Let’s face it, showing horses takes time and money and we often make great sacrifices to be able to follow our dream. Regardless of the level at which you compete, it is an expensive hobby that appears to be getting more costly every day. Even if money were no object, showing also requires a lot of time. Yet, for the many people we interviewed, these are sacrifices worth making.
The dictionary defines the word sacrifice as “the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.” With that in mind, GoHorseShow.com asks, “What sacrifices do you make to be able to show horses?
Angela Fox
Amateur, Texas
Showing horses is what I work for everyday and I am happy to make sacrifices in order to do so. I have a very supportive husband and a fairly flexible work schedule, so that definitely helps. My husband and I moved from Dallas to Oak Point, Texas so that I could be closer to the horses and ride everyday with my trainers John and Jill Briggs. I also work within the horse industry which allows me to actually work while I am at shows. I have had to celebrate holidays a few days early in order to leave for a show and I often have to miss vacations with friends and family so I can budget for another horse show. I have been doing this for so long that my family, friends and co-workers appreciate what it means to me and are very understanding. I try to balance horses and life and it’s not always easy but I wouldn’t change it for a second.
Beckie Peskin
Amateur, Georgia
I’ve had to sacrifice going to a lot of horse shows because my job demands so much of me. However, it’s my job that financially supports my showing so I have to make sacrifices on both ends. Because of my job, I can’t show all the time, I have to pick 5-7 of the big shows throughout the year. I’ve grown to love just showing where and when I can. I’ve learned to love the other things that my job has me do like travel to France and places that I never would have gone without my job.
Caroline Waters
Amateur, North Carolina
Being a full time college student and trying to show year round is, at times, very hard to juggle. When scheduling my classes, I try to avoid those offered on Fridays so I can get out of town on the weekends, as well as classes in the late afternoon. When choosing a college to go to, I decided to attend a university about twenty minutes from home so that I could continue showing competitively. Sometimes I get lucky with fall or spring break which may happen to be during a particular show. Otherwise, I save all my absences for horse shows and use them wisely. If I have a conflicting exam, I usually talk with the professor and reschedule. Other than school, I sometimes have to pass on summer trips with friends because I’m usually at a show, but I figure there’s always time to take vacations to tropical places. Showing is my passion, and it’s something I’ll continue to do for the rest of my life, regardless of if I’m in school or have a job… I’m sure I’ll find some way to work it out.
Kaleena Weakley
Amateur, Illinois
Now that I am married and graduated from college, horse shows are my life. I believe it is easier for me because my husband is equally involved in the industry, and my graphic design business also evolves around horses and showing. Mostly we have sacrificed time with our families, missed family holidays and visits in general. Both of our immediate families have backgrounds with horses, so they are very supportive and understand. That would be our biggest sacrifice.
Kelsey Moody
Amateur, Georgia
Showing horses is not a sacrifice, it’s a choice. When I was in high school, I went to school and to the horse shows. I had no other life. I don’t look back with regret for a second. Not one bit!
Lauren Crivelli
Youth, California
My family and I have been going to horse shows all my life. I have had to miss a lot of school to attend the shows. Because I had to miss so much school, I have also had to miss out on some activities with both school and friends. Going to horse shows is completely worth it though. It has taught me responsibility and appreciation for another being. I also love my horse show friends and family and they make it like home away from home.
Marissa Dalton
Amateur, Ohio/Oklahoma
Well, currently it is extremely hard to show because of college and the team riding. College is not like high school where your teachers are okay with you missing school. My professors don’t like when I miss for a horse show (that is not for the school) and most times I will be counted absent. During the summer, all my friends go on vacations and get to spend quality time in the sun, but I choose to show my horses and be around my horse show friends. It is pretty hard to have a job and show. I can only imagine (I have not had to worry about this yet). There are many life-long lessons to be learned from showing horses such as time management, preparation, the ability to deal with success and defeat and many more. The horse show industry truly has shaped me into the person I am today and I would never go back and change that!
Melinda Gillette
Horse Show Mom, California
In order to keep my daughters, Taylor and Erin riding, showing and dealing with all of the expenses has affected the way we live outside of the horses and shows. We live cute but very conservative! We try to keep to our motto: “Appreciate and take care of what we have and fix it if it is broken.” We live in a little house we call “our cottage” and take care of it ourselves. And no more vacations for sure! I am lucky to be able to make my girls’ show clothes and they do all of their own bead work! Taylor has a part time job at our local gym which helps with her spending and gas money. Our simple yet cute lifestyle aids in dealing with the huge expense of riding and showing. My girls understand that riding and showing is a privilege, not a right!
Paige Stawicki
Youth, Texas
Several sacrifices have to be made in order to show at the level we show at. I think the toughest events to miss are school related just because my friends don’t really understand what I do and why I can’t just “not go to the show” as they tend to ask. Paint Congress always seemed to fall on my homecoming week, so not only did I miss the big game and dance, but I also missed out on the little things like dressing to a different theme each day, the group pictures, and dress shopping with my best friends. I’ve also missed some of my best friend’s birthday parties and sweet 16’s which is always hard to compensate for since they only happen once a year, but the stories linger on for months. Sacrifices seem unfair, but not when you’re making them for the sport that you love. Regardless of all the things I have missed out on due to being at a horse show, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Sissy Anderson
Horse Show Mom, Kentucky
Our lives are all about our kids at this point and we do this as a family. My husband, Wallace and I have always done the futurities and our daughter has chosen to do the all-around so we go to a lot more horse shows these days. We make sacrifices financially to do as much as we can for the kids. We buy them horses instead of us horses at this point. We get to make memories while we can because this doesn’t last long. They’ll be grown and gone before we know it.
Tom Bivins
Horse Show Dad, Texas
My girls (Peyton and Jenny) really enjoy showing and I enjoy going to the shows. I’ve missed one horse show since they were six. I think it’s a great way to raise kids. Unfortunately, to the detriment of the industry, it has gotten way too expensive. Additionally, traveling as much as we do affects our social life because we are gone so much from events in our local area. Our past times go by the wayside as well because we’re gone so much. Every extra dollar we have goes to these horses for either new outfits, vet bills or whatever. Basketballs and volleyballs don’t eat and they don’t live in a stall that you have to clean. But I don’t think I would change anything we have done because they have had so many wonderful experiences and have met so many kids from such diverse backgrounds. But it does affect how we look at things like ‘Are we going to take a family vacation without the horses or are we going to have the horse shows be our family vacation?’ I feel as though it is very important as a parent that the kids understand the sacrifices that their parents make so they can do this.
Tom Clopp
Amateur, Pennsylvania
I think the biggest sacrifice I make is not being able to spend time with my non-horse show friends and my family as I would like. That is time that is very important to me and it’s challenging to maintain a balance. It is especially hard during the summer when there are fun things to do with family and friends over Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day, as well as some really great shows that I like to attend. I often have to use vacation days for the horse shows as well, so it makes it hard to have time to just go on vacation.
