Have you ever found yourself in a position where your horses were neighing away for the type of attention that cost money, while your bank account was so lean and dry you found it hard to squeeze another drop of money out of it? You've got to have experienced such trying times, given the recent problems everyone has been hit with. Costs that you didn't look twice at earlier have now started to seem like they're draining too much money. Even stuff like showing your pony and paying your Ferrier pinch you.
So what is a real pony lover to do? Give up his horses?
Not quite. You can adopt new economic measures designed expressly for pony owners. These measures, referred to as equinomics, permit you to keep your horses as well as your bank account fit.
Equinomics is the practice of enjoying life with your horses without hollowing out your bank account. It encompasses three areas of equine enterprise:
- Activities
- Medical care
- Finances.
Activities
You may not be in a position to afford to participate in each show that comes along, but that shouldn't stop you from still taking your horse around and having a great time. Here I show you how to set about it.
1. Socialize More
Share financial loads with friends and neighbours. Get together and ride so you can have a laugh at moderate expense. Eschew part of the show circuit and economize by riding trails with mates. You may even try casual show riding at some suitable location in the area. Save money by sharing vehicle and trailer rides. Economize on training by arranging group sessions instead of individual sessions.
2. Get Local with Schooling and Showing
If the concept of giving up showing when you have ready horses appals you, compromise by attending local shows. These shows comprise cheap ways of schooling your horses. Put mileage on your young stock and keep your more experienced horses finetuned at these shows. Such shows usually cost you one-fourth or 1/3 as much as the more top-flight shows do.
Healthcare
Use these tough times to really simplify the health care procedures you have set up for your horses.
1. Think Cure
Cut out on palliation. It is a non-permanent measure that costs money. Go in for last cures. Cures cost less and are way more permanent. Stop 'dealing with' your horses' symptoms and begin to work on eliminating the root causes that bring up these symptoms. Just for an example: do your horse's symptoms of ulcers arise from his life in a stall? Does he need to be moved out to a pasture? Will supplements help shed his ulcer? Or maybe he just needs a little time off, a 'vacation' from work to recharge his batteries?
2. Health care
Less participation in shows means more spare time. Use the opportunity to do things that were put aside, like floating your horse's teeth. If you can bring your horse up to speed health wise to a condition where he is assimilating nutriments effortlessly, he'll be fed in the winter with a lot less cost. Offset any additional veterinary cost by doing things like giving your horse's hooves a much needed rest by pulling his shoes, especially if he will not be showing for a while. Barefoot trims are less expensive and more healthy than shoes.
3. Ascertain Your Horse's Element
Discover what your horse's Five-Element type is and manage him optimally. You save a lot of money when your horses are managed well and are in the peak of health and spirit.
4. Buy in Bulk or Barter
Folks tend to barter when times are tough. Offer something in exchange for the services and goods supplied by your vet, coach or hay provider. If barter is not practicable buy stuff like hay in quantities. See if you can form a co-operative of neighbouring pony owners and get hay or feed at reduced bulk costs.
Finances
See what you can squeeze out. Forgo that fancy saddle you were thinking of if your old saddle is ok. Postpone that stable restructuring plan as your present stable is more than sufficient.
See what you can earn additional. Can you let your horses be utilized for teaching riding? Economic hard times give you a perfect chance to streamline your money affairs.
So what is a real pony lover to do? Give up his horses?
Not quite. You can adopt new economic measures designed expressly for pony owners. These measures, referred to as equinomics, permit you to keep your horses as well as your bank account fit.
Equinomics is the practice of enjoying life with your horses without hollowing out your bank account. It encompasses three areas of equine enterprise:
- Activities
- Medical care
- Finances.
Activities
You may not be in a position to afford to participate in each show that comes along, but that shouldn't stop you from still taking your horse around and having a great time. Here I show you how to set about it.
1. Socialize More
Share financial loads with friends and neighbours. Get together and ride so you can have a laugh at moderate expense. Eschew part of the show circuit and economize by riding trails with mates. You may even try casual show riding at some suitable location in the area. Save money by sharing vehicle and trailer rides. Economize on training by arranging group sessions instead of individual sessions.
2. Get Local with Schooling and Showing
If the concept of giving up showing when you have ready horses appals you, compromise by attending local shows. These shows comprise cheap ways of schooling your horses. Put mileage on your young stock and keep your more experienced horses finetuned at these shows. Such shows usually cost you one-fourth or 1/3 as much as the more top-flight shows do.
Healthcare
Use these tough times to really simplify the health care procedures you have set up for your horses.
1. Think Cure
Cut out on palliation. It is a non-permanent measure that costs money. Go in for last cures. Cures cost less and are way more permanent. Stop 'dealing with' your horses' symptoms and begin to work on eliminating the root causes that bring up these symptoms. Just for an example: do your horse's symptoms of ulcers arise from his life in a stall? Does he need to be moved out to a pasture? Will supplements help shed his ulcer? Or maybe he just needs a little time off, a 'vacation' from work to recharge his batteries?
2. Health care
Less participation in shows means more spare time. Use the opportunity to do things that were put aside, like floating your horse's teeth. If you can bring your horse up to speed health wise to a condition where he is assimilating nutriments effortlessly, he'll be fed in the winter with a lot less cost. Offset any additional veterinary cost by doing things like giving your horse's hooves a much needed rest by pulling his shoes, especially if he will not be showing for a while. Barefoot trims are less expensive and more healthy than shoes.
3. Ascertain Your Horse's Element
Discover what your horse's Five-Element type is and manage him optimally. You save a lot of money when your horses are managed well and are in the peak of health and spirit.
4. Buy in Bulk or Barter
Folks tend to barter when times are tough. Offer something in exchange for the services and goods supplied by your vet, coach or hay provider. If barter is not practicable buy stuff like hay in quantities. See if you can form a co-operative of neighbouring pony owners and get hay or feed at reduced bulk costs.
Finances
See what you can squeeze out. Forgo that fancy saddle you were thinking of if your old saddle is ok. Postpone that stable restructuring plan as your present stable is more than sufficient.
See what you can earn additional. Can you let your horses be utilized for teaching riding? Economic hard times give you a perfect chance to streamline your money affairs.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her
extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about prestige saddles
extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about prestige saddles
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