The Cost of Horse Shows

Alternate title: Why I probably need to just start hooking on the corner.

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Have seen a few related blog hops going around, so I'm jumping on the wagon!

Breaking down costs is probably going to make me cry and/or vomit but here goes.

USEF/USDF Recognized shows
Since each day is a separate show, fees are paid twice.

Stabling: This can vary from cheap ($90 at the HHP) or take-it-in-the-butt, like KHP for $150+ So for these purposes I will just go with $100 and that is for 2 nights. $100

Shavings: $7/bag, I usually get 5 bags. $35

Entry fees: This year I entered 2 PSG classes, and one Freestyle each weekend. A qualifying PSG class is $65 (x2), and a freestyle is $65. So, for one weekend in entries: $195

USEF fee $23 x2 = $46

Office fee $35 x2 = $70

Poof all my money gone.

Total for entries: $446

Hotel: Liz and I are cheap-asses, so we often escape with little or no hotel fees unless we are far away from home (like Balmoral). I have both Liz and Jen to crash with in Indiana, and my brother lives in Lexington so that area is covered as well. I have also slept in the truck a couple of times if the weather is ok. If a hotel is needed, we split it between at least two of us, sometimes others. So for this I will just average out to $100 for lodging, even though it really varies. $100

Food: I try to bring snacks, but almost always eat out anyway. Plus booze. $25

My bestest horse show friends!
#teamboozewater 

Gas: Gas is also split in some way. But on average, I'll end up putting about $75 in the tank. $75

Misc: Just going to add in another $100 for misc. shit I always end up spending money on at horse shows. A new shirt, treats for Hampton, something I forgot, etc. etc. $100

Other expenses: $300

Grand total for a weekend (2 rated shows): $746

Walking with Liz at the Hoosier Horse Park

This of course does not include membership dues or anything like that.

I haul myself, thanks to borrowing Liz's truck, and I do all my own grooming, tack cleaning, care, etc. etc.  It is A LOT of work, but I find it super rewarding and honestly having all that work to do keeps me from getting any show anxiety!

A porkchop and a Conner.

I need to do a post on my show routine and how I manage to stay on track without a trainer, etc. etc.

Schooling shows are WAY CHEAPER, often costing me just a little more than $100 when it's all said and done.

Welp, that ended up totaling about what I thought it would. *puke*

But it's fun and I enjoy it, which makes it worth every penny.

Also, I'm a ribbon whore.

Tempis and treadmills

Remember when Balmoral was 75, breezy and no humidity?! Ahhhhh
PC: J. Kaiser

My goal is to show PSG, my freestyle and Equitation at regionals this year, but I've also started to look a little beyond that, too! Like ... maaaaaybe I can take a peek at the I-1? The only "new" things are whole canter pirouettes, two tempis, and a baby canter zig zag. The full pirouettes are not an issue, they are actually easier than a half one for some reason. Probably because I have a case of the dumbs when I do them. But most of my worries come from learning the two tempis! Well, might as well just jump in the deep end!

The other day I played with the 2-tempis a little bit! I have never ridden the twos, not even on a schoolmaster so it was the blind leading the blind here. But slowly I am finding the rhythm. I can get about 4, before I start to lose the balance and jump in the canter. I'll slowly start to add more as we get better at this. In the I-1 you have to do 7 changes in the line of 2s. And by the time you get to Grand Prix I believe you have to do nine changes. So you gotta start somewhere! I figure I would keep doing 4, and making them good for a while and then start to add a couple more - instead of just trying to flail through 7 when it's not necessary right now.

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And last week during a super insta-sweat day, I took Hampton down the road for a session on the water treadmill! We are so lucky that our farm is about 1/4 mile from a large race training facility. Might as well take advantage of that! I didn't even need to trailer. Just walked my horse down there like the hillbillies we are.

At first Hamp was a little skeptical of this contraption, but willingly walked in. And the two guys were absolute pros on teaching horses about treadmills. Once Hampton figured out all he needed to do was walk, he relaxed and actually looked pretty happy and cocky about figuring out this new game.

The guys said most horses start blowing and puffing after about 5 minutes for their first time on the treadmill. Hampton did so well he ended up doing 8 minutes and was not winded whatsoever. Gradually, you increase their time to about 20 minutes. The race horses work on the treadmill daily!

It cost me $60 so this certainly won't be daily for Hampton, but maybe every other week? It was super cool to see how he had to work all his muscles, and I think it might be good to add to his program. Especially since he enjoyed it and really took to it!

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On out way walking back the owner of the farm drove up next to us in his car. He said "Excuse me. I would like to know why you were on my property with that horse."

I was like, "Um we were using the aquatread and we just live down the road so I walked?" And he sort of laughed and said no problem and drove away.

I mean, does it look like I am stealing a race horse sir? Look at my horse. LOOK AT HIM. lol. But the fella was nice he just didn't know what the hell we were doing. #wehilljacks

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Next plans include a show in August, and hopefully a clinic!

The Heat is On

Most def NOT the current situation.

Kentucky has been as hot and humid as satan's butthole lately.

In the early mornings, there is this mist everywhere because even the air is sweating. I have been riding around 7:30-8 am and STILL Hamp and I are dripping sweat even before we work!

