Horses and Sports

Showing your Horse on a Shoestring
by: Ron Petracek


Convinced show season is going to break the bank? It doesn't have to! Try the below budget busters and get through the season with wallet intact.

* Become a working student. Most barns with lesson and training programs also offer working student programs. These programs vary to some extent, but in a nutshell the student trades work such as mucking stalls, grooming horses, etc. for lessons, training, and, depending upon the agreement, often show entry fees and transportation.

* Choose a trainer who trains you to train your horse. If you are an active participant in your horse's training you are less likely to have to call upon your trainer to "refix" your horse. Be present at all of your horse's training sessions, ask your trainer to teach you to teach your horse, and you'll be amazed at how much money . . . not to mention time and frustration . . . you'll save.

* Swap clothing and tack. Show clothing and tack can really add up, especially when you are talking about a growing child. Parents—form a network of friends that you can trade clothing with as your children outgrow them. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to buy them new if they are just going to be worn once or twice and then outgrown. Both children and adults can also check out the consignment area at tack shops and e-commerce sites on the web for equipment.

* Find a trailering buddy. No need to buy a trailer if you can find someone to tag along with. Set your rides up for the season well in advance, and try bartering your rides for chores or other services.

•ª Learn to groom your own horse. The hours spent grooming and braiding before a show can really add up . . . and so can the money these services cost. But does it really make a lot of sense to pay your trainer or his or her grooms to do these things when you can easily learn to do them yourself? A great resource is a book called Grooming to Win: How to Groom, Trim, Braid, and prepare Your Horse for Show by Susan E. Harris. Bonus: if you get really good at these things you can easily make a few bucks doing it for others!

* Develop a skill. Become an expert at something—braiding, grooming, exercising, etc.—and bring your show on the road. Offering to do these things for other people at shows for money will help you offset your showing fees. Just make sure that you budget your time correctly so that you too have plenty of time to get ready and concentrate on your own performance.

* Enlist the help of a friend. Checking in, getting your number, readying both you and your horse, and attending to all the nitty-gritty details you won't be able to focus on. Cajole a parent, friend, or someone who loves you to do this for free.

* Bring the news home. If you are a good writer or photographer there are plenty of local and national newspapers and magazines who need good horse show reporters. You are at the show anyway, why not get paid to watch it? Newspaper and magazines are willing to pay stringers for everything from organizing results to writing about classes to photographing winners.

With a little planning you can enjoy your horse show season without cleaning out your savings account and taking out a second mortgage on your home. Good luck, and happy showing!

About The Author

Ron Petracek is the founder of Equine Internets vast 15 site classified and social network. You can view its amazing size here Http://www.equineinternet.com/network.php or to further your equine habit please visit our forum by clicking here http://www.horsechitchat.com/equineforums and start posting Need to sell a horse or tack? place a free ad here http://www.click4equine.com and always the barn door in left open on purpose.

Horse Racing Betting Systems and Their Myths

Horse racing is a great sport that is now popularly known as a Sports betting game. But you have to take into account that the horse racing betting does not only refer to laying a bet on the horse with the most beautiful name or the one with the best odds. In fact some people have this perception that one has to be a horse racing expert to be a winner.

Some important elements you should consider in making an effective horse racing betting system.

a) Distance of the Horse
The distance that will be run by the horse to reach the finishing point is a very important factor that you have to weigh up before you pick out the horse that you will lay a bet on. If the distance is short, the horse has only little time to show its best performance. Conversely if the distance of the race is too long, there are several possibilities like the horse might get tired or the horse rider might drop off. Keep in mind that the safest distance of the horse race is in the range of 5 furlongs and not more than 3 miles.

b) Number of Horses in a race
The number of runners is also a very crucial element that you should consider when betting. A horse’s chance of winning is greatly affected by the number of contenders in a race. If the field is big, then naturally, it means there’s large numbers of runners who will vie in the horse racing sport. It is quite tough to choose which horse will do well in the race where there are so many runners who compete with each other.

c) The Kind of Race Ground
Another important factor that you should take into consideration when betting on a horse is the kind of ground in which the horse will run. The rule of thumb is that the “going” must be excellent. Examine if the ground is soft or heavy. The smoothness or firmness of the “going” is also crucial in the race. The size of the horse’s feet has also an effect on the result of the race.

e) When the Last Race was Run
The last race of the horse is also another aspect that you have to think about before you pick out your bet. You must consider when the last time the horse have its race was. It is quite difficult to tell if the horse is in good shape or not when it has been vacant in the horse racing scene for a short time. Ideally, a good bet is a horse whose last race was in the current season or at least 28 days ago.

f) The Horses Form
You will notice that there are letters C and D indicated in the horses form. The C here indicates that the horse has been a winner over a certain track in the previous races while the D denotes that the horse has been a winner over the distance being run in the race. When there is C or D in the horses form, you should not think twice to bet on that horse. This indicates that they’re good runners.

g) Top Horse Favorites
You can also consider those horses that are considered to be top favorites in the present season. Experts agree that there is a higher probability that these horses come first in the race. Hence, check out some favorites and their records in the racing field. If they have 3/1 or less in the betting, then, that’s an indication that they can be a good pick.

About the Author:

James Murray is a successful writer and online gambling expert providing valuable tips and advice for those interested in gambling and online gambling strategies. His numerous articles found on the Internet ,provide useful and factual gambling information and insight. Some of his websites are http://www.casinospokerrooms.com , http://www.bingosbingos.com , http://www.top-sportsbook.ca.