I have a pony, do I need a trailer?

The short answer is no.  You don't really NEED a trailer, but then did you NEED a pony?  It really depends on what you are doing with the pony.

Our first barn was very accommodating.  Not only did they drive our pony to all the shows my daughter attended, they were the ones to get up, load the trailer and get to the show grounds crazy early.  We got at least an hour or two of extra sleep as a result.  If we wanted to go somewhere, they could usually drive us and their fee was very reasonable - $75 roundtrip locally.  Shows, however, were limited to the shows they were going to as a barn.

When we changed barns, we had to find some other way to get where we were going.  One of the first things I noticed at our current barn was the huge number of trailers littering the property.  It was my first clue I might be in trouble.  There are transport companies out there and often someone is going the same place at the same time and can give you a ride.  I have friends who have supported equestrian daughters for years without buying a trailer, usually paying someone to drive them which can be very expensive - a ride to and from a long show day can be $200, more if it's far away.

I, however, am a control freak.  I like to know where I'm going, how I'm getting there and limit the probability for error.  I like making my own schedule, coming and going to horse shows when it makes sense for me, not when it makes sense for my ride.  I liken being at our barn without a trailer to living in the country, working in town and not having a car.  Our neighbors are all very nice and if they are going our way with a space, we are welcome to it, but on that day it just doesn't work out, what do you do?  Once we had a pony it felt like we needed a way to fit him into our car.  Our pony is another member of the family.  If you have 3 kids you buy a car with 5 seats.

Then again, as another horse mom recently reminded me, what works for one of us isn't necessarily what works for another.  I'll share my advice but you'll need to figure out for yourself if a trailer is in your future.  Here are some questions to ask yourself in trying to decide if you "need" a trailer:

1. How many times a month would you use a trailer?  If it's 1 or less, you might hold off.
2. Do you intend to take your pony anywhere other than the shows your barn is going to already?
1. Are you joining Pony Club? (I'll post about Pony Club very soon to help you make this decision!) This is ultimately what pushed us.  With 2 mounted meetings a month in addition to an active show schedule, we needed a way to take our pony places pretty frequently.
2. Do you intend to do some XC schooling (riding outside of shows) at courses other than the one available at your barn?  We did quite a bit of this last summer and I was really glad to have a trailer.  As plans and schedules changed a million times I didn't have to call my ride once a day with a change of plan.
3. How likely is it that your horse situation is going to last?  You might try to make do for the first year you lease/own.  I would have waited if we hadn't changed barns and joined pony club.
4. Do you have a friend who is ready to buy a trailer?  I know some people who sort of "share" a trailer because their kids are always doing the same things.  One family owns the trailer and the other buys gas.
5. Do you have the proper vehicle for pulling a trailer?  This is not a deal breaker since you can always get a different car but it can get very expensive and will be a factor in making your decision.

If after thinking through this list you conclude that yes, I must have a trailer, then you are ready to think about what type and size trailer you need and whether you want to buy new or used.

Gooseneck Trailer

There are two types of trailers: Gooseneck and Bumper Pull.  A gooseneck has an extension on the front that goes over the flatbed of a pickup truck.  The truck has a hitch in the middle of the bed to which the trailer attaches.  A bumper pull attaches to the more traditional hitch point at the back of your car under the bumper.

Next you need to think about size and features.  Horse trailers are broken into categories by how many horses they carry, whether or not they have a dressing room (something worth considering) or living quarters (likely unnecessary but whatever floats your boat) and how they are loaded - slant or straight, ramp or step-up.  All of these things come down to personal preference.

Layout option for slant load trailer.

A slant load is a trailer in which the horses are set at an angle to the side of the trailer.  They are "slanted" when you are driving straight down the road.  These trailers usually have windows for the horses on the side of the trailer.  A straight load, conversely, has the horses parallel with the side walls of the trailer.  They usually load in from the back and face forward as you drive but there are many variations depending on the number of horses you carry.  For instance, a 2 horse will usually load from the back and have the horses facing front.  But a 4 horse might load from the side and have 2 horses on either side of the entry point, 2 facing forward and 2 facing back. 

Layout options for a 4 horse trailer.

Ramp Load and Step Up are exactly what they sound like.  A ramp load has a ramp that you lower to the ground and the horse ascends the ramp to enter the trailer.  A step up has no such ramp.  The horses just step on the way we get into a car.  

Trailers also have different kinds of dividers in them.  There can be a half wall or just an 8" plank like piece dividing the stalls at about shoulder height.  I like the wall because the horses can't kick each other and it allows me to store stuff on the empty side if I'm only carrying one horse but I know a lot of people who prefer not to have a wall so the horses have more room to spread their legs out to brace for turns.

