Driving on a Budget!

This is a fun topic and near and dear to many of our hearts… driving on a budget!

I will share a few of my favorite things that will not only keep you and your horse safe but will not break your check book.

#1 – Harness

One of our least expensive harnesses, that will look nice and is of the same high quality as all our other harness, is the Pleasure Buggy Harness. It starts at $350 for the miniature horse size or 490 for the horse size. You will have a straight style breast collar, or you can upgrade to a SuperFlex collar or a collar and hames. Be aware that the upgrades will make the cost go up. The harness in the above photo is the standard Pleasure Buggy harness with the buckle in trace upgrade which is $30. So the total price of this harness is $380 plus $25 for shipping. So if you are just starting out the basic harness is a good place to start!

#2 – Halters

Our nylon halters are of very high quality and actually fit the horses or donkeys. Even the miniature horse halters fit! They are always priced very well starting at $17 for the miniature horse size halters and going up to $24 for the horse size. These halters stay looking nice for many years and clean up well, just toss them in the washing machine!

We also have very affordable Beta halters. These halters are a great way to “fancy” up your horse a little bit. They are made from the synthetic strap and will look new for years and years and years. They start at $22 for the miniature horse size and go up to $42 for the horse size.

#3 – Lead Ropes

We have very affordable lead ropes up to the more expensive and long lasting ones. The less expensive ones are really only for the miniature horses but if you do want to spring for the Yacht ropes just know they will last forever. So you are really getting your monies worth!

These little poly ropes are for the miniature horses and are only $11!!

Then we have these yacht ropes, also more for the ponies and miniature horses – $12

We have these really nice 1/2″ yacht ropes for the big horses. They are a little more expensive at $36 but you will never need to buy another one! If the snap breaks you can just take it off and put another on!

#4 – Boots

Boots are tricky. There are options out there that will save you money, but sometimes it’s really true – you get what you pay for.

There are less options for the miniature horses than there are for the big horses. And because I drive ponies and minis I am more familiar with their boots.

If you know me you know that I am a firm supporter of the Equine Fusion Boots. They are the boot that has held up and fit my ponies the absolute best. They are expensive but I spent a lot of money buying all the less expensive options and having them completely fail me. So as far as saving money goes, buy the Equine Fusion boots and save yourself the trouble!

(**of course this my personal opinion!! You should do what you think is best for your mini and your pocket book. But do know that I have quite a few size 7’s, 9’s and 10’s available right now and if you contact me I will give you a sweet deal!)

#5 – Bridles

If your horse drives in an open bridle a great option is the English Bridle. It is a little less expensive than our other bridles and it’s a bit simpler. The thing I like the most is that it has the separate cavesson and the nose band is padded. This make adjusting it much easier. These start at $50 for the miniature horse size and go up to $80 for the big horse/draft horse size.

If you need blinders and have a budge the Buggy/Pleasure bridle is a great choice. The miniature horse bridle is $79 and the horse size is $129.

You can also get the MaraFUN bridle which will save you a little money as well. It is a very simple bridle but has the parts you need for pleasure driving and the show ring, blinders, nose band and rings for a side check. This bridle starts at $70 for the mini size and $90 for the small pony.

#6 – Collar and Hames

People think the collar and hames are super expensive and sometimes they are! But you can get started with a very nice horse size collar for around $120 for the collar and hames for $90!

We do have special collars for the minis and small ponies so please make sure you find those options. They have been designed to be more comfortable for the little equines in our lives.

#7 – Carts

Carts are pretty tricky. Most people go with the simple metal easy entry when starting out. These are fine for minis, for the most part. They are not adequate for the bigger horses however. If you are on a tight budget I highly suggest you look for a used vehicle, that hasn’t been in an accident, that is made for the bigger horses. I don’t feel I should share actual names of vehicles here, but it’s best not to cut any corners when it comes to carts!