Stretch Your Horse-Show Dollars

If you're facing a tighter budget, you don't have to abandon your competition goals. We look at some simple and creative ways you can save to maximize your show dollars.

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You love and live to show and can’t think of anything you’d rather spend your hard-earned money on. But reality points to the fact that we’re passionate about a pricey sport that only seems to get more expensive. If you can’t entertain the thought of giving up your life with horses or your competition ambitions, there are ways you can continue to show—and be successful—without breaking the bank.

Even if you’re facing a tighter budget, there are ways you can save and adjust your spending to keep your competition goals on track. ©Alana Harrison

Here, we help break down what budget-savvy options might be feasible for your situation and look at some easy ways you can save on competition and travel costs, show clothing and everyday expenses to help you stretch your horse-show dollars. Plus, we offer some creative ways you might be able to make some extra cash.

Learn Where You Can

Utilize clinics for learning opportunities: If you can’t afford to hire a full-time trainer, consider attending a clinic or two with a respected trainer. If it’s in your budget, bring your horse and participate. If it’s not, you can often audit clinics for a smaller fee; take careful notes, so you can apply what you learn at home. You can also utilize training information from instructional books, as well as articles and videos from reputable websites and trainers.

Embrace group lessons: Consider taking group lessons instead of private ones, at least some of the time. While you might not get as much individual attention, you’ll be able to take more lessons and get more time in the saddle. Watching others ride the same exercises you’re working on can also help you learn from their mistakes, as well as from what they do well. Plus, it’s fun to lesson with others and fosters camaraderie.

Hunter/jumper trainer Rachel Rohweder, who owns and operates Native River Farms in Princeton, Texas, instructs Kendall Lewis and Balou, as Nicki Hybner and Portia observe. ©Alana Harrison

Be frank with your trainer: Trainers are humans, too, and they certainly understand that we participate in an expensive sport. Let your trainer know that you want to continue pursuing your goals as best you can, but explain that you’re trying to tighten the purse strings and budget accordingly. Ask if he or she might reduce or negate training fees in exchange for work around the barn, such as mucking stalls, feeding, bathing or grooming horses. Trainers can have any number of reasons that this might not work for their particular programs, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Travel Smart

Barn-pal road trip: Trailer to away shows with a friend—or several—to split fuel and motel costs and bring your owns snacks and drinks to avoid pricey show fare. Additional benefit: If you travel to a show with a group of barn friends, get together in advance and plan meals to prepare in someone’s trailer or hotel-suite kitchen.

Share live-in quarters: If you don’t have a trailer with live-in quarters, buddy up with someone who does to avoid motel fees. Offer to cook meals or even pay for gas in exchange for staying in your friend’s trailer. If you’re really strapped for cash and don’t have access to a trailer with live-in quarters, pack a sleeping back and air mattress and camp out in the dressing area of your trailer, as long as the weather is mild. Some show facilities even have showers open to competitors.

Traveling to shows with your barn family and bunking up with friends can help save significantly on hotel costs. ©Alana Harrison

Additionally, trailering together can save money on gas; plus, it’s fun and presents a great opportunity to get to know each other better. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Savvy hotel choice: There are a number of websites that can help you compare hotel and motel rates like Priceline and Kayak to find the best deals. If you tend to stay at the same hotel chain, sign up for their rewards program to accumulate points for discounted and free stays. Additionally, booking an extended-stay room or a hotel suite that includes a full or partial kitchen can help avoid expensive restaurant tabs.

Show Savvy

Selective showing: Invest in shows that will help you achieve your goals. Depending on what organization you compete with, consider attending multiple regional shows closer to home or save up and only attend a few larger shows that will require more travel and expense.

Choose classes wisely: Additionally, when money is tight, only compete in classes in which you and your horse excel. For example, if you compete in equitation and hunter classes, but your horse’s hunter presentation could use improvement or he just doesn’t tend to move like a competitive hunter, you might focus only on equitation.

Frugal Fashions

Opt for classic basics: When purchasing basics like breeches, show jackets and shirts, boots and helmets, choose basic colors that you could likely wear for different disciplines. In hunters, for example, tan breeches, a black or navy show jacket, black boots and helmet are safe bets that you could also wear for many equitation and jumper classes, depending on your level.

Instead of buying new, take the time to search for quality used items online at discounted prices. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Repair and refurbish: Update and recycle old show clothing when possible. If the zipper in your otherwise perfect pair of boots malfunctioned, double-check to see if the manufacturer has a warranty or many shoe/leather/tack repair shops can replace zippers at significantly less cost than replacing the boots.