A dressing room may sound like a silly thing to anyone who hasn't owned a trailer but don't write it off too quickly.  If you have your own trailer, you and your child will be getting to the barn early, hooking up, cleaning out shavings, putting in new shavings, hanging fresh hay, filling water bottles, loading tack, etc.  Even if you did much of this the night before there is a good deal of work to be done on the morning of a show and the rider is not going to want to do it in their show clothes.  When you get to the show and your rider needs to change, where is she going to do it?  If you are like my husband, you will say she can change in the now empty trailer.  He can say this because not being the parent to go to shows he is ignorant of how dirty the trailer is and how difficult it is to keep your show clothes clean while changing in there.  The alternative is changing in the car.  Not a lot better and an option that will get more complicated as our daughter gets bigger.  But by the time I was buying a trailer and a new car to pull it, I could tell the dressing room was pushing my luck so I backed off.  

Most trailers with dressing rooms have saddle and bridle racks in the dressing rooms.  We added such racks to the interior of our 2 horse bumper pull straight ramp load trailer.  Ours is pretty big inside and we mostly pull ponies so there is actually plenty of space for our muck bucket, tack trunk and tack.  Since our tack is in with the horses, we invested in saddle covers, helmet and bridle bags to keep things clean in transport.

Next you need to think about whether you will buy new or used.  This is when you need to think about your budget.  My sense is that trailers, especially those made by Kingston, Hawk and Featherlite, really hold their value.  A 2007 trailer sells used for close to what it cost new in 2007 in part because the new 2014 trailers are so much more expensive (I've kind of found the same to be true of good used saddles).  So you save money with the used trailer but not as much as you might think.  And resale value can be important, especially if you are buying a smaller trailer with fewer bells and whistles and planning to upgrade in a few years if all goes well.  We bought a 2007 Kingston from a wonderful horse mom in Connecticut.  The trailer looked completely brand new and she even gave me some driving lessons.  We got a great deal paying $6500.  Even though it was in great shape, I spent an additional $1000 having it serviced and adding racks before we used it.  When you buy a used trailer you should plan to take it to a local dealer to have the brakes, tires and wheel bearings checked.  

That reminds me.  Horse trailers have brakes.  The brakes are hooked up to your car and you will need an electronic braking system.  The car we had when we bought the trailer did not have one so we had one installed.  We went to a local trailer place, not a horse trailer place necessarily but one that could install a controller quickly so I could drive down to pick up my trailer.  The system cost about $350 installed but we should have spent a little more and gotten the higher end digital unit with more adjustment.   If I had it to do again, I would go to a bigger trailer shop and one that had some experience with horse trailers.  The unit is installed under the dash right where your knees like to be when driving so you have access to adjust it easily and your husband can frequently curse you for having a horse trailer that makes driving uncomfortable for him.

A month after buying the trailer, I bought a new car.  My 2011 Honda Pilot could pull the trailer but it didn't feel very good.  We were well under the 4400 pounds our Honda was certified to pull.  Our trailer weighs 2500 pounds and our pony was only 800 pounds.  There are different weight measurements you will see in your car manual about gross vehicle weight and what not.  I focused on tow capacity and that seemed to be a sufficient data point for determining the best vehicle for pulling my trailer.  Most trailers I am interested in are between 2500 and 3500 pounds.  If I have 2 big horses that's an additional 2200 pounds.  Add in a little tack, water, I'm guessing the most I will ever want to pull is 6000 - 6500 pounds.  Pick up trucks are great for this, especially a Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado 1500 or Doge Ram which can tow 12,000 pounds, but I wanted an SUV that could do double duty as my people mover (I have 2 sons who want nothing to do with horses).  The best choices seemed to be the Chevy Tahoe and the Ford Expedition which can each tow around 9000 pounds (consumer reports does a good job with testing vehicles' tow ratings).  A Suburban would also be a good choice but I had recently downsized from a Suburban and didn't want to go back.  One of the things I really liked about my Expedition was that it had the electronic braking system integrated into the vehicle itself, installed at the factory.  So when I hook up my trailer, the digital readout in my dashboard acknowledges the trailer and tells me the level my brakes are set at. I LOVE LOVE LOVE towing with this car!!!!!!  You will see people towing horse trailers with all kinds of cars.  This is another one of those cases where what works for me does not necessarily work for you.  But I think this is something the owner of our old barn had in mind when she told me I would wreck my car if I bought a trailer.

So, where does one buy a trailer?  I found mine on equine.com.  You can create an account, then create a search with detailed criteria and save the search.  I would go back every day or two to see if there was anything new to look at.  There are new and used trailers listed on the site.  You can try Craigslist but I found the listings on equine.com were a better fit on average.  You can also go to your local dealer who will likely carry both new and used trailers.  There are several near where I live.  Many people around here use Yered.  I had mine serviced at Orchard.  Ask around the barn and at the tack shop and you'll find out where you should go.  If you are near Ohio or Massachusetts, attend the Equine Affaire.  They host an AMAZING horse trailer display.  It's so fun to run around dreaming about having a huge motorhome with seating for your entire equine family.

