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[RC] affording endurance riding - rides2far

To be an endurance rider you need a horse, tack, and to afford feeding
and shoeing. You don't necessarily have to compete often. That's the main
thing I'd tell someone with not much money. When I started out I did one
to two rides a year...but I trained (overtrained) 5 days a week. I was
every bit as much of an endurance rider then as I am now. If you have a
goal ride 6 months or so away, you have a *reason* to ride and to
improve. The ride is just the test but the training is the education.

Now, as one of the official "cheapest people in endurance" I'll give you
a few tips in miserliness.

NEVER buy anything like saddles, trucks or trailers new. That's for rich
people who have so much money that they have to find ways to waste it.
The first buyer takes the big mark down from retail to sub-wholesale.
It's best to buy from rich people who like to buy things and get bored
with them quickly. They don't even care whether they get the best price
for it. They usually think there's something wrong with it anyway since
it didn't make them an instant success and they want to buy success.

NEVER try to save money by buying a foal or a rehab horse. Both may be
rewarding but are not financially a good investment (read that as money
pit) so are best left to those who have money they need to get rid of.
Again, it's best to buy from someone who doesn't value what they've got.
If somebody *wants* a horse they can lunge until it's tired, they
consider the Arab they have a problem animal...thus it's cheap. The same
horse in the hands of an endurance rider will be priced high since they
value that quality.

Always buy your hay in the summer in the field. You have more energy than
money so go for the most economical way. To do this you have to be the
sort of person who saves ahead. It's always cheaper to have some
savings...do not let yourself live "on the line". I know so many "poor"
people who buy one bale of hay at a time for $3 at the feed store when it
would have been $1.25 in the field (this is the lowest quality stuff).
They don't see that it's that big of a difference but small  holes sink
big ships. Repeat that to yourself: SMALL HOLES SINK BIG SHIPS! You don't
buy drinks for $1 out of the machine, you carry around a $1.99 (on sale,
you had savings so you bought ahead) 12 pack in your back seat and ask
for a cup of ice with your 99 cent McChicken (not the $2.99 grilled mind 
you). You get a friend to haul to rides with you and split gas. If you
want biothane but can't afford new, ask around. Lots of riders buy "new
colors" for every new horse and have extras in the barn.

I've been hauling an $1800 2 horse trailer for 14 years. I occasionally
pull my neice's gooseneck but as used to roughing it as I am I have a
hard time making myself use the extra gas. A $5 army blanket is as good
as any $100 cooler (and often better). For years I would throw one on the
horse and put a light sheet (that I won) over it instead of owning a
heavy blanket. 50 feet of rope makes a fine picket line saving you from
buying a $500 corral. An old snaffle bit can hang on it for your ring,
and you can duct tape a couple of sticks on it for stops near the tree. I
run my rope through one of my shipping boots to protect the tree bark. Of
course you buy laundry detergent that comes in buckets or raid a building
site and ask for their spacking buckets. A beach towel can work for a
light rump rug. A $10 tarp over your trailer a fine awning.  If you drag
the mats out the back the smell goes with them and you can sleep very
well on a cot in the trailer. A garbage bag lined bucket with sawdust
makes a porto-toilet. You can haul water in buckets lined with garbage
bags. A little extra training will be worth more than all the expensive
supplements that the people who work 70 hours a week and have lots of
money buy.

You don't need cable TV.
You don't require a cell phone bill.
You don't need to join a gym (the horse will work you hard enough)
In a pinch you can even do without internet...though I have an earthlink
account, I get my Ridecamp through a free dial up e-mail service.

I could go on and on but I'll leave some stuff for others to suggest. :-)

Angie



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