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[RC] The Cost of Riding - k s swigartBruce Weary said: I will never understand why a $3.00 gallon of gas stops more people from riding than a $10-$40,000 truck, a $1500-$5000 horse (or two or three), ongoing feed costs, a $2,000--$50,000 trailer, ongoing vehicle maintenance costs, high load range tires, insurance, $500-$2000 saddles, regular shoeings or boots, the price of land to keep horses on or boarding fees, ride fees, membership fees, etc.,. Because the cost of fuel is pretty much the only thing on the above list that is a true variable cost (totally a function of how much driving you do). Ongoing vehicle maintenance and high load range tires are somewhat variable; although some has to be done even if you don't drive at all. And ride fees are a variable cost (don't go to the ride, it doesn't cost you anything); however, those costs have not gone up 100% in the last 5 years the way the price of gas has. The other costs mentioned are fixed costs, you cannot lower them by riding less. The only way to lower them is to ride not at all and get rid of the horses, the truck, the trailer. After you have acquired the land, the horses, the truck, the trailer, they cost you the same no matter how often you go to a ride. You can sell these fixed costs off and get cheaper versions of them, but reducing costs in this way won't have any impact on the amount of riding you do When money gets tight, variable costs are the ones that people reduce first, because they are the easiest to reduce. And they are ones that can be most easily reduced without having to totally eliminate them. So yes, it is only reasonable that if the price of gas to get to the ride goes up, that people who only have so much to spend will go to fewer rides and ride less before they start selling off their sunk costs of horse, trailer, etc. have have to ride not at all. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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