A few more things to keep in mind as you are looking at trailers.  

• There are several shapes out there.  The trailers with really square fronts create more drag than those with rounded or pointed front ends, impacting gas mileage.  
• Horses and all their stuff are really dirty.  It won't look new for long!
• Even if you only have a pony now, are you likely to have a big 17 hand warmblood in a few years?  Probably not but think about it before buying the smallest trailer you can find.
• My only pet peeve with my trailer has to do with the rings on the side of the trailer.  During a show, you will tie your pony to the trailer and hang a hay net for them to munch on.  The rings on our trailer are really low.  I am planning to take it in to have another one added higher up so the hay net doesn't hang so low.
• Buy a muck bucket, muck rake, really good broom and shovel just for the trailer.  If you can, put a small trunk in the trailer and keep some basic supplies in it such as fly spray, baby wipes, bit wipes, water buckets for drinking and sponging, sponges, a big water tank in case water is unavailable where you are going and an extra medical armband if you have an eventer.  Nothing worse than getting somewhere to go schooling or to a show and not being able to participate because you left your armband at the barn.
• I see trailers out there without windows.  That seems weird to me.  On a hot day I love opening all the windows and even latching the upper half of the back totally open for the drive home so the pony can have some air.
• Practice driving your trailer!  It's great if you can buy a trailer from a place that will give you lessons.  It's really not that hard to drive one if you practice a little bit.  Be sure to learn how to back up and how to park so you don't embarrass yourself at a horse show.
• I found the information on this site extremely helpful in learning about safe trailer driving.
• You should also have a professional check the hitch you have for pulling a trailer.  Not all hitches are rated to pull the significant weight associated with horse trailering.  You want to make sure that the ball is the right diameter, the drop the correct height and the weight rating high enough for the load you intend to pull.
• My dream Hawk 2 horse with dressing room is around $13,000 new right now just to give you an idea of cost.

I'm so excited for you to go get your trailer and become a mobile horse parent!  Happy trailer shopping!

Kristie

Dressage, Hunters, Eventing - What's the difference and why do I care?

First of all, I have to admit that I'm still fuzzy on some of this.  I now have a pretty good handle on dressage and eventing levels but when it comes to the hunter/jumper stuff, I'm often deeply confused.  But this overview should help you get started.  I refer to schooling and rated shows several times.  A schooling show is just that, it is for the education of the horse and or the rider and is where a kid should start his or her competitive career.  Rated shows have different levels but they are overseen by the governing body of the discipline being performed, offer a higher level of competition and professionalism, and the opportunity to accrue points toward different goals in different disciplines.

Dressage is a style of riding on the flat that requires horse and rider to perform a predetermined series of movements in a formal "test".  In competition, the quality of each movement is scored and the rider in any division with the highest score wins.  Any score over 70 is pretty amazing.  Dressage is not the greatest spectator sport but it is an incredibly difficult discipline and in some way the purest form of riding.  If a rider can master the seat, which is straighter than that of a hunter/jumper, and aides - rein, weight and leg - taught in dressage they will be far more capable of doing other things with their horse such as jumping big fences.  Dressage builds a horse's muscles, it's sort of like going to the gym to lift weights and run for a football player.  It teaches a horse to bring its hind legs underneath its body and move with greater balance.  Dressage can be likened to horse ballet and is every bit as difficult to master as human, classical ballet.  Dressage competition levels start with Introductory then move to Training, 1st Level, 2nd Level, 3rd Level, 4th Level and then I get lost.  Freestyle tests incorporate musical routines and can be ridden at all levels.  There is something called a Grande Prix test and other than knowing it is beyond me in every sense I don't really know what it is.

