Ashley's Equestrian Pin Fever

All About Riding

$$ COSTS $$

Page 3 of Unlimited

Q. WHAT ELSE DO I NEED AT HOME?
A. Unless you like running all over & meeting the neighbors often, fences would be nice.

Q. WHAT ABOUT A RIDING RING?
A. Nice but not necessary unless this is the only place you have to practice. We built our show jumping course & dressage arena quite reasonably.

Q. SHOULD I BUY A TRAILER?
A. For you to live in or to haul the horse?

Q. WHAT KIND OF TRAILER SHOULD I BUY?
A. Personal choice. There are plenty of magazines which discuss the pros & cons of aluminum vs steel or gooseneck vs bumper pull. I will say there are 2 things I cannot live without...a ramp & a walk-thru for loading.

I personally consider a ramp a safer way to load & unload a horse. Yes, they could slide, but they seem to prefer stepping onto something rather than thin air. I consider a walk-through arrangement the most important. And w/a FULL size escape door, not one that Harry Houdini couldn't get out of. With an 12 year old doing most of the loading, these safety features are beyond price to me.

Q. DO TRAILERS COST MUCH?
A. Here's where you CAN read those newspaper ads. New trailers run from $2500 to over $100K depending on the rig. If you buy used, be sure to check the condition of the flooring, the electrical system, brakes & tires. Last thing you need is to be tooling down the highway & discover your horse is 2 counties back because the flooring was rotten or discover on that hill from Hell that the brakes were shot.

Q. DO I NEED A NEW VEHICLE TO HAUL MY TRAILER?
A. That cost saving Yugo has got to go...get yourself down to SUV-City & check out the latest mounds-o-metal. You can haul a small trailer w/a mid size car or mini-van. But for serious hauling, most people use a decent size SUV or truck. Chevy Suburbans are NOT just for soccer Moms, go to any horseshow & you will see rows of them. Crew Cab dualies are the favorite of the gooseneck hauling community, along w/Dodge diesel trucks. DON'T skimp on hauling capacity, half ton, 3/4 ton to 1 tons are best in the long run.

Q. WHAT KIND OF TACK DO I NEED?
A. Aren't you going to delight the local tack shop owner! For bumping around the backyard, a saddle, saddle pad & bridle are nice, along w/a halter & lead rope. For showing, you'll need the tack of that particular discipline.

Welcome to the confusing world of tack..saddles, bridles, standing martingales, running martingales, girths, pads, bell boots, galloping boots, stirrups, leathers, breastplates, a million choices in bits, flashbands...the list goes on & on. And if you show something like eventing, you'll need it ALL!

And buying one of something isn't always good enough. Nothing more frustrating than having a stirrup leather break at a show where the nearest tack shop is 30 miles away & closed 10 minutes ago.