I struggle with getting out of it too. Soooooooo much money tied up into paying for and maintaining the horses and equipment.

For the last 20 years I bought unstarted coming 2 year olds and did all the training myself.  A year and a half ago when I decided it was time to give my older gelding a break I started looking for a younger horse.  I knew I didnt' have the time nor do I bounce anymore to start 2 year olds.  I felt like I was going to have to look for someone else' problem horse and refit it but that was kind of okay too as that is what I grew up on. When I really started looking the only thing I found in my "real" price range were weanlings who were out of a mare and by a stud who was a cousin of a brother of an uncle to so and so if you get what I mean (again that didn't bother me, I've never had the money to worry about how a horse was bred anyway) or unstarted 3 year olds (typicAlly there is a reason they are unstarted and I think I mentioned I don't bounce so good anymore) or older horses needing quite a bit of maintenance ( I have those already so if I am going to pay for a lot of maintenance I'll pay for it for the ones that have already earned it for me) Anyway, that was quite an eye opener to what the market is for horses.  I had to go out of my real price range somewhat but also lucked into knowing a person that had a nice gelding whom she had for sale AND wanted to go to a home that would understand his simple quirks, nothing much really other than he wants you to ride him like he is an old broke ranch horse which took me a little longer than you would think it should, LOL!!!

As for the rest of it, I pretty well stay close to home, no 2 and 3 races unless they are in my "backyard" so I don't have the cost of stalls and hotels.  I ride my horses so save the cost of sending them to have them swam or on the eurociser walker thing.  I have an older truck that thankfully my BIL is a mechanic and he keeps on the road for me.  I don't go as much as I'd like to but that's okay.  I hate weeknight races during the winter anyway, I save those for summertime. Basically I will never run at the Extreme or at Pants on Fire or any of those big races, added money isn't what makes me enter a race anyway.  Being able to afford the entry with no expectation of winning anything back is my deciding factor, simple minded I know but it beats paying $650 in entries and needing to win 4+ to eat and feed my horses the rest of the month.  Maybe I'm okay with it because I traveled a bit as a gymnast and don't really feel the need to do that now as well as I suck at pulling in from a long weekend at 2 and 3 am and having to be at work by 8 am, LOL!!!

"it's a whole lot of time and work all week to go run for 15 seconds on the weekend".

I'm at that point too. I'm not even willing to drive more than 2 hours for a barrel race. It's so much time and money. I'd rather spend a day camping with our horses with friends than sitting at a horse show waiting for my few seconds of fame. Or sort. Found I really enjoy sorting. Although everyone is different. If I had a 1D horse, that time and money may be worthwhile! However, if I spend money on a 1D horse, I'd feel obligated to show and ride ALL the time. Yeah... I'll just keep my weekend trail rides, sorting and my local jackpots. Works for my lifestyle and my wallet. At the end of the day, everyone should do what makes them happy and just enjoy their horse.

I got out of horses about 10 years ago when I started college. Though I miss it sometimes, I'm kind of thankful to be out of it. We buried my horse in 2016, and my sister's horse in 2018,  and for the first time in 25 years, the family farm was (and still is) horse-less. Seeing the prices is a little shocking...the barrier for re-entry is pretty much impassable for me on my own.

Im not rich by any means, but I have a really good life. I've found other hobbies that have given me a lot of joy. I can travel with absolutely NO worries. I don't have to freeze my butt off to go out to feed. I'm not worried about soundness issues or other horsey health problems that cause so much heartache. Not to mention all the money saved and/or well spent on other things. I have a little house in town that is really low maintenance compared to the farm. I think my love of horses will be transferred to my niece when she is old enough. It will probably take a little from my entire family to make that happen, if it's possible. I hope it is. 

I haven't owned a horse since 2015 and question if I'll ever be able to again. We have the land, but will need a barn, fence, trailer.. We are in the process of starting to build our house and 12 weeks pregnant, so the purchase of diapers is over whelming enough

