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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
 
Location: Oklahoma | My husband and his family just really don't "get it" and I don't really know how to explain it to them.
They don't understand why a basic run of the mill $500-1500 horse just wouldn't cut it as a barrel horse. What we (my husband and I) pay for a horse IMO is only our business.. but with that being said the horses I'm looking at are in the $3,500-5,000 range. I made the mistake of saying something over dinner the other night about being "just a small amount away from actualy getting to make calls and trying some horses out"...
My mother in law asked me the next day about how much I was planning on spending and I told her my range and she was just like "I guess I just don't understand why a horse would have to be so much." She didn't say it in a rude tone and didn't mean it offensively toward me... she just doesn't get it. I tried to say something along the lines of how it's a performance horse bred and trained for a specific purpose and how that training adds up and blah blah blah... I don't think I made my point.
Last night my sister in law was reading an ad for a horse (I'm assuming that was on Facebook) and she said something like "9 year old grade mare for sale. rides in western saddle or barebare, bridle & bit or just a halter, stands for farrier, loads, neck reins etc. etc. for $1,500. What about that?"
In my mind I was thinking "well, I personally wouldn't have a horse that wouldn't already do the small stuff like load and stand for the farrier. I need a horse that can sidepass, counterarc, change leads, does rollbacks, etc. etc." but I didn't say it because I know it would have came out as rude. It's not that they're people who haven't been around horses (they have horses and my SIL used to ride in junior high/high school), they just haven't ever tried to be competitive and don't have an understanding of a specialized/performance horse.
Please no "bug off" or "it's none of their business" answers... this is my family and I just really want to know how to explain it to them. (My parents didn't really understand when we first started out, but as I got more competitve and moved from local playdays to junior rodeos to doing jackpots around the state they started seeing why some horses are more expensive.. but it was also their money that they were spending on me so it was at their will.) |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| There isn't a good way to explain it. You could explain to them, since you want one who knows some of the good basics, the cost of training one. You can also explain the cost of feeding, vet care, etc that some people try to recoup when they put a horse up for sale, but that could also open another can of worms, because then you have to pay for those things too!
Maybe compare it to cars. There are 1982 Ford Festivas and there are 2014 Chevrolet Pickups. You get what you pay for 90% of the time! |
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 Firecracker Dog Lover
Posts: 3175
 
| You can't explain it. I was travelling in San Diego for work and on some downtime I toured the maritime museum (which was super cool by the way) and a lady saw my belt buckle and asked how I got it. I told her I won it barrel racing. Her response, "Oh that's nice, don't you just sit there while the horse does all the work?" I just smiled, shook my head and walked off.  |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | We always said we'd be paying for something, whether it was horses, sports, dance, vacations, fancy cars...we picked horses and said screw vacations and fancy cars LOL!
Some people enjoy buying a luxury car when they can get by with a Taurus.
Just explain it's a level of quality thing. Some people buy walmart purses and some buy Coach.. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | Nateracer - 2014-03-10 11:32 AM There isn't a good way to explain it. You could explain to them, since you want one who knows some of the good basics, the cost of training one. You can also explain the cost of feeding, vet care, etc that some people try to recoup when they put a horse up for sale, but that could also open another can of worms, because then you have to pay for those things too!
Maybe compare it to cars. There are 1982 Ford Festivas and there are 2014 Chevrolet Pickups. You get what you pay for 90% of the time!