Search for quality used items online: There are a plethora of websites and brands offering gently used apparel (and tack) for discounted prices, including 2ndroundequestrian.com, The Tried Equestrian, Equestrian Closet, The Show Trunk—to name a few. Carve out some time to shop and compare to find the best deal on any items you need. There are also a lot of localized groups on social media offering used items.

Quality over quantity: When you do need to purchase a new item, save up in advance to purchase high-quality, durable staples such as breeches, boots and helmets. You might spend a little more initially, but if you purchase a quality, well-made pair of tall boots, for instance, you should be able to get years out of them.

Borrow and share: If you and a barn friend wear approximately the same size, consider borrowing items, as long as you don’t compete in the same classes. If you’re both in need of the same items, consider buying one new item each and share.

When it comes to your turnout for the show ring, focus on the small but crucial details in your appearance that will create an overall polished presentation. This will cost little if anything and is easily within your control. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Fads are fun, but details matter: In more recent years, we’ve seen new fashions and trends emerge across equestrian sport—even in the more traditional disciplines of hunters and dressage. While we love seeing more color in the hunter ring and pops of bling and rose gold in the dressage arena, these factors won’t win you any bonus points or make up for a poor performance.

When you’re on a budget, opt for timeless classics that will never go out of style or look dated and ones you might be able to use for multiple disciplines or classes. For instance, if you’re an eventer competing at the lower levels, you might be able to get by with a single black or navy show jacket and one pair of white breeches for both the dressage and show-jumping phases.

While judges won’t reward riders for wearing the most expensive custom-made pair of boots or newest trend, they will pay attention to the small, but crucial details that create an overall polished, professional appearance. Fortunately, these aspects of your presentation will cost little if anything and are easily within your control. For example:

Make sure your hair is neatly secured under your helmet with a hairnet without any loose strands hanging in your face.
Your show clothing should be spotless and wrinkle-free (whether you’re wearing a new jacket or a third-generation hand-me-down).
Your boots should be polished.
Your tack should be clean and oiled.
Your horse should be meticulously groomed.

Pinching Pennies & Creative Ways to Generate Cash

With the cost of everything seemingly on the rise right now, you might need to seek innovative ways to offset the cost of showing without infringing on your regular income.

Barter: If you have any equine-related skill sets like braiding, grooming or clipping, offer up your services before, after or as time allows during a show to help offset costs. If your trainer or barn manager is willing to trade off reducing show fees for barn chores such as cleaning stalls, working horses, cleaning tack, mowing the property, feeding or grooming that might be another viable option to curb expenses.

Side hustles: Do you have any special skills outside of your day job? Consider any areas of expertise you might have—be it sewing, lawn care, handy work, car repair, cooking, photography, legal work, computer technology, website development or social-media expertise—the sky’s the limit. A lot of companies utilize freelance or contract work that could potentially help you make some extra cash.

If doing anything that requires a significant commitment or mental effort outside of your regular job and the time you devote to your horse makes your head explode, you might even consider taking weekend shifts driving for Uber or Lyft, delivering food or groceries where you can pick up work as time allows.

If you have any equine-related skill sets like braiding, grooming or clipping, offer up your services before, after or as time allows during a show to help offset costs. ©Alana Harrison

Small ways to save every day: Carefully examine your budget to determine how you might be able to curb expenses in the non-horse areas of your life. What could you really go without in order to show more? Daily Starbucks’ runs? Manis/pedis? Pricey restaurant meals? Gym or spa memberships? Happy hours with friends? Half of your current streaming apps? It’s, of course, a personal choice for every rider, and we all can learn to prioritize.

Additionally, with rising grocery prices, going to multiple stores to comparison shop can be helpful even if it’s only a few bucks at a time. It’s slightly more time-consuming, but I’ve found certain items consistently less expensive at some grocery chains—and while you may only be saving $3 to $10 at time, it adds up.

Where NOT to Scrimp

Your horse’s health, long-term wellbeing or comfort: Never look to save a buck by skimping on inadequate health or hoof care—if your horse isn’t healthy, sound and happy, showing is out of the question.

Safety: When it comes to helmets and safety vests, always choose quality products with the highest safety standard certifications. If you by a cheap helmet, take a tumble and end up with concussion or worse, you’re competition goals are already dashed.

Tack quality: When it comes to tack, you’re investing in crucial equipment that should be safe and comfortable for both you and your horse and enhance your ability to communicate with one another. Therefore, this another area to use caution when trying to save.

Takeaway

Even if you’re facing a tighter budget in the future, you can continue to pursue you competition goals with a little planning and creativity. ©Alana Harrison

We hope these ideas help stretch your show dollars to enable you and your horse to continue pursuing your goals when facing a tighter budget. Consider what options might be feasible for you, work hard where you can to augment your budget and don’t be intimidated by competitors with seemingly endless pockets. Money never guarantees success—but you can.