So much about horse showing can be about money.
How to move it around, space out buying things, who's important to pay who's not, and their is always a certain amount of luck to it. There have been times when I just didn't know how I was going to make things work and then after a few days of thinking on it I would come up with a solution or something really lucky would happen like my mom deciding to come to the Monroe show and footing the bill for a hotel room. After a few fairly financially taxing months, that was a break I really needed. Sometimes I just have to admit that I can't afford something and put it on a list of things to budget for next year or sometime in the future. And sometimes you just have to talk to other people, network and be creative like when I fixed my trailer jack.
A Cowgirl's Advice On Batteries
I also needed to replace the battery for my living quarters - I stopped at Costco, my preferred battery purchasing stop - and picked up a Deep Cycle Marine/RV battery (which is what you use in a LQ trailer outfitted for a battery). $83.00 There are nicer batteries on the market, and I have tried them, but in my experience for doing what I do with them (using them to power my living quarters) they all have lasted EXACTLY the same. So while I don't get the cheapest ones at Wal-Mart (I have had problems with those), I do save a few bucks by buying from Costco***God Bless Costco*** don't know what my little horseshowing butt would do without them. I replace the battery in my LQ about every other year sometimes once every two years. Ideally you run it completely dead then charge it completely - this will get you the longest life out of your batteries. If you truck charges your battery/s when its running this could be a problem as the short charges and incomplete discharges can wear out your battery real quickly. I prefer to plug mine in and do the right way. I if I know I will outlast a battery I will take a fully charged spare with me.
Thoughts on paying trainers...
I have also made a trip down to Lewiston for and riding lesson and paid my trainer what I still owed him from the last show. $175.00 - I rarely do that. I believe it's better business to paid in full at the time services are rendered. Building up a balance with a trainer just sets you up for trouble. I have seen clients bail on them while still owing them hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Because of the "under the table" nature of their business trainers have very little recourse and usually end up eating the loss, which is sad because it's hard enough to be a horse trainer - self employed with little or no health insurance trying to make ends meet. I watched a client do this to a trainer-friend of mine just a short while ago and it made me so mad...
I have a very low opinion of people who do that to trainers - if for some reason the client felt that they didn't need to pay their debt it is something that should be agreed upon by both parties before the horses leave the trainer's barn. Never, never, never flake-out on your bills - it is the fastest way to earn a bad reputation and burn bridges in the Horse World. If for some reason you can't pay, work it out with the trainer - they'll usually gladly wait for you to get the money or set up a payment plan rather than be left with a loss. In short, you know who you are, GROW UP and PAY YOUR BILLS and pay them on time.
Save when you can
During the winter when I have my horse at my parent's place or boarded elsewhere, I will continue to set aside a monthly training fee - pool it together then give it to my trainer when I drop my horse off in Jan/Feb. This will give me a couple of months credit - but I will continue paying him, at a slightly reduced rate - this allows me the money to horse show. I will eventually catch up to myself but about the time I do I will have a 3 pay period month that will allow me to give him a chuck of money and i will continue paying my usual rate. Not all trainers will do that for you - but using a dedicated savings account you can do it yourself. Just a little trick I thought I would share.
Happy Friday! 