How has the recent economic downturn affected your horse-keeping and / or horsey activities?

A fellow horse person told me that most horsepeople will "FIND A WAY" to still enjoy their horses....but I know it's got to be tough for many of us....we are all having to "tighten our belts" and really re-think things.

Even though fuel prices are coming down..they are still high...especially diesel and I drive a 1 ton dually! But I now just focus much of my riding closer to home.

I am VERY blessed living in the Dallas / Fort Worth area to have at least 5-6 trail systems within an hours drive for me....so hauling out to day ride is easy. I also have about 6 miles of trail at the barn I board at so that's nice too.

My biggest change is that when I travel longer distances to ride, whether it is for endurance or competitive riding or just for pleasure is I now most often share hauling with someone to share fuel costs.

One of my friends boards at the same barn as me and we switch out whose rig we take as her trailer is smaller and efficient for "in town" trips and my gooseneck has a dressing room we can sleep in and a/c so we talk that for longer trips and it works well.

And I'd have to say that most of us horsefolk...women especially are willing to do without some of the extra outfits and such to save the $$$ for the horses.

Heck I hate to buy any new clothes unless they are for riding!

What about the rest of you?

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Comment by Michelle Synnot on January 18, 2009 at 8:19pm
Oh boy, it's getting pricey.

Shavings have gone up in price and so has hay and grain...like ALOT. A bale of local used to be 6 bucks, now it's 11. Even the farriers and vets are doing fuel surcharges. In BC (the lower mainland) suburban developments are taking over agricultural land and we are running out of trails to ride on and places to keep our horses. Board is astronomical with full board starting at 500 a month and going up from there...equestrian properties in our area start at near 1 mil. The horse rescues and SCPA's are full of horses that people are dumping left right and center, and the auction is packed with malnourished horses bound for slaughter at rock bottom prices.

I never thought I would see such a change so fast here..I am glad I have my two geldings and I would always find a way for them to be cared for and forunately I have a job in healthcare that is relatively unaffected by a poor economy. A lot of other people are not so lucky...

I've still been cutting corners where I can, cuz I'm just a penny pinching kind of gal (0: -- I do a trade with my hairdresser, she colours and cuts my hair and I give her son lead line lessons..I trade lessons for lots of things actually...hehe. When I need new tack, I try and sell the old stuff on ebay...I don't eat out much and my apartment is a pretty good deal...so I'm doing alright (0:

Just gotta watch those $$$!!

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