUR dollar go further. Download AQHA’s FREE Report, “Accounting for the Arena,” today. Start saving money doing what you really love!
He encourages his youths and amateurs to keep a diary of their rides. He tells them to write down the amount of time spent riding – not the time spent talking to barn buddies – and what happened, what worked and what didn’t. To complete the entry, they are to jot down goals for the following day.
“It makes them think through it, and it makes them put more effort into it,” he says.
Whether exhibitors are training their own horse or just scrimping so they can afford a full-time trainer, the extra effort doesn’t go unnoticed or unrewarded.
“They know the worth of it,” says AQHA Professional Horsewoman Nancy Cahill, who is based in Madisonville, Texas. “The ones who are doing it the hard way have to like it, or they’d go play soccer.”
Tom agrees. “The ones who are consistently successful put a lot of themselves into the program. They’re rewarded when the horse does well.”
The budgeting, working overtime and sacrificing all other hobbies is a small price to pay for the satisfaction and pride those riders take in their accomplishments.
FREE HELP! Download AQHA’s Report, “Accounting for the Arena,” to get a hand on your personal show budget. This valuable resource can help you and your horse show friends stay in the black this show season.
The take home message; It’s all about budgeting and prioritizing.
Watch 2008 AQHA World Championship Show Action
Friday, January 30th
3 p.m. Eastern / 12 p.m. Pacific
presented by Bank of America, featured on the Universal Sports Network
Watch exciting cow horse action! Highlights from the reining and cutting events will also be shown along with an update about the World Equestrian Games featuring reining, which will be in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2010.
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February 6th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Make a plan at the beginning of the season how you can show and haul up and down the road within 100 miles of home to get the points you want. Never get a stall or hotel. Haul home every night. Diesel is down to two dollars now, and if you’re that close to home your time is worth less than your money. Plus, your horse will relax better in his own stall. Take a bale of shavings with you and either bed the trailer so he/she can go in there to urinate and rest, or else sprinkle part of it on the ground where he/she is tied to the trailer all day. Take your lunch, buy nothing to eat or drink at the show. Pack your cooler and make your lunch and snacks the night before. Haul with a careful plan as to what shows will give you the most points for your buck. If you are thinking about a new trailer and you need to haul farther, get a large tackroom with the door on the street side so you have the long wall available. Hook it up with electric and a clothes rack and shelving, and plan to sleep in it. But don’t pay for an LQ, you can stay overnight at fairgrounds which have showers. You don’t need a hotel room, you can buy a coffee pot and a portable toilet at WalMart, and again, you can pack enough in your cooler to eat for at least two days. If you’re in a hot climate, get dry ice, it will last. It’s called “frugal.”
February 8th, 2009 at 10:41 am
There is a difference between frugal and cheap. There is also a difference between being an active participant and one who gets on at the rail. For my money I do not mind spending some cash at the show if I have saved some by working with my own horse and getting advise from trainers when I need it. Working from a trailer is fine but in many cases the horse will not relax. A decent stall allows the animal to forget the hectic activities and be ready for the next class.