How We Horse On a Budget (Without Selling a Kidney)

Horses are expensive. Like, nauseatingly expensive.

And unless you’ve got a bottomless bank account (spoiler: we don’t), keeping your kids, or yourself, in the tack without going broke takes time, effort, and a healthy dose of creativity.

Here are 16 ways we manage to keep our herd happy, our four kids showing, and still have enough left over for, you know, little things like groceries.

1. Scroll Secondhand Sites

I’m addicted to places where folks sell used equestrian gear. My eldest daughter has expensive taste. Trendy breeches that retail new for over $300? Hard pass. 

But guess what? I’ve found those same brands used for $40. It takes some late-night scrolling, but most of our gear is secondhand. My younger girls are so used to hand-me-downs that a “new-to-them” pair of breeches excites them just like something straight off the rack.

2. Buy Big-Ticket Items Used

Horse trailer? Used. Gator? Used. Saddles? Yep—used. And here’s a hot tip: buying from private sellers (not dealers) can score you a way better deal. Just keep your eyes open for hidden flaws.

3. Stock Up on Closeout Deals

When I find a steal, I buy multiples. Fly spray on deep discount? Ship a few gallons my way. Paddock boots at a bargain-basement price? Yes please—and the next size up, too. Someone will eventually wear or trash them.

4. Shop Where You Can Price Match

One of our local tack shops matches online prices. At first, I felt sheepish showing them a cheaper listing on my phone. But they’d rather keep my business, even at a lower price, and I’d rather support local. Win-win.

5. Gimme All the Ponies

Sure, pony noses are boopable. But they’re also cheaper than horses: less hay, fewer shoes (sometimes barefoot!), and, in many cases, lower purchase prices. Would I love a thick, shiny warmblood? Obvs. But ponies keep the bills and the manure piles smaller.

6. Buy ’em Young

I’ve never owned a made packer. Before kids, I bought barely-broke greenies. It wasn’t always pretty, but it saved money and taught me a lot. My daughters’ current pony? Bought unbroke at three. Now at four, they can walk and trot her around.

My eight-year-old beamed the other day: “Remember when she used to buck at the canter? Look how far she’s come.” Saving money and teaching resilience? That’s a two-for-one special.

7. Buy Your Own Farm

Fence repairs and hay bills sometimes make me question my life choices, but boarding around Philadelphia can cost as much as a mortgage. Doing it ourselves is exhausting, but it’s DIY or bankruptcy!

8. Save Up and Think Strategically

For three years, we rode in a lumpy backyard field while scrimping and saving for a ring. Would I love a standard-size ring stuffed with jumps? Of course. But our budget said “nope”, so we’re building a smaller ring that still works. And imagine how big the show ring will feel by comparison!

9. Get a Gig at a Tack Store

My 15-year-old got a summer job at a tack shop. Hello, 25% discount! Slight catch: she spent her whole paycheck on a new show outfit. But hey, she paid for it herself and got a deal. Plus, that work ethic is priceless.

10. Work for It

My eldest dreamed of showing at bigger venues, but our wallet disagreed. So I told her: “Make it happen.” Now, she’s grooming and showing as a working student for three weeks. Hard work opened doors our budget couldn’t.

11. Space Out the Shows

My kids would show every weekend if they could, but we keep it to about once a month. Local shows mean good people, low pressure, and no sky-high USEF fees—so the kids still get ring miles without draining the bank.

12. Prioritize

Would I love my own comfy-couch-of-a-warmblood to cruise around the 2’6″? Absolutely. But with four horse-crazy daughters, they come first. Every horse dollar goes to them. My eldest would love a trendy, For Horses show jacket with white piping. Maybe, someday…if I find it on the cheap.

13. Find a Hands-On Partner

If you’re single and a klutz like me, date someone handy. My husband fixes fences, repairs the tractor, and even grooms at shows. All it costs me is nagging and the occasional shoulder rub. Worth it.

14. Consign What You Don’t Use

Anything my kids outgrow, or bits and tack collecting dust, heads straight to the consignment shop. I’ll probably need them again next month, but until then, it turns into horse show money.

15. Make Good Horse Besties

I’ve borrowed everything from bits to spurs to show coats from friends instead of buying. It saves a fortune, especially on stuff you can’t return once you try it. 

16. Get Creative at Home

We’ve built “jumps” out of logs, tarps, and stumps: Free, fun, and it makes brave ponies. Hunter derby vibes on a budget.

*****

So, at the end of the day, it isn’t about having the fanciest tack trunk or the latest show fashions. It’s about the scrappy, creative ways we make the horses work—and the amazing memories we build along the way.

Nothing beats the thrill of scoring $300 breeches for 40 bucks. That’s my version of a grand championship ribbon.