What is the value of a horse?

A post online this morning brought up the concept of the value of a horse. I thought it was a great concept to ponder!

It is important to remember that there's no such thing as "real value." Just because you bought a great horse for $1000 or $10,000 it doesn't matter. The value is based off of so many factors that many people fail to understand:

HORSE: Age, Height, Training, Pedigree, Breed, Appealing looks, Pedigree, Personality, Safety, Potential, Conformation

FARM: Reputation, Trainer, Location

MARKET: Economy, Demand, Supply

SENTIMENTALITY: Connection of owner to horse, Connection of buyer to horse, Matchmaking for buyer

Undercutting your horse's value only devalues them for the future because VALUE IS PERCEIVED not innate and that low price will decrease the perception of your horse's value.

That said, over valuing your horse could simply be unrealistic. If the market isn't supporting it and there is no desire, then a price just isn't right.

If people will pay it, then it's a fair price. If the RIGHT PEOPLE will pay it, then it's a great price.

Ithaca Festival 2012

© 2012 Dave Burbank I'm posting this so that everyone who might be interested can be involved.

I need help. And LOTS of it!! For the past 2 (now 3) years Painted Bar Stables plays a pretty big role in the Ithaca Festival. We march in the Thursday opening ceremonies parade and also offer pony rides during the weekend at the festival. In the past, we have only offered pony rides for Sunday when the festival moved to Stewart Park. This year, the festival is staying on the Commons for both days and we are invited to offer pony rides both Saturday and Sunday. I need people to help me with all aspects of the festival.

Beyond the Painted Bar Stables involvement, the Ithaca Fest is huge. They say that over 10,000 people attend the festival and there's at least 5,000-6,000 people in and attending the parade. This is an enormous event, especially for our horses!

TO REGISTER TO HELP US PLEASE SIGN UP AT http://tinyurl.com/PBS-IthacaFest2012 

© 2012 Dave BurbankTHURSDAY 5/31: Parade

This is the fun part where the kids get to really show off! We need kids to come and ride in the parade to show off our horses. We also need people (kids and adults) to walk along with us to hand out fliers, wave and greet people as we walk along, not to mention our infamous and well loved poop crew!

All Parade Walkers must either wear jeans, appropriate footwear, and a Painted Bar Stable T-Shirt or a solid red shirt!

Roles Needed:

• Horse Washers: We need people to help groom our horses and get them on the trailer at the barn, then help to unload them and get them tacked up and ready at the festival.
• Youth Horse Riders: we need a kid for every horse! These kids get to sit on the horses and wave to the crowd. This job is NOT as easy as the kids think it is - it requires them sitting on their horses for sometimes over 1½ hours! It's tough but it's glorified.I know that every kid wants to play this role but we will only have a certain number of horses and we found it too hard to switch riders. Priority will be given to kids that are current students between the ages of 7-12 but we will try to get everyone we can on horses. 
• Horse Leaders: Every horse will be ridden by a child and lead by an teenager or adult. Leading horses is not a feat for the faint of heart. Your arm will be exhausted, it takes a lot of focus and is physically tiring. However, it's also a great privilege and INCREDIBLY NEEDED!
• Banner Holders: we have a banner that gets strung on a pole. We need at least two people to carry the banner in front of us and to help maintain our distance from the parade floats in front so our horses don't get too close to the group in front of us.
• Walkers, Greeters and Brochure Givers: These are the people walking alongside, helping out, handing out brochures, engaging the crowd and telling them about what they do at Painted Bar Stables, and answering questions. These are also the people that remind everyone that "These horses will be available for pony rides at the festival on State Street!"This role is much more important than you think. There are a lot of irresponsible parents it seems who like to let their kids walk out in front of the horses. Our walkers are the people who catch these kids and send them back to the sidelines.
• Glorified Poop Crew: This is the most important job of them all!!! We need people to dance behind our horses and pick up poop and put it in a wheelbarrow. Last year this crew got the loudest applause from the crowd. They were famous. People still come up to me and talk about how cool the poop crew was. EVERYONE THAT SIGNS UP AHEAD OF TIME FOR THE POOP CREW WILL GET A FREE PAINTED BAR STABLES T-SHIRT WITH "POOP CREW" ON THE BACK!

