The more we travel to shows, the more overwhelmed I am by the amount of money required to play our sport. My family runs Millbrook Farm in Elizabeth, Colorado, and my daughter Haley thrives in the jumper ring. We travel locally to shows in Colorado, but also compete nationwide.

In other words, I need to make this work.

Horse shows are endlessly expensive. Making it as a professional in the industry is a long, difficult road. So I took matters into my own hands.

Over the last few months, I asked around, and came up with a list of things I wish I knew—and did—10 years ago to make my experience in the horse show industry more positive and affordable. Here’s what I came up with:

  1. Volunteer for everything and do a great job. It opens doors and creates relationships.
  2. Don’t be afraid to ask people for advice; most would love to chat and share their experience, but be ‘okay’ if they are too busy. Always ask, always be okay with the answer being “no.”
  3. Read everything. Or, if you’re not a reader, listen to podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
  4. Learn German or Spanish as a second language. Just trust me.
  5. Get a subscription to ClipMyHorse.tv for €149/year. Not only can you watch an awesome amount of international shows, they also have an Academy that is included in the subscription, and includes tons of mini lessons from the best in the world.
  6. Work the hardest at whatever you’re doing (body clipping, braiding, mucking stalls, etc.). It’s seen and appreciated by those that count.
  7. Become obsessive about your horse and its care. Obsess about their feed, their feet, their body condition. Make the horse you have the very best it can be.
  8. This is silly but valid… make a note on your phone of what coffee order folks want. Nothing is better than someone walking up during a long show day with your favorite drink. Relationships matter.
  9. Be thankful to everyone. Thank the in-gate staff, the jump crew, the course designer, the steward. Their jobs are under-appreciated and without them, no one can be successful. 
  10. Help load/unload your farm’s shavings and hay deliveries. Please. Many hands make light work, and I hate when folks sip lattes watching others sweat. 
  11. Find a side hustle in the horse business. We started Millbrook Leathers, and there are a ton of customers out there. Start small but start. Every dollar counts.
  12. Tell your fellow competitors “good job” and clap for them. Become a friend and a supporter. (It’s okay to have friends outside your own barn.)
  13. If you’re waiting for a jump, help the trainer on the jump adjust it—go up 2, go wider. You’re just standing there waiting anyway, be helpful!
  14. No hoof, no horse. Ask questions and chat with your farrier.
  15. When I was 16 years old, I braided enough manes to afford a flight to Switzerland. I worked my butt off for free, and it changed my life. People always say ‘going to Europe is a dream,’ but it can be a reality. 
  16. Show up as the person you needed when you were growing up.
  17. This is a hard one for me… say “hi” to people when you pass. Lots of times, I think they have no idea who I am, so I want to just stare at my phone or look the other way. If you’ve met them or had some sort of interaction, chances are, they’ll remember you. Make eye contact and say “good morning.” Develop all the relationships.
  18. Get a dog. That’s just general life advice: get a dog.
  19. If you’re a woman, ask for opportunities, and be okay with the answer being “no.”  So many men are at the top of the sport and I believe one reason is that men aren’t afraid to actively ask for opportunities, while women tend to work hard and passively hope to be noticed. Ask. All they can say is “yes” or “no”; it may start a conversation, and who knows where that will lead?
  20. Don’t get so busy chasing dreams that you forget the fun. 
  21. If you’re moving up a level or just need to work out the kinks, do the blue ribbon rounds or school on Tuesdays/mornings if allowed. Division classes cost money, and if you’re not ready to be competitive, why not do the same height in a no-pressure, less-cost situation? 
  22. If you’re an aspiring groom or working student, be the first in and the last out. What you lack in experience and talent you can make up for in work ethic. Talent is everywhere; dedicated horsemen are a rarity.
  23. Someone is ALWAYS watching. The good and the bad. 
  24. When you can, sign up for the VIP. Trust me, I was never this person. But now I budget that into my savings plan, choosing to scrimp elsewhere so I can splurge there. The VIP is where folks are sitting and relaxing, and some of the most influential conversations I’ve had have happened in VIP, because people had the time to chat.
  25. Be kind and grateful to the office staff. They get all sorts of rude behavior thrown at them. They want you to succeed and they want your paperwork to be easy. Appreciate them, and if there are issues, work through them with patience and kindness. (Also, bring them cookies or cake, because they are locked at that desk, and who doesn’t love snacks?) 
  26. Always watch the warm-up, listen, and learn. The warm-up is the best place to be.
  27. Talk to the course designer: Ask them what’s hard in the course, what’s easy in the course, why they made the decisions they did, etc. 
  28. Walk the small classes and the big classes, then watch the class and see if they ride how you thought they would. 
  29. If you see someone needing help, go help them. This should be obvious but…
  30. Talk to the grooms in your aisle, bring them coffee. They have so much knowledge to share and are often so undervalued.
  31. Think outside the box when traveling to shows. Do you have to stable on the grounds or is there a trailer-in option? Our horses stay in a beautiful field in Wellington for $10/day. And yes, it means we drive back and forth a lot, but it’s $10/day!
  32. Don’t forget: If you’re a USEF member you get 10% off at Dover Saddlery.
  33. A kind word of encouragement from a stranger made me cry this morning (in a good way). Let’s encourage strangers more.
  34. Even if you aren’t a hunter, watch the trips pro-hunter ring—many of them. In the jumpers, there are fairly obvious moves made to accomplish goals. In the hunters, you start to see the tiny, minuscule adjustments that create that super-consistent pace, and can get an incredible jump out of a horse. All of these adjustments are useful to have in your riding toolbox.
  35. (Probably) your horse’s stomach health needs to be focused on more.
  36. Unless you have uses for hauling other things, do not get a truck and trailer to save hauling money. If you are taking less than three horses to every show, it will rarely even out. 
  37. If outside hay/shavings are allowed, bring them or go to a local Murdoch’s/Tractor Supply to avoid paying the mark up. Always go to the gas station for ice. 
  38. Clinics! There are so many clinics out there, if you can’t afford to ride in them, audit!
  39. USHJA offers an Emerging Athletes Program, USHJA Gold Star Clinics, etc. If you’re an aspiring young rider, try to join this pathway. It offers invaluable access to some of the industry’s top professionals.
  40. And last but not least, always pet the pony.

What’s your favorite tip? What else would you add? Tell us in the comments section!

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