No transport? How does it affect you?

G

GoneBust

Active Member
Joined
2 July 2007
Messages
48
Location
Essex
Visit site
For all you people out there who do not have your own transport (I do not due to financial reasons!) Does it bother you? Do you still manage to get out?

I have got to the stage with my horse now where i would really like to take him out to shows. We had our first taste of being able to get out during the summer when we moved yards within hacking distance of a riding club. But dressage being my thing they only had 4 dressage shows on through out the summer. Now i have got the bug for it and really want to be able to get out more. But at nearly £100 a day to hire something it is all proving a bit to expensive, at that cost i would only be able to go out every 3months or so. Was hoping for a bit more than that

So all you people without transport what do you do to get out? Do you pay the expensive hire costs? Or do you have another way of doing so? I really need some ideas of how i can get out a bit more....

Thank you!!
 
We have a box now but before the days of Transport we use to hack to our local Equestrian Centre. It use to take us over an hour each way, but the horses always seemed to cope fine. We use to take a rack sack, and head collars so we could tie them up when we got there.
Luckily the equestrian centre use to do quite a few shows. It was very cold in winter though, especially on the way home.
Apart from that we stayed Happy Hackers!
 
Luckily I too have a RC I hack to that does dressage four times a year and two showing shows as well.

I then hire a horsebox to go to other shows but only a few times a year - I went to 4 shows in the lorry last year which is still massively cheaper than buying a lorry.

However I am quite happy to just compete once or twice a month - I am not that bothered about going places during the winter when it is cold and miserable!
 
My OH is looking at replacing his sporty little car with something more sensible and keeps mentioning getting a 4x4. Amusingly he tries to win me over by explaining it will be good to have something that can tow- clearly oblivious to the conspicuous absence of a sound, backed, ready-to-go-to parties horse- oh and of course a trailer
tongue.gif
grin.gif


Whenever Bentley needs taking anywhere (vets, moving yards etc) I either hire a lorry or invite my Mum down who has a Disco and a 510 (at 27 I should probably get out of relying on Mum but she loves feeling useful
laugh.gif
) so it isn't an issue at this stage, although it might become one later I suppose??... perhaps I should endorse the purchase of a 4x4
blush.gif
tongue.gif
 
I'm selling the horse of my dreams because I have lost my transport. We both get bored and frustrated when we can't compete and she's too good not to be competing. I know they don't know how good they are but she needs that buzz of competition. It honestly changes her personality when she can't go out and it would be selfish of me to keep her. I know it's quite drastic but I don't think it's fair on her to keep her to hack and school at home.
 
It sucks, big time...there is no where near me that I can hack to so I, just have to make the most of it on the very rare occasions I can afford it...it's also extra difficult for me as they won't hire the me the box as I'm too young (19) so I have to do it when my dad is free as well, and having my dad there leads to a whole load of new complications (not at all horsey, but likes to think he knows what he's doing)....
 
How does it affect me? Badly
tongue.gif


Its extremly annoying, because not only do we not have a horsebox, but we have a bmw, and obviously not ideal for towing with. Also, most showgrounds here are down horrendous dirt roads that require a 4x4.

On the rare occasions we can get out, we normally hire a horsebox and borrow a 4x4 or have a friend tow. Sometimes if people at the yard are going somewhere, we can share the box..

Its a shame, because my horse has just gone to affiliated level (over here) and is ready for novice and to start jumping in the bigger classes, but we can't get him there. Being an ex-racer he really needs the exposure to shows (even training shows for SJ) to calm down..as it is he sometimes cmes out the box, senses the atmosphere and just starts rearing and getting back into racehorse mode..
Also, we have no dressage arena so it'd be nice to be able to take him through to a friend's yard and use theirs and that kind of thing..
 
With my old share horse we rarely had any transport... and we stayed happy hackers as to be honest, it was all she could do without blowing her brains!! But even if she could get out and go to shows, hunting etc, we rarely did. In the 9 months I shared her, she went to SJ once and hunting once but that was it.

With the horses I currently look after, it would be incredibly frustrating not having transport as we hunt regularly, it's a necessity really.
 
Cant you share a lift with someone at yard? Offer to pay fual all fuel cost as it is their vehicle etc. I always take someone else to share cost and two people are handy when you get there.
 
I used to hack to local comp venue - took over an hour but was a good warm-up
grin.gif
Other than that I pay a nice old gentleman to take me places. He doesn't charge me much over the cost of fuel bless him.
 
I got a trailer a few weeks ago
smile.gif
but for the nearly 20 years of competing before that, I worked several jobs to be able to hire a transporter once or twice a month. I also had some incredible people at my new yard who I was able to share with
smile.gif
That helped the cost of their diesel too and often meant they could compete more, which meant more outings
smile.gif
 
beg people at the yard but its not great!!! Really rubbish as used to have my horse at college so regular competitions plus a friend with a lorry - so was out all the time and hardly at all now
frown.gif
 
It annoys the pants off me it really does. Haven't got the cash to invest in my own transport so have to rely on friends but not many are that bothered at the moment so it's quite frustrating. I passed my trailer test last year and trying to save up for my lorry lessons as got plenty of lorries i could borrow, just no bloody license!
smile.gif
Have managed to work out a deal with one of the local whips where i can hitch a lift occasionally when i can get a day off so at least i'll be getting out somewhere.
 
Yes, I haven't any transport and love competing but can't get out anf it's so frustrating! My yard does a summer dressage league but no winter so looks like im in for a boring winter
frown.gif
Saying that I got a lift and got taken to a show yesterday but obviously that's not ideal all the time!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top