© 2012 Dave Burbank

Horses Being Used:

• 11-15 horses:Misty Belle, Mack(?), Little Joe, Maxie, Scotch, Dutchess, Dozer, Crystal(?), Mister(?), Chico, Kasper, Pepsi, Aspen, Beauregard, Dreamer(if Gary comes)
• Not sure if Gringo is ready to make his appearance with the Poop Crew yet - that's a goal for next year!

Special Requests: 

• Branden - Can we borrow your truck and trailer for the event? Can I borrow you too? I'll buy you ice cream and everything you want!
• Rachel or Allie - If you're free I would adore your braiding skills! I'll owe you dinner.
• Dad - Poo Crew Leader?
• Ashley - I would love you to be responsible for Mister if we take him and we can talk about who we would like to ride him

Ideas:

• Maxie ALWAYS leads the way. This year she may just be too pregnant. I think we should make a sign for her saying "I'm pregnant and my baby is due in a month!" and she should still lead the way. 
• Last year we had a lot of success with "Synchronized Circles." The horses get too antsy and the parade goes too slowly. By doing a "1-2-3 Circle" and all the horses doing 1 spin it kept the horses engaged and less fussy, it made us look organized, and the whole crowd said our horses were "dancing!"

FRIDAY 6/1: Setup for the Pony Rides

Pony rides will be conducted in the gravel parking lot on State Street between Capital Corner Chinese and Medusa Tattoo Salon, across from the Cornell Daily Sun. So basically we are just off of the "Main Commons" in the area used for food during the Ithaca Festival. This is where we fit.

We need 3-4 people to come and help load the round pen into the trailer, and then unload it and set it up on Friday night. We will also bring with us: mounting blocks, tables, shade umbrellas, chairs, banner, signs, water jug, etc....

We need to set up a round pen as well as a "holding stall" for horses on break as well as a "chute" for kids that have had their ticket taken but need to get helmets on.

SATURDAY 6/2 & SUNDAY 6/3: Pony Rides and Learning Workshops

Pony Rides will be conducted all day, probably starting around 10:30am and going until 7:00pm or so in the round pen that we set up. 

Horses will be loaded up around 8:30am to be brought down to the festival for the day. We will be using 3-4 of the following horses: Pepsi, Dozer, Beauregard, Kasper, Little Joe, Chico.

Roles Needed:

• Prep People: 2-3 people who will meet us either at the barn or the festival to unload the horses, tack them up and get everything ready.
• Pony Walkers: Must be at least 14 years of age and we need 3-4 Walkers per shift. Each pony ride will consist of 5 loops around the round pen.
  • Shift 1: 10:30am-12:00pm
  • Shift 2: 12:00pm-1:30pm
  • Shift 3: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
  • Shift 4: 3:00pm - 4:30pm
  • Shift 5: 4:30pm - 6:00pm
  • Shift 6: 6:00pm - 7:00pm and help with tear down
• Ticket Sellers: We need 2 ticket sellers at all time! Must be 18+ of age and meet approval.
• Ticket Takers: Sellers will be selling tickets. We need 1 person (can be a responsible youth) per shift to take the tickets at the gate and send them into the chute. No parents will be allowed in the chute unless they are helping their small child as a "walk along." All walk along parents MUST HAVE CLOSED TOED SHOES. I would prefer that PBS people do the walk along if possible.
• Helmet Giver:  We need someone (can be a responsible youth) to hand out helmets of the correct size and help kids get them.
• Mount Up Helper: We need someone to help the kids up and onto the horses and to adjust the stirrups quickly.

If you haven't noticed, throughout the day we need about 9 people at a time! That's a lot of people. 

ANYONE WHO VOLUNTEERS FOR AT LEAST TWO SHIFTS OF PONY WALKING or THREE SHIFTS OF OTHER PONY RIDE ROLES RECEIVES A FREE T-SHIRT AS A TOKEN OF MY EXTREME APPRECIATION!!

TO REGISTER TO HELP US PLEASE SIGN UP AT http://tinyurl.com/PBS-IthacaFest2012