Instead:        become a . . . . . . . . . Thrifty Horseman  $$ MONEY SAVING IDEAS FOR HORSE OWNERS $$ This website is dedicated to providing to horse people a free, single resource for money saving ideas related to horse ownership. We encourage you to share your own thrify horseman knowledge.  Submit Your Own Thrifty Idea and You Could Win $50.00 in Free Fuel Horse ownership has always been an expensive sport.   But, now, more than ever horse owners find themselves facing difficult choices due to spiraling costs.  Many horseman may be asking themselves if this is time to sell out. Recent droughts have left a serious shortage of hay in the drought stricken south.  Those shortages have forced southern livestock owners to truck in hay from the North, causing rising hay prices and new shortages in the North.

Gasoline and diesel fuel prices are higher, now,than ever in history. Since it is a necessity for most horseman to own heavy-duty trucks, we are effected by these fuel prices even more than the average American.  In addition, these higher fuel costs are causing many equestrian-related service costs to rise, as our farriers and vets need to pass on these higher costs to us.

I believe, as with all other economic peaks and troughs we've experienced-- this, too, shall pass.    We will recover from the droughts.  Droughts never last forever and, in time, hay prices will stablize.    Vehicles will continue to become more and more efficient, other energy resources will be discovered and perfected and domestic oil drilling will increase dramatically.  All these things will improve the supply & demand ratio and stablize, or even drop, fuel prices.    This process may take a couple of years, however.   In the meantime, we need to come up with creative ideas and pool and share knowledge to help ends meet during this difficult period.   Horse ownership is immensely rewarding in ways that only horseman can understand.  For us, it's worth it. You will find it worthwhile to take the time to browse through this site to find new, money saving ideas.   Some tips you may already be know and be doing, others may not have occurred to you.  You will even find some free stuff here.  Also, if you have any thrifty ideas of your own or you know of website links that you think would be helpful to other horsepeople, please send an email to:  thriftyhorseman@hotmail.com Please state whether or not you would like your name posted as a contributor and how you would want it shown   For example:  in full or Mary K. from Lincoln NE

>