Stabling costs putting you off?

Wimbles

Wimbles

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Just wondering what people's thoughts are with regard to stabling fees at events.

I'm away this weekend competing and the charge for a temporary stable (that blew down in the night once last year) is £40 a night. For this you get no bedding, no fodder, naff all.

This has risen by £10 since last year and it's getting to the point where it's all becoming a bit too expensive! This month we are competing at this venue twice. With membership fees for the association, entry fees, transport, accommodation whilst down there, haylage, fuel it's starting to really take the shine off things. Without fuel it will be £350 this month which for someone that doesn't earn masses, lives alone so sorts all bills and has horses to pay for on livery, it's getting a bit overwhelming.

We're about an hour and a half away from venue and compete over two days so we really have to stay down there.

I remember the stabling at Windsor being expensive but I felt like this was a special occasion.

Anyone else feeling the financial pressure or am I just being a miser?
 
Stabling prices vary - down here £40 a night would be cheap! And I would never expect bedding, fodder or anything - we bring all of that with us.

If memory serves PC National Champs was £80 per night for a stable. Sunshine Tour finals was £70 or so. Affiliated venues can go much higher! If the journey is only 1.5 hours I'd actually be tempted to travel it each day - unless you are eventing in which case that might be too much to ask of the horse.

Competing is expensive. I'm not sure there is much we can do about that I'm afraid.
 
We haven't got a horse good enough to be staying away at the moment, but when we did the costs were eye watering. Addington charged me £65 for a 10x10 tent, despite being told the horse is 17.2, on flooded ground and with the boards kicked through. I did have a rant and got moved to the brick boxes. That box was full of filthy shavings and hadn't been mucked out for weeks.
 
£40 is cheap! When you count up the cost for the event itself to offer stabling you will realise why they charge what they do.

Hiring x amount of temporary stables.
Man hours to build then dismantle.
Muck heap removal at the end of everyone's stay.
Security people to guard the place.
People to do the daily administration of the boxes, let you in, check you out, make sure your box is left in a clean manner.
I am.sure you don't pay for the water out of the taps for your horse either.

In all your getting a good deal. A friend worked out the full cost to competitors for a 2 night stay at a big show if they charged them only enough to cover costs and it came to just shy of £80 per box per night. That's food for thought and shows just how much competitors are sometimes subsidised for their stabling. Even if they don't feel like they are getting a good deal they really are.

Permanent boxes are a different kettle of fish entirely.
 
irish_only said:
We have occasionally had overnighters for Chatsworth Horse Trials, and I feel like I am robbing them at £25 - £30 per night.
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I seriously don't think the competitors would think that, it's £70 for one night and I think £125 for two nights at Chatsworth (currently raiding the piggy bank to afford to stay there) are you v nearby Chatsworth?
 
I've just paid £100 for stabling at my next endurance event, that's at the local riding school as they won't have temporary stabling at the venue. Must admit normally it's less th a half that in most other places.
 
Can you find cheaper stabling closer to the venue than home? It would still mean a journey, but a much shorter one.
 
My two comps coming up involve the following:

£30 stabling, £70 hook up

£50 stabling, £20 hook up

Ridiculous!!!!
 
having read this I am going to quit complaining about $20 a night :(

A lot of the time when we compete/weekend away we just rig up overnight pens against the trailers with posts and hot wire or fence panels.
 
£40 is two weeks livery (minus all the bedding/feed) where i am. If i had to pay that, honestly i would not be showing.
 
Trec competitors, driving ponies and polo-cross do this, not sure about endurance bods. But in the UK it can be cold and windy in the summer as much as the winter, so not really practical for a show, dressage or event. Also in a stable you can relax and be pretty sure the horse is secure, there is always a slight doubt with electric fencing.

I suppose it is just the cost of competing and either you go and pay or don't go.
 
Orangehorse said:
But in the UK it can be cold and windy in the summer as much as the winter, so not really practical for a show, dressage or event.
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:) No, show, dressage etc, horses are more special and you need somewhere dry etc to plait up, I see the reasoning behind needing a stable for them.

Cold and wet in summer. The UK is almost always cold, or wet, or windy, or a combination of all of them, that was a good part of the reason we left.
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EKW said:
£40 is cheap! When you count up the cost for the event itself to offer stabling you will realise why they charge what they do.

Hiring x amount of temporary stables.
Man hours to build then dismantle.
Muck heap removal at the end of everyone's stay.
Security people to guard the place.
People to do the daily administration of the boxes, let you in, check you out, make sure your box is left in a clean manner.
I am.sure you don't pay for the water out of the taps for your horse either.

In all your getting a good deal. A friend worked out the full cost to competitors for a 2 night stay at a big show if they charged them only enough to cover costs and it came to just shy of £80 per box per night. That's food for thought and shows just how much competitors are sometimes subsidised for their stabling. Even if they don't feel like they are getting a good deal they really are.

Permanent boxes are a different kettle of fish entirely.
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These are all stables that are already there (owned by the venue) as the horses that usually reside in them over the winter are now out.

I have been involved with sorting out hiring of temporary stabling when organising events and know that it really isn't cheap but I did question the rise in price for stables that were already there and the same as last year. I just think that it is a shame that it is putting off your everyday competitor off as several of people that competed last year have stopped going as they just can't afford it :/
 
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