Eventing incorporates 3 phases into one competition which can be referred to as combined training, horse trials or 3-day eventing (though only the highest level events take place over the course of 3 days).  The first phase is dressage.  The tests in eventing differ slightly from those in pure dressage but incorporate the same types of movements.  Dressage is there to demonstrate the true ability of both horse and rider.  The dressage score in eventing is a little different with a lower score being better than a higher score.  This is achieved by subtracting the actual dressage score from 100.  A score of less than 40 is good and under 30 is amazing.  The second phase in most horse trials is Show Jumping or Stadium.  A rider is given a course of jumps and a time in which to jump them.  If they go clean - make it over every fence without knocking anything down - and within the time, the move on with no penalties.  If they go over time (or under the minimum time), faults are added to their score from dressage and likewise if they take down a rail, miss a jump or have a refusal.  If they fall off, they are disqualified.  The third phase is Cross Country and involves a course of natural and man made obstacles laid out over a path through fields, woods and water.  Again the goal is to get around clean in the time allotted.  Eventers don't have to look good in the jumping stages.  They just need to stay on and get over the fences in the time allowed.  As you get to the higher levels, though, it would be strange to see anyone doing well in dressage that didn't look pretty amazing going over fences.  The jumping seat in eventing is much more back and in the saddle than in other disciplines primarily because when going cross country eventers encounter drops (these links bring you to photos of what I'm talking about), hills, ditches, they gallop over rough ground and change trajectory from uphill to downhill to over a huge wall very quickly.  You can't stay on a horse if you are leaning forward on its neck while going down a drop.  At the end of the day, the rider in each division with the lowest score wins.  A rider "finishing on their dressage score" is one who incurred zero penalties in the show jumping and cross country stages.  Eventing is not the discipline of choice for kids who like lots of ribbons.  The maximum possible number of ribbons on any given day is one and it is anything but guaranteed.  The goal for young eventers is to make it through the day still in the competition.  This discipline requires bravery, resilience and toughness to a higher degree than most other disciplines which makes sense since it used to be a test of our cavalry officers and has in more recent years developed into a civilian sport.  Having made the switch with my daughter from hunters to eventing I encourage you as a parent not to underestimate the extraordinary difference between jumping in a fenced arena and doing so out in an open field and galloping (even trotting) through woods all alone.  The levels in eventing: Pre-Elementary, Elementary and Tadpole are offered only at the schooling show level.  Rated horse trails include Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced.  Then they get into something to do with stars and CCI which I don't understand at this point but since that is all at least 10 or 20 years away for my daughter if she even makes it that far I figure I'll know it by the time we get there!  In order to compete at Preliminary and above, a rider must accrue a specified number points at the previous level in rated shows.  Higher levels also have age requirements.

Hunters/Jumpers/Equitation - These are actually 3 distinct disciplines at the higher levels but they have similarities and for kids all start at the same place.  Here's an oversimplification that I'm sure I'll get in trouble for but you have to start somewhere.  In hunter classes the horse is judged and in equitation classes the rider is judged.  Of course both horse and rider are judged in both to some degree and if the rider isn't riding well in a hunter class then the horse is unlikely to do well.  One thing you will hear as a parent of a young hunter is the term "lead change".  This has to do with which leg is in front during the canter.  As a horse bends it should be the inside leg that comes forward at the beginning of the stride.  So if turning to the left, the left front leg should be visibly out in front as the horse canters.  This is a big deal in the hunter world and is the reason you will pay more for a pony or horse with "auto changes" meaning the animal pretty much hands it to your child on a silver platter.  Some will have strong changes that are not automatic so they need an indication from the rider but get their changes pretty easily.  In lower levels a rider can do simple changes which means they break to the trot, then pick up the canter on the new lead.  Many many many ponies and horses just don't have great lead changes.  They can often be ridden in the hunters but to do well will need a super strong rider who can give them very clear and consistent signals.  There are lots of other little nitpicky things judges look at and similar to dressage they keep a score sheet during the ride.  Hunter and equitation classes can take place over fences or on the flat.  Equitation on the flat, though having a different seat and not presenting a preset test, is most similar to dressage.  An equ rider will be focused on how she sits on the horse and perfecting her aides. In the flat class a group of horses will enter the ring at the same time.  The judge will ask the riders to walk a particular direction, trot, canter, etc.  At the end of the class the riders line up and ribbons are awarded.  A rider will likely enter an entire division which will have 4 - 8 or more classes in it with champion and reserve champion ribbons being given for the highest scorers at the end of the division.  A division can included both flat classes and classes over fences.  For the jumping classes each rider enters the ring on their own, jumping a set course and being judged differently depending on if they are riding a hunter or equitation class.  In this discipline, one terrible class doesn't necessarily ruin your whole day, depending on how many classes you entered.  In some sense the scores in hunters and equitation are subjective and a judge can play favorites for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes they just love the particular look of a particular pair.  In that case it's just tough luck if you aren't the lucky pair.

Jumpers is more like the stadium segment in eventing and it is scored objectively.  Form is sort of irrelevant.  Jumpers are getting around a complex course of jumps in an enclosed ring within an allotted time.  Those who make it enter a jump off which is a shorter course of jumps.  The fastest time with the fewest rails down wins.

Additionally there are pony classes and points and medals.  I have no idea what medals are but they have to do with particular medal classes.  Over a show season a rider can earn points at every rated show they go to.  I know many kids who want a great pony with lead changes so they can make it to pony finals.  At some point I'll add a blog post from one of my hunter jumper friends so they can explain all this more fully.

In the Hunter/Jumper world there is an opportunity to compete on a team which I think is great!  To some extent the hunter/jumper world is more cut throat and the price of your horse has a good deal to do with your level of success.  Of course there are exceptions.  With the IEA teams I think some of the more negative aspects dissipate.  Many barns as well as boarding schools have Interscholastic Equestrian Association teams beginning in 6th grade.  Many of the kids who ride on these teams go on to ride on collegiate equestrian teams.  IEA sometimes offers kids an opportunity to compete who would not otherwise be able to do so because the school or barn will have a team of horses the riders use for the season.  My sense is that IEA barns are extremely kid friendly and more comfortable with kids being dropped off for riding than eventing barns where on average the riders are older.