On Monday I rode a brief 15-20 min and really had a hard time getting Hampton's respiration to come down to normal. I hosed and scraped him for about 15 minutes, and it did improve but he was still puffing even after that and he usually recovers quickly from work. So he got a tube of electrolytes, and I have started giving him alfalfa slushies which he is loving.

Video of Hampton and his slushy. Turn up volume for full effect.

Here are a few other things that I have found really help in this awful midwestern heat and humidity:

What do you all use?



This BodyArmor drink is the best thing I have found for myself to keep hydrated! At shows I will add some Sprite to it, which encourages carbonation addicts like myself to keep drinking. Sometimes I do get a little sick of certain flavors, but this stuff is awesome and I have never had any heat related issues which I had this stuff to drink.



Gatorade chews are basically what I live on at horse shows. They are a quick, easy little snack and won't make you feel full. They are also appetizing even on nasty hot days when you are not hungry but you know you need something. I like to eat these in the mornings and it gives me a good boost through lunch.



I give Hampton the tube version of these electrolytes. Everyone has their own preference on brand, but I don't really have a favorite. Most of them are pretty much the same. But my local tack store has the Summer Games and I grabbed some. Anytime the temp is 90 or above I always give the "heavy sweating" dose.



There have been a couple of horse shows where this seemingly innocuous towel has been a lifesaver! I keep it in the cooler with the ice and water, and then take it out and drape it around my neck, or over my head. It's like turning on the AC!!


So those are a few of my favorite things to help make this awful heat a little more tolerable.

Stay cool everyone!

Scholarship announcement!

I have been working with one of my local GMOs on a scholarship in memory of my dad.

It will be called the Dan Taylor Family Scholarship! To start off, it will be available through the Indiana Dressage Society. But my hope is that I am able to raise funds over the years and 1) Make the IDS scholarship self-funding and 2) start a couple other grants to give to other organizations such as therapeutic riding organizations.

But first I start small!

The IDS grant will be available to AAs who train their own horses. You have to apply, and there are a few other requirements. More information soon will be available through IDS.

But my hope is to offer a little help to those who are working so hard to train and show, plus hold down a "regular" job as well! It is NOT for people who have someone else train their horse and then hop on to show on the weekends. (Nothing wrong with that, but I had to set some perimeters) 

Right now one scholarship will be available per year but if I can raise enough funds it could grow to more. Would be nice to offer 2 or 3 someday!

I'm hoping to give back to the dressage community, as well as keep my dad's memory alive. And his legacy as an awesome show dad! Over the years he was a gatekeeper, announcer, food sponsor, groom, did work around the farms, class sponsor, horse holder, treat giver, stall cleaner and water guy, amongst so many other things!

If you want to donate, I would be forever grateful. I need to raise $1000 to fund the IDS scholarship for 5 years.

Hampton as an awkward 3 year old! ha!

A Porkchop turns 11

Wishing Hampton a Happy Birthday this week!

How is he 11 already you guys?!

How amazing to have gone from his first ride, to FEI. He is such a wonderful friend and teacher!

Here are some of my favorite photos from over the years.

Here be dragons

A blogger is born.
1979.

I am still navigating new, strange territory as my first Father's Day without my dad approaches.

When people say, "you will never be the same," I now know exactly what they mean. This isn't a club I was looking forward to joining. The Dead Parent club. But here we are.

I think I have been doing ok adjusting to life without my North Star. My protector. The guy who knew ALL THE ANSWERS. He raised me to be resilient, that is for sure. And that I have been these past 6 months since he died.

The best I can do is continue to live my life in a way that made him proud. To do what I love, and like he frequently said, "You are livin the dream." There is this thing about life: It goes on. My dad would not want me to be sad all the time, and give up living.

I will never move on from such a loss, but I will GO on. There is a difference, I have learned.

But people are right. I'll never be the same. And that's ok. When I listen to friends complain about their parents, how horrible they are - I find that so sad. There has never been a moment my entire life that I EVER doubted my father's love for me. I know that there are so many who are not that lucky.

Just because a parent or loved one is gone, doesn't mean your relationship with them is over.

I found the below description of grief to really ring true. I couldn't find the original author, but supposedly it was a reply to some Reddit post.

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As for grief, you’ll find it comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you’re drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it’s some physical thing. Maybe it’s a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it’s a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float. Stay alive.

1980
Seems I liked pony rides.
*FORESHADOWING MUSIC*

In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don’t even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months, you’ll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe, you can function. You never know what’s going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything…and the wave comes crashing. But in between waves, there is life.

Somewhere down the line, and it’s different for everybody, you find that the waves are only 80 feet tall.Or 50 feet tall. And while they still come, they come further apart. You can see them coming. An anniversary, a birthday, or Christmas, or landing at O’Hare. You can see it coming, for the most part, and prepare yourself. And when it washes over you, you know that somehow you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, sputtering, still hanging on to some tiny piece of the wreckage, but you’ll come out.

Take it from an old guy. The waves never stop coming, and somehow you don’t really want them to. But you learn that you’ll survive them. And other waves will come. And you’ll survive them too. If you’re lucky, you’ll have lots of scars from lots of loves. And lots of shipwrecks.

Still came to watch me show even when chemo was beating the life out of him.

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"Here be dragons" means dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of the medieval practice of putting dragons, sea serpents and other mythological creatures in uncharted areas of maps.