Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your horses were neighing away for the type of attention that cost money, while your bank account was so lean and dry you found it hard to squeeze another drop of money out of it? You’ve got to have experienced such trying times, given the latest problems everyone has been hit with. Costs that you didn’t look twice at earlier have now started to look like they are draining lots of money. Even things like showing your horse and paying your Ferrier pinch you.

So what is a genuine horse lover to do? Give up his horses?

Not quite. You can adopt new economic measures specifically designed for pony owners. These measures, known as equinomics, permit you to keep your horses as well as your bank account in good health.

Equinomics is the practice of enjoying life with your horses without hollowing out your bank account. It includes three areas of equine enterprise:

- Activities

- Health care

- Finances.

Activities

You may no longer be in a position to afford to take part in each show that comes along, but that shouldn’t hinder you from still taking your horse around and having a great time. Here I show how to set about it.

1. Socialize More

Share financial loads with friends and neighbors. Get together and ride so you can have fun at moderate expense. Eschew part of the show circuit and economize by riding trails with friends. You may even try casual show riding at some appropriate location in the neighbourhood. Save cash by sharing car and trailer rides. Economize on training by organizing group sessions rather than individual sessions.

2. Get Local with Schooling and Showing

If the concept of quitting showing when you have willing horses appals you, compromise by attending local shows. These shows comprise inexpensive ways of schooling your horses. Put mileage on your young stock and keep your more experienced horses finetuned at these shows. Such shows generally cost one-fourth or one-third as much as the more top-notch shows do.

Healthcare

Use these difficult times to truly streamline the medicare procedures you have set up for your horses.

1. Think Cure

Cut out on palliation. It is a non-permanent measure that costs money. Go in for last cures. Cures cost less and are far more permanent. Stop ‘dealing with’ your horses’ symptoms and begin working on eliminating the root causes that bring up these symptoms. Simply for an example: do your horse’s symptoms of ulcers arise from his life in a stall? Does he need to be moved out to a pasture? Will supplements help shed his ulcer? Or maybe he just desires a little time off, a ‘vacation’ from work to recharge his batteries?

2. Medical care

Less participation in shows means more spare time. Use the opportunity to do things that were put aside, like floating your horse’s teeth. If you’re able to bring your horse up to scratch health wise to a condition where he’s assimilating nutrient elements effortlessly, he can be fed in the winter with much less cost. Offset any extra vet cost by doing things like giving your horse’s hooves a sorely needed rest by pulling his shoes, especially if he won’t be showing for a while. Barefooted trims are cheaper and more healthy than shoes.

3. Determine Your Horse’s Element

Find out what your horse’s Five-Element type is and manage him optimally. You save a lot of money when your horses are managed well and are in the top of health and spirit.

4. Buy in Large quantities or Barter

Folks choose to barter when times are tough. Offer something in exchange for the goods and services supplied by your vet, tutor or hay supplier. If barter is not practicable buy stuff like hay in quantities. See if you can form a cooperative of neighbouring horse owners and get hay or feed at discounted bulk costs.

Finances

See what you can squeeze out. Forgo that fancy saddle you were thinking of if your old saddle is adequate. Postpone that stable restructuring plan as your present stable is more than satisfactory.

See what you can earn additional. Can you let your horses be utilized for teaching riding? Economic tough times give you a perfect opportunity to streamline your financial affairs.

Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about prestige saddles