Within the world of English riding there are some other fun events people participate in and I've only recently become familiar with them.  There are hunter paces in which a cross country style course is laid out.  Course planners set an ideal time for getting over the course.  Riders go out in groups, unaware of the ideal time that has been set.  The group that finishes closest to the ideal time wins.  There are as many penalties for riding too fast as there are for riding too slow.  A hunter derby is a hunter/jumper class in which riders jump over cross country style obstacles in an enclosed arena.  They are timed, not judged, thus making the derby more like Jumpers.  I think derby cross is similar to a hunter derby.  There are several in our area but having never participated I can't be sure.  Both derby type sports are an attempt to give spectators a more exciting event with greater opportunity to watch - typically it is very difficult to watch cross country in an event since it takes place over a great distance.  Many equestrians also participate in an old fashioned hunt.  The hunt in our area does not involve a fox.  A scent is laid, the hounds go after it and everyone has a jolly good time bounding through fields and over fences.  I have to say the whole thing appeals to me in the sense of community it creates among horse people.  It's the one time huge numbers of local horse people gather not to compete in the show ring but to enjoy riding together.

There are a million other horse sports I'm sure but if you have a horse crazy kid, the disciplines I mentioned are probably the ones you need to know about.  I don't know anything about western disciplines and then you have all the specialties like Morgan Horses and Quarterhorses, both of which have great organizations and publications.

I'll leave you with a couple of more realistic photos of competition - my daughter in her inaugural 3 phase event where she competed at the elementary level with jumps up to 2'3".  The dressage portion was ridden in costume so I've included a dressage shot from earlier in the season.  In costume she is dressed as Timone aboard her pony Pumba - show name Hakuna Matata!

Happy Showing!
Kristie

When is it time to change barns?

One of the hardest things we go through as beginner horse moms is understanding if and when to change something - barns, trainers, ponies, sports (there are many sports within the equine genre), vets, farriers.  

There were two pieces of advice more experienced horse people shared with me a year ago when my daughter wasn't as happy as a girl with her first pony should be and I wondered if it was time to change barns.  The first is that if you are thinking about it, and thinking about it seriously enough to call strangers for advice, then it is time to make the change.  The second is that once you’ve decided to make a move, the sooner the better.  They were absolutely right and I’m surprised I couldn’t see it then. 

In life, it is usually best to look forward, not back.  The time we spent in limbo was awkward.  Even if no one else knows you plan to move, you will feel strange every day until you do it!  Change is hard.  We don’t want to hurt people we’ve grown close to.  In some cases you may be afraid of the trainer you are leaving or concerned about backlash down the road.  Thank God those were not on my list of issues.  But whatever your situation, if it isn’t working for you, find one that will.  We spend a crazy amount of time and money on this sport and we have to feel good about the services we receive.

BUT before you jump the gun and decide your feelings of frustration require a drastic change of barn, trainer, pony, whatever, talk to your people.  I don’t know why we are shy about speaking up and voicing our concerns!  When my daughter looked as though she wasn’t thriving, I sat down with the two instructors at our barn and talked about how Elizabeth was feeling.  They were awesome and jumped right in to help us make some changes.   I have other friends who feared the conversation only to find their trainer could totally solve the problem and go with them to the more competitive barn they were interested in.  Remember, it never hurts to ask.

Looking back I realize something pretty obvious.  Though we are grateful to the people who teach our children to ride and we often feel some strong sense of loyalty, there will be few who stay in one place from the day they ride their first pony until the time they leave for college.  The instructors all know this.  Some are more sensitive about it, some more mature and understanding.  Some barns really specialize in teaching little kids to ride and I often wish these barns would embrace that role and initiate the conversation about a rider’s goals and future, helping the parents choose a path to the next step even if it takes them to another barn.

So, if you have decided to make the change, how do you go about it?  That’s probably a whole other post but here are a few suggestions.

• If you know ANYONE, no matter how distant the relation or friendship, who has had a child go through the sport you are interested in, call them up and ask questions.  I cannot stress enough how wonderful and willing to share most parents of horse kids are.  Of course there are exceptions but I’ve always shared what I know and I got most of it from other moms! My first call was to the sister-in-law of an acquaintance.  She had raised two hunter daughters and gave us a long list of hunter barns and IEA teams.  Just before we hung up I mentioned my daughter’s interest in eventing and she thought there was an eventing barn very close by and gave us the name.  I will be forever grateful to her.  

• Go to your local tack shop and ask the manager about local barns.  They may have a list.  Also ask about what magazines cover equestrian sports in your area.  Now that I read Equine Journal and Massachusetts Horse regularly I’m wondering where these wonderful publications were during my time of need.  They have listings for barns by discipline, including our beloved barn!

