Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2008, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372
There is a Chinese proverb/curse that goes something like this: “May you live in interesting times.”
Over and over again this season, when talking to riders and ride managers and vets and volunteers, while sadly noting the never-ending increase in the price of diesel fuel, I find myself saying, “It’s going to be a very interesting ride season.”
So, are we cursed?
Let’s look at things a bit more pragmatically. Certainly, if you look at the cost of keeping horses and keeping them well and fit and shod and vaccinated, you are accustomed to paying through the nose. Add even the barest minimum of trailers and hauling vehicles and, well, you’re used to a certain amount of financial suffering. Maybe you’ll just suck up the extra costs of diesel by figuring you’ll skip eating out once a week, or by working a few hours of overtime, or by competing in one fewer ride than you normally do.
But for those of us competing on a shoestring budget, and for those of us managing, vetting and volunteering at rides, that extra cost can snowball into a whole lot of headache.
For vets, it likely means raising their price to vet a ride, or at least charging more to get there, as many drive considerable distances, often with a treatment truck.
For ride managers, it means that much more cost out-of-pocket for trips to clear and mark trail, and an increased price for everything, from awards to rider/volunteer meals to porta-potties. (And at a time when they may be losing riders.)
For volunteers, it means a tough decision about whether or not to pay their own way to work hard all day and all night (or for days and nights) for a T-shirt, a couple of sandwiches, the camaraderie and, if they’re lucky, a cold soda or beer.
It’s going to mean a season of tightening the belt, sharing the pain, and trying to get through it all with a smile that may resemble rictus.
Riders are doing creative things to cut costs: selecting multi-day rides where they can get more “bang” for their diesel fuel buck, trailer-pooling with friends, and sticking to more local rides rather than competing far and wide.
Ride managers are talking about all sorts of cost-cutting measures in the hopes of staying financially viable:
— seeking out more award sponsors,
— having “no frills” rides without meals or extravagant awards,
— asking folks to bring food for a shared potluck instead of providing a meal,
— taking a hard look at the numbers and raising their entry fees,
— re-sanctioning to include a second day to attract more riders, and
— no kidding, cutting down on the number of porta-potties.
Will some of these changes cut down on “the perks” at the rides that you’ve become accustomed to? Could be.
Might you have to wait a moment or two to get your in-time because Vicki Volunteer just couldn’t justify taking a vacation day to drive three hours each way to work the ride this year? Perhaps.
Is it possible there will be a few minutes’ wait for a vet because the RM decided to hire two vets this year instead of three in order to make a go of it? It’s possible.
Cost of diesel? In my part of the world, $4.70 and going up.
The value of getting out and riding a well-marked trail with my favorite horse on the planet (even though I had to pack my own peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my post-ride meal)? Priceless.