To wrap up this chapter on horse showing for less (the near impossible), I want to think about more things exhibitors can do themselves, rather than paying for a professional’s services. There are the obvious: braiding, grooming, mucking stalls, body clipping … but there are also the more creative and often overlooked cost-saving tricks such as making your own grooming products or using dollar store items you wouldn’t normally consider....

Let’s face it, when you walk into the show ring you want to look good. Who doesn’t? Frumpy, ill-fitting, and out-dated clothes, boots, or tack just won’t do. The real challenge, however, is looking show-ready without spending a fortune on clothes and accessories you may only use a few times a year....

After you’ve been horse showing for a few years, it’s easy to fall into a sort of comfort zone – a routine that works for you, but that may not be working for your wallet. You go to the same shows year after year because it’s what you know. You stay at the nearest hotel because it’s convenient. Your horse is trailered in a day early, your trainer may school him for you, and you enter a warm-up class. This is all good and well, but you’re spending an unnecessary amount of money....

Horse show season is in full swing. I don’t care if you’re of the dressage, event, hunter, jumper, or western world, competitions are not cheap. But this week the focus is on training, practicing, and preparing for shows so that they are worth spending the money on. Today’s riders have become incredibly dependent upon lessons and one-on-one time with a professional trainer. Lessons – particularly private – can be quite expensive when they start to add up, so why not cut back? Do you really need all the instruction you’re paying for, or can you get by with less and work more on your own?...