• Contact the DC (District Commissioner) of your local pony club.  There is a national pony club website that lets you search for clubs by zip code.  Whether you have any interest in joining pony club or not (though I strongly encourage you to do so if you can fit it in and will go into great detail as to why in another post), these people are extremely well connected in the horse world within your geographical area.  If they can’t tell you what you need to know they will know someone who can.  And on average, pony club people are very generous with their knowledge.

• If all else fails, google for barns in your area and start dialing!  This was probably the least productive of all the things I did but it was kind of fun and I learned a few things including the fact that the biggest and most stunning new barn I’ve ever seen, and which was only a few miles from my house, was for the private use of the family that built it!  The woman was very nice but they were not taking any boarders though their barn had at least 20 stalls and their facility boasted a huge indoor and fabulous outdoor arenas.  And so that set me to daydreaming…

I know for many of you riding began as something your child wanted to try.  They were little, maybe a friend was taking lessons and they tagged along.  Maybe it was something you did with a neighbor.  The first barn was less a choice and more a happy accident.  We are forever indebted to those wonderful people who introduced our children to the love of horses.  If you were as lucky as we were, your child learned to care for a horse, to work hard around the barn and picked up some valuable horse knowledge along the way.  

If you are making a move, it could be for one of many reasons.  Your child may have big goals they cannot attain at the current barn.  Maybe there are no stalls available for you to bring in your own horse.  In our case it was a change of discipline as well as a desire for a different program where we had more control and more choices.  Too often it is because a trainer is excessively harsh or shows too high a degree of favoritism.  Sometimes these are things we have to live with.  Then again, when we are talking about little girls with a fragile sense of themselves, these can be very damaging.  Whatever your reason, you are the parent and you make the choice.  Don't be bullied by your experts.  There are plenty of other people out there willing to take you under their wing and give you a different experience.  Remember, you are paying these people a significant amount of money!

And as for how you'll know when you've found the right place, you'll just know.  Like looking for a house or choosing a school, the right place feels right.  The people are people like you.  The trainers share your values.  Your child wants to be there every minute of every day and you don't mind being there either.

Best of luck and happy barn hunting!

Kristie

I

Our Journey Begins or My Daughter Wants a Pony. What Should I Do?

It's hard to know where to begin with a new blog.  When I think back to what questions I had a year ago I'm completely overwhelmed.  What is the difference between eventing, hunters, jumpers, equitation and dressage?  How do I find a new barn?  What is pony club?  What does our pony eat?  How do I buy a trailer?  How do I drive a trailer?  The list goes on.  So I thought I'd start at the the first major sign of trouble - the decision to have a pony.

There are a million things to consider before deciding to buy or lease a pony but in the interest of not boring you to death I'm just going to focus on the basics of buying or leasing.  My first piece of advice - be patient!  One does not simply go buy a pony.  It's a process so take a deep breath and take it one step at a time.

A Budget: So in the interest of full disclosure, I never came up with a budget.  I had a purchase budget but not a budget for maintenance and honestly maintenance is the bigger issue.  My approach is to ignore the enormity of the problem and hope my husband keeps paying the bills.  However, I'm aware this isn't an entirely practical or responsible approach.  Your costs depend on where you live, what discipline your child rides in and whether you lease or own.  For people new to the game, the concept of leasing a horse is confusing.  Is it like leasing a car?  Well, kind of, yes.

• The Half Lease: How do you half lease what you hope is a full animal?  A half lease usually costs about 1/3 - 1/2 the monthly board and entitles your child to ride that pony 2 -3 times per week.  So if the board is $1000 a month you will pay about $350 for 2 rides per week or $500 for 3 rides per week.  This is over and above the cost of lessons.  So if your child takes 2 lessons per week the fact that you lease means they will now take those lessons on the leased animal and have one extra "practice" ride per week.  After taking lessons on school horses this sounds a bit expensive but the upside is that your child rides the same pony in lessons each week and gets to ride a bit on their own.  It's a way to get a small taste of the commitment of full horse ownership.  It's often enough to demonstrate to the highly social 7th grade horse loving girl that 6 days a week at the barn is a bit too much for her.  For other girls it just makes them want more.  Either way, you've gathered some useful information.  Finding a half lease can be a bit of a challenge.  It is usually something your trainer or the owner of your barn finds for you.  Sometimes there just isn't the opportunity for a half lease which means you begin to consider...

