Horses are expensive. Lets face it the horse is the cheap part. It's everything else that will bury you. Training and lessons are one of those costs you just don't think of right up front. We have been lucky enough to have a trainer for our daughter, but we still limit the amount of lessons due to the cost.
For all those who show and just can't afford a trainer what other training/lesson options do you use? Do you watch videos? Go to clinics? Read books?
What are some of your biggest tips for saving money in this area?
Horse and Rider magazine helps alot, RFD and even some of the Equine product sites have free videos to watch.
ReplyDeleteClinics that you can take your horse to and get feedback are great! I go to them through trainers that I know that are putting them on for their students.
ReplyDeleteAll of the above...Thank goodness for our 4H club, my daughter is able to get some discounted lessons, free or low cost clinics and lots of help from the horse club that she is the President of.
ReplyDeleteFor us, Youtube has been a great tool. My daughter can watch showmanship and other disciplines on youtube and that will help her body position along other useful tips. We have a trainer but like yourself, limit the amount of lessons we commit to due to expense. We also go to as many local clinics as we can and belong to a 4H Horse club that offers free clinics.
ReplyDeleteJust scanning through some of your old posts...We were in a "trainer's barn" for about 4 years where my daughter had regular lessons and our first horse had regular training sessions. Later we did it all on our own including making it to the top 20 in APHA. I think your big question has to be, do you need riding lessons or does the horse need training? Or both? If the horse is very broke, you should be able to get any little fixes needed through riding lessons and watching YouTube videos. If both are in good shape, you really can do this on your own. For the past 3-4 years we take regular videos to review and critique at home. We also watch "winners" - kids that have won at world shows in stock horse breeds (we show APHA). If you are anything like me, after years of watching lessons, I might not be able to DO everything my daughter does with her horse but I sure as heck know what to tell her to do. And that also takes a special conversation with your kid - you have to have understanding that mom is going to do double duty and wear both hats. Kid is NOT allowed to disagree or argue with you when the trainer hat is on any more than she would with someone you are paying. She can discuss but not argue or whine. It worked for us!
ReplyDeleteIf you are in an area where you can get a group of people in the same kind of situation, Non Full time trainer... and Bring in a clinician for a weekend. or Even better fill your trailer with your daughter and a friend.. and haul up to a trainer for a full weekend.. of lessons.. and video each session...
ReplyDeleteIf one horse - or even the stable dog or cat - has picked up a virus, there is a very good chance that it will spread. In addition to using preventative shampoos and anti-bacterial, anti-fungal rug washes, cleaning stable floors and walls plus horse boxes with an anti-bacterial product that has been proven to kill germs specific to the equine environment will help to prevent the spread of bacteria that cause such viruses. Responsible owners and organisations will want to work together to prevent passing on infections. Horse Transportation
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