The $100,000 Question
Thought this was too fun not to participate… especially since I’m eating pb&j all Q1 to pay off my credit card and hopefully soon new saddle. Â From An Eventful Life!
Imagine someone gave you $100,000 free and clear. Assume taxes are already taken care of and you can spend the whole amount. The catch: you have to spend the whole amount on horse-related things. What do you buy?
Much to my husband’s dismay, the game is to do horsey expenses only… so I’m not going to list pay off our debts even though that’s really what I would do with the money.
1. Buy a 3′ Registered AQHA Hunter/Jumper –Â $40,000
I love my Simon and he’s not going anywhere, but I want a 3′ A quality amateur horse that I can show at our local A shows as well as AQHA breed shows… aka Congress!
2. Buy two custom saddles – $12,000
Both of my horse’s would never have to worry about a sore back again, because I would make sure I never rode in anything that wasn’t custom built for them!
3. Do a little shopping… – $5,000
Custom boots? Check. TS breeches in every color? Check. Whatever tack my ponykins needs? Triple check.
4. Put Simon in full training – $10,000
Simon would have a year of tons of pro rides both at home and at the shows. He would get better and better under their guidance, and I would ride him following the plan and program!
5. Go horse show! – $33,000
With the kind of shows I’d want to do with my new fancy horse, I’d say this will last about 2-3 years… but that would involve actual number crunching. Though I don’t have any desires to do weeks at WEF with this imaginary money, I would love to do the big TX A shows and maybe Colorado!
Any idea about what you would do with $100,000 only for playing pony?
22 thoughts on “The $100,000 Question”
I adore that you have a soft spot for our stock hunter ponies! 🙂
Stock hunters are my first love. I adore that AQHA hunter o/f are getting really legit and there is room to crossover in the aqha and hunter/jumper world.
You know how I feel about stock horses. 😉 I’d be tempted to buy another AQHA gelding, maybe for english….probably for reining, bahaha. Or both!
Nice choices…I would also get saddles..but I would need like 6 of them!
Hahaha! You’d spend about 1/4 of it on saddles 🙂
I think that i would almost take anyone’s list of items as well lol!
Let me come play groom at AQHA congress 😀
Consider yourself invited!
A snazzy new truck and trailer? That would probably eat up most of the $100K! But, to get better value for my money:
A reasonable truck and 2nd hand trailer
A QH halter filly from a winning trainer/breeder (to show at Congress!)
A breeding to a fancy halter stud
A western show saddle – maybe not a Harris, but something in the $5k – 10K range
Or to get even better value:
A reasonable used truck and 2nd hand trailer
A western show saddle – maybe not a Harris, but something in the $5k – 10K range
A reg’d QH that would be competitive in the local QH circuit (10-15K)
A new training western saddle ($2500K)
A dressage saddle ($2500K)
A nice English saddle for HUS ($2500K)
A fancy English bridle to match the saddle
A few winters board at a place with an indoor ($10K)
Year round lessons
…well, you get the idea! 🙂 Fun post!
Oo, I would like a lot of those things!
I know, right? My prices for saddles are probably a bit on the low side, but was going for value, not fancy-ness! 😉
It makes me realize that $100,000 CAN go pretty far, but that is when you disregard: boarding, lessons, upkeep of truck/ trailer, shoeing, insurance, vet, farrier. But if this were truly just a wish list, definitely 1. a new trailer (which could take the whole budget- it does for some people!) but probably a 2 horse extra tall with some bells and whistles 2. beautiful schooling and show breeches (they’re expensive!), 3. horse shows like you said (imagine going without a budget… “why yes, I will do 6 classes @ $50 a pop rather than just 3 classes”
hmm, I’ve never allowed my brain to dream so freely, it might take some more thought! Fun to find your blog 🙂
p.s. I’m happy to become your newest follower on Feedly! Keep up the great posting!
Thanks for following and glad you found me! 🙂
Oh, I like the full training idea! That’s a tempting one to swap on to my list.
I am slowly coming to realize that I am one of a very small minority of the horse world who is perfectly happy with the saddles I own…I am feeling really lucky about that!
New saddles for sure!
Oh my. Having that much money to spend only on ponies is too dangerous of a thought to even mildly entertain. (Coming from someone who bought another saddle today … yeesh)
Ohh, if only if only!! It is interesting that so many people would go for a new saddle… then again if I had a disposable $100k I’d probably switch out as well. There’s nothing wrong with my saddle per say but it certainly isn’t what I’d pick if I was buying one now.
#1 all the way. I’ll even help you save costs by staying at my house during Congress!
Hmm… I’d start with the Ford King Ranch F-350 Super Duty and a 3 horse slant load trailer ($65,000). That would leave me with $35,000 to play with so I’d buy a nice AQHA all around horse and a second trail horse ($30,000). Then I would outfit them both in custom bridles, halters and breast collars from Crown Leather ($2,000). For my Show horse I’d use the last $3,000 to invest in a good quality used show saddle.
LOVING the TS breeches in every color idea!
Oh this is fun!!!! I neeeed a new saddle. Then I need a super nice show bridle. And a trailer. And TS in every color. New show coat. Saddle pads galore w my monogram. Eskadron boots. Blankets and baker blankets for shows. Then the rest shall go to being able to show at AA w my baby pony 🙂
Oh I’ll take a few new GPA and Charles Owens helmets so mine don’t have to be smelly