Tips for Success for Riders on a Budget

 Ok, so it's no secret that the equestrian world is kinda expensive (sorry if this is shocking news to you; welcome to riding). If you're anything like me, you probably don't have the funds required to own a made horse, have daily lessons with a top trainer, and go to events every weekend. If you're even more unlucky like me, there also isn't anywhere to show that is less than a couple hours away. However, there are things you can do to help your equestrian finances and be able to have a successful riding career.
 

YOU DON'T NEED IT
    While there are things that are "necessary evil" expenses in riding (ie. basic tack and attire), do not get sucked into buying the what I like to call " stuffs". Stuffs are anything that you do not need or that are not going to help you be a better rider. For example: Instead of buying the super cute saddle pad with fancy stitching and piping, get a plain $10 saddle pad( or better yet if you already have 5 functional ones, don't get one at all!)and use the saved money to get a lesson with a good instructor. Lessons can help you ride better, the pretty piping will not. If you want to steer clear of stuffs, do not bother picking up a SmartPak catalog....... they, hands down, win the contest for stuffs marketing. Have you seen how cute all the riding clothes they sell are?? I myself cannot helped but get sucked into admiring how beautiful it all is....... but again, it really won't help me ride. I can ride just as well in my zip up shirt from Wally World as I can in that beautiful Ariat jacket (that will, in fact, get covered in hair, slobber, and hay after one trip to the barn) . And do not get me started on all the monogram stuff! I am well aware of my initials and things have tags for a reason (so I can write my name in sharpie on it!  ) Ok, end of rant.... I think everyone gets the point.

Is the Brand Worth it's Name?
    This can be a bit of a touchy subject in some areas, but I'm going to cover my opinions based on experience. Nothing is wrong with having nice stuff (trust me I have plenty) but there are places were you can definitely save some money by being smart. Questions when thinking if the name brand is worth it:
 1) Is safety involved? If what you are buying is geared toward rider or horse safety, that is definitely not an area to skimp on. But even with safety equipment, there's a point where it becomes extravagant.  For example: You need a good helmet, obviously you want one that not only meets, but exceeds standards; and if you show you need it to look good. You see that you like the look of the Charles Owen Gr8, but it's kind of pricey. The only apparent difference in the Gr8 and the Jr8 is the harness( the Gr8's being nice leather instead of nylon) oh and the huge price drop.
2) Does the quality highly affect my horse? The only tack this is majorly true of to my experience are saddles. A good, well-fitted saddle is extremely important for your horse. Not saying you need to get a top of the line custom saddle, but you most definitely don't need to be putting a complete piece of junk on their back either. Don't always assume people are "hating" on a brand of saddle because of it's price, there are often good reasons why it gets negative reviews......
3) Are they that much better than the cheaper alternatives? I find that with riding apparel, this doesn't seem to happen very often. Tuff rider is one of my personal favorite cheapo brands. They have riding tights that are a 1/3 the price of Kerrits, they have the mesh under side sleeve shirts that are 1/4 the price of EIS shirts, and their saddle pads can't be beat on price. Same goes for detanglers and shampoos and other grooming products. My horses look super shiny gorgeous and I use,  the very affordable, Orvus livestock shampoo!

         Tell   me the difference        



Be a Deal Seeker
    I honestly could not tell you the last time I payed retail price on a piece of riding equipment. {Ok, so I got to go to Dover recently and got a dressage pad, but it was a very special occasion and I can be impulsive sometimes!} Anyways, that is definitely not the norm is for me. I can almost always find what I need for discount eventually if I am patient and look enough. Facebook used tack pages are your best friend! I just recently got a lightly used Anky dressage saddle  (my bum was way to big for my current saddle) for $650;  this a $2,200 saddle we are talking about. My jumping saddle I got brand spanking new for half of it's retail price because the store had stopped carrying them and it was collection dust in the Warehouse. The majority All of my riding clothes were bought on extreme discount, are hand me downs, or are very inexpensive brands. My full show attire, which's net cost is right around $1,000, I got for about $200.

Used is Cool
    Last rant session. Used tack is that has been taken care of is the best. That way, you can get a quality saddle for the same price as a new cheapo saddle. I have never been one to be above hand me down clothes and have bought a lot of my riding clothes used. Another incentive to take care of your tack is to know that if it ever does not work for you and you need something different one day, you could resell it to help cover the cost of your new equipment. That is the boat I'm currently in with my old dressage saddle which I am hoping to sell soon. The only thing that I would usually avoid with used tack is helmets because if they were fallen in, they can have eternal damage that you can't see; and (sadly) not everyone in the world is honest.

Hope you enjoyed this article might do some more on this topic, but it's late and I'm tired so that's all for now.