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Horses and Money

3K views 23 replies 15 participants last post by  beverleyy 
#1 ·
I think it is funny that there are those "things" associated with horses and money.

Non-Horse People:
"Wow! You own a horse? You must be rich! Horses are so expensive..."

Horse People:
"I'm broke."
"Why?"
"I own a horse."

As they say, if you want to be a millionaire by owning horses (no showing included), you simply must start out as a billionaire.

But it's worth it! :)
 
#5 ·
I am careful about the money I spend on my horse. I am not drawn in to the expensive clothing that is available in tack shops, the only thing I buy is a riding helmet ( I wear one all the time)and maybe some good gloves for showing but everyday gloves I get at the dollar stores. My horse doesn't care what I wear when we ride.
My show clothes I have bought for the most part second hand and they are well over 25 years old as I only wear them for shows.

My horse tack I usually get second hand, as I would rather buy a good piece of equipment used than a poorer quality new. I always watch for bargains and most of my riding tack is older but still in good condition.

If I believed that that lovely expensive pair of German riding breeks would miraculously turn me into a much better rider I would be out buying a pair right now.
 
#12 ·
I am careful about the money I spend on my horse. I am not drawn in to the expensive clothing that is available in tack shops, the only thing I buy is a riding helmet ( I wear one all the time)and maybe some good gloves for showing but everyday gloves I get at the dollar stores. My horse doesn't care what I wear when we ride.
My show clothes I have bought for the most part second hand and they are well over 25 years old as I only wear them for shows.

My horse tack I usually get second hand, as I would rather buy a good piece of equipment used than a poorer quality new. I always watch for bargains and most of my riding tack is older but still in good condition.
This is me in a nutshell. I ride in a 20 year old wintec saddle, my bridles are pieces of other busted bridles mixed together, and about the only non hodgepodged thing in my lot is the 'show' equipment which is second hand, and gently used. I hardly ever buy anything new and when I do I either buy it on clearence, out of necessity, or save up for months for it. Right now I'm in the market for a new driving harness and I'm determined to buy as close to new as I can! Of course that means I'm pulling boatloads of overtime at work and saving every penny I can to afford it.

"A free horse is the most expensive one you'll ever own."
Just as a funny note, my free horse that I got as a weanling has actually been less expensive than my paid for horse! Although I probably should add as a general disclaimer that A) I got him from a close friend and B) it really was a dumb luck thing that a free horse had no issues! :rofl:
 
#7 ·
When I first started out with horses, I knew they were a costly hobby but hadn't been paying for them enough to have a real good appreciation of things my parents would say.

"A free horse is the most expensive one you'll ever own."

I've had that prove true too many times to count. They always seem to be the hardest keeper, need the most vet care, need the most extensive farrier work, custom tack, and on and on and on.

"The purchase price of a horse is the least amount of money you'll spend on the horse."

Another one that's been proven to me time and time again.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Depends on if I'm going to keep it or not. If I'm going to keep that horse, you bet I will look in the mouth.

And my favorite:

"You can wrap a horse in bubble wrap and keep him in a padded stall to keep him from hurting himself. He'll eat the wrap and padding, colic and die."

That's it in a nutshell!
 
#10 ·
Doesn't that just boggle the mind when you think of how much it implies the owner will spend on the care, feeding, training, etc on that horse?

The other day at the trainer's I was looking for something my horse had taken off of himself, hoping to find it in his stall. It wasn't an expensive item, but I was hoping to find it in one piece. She asked if I was horse poor (obviously doesn't own her own horse or she wouldn't have needed to ask). I replied, "Why no, why would you think that? Just because I have 3 horses here and 8 more at home, why would I be horse poor? Actually, I am horse paupered!"
 
#13 ·
I've had two free horses, and they were my favorites to date. But they also came from situations where it wasn't any fault of theirs. One was older and just needed a retirement home, the other's owner became sick with cancer and could no longer pay for his board or care. I kind of just "stepped in" to the owner role on each.

The mare I *did* pay for wound up being bat-poop crazy :P
 
#21 ·
I've had two free horses, and they were my favorites to date. But they also came from situations where it wasn't any fault of theirs. One was older and just needed a retirement home, the other's owner became sick with cancer and could no longer pay for his board or care. I kind of just "stepped in" to the owner role on each.

The mare I *did* pay for wound up being bat-poop crazy :P
Must be something in the water:lol: My $1.00 mare is easy, gentle giant, and has cost me much less. My mare that my mother actually paid quite a bit for 13 years ago has been vet bill after vet bill, as well as bat-poop crazy. I love her, but she's cost me an arm and a leg over the years, as well as sent me on many emotional rollercoasters. Sometimes I swear that mare is the devil's spawn sent here solely to torture me. :rofl:
 
#15 ·
A couple of free horses that I got over the years did have issues, hence the fact that they were free, but they turned out to be a couple of the best horses I ever had; maybe the qualities that made them difficult to work with or handle also made them the most determined to succeed when the issues were resolved to a satisfactory conclusion for both parties.

But I do agree that there is no such thing as a free horse, money just comes after.
 
#16 ·
I can attest to "there is no such thing as a free horse" since our "free" rescued TWH gelding has cost more in vet bills than all my other horses combined over 45+ years did. Thankfully he's worth it and has made up for his vet bills by being a dang good roping horses to keep hubby young at heart (how many 74 yo's are still jackpot calf and steer roping after surgery and in the money at the end of the night!), an exceptional trail horse with an instinct to stay out of trouble, and a goofball that "helps" around the barn and pasture.
 
#17 ·
(how many 74 yo's are still jackpot calf and steer roping after surgery and in the money at the end of the night!),
More than you might guess at. My trainer just sold an older guy (85+) a 4 yo mare that's been his daughter's roping project. She's taken this horse to finals this weekend and the old guy will pick her up in about 2 weeks when she's finished. He's been watching her come along all summer while he's been having a 'not so great' roping year. He only got a top 5 this year and was pretty unhappy that he hadn't bought her earlier.
 
#18 ·
My horse was free. Nothing wrong with her at all, just unregistered and not started and not a popular breed around here (Morgan). Nobody wanted to buy her so my friend just gave her to me to get her off the hay bill.

I did buy two months of pro training, a trailer, a truck to haul it with, built a stable, bought an expensive saddle hopefully will last me a lifetime, and approximately ten thousand other things and more seem to keep coming don't ask me how. The saddle was the only thing I went premium with. After all, the horse was free!
 
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