Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] Endurance for college budgets - Julie Fuller

Ashlee,

Endurance on a budget is not impossible. It just takes some ingenuity at times! I'm sure a lot of us started out like I did.... camping in a tent,( or in the back of the truck) with little or no camping gear, and adding stuff as I went along.

You really don't need a lot to go to a ride....basic camping gear, food for a couple days, and your horse stuff. ( Including feed) I am going to assume you don't have a $40K truck and a $14K trailer *grin* so you'll need to get a ride for you and your horse. (As for trucks and trailers.... my trailer was purchased 18 years ago for $600 and it still works fine. My first truck was a 1969 (same as the trailer!) Ford 3/4 ton that I bought for $800. It served me very well for 5 years)

Depending on who you go with, you may be able to use someone's corrals, or you can tie to the trailer... just be sure to walk your horse alot if you do. (I think it's a good idea anyway) Or you can highline, which is what I do. ( I even had a special tall brace thingy made for the bed of my truck, so I could highline between truck and trailer at rides with no trees. Once, I had an 80 foot highline strung, with a mare and a stallion on it. Worked very well, and both horses walked a lot.)

I have yet to succumb to "truck/trailer/camper" craze. *grin* ( I did do a couple seasons with a camper... but it involved taking two rigs to the ride, and the ex.) Campers ARE nice, but I now have enough gear to be comfortable, regardless of the wretched weather we sometimes have here in the NW Even with all I've got, it's nowhere near the investment of a lot of the people I see at rides.

Another thing I heartily recommend.... go to www.endurance.net, and click on Newbie. This is possibly the best thing you can do for you and your horse. And it won't cost a thing!

Julie

(Just a hint: Don't drink espresso and eat a power bar before your first ride)

============================================================
There are 2 ways to win at this sport. You take a horse and race him for a
short time and then find a new horse or you can take one horse , do the
homework and spend many miles and years enjoying that horse.
~  Paddi Sprecher

ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/

============================================================