• The Full Lease!!!!  A full lease feels very much like owning a horse but the good news is that when you are done with the pony you can give it back rather than having to sell it.  Don't underestimate the value of this difference, especially when thinking about ponies.  Children outgrow ponies.  If you can lease a pony for a year or two while your child is growing and save ownership for later on you may be better off.  Depending on what kind of pony/horse you need, the costs vary drastically.  Many leases come with tack and blankets which is a huge savings.  Every situation is different.  
• The "free lease" is one which has no annual fee for the use of the animal but remember that nothing is ever free.  During the term of the lease you will be responsible for the costs of all board, feed, shoeing, veterinary care and anything else that takes place.  Different people make different arrangements but a full free lease is the same as horse ownership except for the fact that you give the pony back at the end.
• Not all leases are free.  In some disciplines leasing a pony for a year can be quite expensive.  This is common in the hunter/equitation world where a well trained pony can cost anywhere from $5000 - $15,000 just for a one year lease fee.  You pay board, vet and farrier costs on top of that.  In theory the more expensive the pony (and this goes for purchasing as well) the better the pony will fare in the show ring, giving you auto lead changes and better jumping form.  Sometimes you get what you pay for.  Then again, sometimes in life, the best things are free!

• Buying a Pony: Ideally when it comes time to buy a pony your child will be riding in a facility they enjoy with a trainer you trust.  I know this is often not the case.  We were luckier than most. My daughter's trainers have never had a financial interest in our leases or purchases which made me feel much better about taking their advice.  Even so, it was an adventure!  Our trainer was willing to participate but I had to do all the leg work.  I became familiar with every pony listed on equine.com, eventing nation and the CNER pony club site.  I emailed, called and collected videos on more animals than I can remember.  For the most part it was pretty clear which ones were worth our time though I was often swept off my feet even going so far as to rush to Pennsylvania one night to try a pony I was sure was the one (though out of my price range) only to find my daughter, able to stick its huge buck, was unable to make it canter.  In the end we found a pony pretty close to home and just barely within our purchase budget.  But by the time we were looking we had already leased or borrowed 2 different ponies so we had a pretty good idea what we were looking for and a trainer we knew and trusted who had absolute veto power on our choice.  If you expect someone to train your pony and help your daughter ride it then they should have some say in the choice.  At the end of the day Elizabeth and her trainer are the ones that chose the pony and I just wrote the check.

• The costs of buying a pony vary wildly and depend on the age, condition, conformation (God given gifts of athleticism and good looks) and skill set / prior training.  A 4 year old is considered "green" and while often cheap to acquire will be expensive to train.  An 8 - 10 year old with good training is in its prime and may cost more.  A pony over the age of 12 is entering middle age and its dollar value may begin to fall but its value as a teacher for your child is just beginning to rise.  Then again, so is the cost of maintenance.  We ended up with a 13 year old, 13.2hh, bay, welsh/TB gelding (doesn't that make me sound all smart and horsey?  You'll get the lingo down in no time).  Elizabeth will have him for at least two years and then will likely outgrow him.  In the mean time he is teaching her so much and takes excellent care of her.  So, what does it cost to buy a pony?  There really is no definitive answer.  Anywhere from $5,000 - $20,000 and more.  But as you peruse ads, try out a few ponies, talk to some people, you'll get a feel for what the kind of pony you need will cost.
• Vetting.  When you buy a pony you have a vet come out and do a pre-purchase exam.  Again, depending on where you live, what you plan to do with your pony and what kind of pony you are buying, the costs can vary dramatically.  It is fair to expect to spend between $500 and $2500 for a pre-purchase exam.  At the higher end you are paying for x-rays, blood work and other tests.  I know in our case concerns came up during the exam.  The vet would stop, discuss what she was seeing and ask if we wanted to proceed.  I chose to keep going and she ended up doing quite a few X-rays of his front hooves and hocks.  We got some good information from the exam.  You can think of it as being similar to a home inspection.  There are certain discoveries that will cause you to walk away from a house but most of the time you just find things that might affect the price you are willing to pay or your maintenance plan once you assume ownership.
• Once you've vetted the pony and decided to buy it, be sure you left a little money in your budget for tack.  At a minimum you will need a saddle, a bridle, brushes, a saddle pad and a blanket or two.  You may be able to buy these with the pony.  Before you buy the pony, be sure to spend a little time looking at tack and make a list of what you will need and get an idea of how much money you plan to spend.  An inexpensive brand new saddle is about $1000 and while it will be your most expensive piece of tack, it is far from being the only piece. 
• Resale.  One last thing about buying a pony.  When you are buying, ponies are somewhat like houses.  Each one is different.  You have to find one that has issues you are willing to live with yet gives you all the things on your must have list.  Not an easy task.  When you sell a pony, it's more like a car.  The minute you bought the pony it was worth less money.  Trust me.  Some people will tell you that if you train the pony, improve its show record, etc., it will be worth more in a year or two.  That is rarely the case and you shouldn't count on it.  When we bought a pony I set our budget based partially on what I could stand to lose in two years when we sell him to buy another pony or horse.  If we don't lose money it will be a total bonus but don't ever buy a pony for your daughter - at lease not at the stage of the game where you're green enough to be taking advice from me - if you need to make money on the transaction.  The point isn't to make money.  The point is to give you and your child the best experience possible and for both of you to enjoy learning about horse ownership.