I just turned 40. I think for me I started losing interest in barrel racing a few years ago. I sold the gelding that I had bought to replace my mare so I could justify breeding her a few times. Then we moved, then moved again, I went to two races in 2019, the first one I knocked a barrel, the second I Came off. After that it just wasn't fun anymore. We moved again, then got custody of the nephews for a year, and with both of us working full time jobs and trying to deal with the mental anguish of the nephews and the one's suicide attempts, I sold my mare last year because I wasn't able to go ride and I didnt feel she should just sit at home. I still cry every day about that decision, especially now that we don't have the boys anymore. We sold the trailer before the horse so we could have a down payment for the house. My husband is pushing me to get back into horses and rodeoing again, shoot the non-horsey husband wants his own horse so he can learn how to ride and rope. He doesn't want me to barrel race anymore he would rather see me breakaway and team rope. I seriously don't see this happening before I'm 45. We are building lean toos this winter for storage and whenever we get animals again. With the price of horses and trailers right now, its absloutely crazy. I seen  20+ yr old trailer for sale for $45,000. Shoot the guy we sold our trailer to for $9500, turned around this year and sold it for $18k. I am kinda hoping the market crashes, but at the same time not. I would really like to see it even out for a while. 

I think some would sell their kidney to buy one lol....its crazy.   I found a reasonable 2 yr old filly I liked under 10K...some incentives but not the BIG ones...those are ridiculous.  And lets not mention how much it takes to put one in the incentive programs.. 

i had my mare bred this year. Paid the stud fee of $750.00 and that was dicounted from $1000.00. by the time i got all of the vet bills paid to culture, AI, and all the other extras that go with it, i have over $3000.00 in a $750.00 fee. i don't know how some people can breed mulitple mares at these costs. i have a decent job and my husband is retired and gets a pension, soon to get SS so we are doing ok, but man!!!

Don't let your age get in your way!  Age is a number and if you feel old you will be old....  I'm 69 and have a 2 coming 3 y/o that I'll be riding this coming year...

I'm hanging on to my current horse to try to make him and I into a good pair, because I sure as heck cant afford to replace him with something more finished. That's my dilemma. It "should" make me a better rider though...so maybe that's a blessing. lol

Interesting to see everyone's thoughts on this. I bred a mare of mine this year, because I wanted a younger prospect and couldnt justify the prices! It was more worth it to me to take a gamble and hopefully like what I get out of my mare. As stated above, it was still expensive to breed and we're only halfway to having one on the ground. But still cheaper than spending what this market is calling for! Helps too that I already have the mare sold, soon as the foal is weaned she will be gone. Definitely easy to downsize right now. I hope everyone finds happiness, no matter the path they choose! 

I just got a smoking deal on a nice stud in a stallion auction so I can raise my next prospect.  Otherwise even the stud fee & vet costs would have been a bit of a pinch for me.  I'm thankful I have a really nice mare that has good bloodlines.  But this is my hobby & I can't see spending 10k on a prospect.

Honestly, I think its a matter of shopping around and be willing to go to other states to look. When I went shopping for my mare before the market blew up, I shopped for 6 months over 6 different states.. took a plane ticket down to Oklahoma and shopped down there in Oklahoma and Texas to find my horse, within my price range. Finally found my mare..granted she has lines I have never heard of before(they are oldie but goodie lines) but she is honest, fast and loves running barrels, I really hope she will last a while before I have to go shopping again. Browsing just now I found a few 3-5-year-olds, decently bred for 6K or less. They are out there, you just need to find them. 

Honestly, I just do the best I can with what I have.  I was without horses for about 15 years.  I went to a barrel race saturday and had the best day ever with my (step)daughters.  I have a mare that is blind in one eye and she loped a clean pattern and I am ecstatic about it.  My paint mare needs an adjustment, so she just stood at the trailer and got brushed and braided by the horse crazy little girls.  My daughter had perfect exhibitions and her pony ran some laps around the arena during her open run. It happens - she was distraught at the time, but by the time I took her back to her mom sunday she is ready for the next one. LOL   I will probably never run at a big show like some of y'all, but I WILL go (within my budget) when I can and have fun. And I don't have to travel more than 30 minutes or so to find a race on any given day or weekend.

The mare that is blind in one eye was given to me by someone who couldn't afford to board her anymore.  My paint mare and my gelding I paid less than 1100 for each and my daughters pony is a free lease from a friend that outgrew her. so there are no popular bloodlines or anything like that.   

My horses keep the darkness of my depression and anxiety at bay and put a lightness in my heart and soul - that's what i'm here for.....

I think a lot of time we forget to have fun and enjoy our horses.  Cut back if we need too and have fun and not stress about it.  If I can't afford entry fees, we go on a nice trail ride and just have fun.

AWESOME!!!!

Best advice ever.

