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Arabians Expensive? It's All Relative
OK, so Spring Fever is making the rounds and to top it off, I can’t find a clipping I need from the file pile. I did however, find an article from 1996 about “Clutter May be a Sign of Mental Health”. Oh, well, looks like this story will have to be written without those hard facts everyone loves so much.This month’s topic is, “So just where are all those rich Arabian horse owners?” Yes, there are the actual millionaires who probably not only own a herd of Arabians but fly to their multiple ranches on their private jet. But let’s get real for a moment. Just how many of your friends fit into this category? Yet how many people guffaw when you say you have Arabians, as if you just won the lottery and keep your horses on a private island accessible only by your yacht?
The reality is that Arabian horse owners, like most horse owners are everyday people. The average owner is more likely to own an old car with over 100,000 miles on it and wearing clothes from Target. And while their horse may get new shoes every 6-8 weeks, one pair of human shoes usually is worn until they disintegrate. Equine Senior is purchased before Grape Nuts, and a trip to the produce section of the grocery store is for 50 pounds of horse carrots, not gourmet salad.
But what about the cost of owning a horse? Only rich people can do that right? Well maybe not. Think about those non-horsy friends of yours. Just got back from Hawaii, love to travel, bought a new luxury car, would rather be golfing? Travel you say? You mean other than hauling from show to show? Next time one of your friends smirks when you say you have horses, ask them about the insurance on that SUV (let alone the payments); the cost of a family trip to Hawaii and the Christmas ski trip; those $25 and up grounds fees for golf; not to mention the $20,000 yearly price tag for a club association. The missing article mentioned at the top of the story noted that the annual upkeep for a luxury car is around $17,000 per year. Makes that
Arab of yours a bargain, and you don’t have to replace her every few years.
Some of us are rich, some of us are poor, most of us are in between. But with the exception of the wealthy who can afford all of the above, we all make choices and sacrifices to enjoy what we love best. So the next time your good buddy sneers about the cost of your horse, just tell them you would rather write a check for the benefit of your Arabian and drive that old truck and know that on any given day of the week it’s the nicker of your Arabian that makes you the richest person of all.