I Need a Plan!

You guys gotta help me a little. Me and my mom and my brother have been struggling with money since my parents divorced in 2003. My dad rarely if ever pays child support and no matter how much I ask he never helps with horse expenses. In the past 7 years I can only remember one time he ever helped and that was last year when we rented a trailer for the day {$100}. My second cousin is loaded but neither me nor my mom feels its right to go to him and beg and ask him to buy me everything I need. He gave me $750 for my birthday this past May and every christmas he buys me over $200 in equine stuff whether it be pictures{framed} or tack.

Just recently {2 months ago} my mom signed the lease on a Canadian Warmblood mare out of Gervantus II. This 6 year old mare is AMAZING! She had 3 months before I got her and we're now doing 1 flat lesson a week and 1 jump lesson a week. Already cantering courses and doing oxars. We have our bad moments but its going amazing. The best part is we only pay half of board, the owners pay everything else, its pretty much a training lease as they have 14 horses and need them sold and trained.

Now my big issue is she is for sale, for $10 000. This mare could take me t the top, like 2* and 3* events. And I was also recently talking to an amazing lady {on this forum} about a horse of hers that I would die to have. A colt out of Freestyle. He's $10 000 also. Plus next year I need to show this mare. Each event ranges from $300-500 per event. Jumper shows can be more. There's around 7-8 events and over 15 jumper shows I could possibly go to next year. I need help forming a plan to get there. I'm 16 and might possibly get a job at a racetrack next summer but until then I need a way to make money for all this! Anyone have any ideas on forming a plan of action to get to these shows and buy these horses!

Are you crafty?
You could make ribbon browbands and sell them either on here or at you local stable.
Or why don't you offer to help ride someone elses horses if they don't have time for some money, not much, but that way you will get practice on all different horses and get paid.
Or maybe offer your services as a groomer for some shows that are coming up, I think show season is over so maybe not that one haha

Or you could just pass on the horse and I'm sure there will be another one when you have the finances.

BB, I going to be harsh and say 'forget it at the moment". You have no money, your mom has no money. $10K is LOTS of money. Even for many of us with job. Plus for such expensive horse you'll want it to keep in nice place (another at least $400-500/month in my area), + vet/dentist/farrier/may be special feed/trainer etc. etc. etc. Be realistic, you will NOT be able to come up with so much money doing ribbons and such. Either your parent(s) should have money or you have to have a stable well-paid job to to be able to afford what you want. You are VERY young, you'll have it all, just don't be in hurry!

It sounds terrible but to get places in the horse world you need money.

Its not just the horses, its the tack, the up keep, the lessons, the clothing, the trucking.

People say you can achieve anything you put your mind to, and perhaps you can, eventually. But not when you are 16. Not when you come from a single parent family. I dreamed I could be a lot more than I am now when I was your age. It isn't so much that I failed, but I began to understand the world a little more, and learned you can only ever rely on yourself. I might sound pessimistic, but I am not, I keep achieving more and more with my life and I am always moving forward, but don't lose sight of what is important.

If you want a life with horses in it you generally need to come from a horse-family, or a wealthy family, or get a good education to support yourself. Don't forget about your education because the horse thing is working out - work hard for a scholarship and become educated in something useful.

Other than that I can only think of a couple ways to get the money, and not all of them are good or plausible.

Firstly you could get a full time job and get a loan out to pay for the horse. They may let your mother guarantee it, but you'll probably be working too much to actually compete.

Secondly, and I think this is the best idea, you gain sponsorship. You want to be achieving things now to make this horse worthwhile. Get local businesses to sponsor you and in exchange you advertise for them, perhaps name your horse after their business.

Third, if you are a promising rider some people purchase horses and let other compete them, and split the profits. Perhaps you can find that.

Although really think this over. You might want to do all these things and she might be a real nice horse, but there are literally thousands of real nice horses out there, and hundreds of wonderful horses that cost a chunk more than 10 grand. Even if she is nice there is no guarantee that you will be successful in competition. Sure, competition is fun and you always have to try etc, etc, but if you come from a family that cannot afford the best horses, and the best coaches, and the best facilities you may end up being a fair bit less competitive. This can mean that you put in a lot of money and do not even stand to make any form of profit, or even a "break even" scenario from riding. Instead it will just be a constant drain on your not very well off family.

Reading back over this post I don't sound that nice and I am not trying to discourage you. It is so important to dream. But take a moment to be realistic and think what really is best for you (long term) and your family. I mean my family isn't that bad off anymore, but there is no way I'd ever get a $10,000 horse. Even if I had the money I wouldn't buy a $10,000 horse. I don't think its worth it, you may not have as good a chance, but you can still bring up a fairly cheap young horse to be successful.

To me $10,000 is two years rent. Its 4 cars. Its 10 visits to my mother. It is in fact about my "income" for a year. It's a deposit for a house. Really think about what is important to you.

Good luck, and all the best in achieving your dreams and aspirations.

Couldn't agree with this statememnt more.

HOWEVER
Many horses that do NOT cost the earth will get you far also. Unless you are competing at 1* successfully and the horse you currently have simply won't get you further then you can have success with another (more affordable) mount that will GET you to that stage. If you are still progressing up the lower levels then you have a few years until you really need an upper eschelon horse. What level are you currently at? Do you already have a horse of your own that you compete on? (I was assuming that you were talking about eventing although after re-reading your post I saw a reference to jumpers?)

I understand that it is hard if you feel you can't have your 'dream' horse, especially when you have already had the chance to begin riding her but $10,000 really is a lot of money. Don't forget also that if you buy a horse of that caliber you need to start factoring in insurance as well as all the other related expenses. I am sure your Mum would do her best to help you out in any way that she can but it sounds like this might be just too much to ask for the moment.

$10000 is ALOT of money for a horse! I could do so much more than buy a horse with that kind of money.

I meant to say also that I think it is great that you are thinking of getting a job to help pay, that shows some maturity and responsibility. Unfortunately being 16 it is unlikely that you will be paid much more than about $8 an hour and even if you worked 20 hours a week for that amount, all year round, it would take almost 2 years to save up $10,000 and that isn't including other expenses!

I vote you get the job anyway and start saving. I bet once you start working and earning your own money it will become far more apparent just how much $10,000 really is and how hard it is to come by a lump sum of that amount!

Saskia: I know it is a lot of money, like a lot and I totally know what you mean. I've always heard that to have a life with horses you need t go in with a lot of money. Well, I've decided that's just not good enough for me. I refuse to let the economy and what society says stop me from living my dream. Now I understand how naive I sound there but its the truth. I am hoping to have a career in horses and I will do it because its my dream and I have the support of so many people helping me get there. Yea I was very iffy on spending $10 000 on her. I've decided that after show season if they haven't found a buyer and I've been winning on her I'm going to see if they'll lower the price. Seeing as I'll have put A LOT of training on her by then. I got her beginning of September and will have her till at least May. If I charged what a real trainer did they'd be paying me the 10 grand. Thank you for your advice though, I do intend to pursue this, maybe not getting her for 10 grand though.

Sarahver: I competed in pre-entry last year but next year i'll be doing entry and maybe a pre-training event. The problem is the 2 horses that my family owns now can't do above pre-entry. They max out at about 2'6"-2'9". I need a horse that can do like 3'3" or 3'9". I actually feel bad because my mom believes in me so much she's decided if she can't afford my lessons she'll be giving up hers. She believes I can go far in the horse world and will give up riding for me. Oh and yes, I've had a job at a barn since I was 13. Got $10 an hour but the owner recently got 3 working students and a BM so I'm no longer needed. And my mom can't drive me all over to work and I don't have my license.