Exactly!!!  20 years ago I worked in the school system and had summers and long weekends and tons of vacation days so having 2 year olds was not a big deal, I had the time to put into them myself and have 3 pretty nice horses to show for that and spend a whopping 3700 total for them.  They aren't Pink Buckle or Ruby Buckle pedigree but I can't afford to go to those types of races anyway so big deal.  They are now older horses and 2 years ago when I started looking for a younger horse to ease into taking some of the work load off my now 20 year old gelding I was shocked to see what prices of horses are.  What I could find in my real budget was older horses that required quite a bit of maintenance or unstarted 2 and 3 year olds or some weanlings.  A) I have 3 older horse that require maintenance so if I'm paying for maintenance its going to be for the soldiers that already worked for me and B) I no longer have the job or the ability to physicAlly put enough rides on a 2 or 3 year old (I do not bounce well anymore) nor do I have 6-900 a month for training hence the reason I did it myself.  And all I have to say is thank the good Lord for people like Diane Guinn who are honest and also do their level best to put the horses she has for sale with people she feels will suite them or like in my case just straight up took pity on me and let me buy a gelding from her that she could have made another 5K easily on. 

Thank you for posting this thread.  I have felt these same things as you've posted.  I'm still able to go right now and have two decent horses that are both sound.  However, I've watched many of my friends get discouraged because of the expense and competition.  I put together a 6 weeks local series for those who can't complete with the "big dogs" anymore.  It was a 5D with .7 splits.  It was a hit. We ended up giving 5 Star pads out to each division winner.  I'm pasting in the overview of it in case anyone would like to do something like this in your area.  

Welcome Canchasin’ Association Alumni!
We’re going to try it again! Canchasin’ will be having a 6 weeks series beginning May
11, 2021 and continuing every Tuesday until the final day of June 15, 2021. All races
will be held at Cutter’s Corner (formerly Lazy D in Sapulpa). Details on start time,
entries, etc. will be posted soon.
With this series we will continue our tradition of having fun in a Christ-centered
atmosphere with a short devotion and prayer before starting the race. The race,
however, will be focused in a new direction. While we believe competition is relevant,
after all it IS a barrel RACE, we feel that there are many out there who have become
discouraged and given up or are thinking of giving up the thing that used to bring them
joy because the competition keeps getting tougher and the draw lists keep getting
longer. If you are a fellow or aspiring barrel racer that needs something more than a
playday but have been discouraged because age, health, job responsibilities, family
obligations, etc has taken precedence, this series might be for you!
? Races will be for MEMBERS ONLY. To become a member you must complete
an application and pay a $10 membership. The membership will be good for the
6 week series. NOTE-YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FILL IN A MEMBERSHIP
AT THE BARREL RACE AND YOU CANNOT ENTER WITHOUT A
MEMBERSHIP.
? Former Canchasin’ Association members are encouraged to apply. Riders who
compete at a professional level will not be awarded membership. This is not to
discriminate but rather to provide a venue for those who are trying to get back in
the game. If you are a former Canchasin’ Association member and you can run
1D at most local barrel races, we welcome you. If you’ve taken it to the next
level and can compete with the “big dogs” we applaud you but we’d rather you
come enjoy our company and leave your horse at home! You have plenty of
venues in which you can attend and we will be cheering you on while we watch
from your sidelines!
? If you know of a barrel racer or aspiring barrel racer that needs the opportunity
this new format provides, please share! They do not have to be former
Canchasin’ members but will need to fit the parameters we’ve set for this series.
We do not plan on advertising this series on anything but the Canchasin’
Facebook page and “word of mouth” since it will be a members only series.
(Continued)
? If we have 30+ members we will run on a 5D format WITH A SEVEN TENTHS
SPLIT (.7). This allows a wider gap between the fastest horse and the start of
the 5th division.
Example:
5D Traditional .5 second split 5D Canchasin’ with .7
second split
1D-15.0 1D-15.0
2D-15.5 2D-15.7
3D-16.0 3D-16.4
4D-16.5 4D-17.1
5D-17.0= 2 seconds off fastest time 5D-17.8= 2.8 seconds off fastest time
? If we have less than 30 members we will run off a 3D format with full second
splits.
? We will not be guaranteeing any prizes, added money, etc*. Those who want to
join us will be doing so because they want a place to come enjoy Jesus, their
horses, fellow barrel racers, and a taste of the “good ol’ days”. *If our
membership size allows, we will have prizes.
Come enjoy the gifts God has blessed us with; horses, family, friends. Expect fun,
laughter, fellowship while we compete in the sport we love!