The car idea is good. Also you could compare a horse to a computer. You can buy a basic cheap computer that has a calculator, two solitaire games and Notepad on it for say $300, or you can buy one with a top of the line graphics card, Adobe Creative Suite, a webcam, tons of memory, a fast processor etc. for $1500. If all you're going to do is play solitaire and browse the internet twice a week, the $300 computer will work just fine. Kind of like if you're going to trail ride once a month, a $500 sale barn horse might work just fine. But if you want to design web pages, play video games, watch TV online, etc., you need a computer with more bells and whistles. It needs to be designed to do what you want. A barrel horse is the same way - you need it to be athletic, smart and tough. You need a lot more buttons/bells/whistles - break at the poll, bend through the ribs, work off the hind end, accelerate quickly, etc. - on a barrel horse than you do on a trail horse that is going to walk in a straight line across all sorts of terrain. |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
| I feel your pain with this. Ive talked to family members about this too, they simply just dont get it. Its frustrating because you know what all goes into it. They are the same people who think big deal you just ran around 3 trash cans lol. I have a mother in law whos a big time quilter and when i spoke about buying a 3,000 dollar horse her jaw dropped, but she has a $15,000 sewing machine! I dont get the diff of a $500 sewing machine and she doesnt understand the diff of a $300 horse vs 3000. Just try to compare it to their hobby or likes and they MIGHT KINDA SORTA GET IT! Lol and if not we all do on here! :) |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | Haha!! I have the same issue with my husband's family except they think $1,500 is too much! They think that a good broke gelding should cost no more than $500. They also think their horses are the greatest thing to ever touch this earth. All they do is trail ride and do a little bush-leaguer cattle ranching. At first when I was hanging out with them and chasing cows on my horses with them I thought I needed to explain myself and why I have what I have but I have found that it just doesn't matter. I am happy with what I have and they are happy with what they have. I just don't even try anymore and I'm ok with it. Just do what makes you happy and don't feel like you have to justify it to anyone but yourself and your husband if you guys are a team. As long as your husband understands and supports you then that is all that matters. Heck I'd tell them I was buying one for $100,000 just to stir the pot! Good luck and just keep yourself and your husband happy  |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | I've never had any friends or family question why a horse would be priced a certain way and not all of my friends are even horse people. They understand it takes work and time to get a horse going.
I think for the most part (some) people who compete or don't compete or just ride on weekend trail rides are looking for a horse that will stop, turn left & right and do all 3 gaits, the fancy buttons those people don't even know how to work.
In regards to prices, yes in most cases cheapest is not always best to make into a barrel horse, BUT I paid $800 for my good mare(as a 3 yr old), who on Saturday just won me 3rd in 1D......so for an experienced horse person a deal maybe had for a horse, but more inexperienced people want cheap and have no clue much more then the horse only cost $200 and is likely not a good fit for their skill level.
Edited by dream_chaser 2014-03-10 6:05 PM
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | It's just like a car.
sure you can spend 1,000 on it and expect to put 2,000+ into work for it to get it safe and drivable. or you can just buy a 5,000 dollar car and it will probably run just fine. Thats how I had to explain to my non-horsey family
ETA Just read someone else said the same thing haha :) I guess the car talk has worked for a few people
Edited by Crowned Image 2014-03-10 4:30 PM
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | I can totally go with the car scenario! Husband and his family are very, very into classic cars. (They have some that just sit worth more than my brand new daily driver.) I guess the only thing is that with cars you have things like the KBB that can give you an estimated value and what someone else is willing to pay, but with horses value is going to vary from person to person... and there is no guarantee the horse won't break his leg while being out in the pasture. I guess that's what insurance is for.
Thanks everyone! They certainly spend extravagant amounts of money on some things (cars, purses, campers, vacations, etc.), just not horses! My husband gave $2,500 for a horse 7 years ago that he could ride up in the mountains in Colorado for elk hunting.... you'd think he sold his right arm the way he talks about it!
On the up side of things... My husband will be A-OK with me geting a LQ trailer (in a few years..down the road!) just so he can take it elk hunting for 1-2 weeks out of the year. I'm just gonna need a horse nicer than $1,500 to justify going overnight!!  |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | How about.....
do you see $500 horses run at the Kentucky Derby |
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 Expert
Posts: 1261
| Most of our family and friends are car people so I always use cars to explain and then they understand because they are not horse people at all! I would say something like that horse is like a Kia basic and economy priced I am looking more for a Ferrari built for Speed and tuned for performance! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| I explain it kinda like how everyone else does, You don't see those backyard $500 swaybacked ponies winning the Kentucky Derby, or even stepping foot on a racetrack.