• The Maintenance Costs of Ownership: So in trying to come up with a final budget I suppose you need more information.  Again, where you live plays a big part in how much things cost.  Where we live, full board is generally around $1000 a month.  That includes a stall which is cleaned by someone else once a day, turnout, hay, grain, some blanket changes and the use of some truly wonderful facilities including an indoor arena, 4 outdoor arenas and a cross country course as well as access to local trails.  In addition we pay for our farrier which can run from $50 for a trim to $300 for 4 winter shoes every 6 weeks.  Our current pony has 2 shoes so we spend $125 to $150 every 6 weeks.  Vet bills depend very much on the health of your pony.  At a minimum you pay for a call out fee, vaccinations and deworming.  From there you get into joint supplements, treatment of injuries, allergies, chiropractors, you name it.  The more we get into it the more it seems pretty much like human medicine and it can get expensive.  You can buy insurance to cover some costs but it is worth talking to your vet about likely costs of ownership before you get in too deep.  Annual costs for a totally healthy animal with no joint issues should be about $500 - $1000.  During our pre-purchase exam we talked about the cost of maintenance due to some things our vet found.  I took that into account when determining what to pay for the pony and expect to spend an additional $1000 on veterinary care as a result.  Transportation can be another big cost if you don't have your own trailer.  You can pay $75 - $150 per ride around here.  Then again, sometimes a friend is willing to help you out for less.  Even so, it should be considered in your list of anticipated costs.  

There are some other things you want to be sure you have in place before you take on full responsibility for a pony.  

You need a great place to stable your pony.  Make sure there is a stall available somewhere close to home.  If your child is riding at a barn that takes in boarders, talk to the manager.  Ask about the cost of board, barn rules, feed and feed schedules (I'll go over that in another post so you can sound like you know what you're talking about!).  Ask who the barn vet, farrier and dentist are and whether you are allowed to bring in your own people if you choose to do so.  If it looks like a change of barn will need to take place try to do it well in advance of the pony purchase or lease.  I meant what I said about the person responsible for training the pony and helping the child be successful having a say in choosing the pony (We brought a pony with us to the barn we are currently at and it didn't go well.  That, too, is another post.).  

You need a trainer, farrier, vet and dentist.  Sometimes these all come with your barn.  Sometimes it takes awhile to build a team.  But at least get an idea of who they are and how your barn handles contacting them.  The first barn we were at did it all for us.  Now we are on our own.  Just make sure you are comfortable and that you know what you need to do. 

You need one or more parents or another responsible adult willing to sacrifice their time in a big way.  There are some exceptions to this rule but generally speaking, until your child is 16, the fact that they have a pony implies you are, at a minimum, schlepping them to the barn 5 days a week.  We only go to the barn 4 - 5 days a week in the winter but spring through fall Elizabeth and I spend 3 hours, 6 days per week with the pony, sometimes more if she has a show or a pony club meeting.  She's too young to be left at the barn on her own so if she's there, I'm there, or I'm paying one of the older girls to be her babysitter.  There are riding programs out there that allow you to drop your child off.  I have friends who have chosen private schools with riding programs to limit the stress on their time though they have clearly traded it for stress on their wallet.  Buying a pony for your child is a lifestyle choice for the whole family.

You need a child who is happiest mucking stalls and working hard, on and off the horse.  I suppose this one is optional.  Our family has dedicated a significant portion of our resources to Elizabeth's riding because at the end of the day responsible horse ownership builds character and it has brought her confidence and pure joy.  She has never once balked at her duties.  She goes to the barn in all weather, listens to and respects her trainer, works hard to improve her riding, cleans her tack weekly, grooms her pony, organizes her tack room, sweeps the aisle, cleans our trailer.  She tells me she far prefers going to shows now that we have our own trailer.  The process of loading the trailer and being in full control of her pony calms her nerves before a show.  Well, not completely, but at least she thinks it helps.  I read a great blog post today on this topic if you care to read it Crabby Horse Mom - Life Lessons  For us the riding is just one tiny portion of having a pony.  If you aren't interested in the rest of it, why bother?

I'll leave you with a list of links and resources that might be helpful and I'll post again next week.  If I ever have any readers and there are ever any topics you have questions about, let me know and I'll see what I can do!  I plan to have some of my friends who know more than me help me out with posts from time to time.  I hope this was helpful and am grateful for any feedback you care to share.

Best -

Kristie

Horse Shopping Web Sites:

www.equine.com

http://cne.ponyclub.org/classifieds/ (this one is very local to New England but try your local pony club)

http://www.dreamhorse.com (a good deal of overlap with equine.com)

http://eventingnation.com/sporthorsenation (this one is geared toward eventing)

Magazines Worth a Read:

Young Rider

Equine Journal (A Regional New England Magazine but if there is something similar in your area find it.  There are numerous ads for barns, trainers, horses,camps, etc.)