Five Sneaky Horse Budget Busters

When you own a horse, you know you are going to spend money on hay, vitamins, grooming, boarding, worming, and tack--along with vet fees, ferrier costs and training for you and your horse.

After that you dip into your wallet for horse toys, breeding fees, entry fees, inspections, magazine subscriptions, and a truck and trailer for when you want to travel someplace with your equine partner

There's no getting around it... owning a horse is an expensive proposition. It's easy to spend almost as much on your horse as you do on your kids.

There seems to be a horse-owner's law that states "A horse never needs a vet until the car breaks down or the plumbing goes out." Right on the heels of that law is another one that states "The only time your horse gets colic is on weekends, holidays, or when your daughter is having her ballet recital."

But budget busting isn't always the fault of your horse. It doesn't take much to overspend in other ways. Sneaky expenses have a way of multiplying. If your horse money is doing a disappearing act, here are five places to start looking:

The Good Deal: When shopping at the feed store, tack shop or on the web, it's easy to get sucked in by sales and "one time only" prices. Do you buy extra halters, saddle pads, supplements or other items because the price is right and they might come in handy someday? Before long all those bargains can add up to big bucks and barn clutter.

The Beauty Boutique: How many jars, bottles and sprayers of stuff have you accumulated to groom your horse? It's amazing how many shampoos, oils, soaps and ointments can amass and how quickly they can dry out, spill and become contaminated. Instead of grabbing something new off the store shelf, check what you've already got hanging around. Toss everything that's no longer usable. This will make it easier to find what you do have, so you can use it up before you buy more.

The Grooming Gumbo: How many picks, grooming tools, brushes and scrapers do you own? Where are they? If you have two or three (or more) of everything scattered in the barn, the tack room and the back of your truck, gather them all up and take inventory. Get a couple of plastic tubs or buckets and divide the duplicates into separate containers. Then leave one tub in the barn, and put the other tub in another handy spot, so you will be able to find the item you need and won't have to buy a new one.

Just Gotta Have It Tack: Fads can get expensive, especially when you run out to buy something just because it looked cool on another horse. You have to be honest with yourself--does your horse really need that fancy piece of equipment? It's also tempting to purchase a piece of tack because another horseperson seems to be getting such good results with it. But what works well for an experienced rider and a well trained horse may not be right for you and your horse. And no piece of tack is magic-it will never substitute for your own skill and knowledge of horsemanship.

Blue Ribbon Blindness: It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the show ring. But be aware of a number of hidden costs beyond the entry fee. You may also have to pay an association fee, an arena fee, and fees for various health checks. The show ring also demands more expensive clothing and showier tack. And don't overlook the extra outlay in trainer expense for you and your horse if you want to compete with the big boys. You may have more fun, save money, and bring home more blue ribbons by entering unrated shows, where you can enjoy the challenge of competing without breaking the bank.