6 Easy Ways to Save Money While Rodeoing

We all know how expensive Rodeo can be; fuel, entry fees, vet bills… the list can go on and on.

As you continue to haul you may notice your wallet getting thinner and thinner,

but thankfully there are a few tried and true money-saving methods to help you get on to the next one.

6 Ways to Save Money While Rodeoing

1. Haul with a Buddy

I know, I know, you knew that already, but this is way too significant to leave off the list.

When hauling with a friend, you’re instantly cutting out half the cost for diesel, generator fuel, hookup fees, and of course getting an extra driver.

When you’ve been driving half the night and still have miles to go, you’ll wish you had someone to split the load with.

2. Gas Cards

Almost every fuel company offers a card, and if you are not into credit cards stop at Walmart for a gift card for a small discount.

Most of the credit cards offered to allow up to 10 cents/gallon savings.

It doesn’t take any time to save enough to fill your rig up for free if you are traveling very often.

Just don’t forget to pay the bill or you’ll lose all your savings in a flash.

ALSO SEE: Steps to Find the Perfect Horse Bit

3. Coupons

If you are buying your feed from a large retailer such as Tractor Supply, they will have a sale about every other month. It will usually be a $1-$3 off the retail price.

This alone can quickly add up especially if you buying multiple horses.

If you save $2 dollars on feed per sack and feed 1 sack every 2 days; that’s about a dollar a day of savings. Which will really add up over the year.

If you are not into the big retailers and love your local feed store, you can save money on horse feed by looking for coupons on the manufacturer’s website.

Purina and others offer a free email subscription and they will send you coupons about every month.

They aren’t always the ones you want, but it’s worth a shot.

4. Joint Supplements

If you are currently in the injection routine, there’s no need to tell you how expensive it is. After a round of injections, you can easily drop $600.

One thing that a lot of horse owners don’t consider is the power of a good joint supplement for their horse.

When routinely used, joint supplements can double the amount of time needed between injections and in some cases remove the need for injections at all.

There are varying levels of joint supplement potency, so you can pick yours according to price and your horse’s exercise load.

You can check out some of our joint supplement reviews for:

• MSM
• Cosequin ASU
• LubriSyn

READ MORE: Silver Bay Horse Breed Information

5. Don’t Excessively Worm

Many horse owners haven’t looked closely at new worming routine results. It’s probably habit for horse owners to worm about every other month, but this isn’t necessary in many cases.

If you live in an area that is excessively hot in the summer; you can likely skip worming during that time.

The heat will kill the parasites and they shouldn’t be a problem until cooler weather comes.

Another way to save money on worming is to have a fecal exam done on the horse; to determine exactly how often to worm.  

6. Turnout

Turnout is not only a more natural option for your horse, but it also saves you money in numerous ways. First, your horse will be grazing, hence less hay is needed.

Second, the horse is moving about which is better for joints and provides natural wearing of the hoof, meaning possibly adding some time between trims.

And lastly, it is noted by numerous veterinarians that more turnout time equals less vet time.

Allowing your horse to behave naturally will lessen the chance of ulcers and other issues developing.

Saving money with your horse isn’t easy, but it is possible! Other money-saving tips to consider are:

• Buying hay in bulk
• Pulling shoes off when not competing
• Buying products out of season such as winter blankets in the summer
• Learn to do things your self such as buying vaccinations independently and administering yourself.