A horse of that quality that will meet the expectations expected of it will come with the corresponding price tag, and they are worth it. A good horse is worth it's weight in gold. |
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  Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | I don't. I just smile :) |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | My family is much into cars (in the business) so that is a good explanation. My dad is probably the worst about thinking a horse is too much. I wish I could explain it...in some ways I see his point and in other ways you get what you pay for. I have not bought expensive horses, but I do know that the one I currently have while she is considerably inexpensive, we've put some money into her training and I'm hoping it will be worth it. Of course, expensive and inexpensive is a relative thing...cars, I'd know their value all day long...horses, not necessarily as I'm not in the market for a horse every day. JMO. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I have never had to, and people know that the ones I have bought as babies and trained for barrels myself I have sold for a reasonable chunk of change.
A seasoned barrel horse is the cheap investment, the unbroke 3 year old it costs 700/month for basic training and will need 3 months of training to get at the level to go into barrel training so that is 2100 already, then 2 month of barrel training at 700/month brings your total up to 3500.
Then you need to haul and season the horse for about a year or two to get the horse solid, there is about 1000/year so you are already at 5500, without having a chance to win anything.
And this isn't even including the feed bill.
So by buying a seasoned horse for 3500, you are saving yourself money |
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | cheryl makofka - 2014-03-10 8:07 PM I have never had to, and people know that the ones I have bought as babies and trained for barrels myself I have sold for a reasonable chunk of change. A seasoned barrel horse is the cheap investment, the unbroke 3 year old it costs 700/month for basic training and will need 3 months of training to get at the level to go into barrel training so that is 2100 already, then 2 month of barrel training at 700/month brings your total up to 3500. Then you need to haul and season the horse for about a year or two to get the horse solid, there is about 1000/year so you are already at 5500, without having a chance to win anything. And this isn't even including the feed bill. So by buying a seasoned horse for 3500, you are saving yourself money
I never really did the math until you spelled it out, but that definitely makes sense. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | mtcanchazer - 2014-03-10 9:58 PM
cheryl makofka - 2014-03-10 8:07 PM I have never had to, and people know that the ones I have bought as babies and trained for barrels myself I have sold for a reasonable chunk of change. A seasoned barrel horse is the cheap investment, the unbroke 3 year old it costs 700/month for basic training and will need 3 months of training to get at the level to go into barrel training so that is 2100 already, then 2 month of barrel training at 700/month brings your total up to 3500. Then you need to haul and season the horse for about a year or two to get the horse solid, there is about 1000/year so you are already at 5500, without having a chance to win anything. And this isn't even including the feed bill. So by buying a seasoned horse for 3500, you are saving yourself money
I never really did the math until you spelled it out, but that definitely makes sense.
I just wish the ones I was considering were seasoned! LolI'd say you're looking at $7,500-8,500 minimum around here.for a season 3d/4d horse. I'll just take my chances on $5,500 horses and give them a few years and hope they'll become 1d/2d. It's easier for me to justify those extra thousands spread out over some years of seasoning (a: the money isn't all upfront and b: I enjoy getting out and about) and hope the horse improves vs coughing up the $ for a horse that has maxed out on potential. Something tells me I'm gonna need to remember those words for when hubby wants to know why $5,500 horse isn't winning everything I'm sight! Lol |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| casualdust07 - 2014-03-10 9:43 AM
We always said we'd be paying for something, whether it was horses, sports, dance, vacations, fancy cars...we picked horses and said screw vacations and fancy cars LOL!
Some people enjoy buying a luxury car when they can get by with a Taurus.
Just explain it's a level of quality thing. Some people buy walmart purses and some buy Coach..
Hahaha!!! Love this. My family used to ask the same thing, until I likened it to the "favorite" cousin's bad habit of Jimmy Choo shoes and Coach handbags. Everyone thought it was a ridiculous way of spending money. I told my family it was the same as her shoe and handbag addiction but there was only one $3000 horse and it won me $300-$400 every now and then, plus new tack, gift certificates, etc. So they "kind of" understand it, but not really.
That's okay...everyone has their own "thing" and there's really no need to explain it. Even to other horse people, not everyone has the same pursuits, even with their horses. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 422
Location: Fort Bragg North Carolina | Your average person will never "get it" unless they experience it. There's no way to explain and if there is I'd like to know as well :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I always tell people I ride the Ferrari of the horse world. They kind of look at me and scratch my head until I explain that what they are telling me I should ride is more like a broke down Geo Metro and then I ask them what they would rather drive |
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How do you explain "barrel horses" to other people?