Financing Your Travel Options For Dressage Competitions
When attending dressage competitions, gymkhana, or horse shows, we don’t have to tell you that it can get extremely expensive. Accommodation, stabling, food, and transport can all add up.
However, just like investing in a home or business, getting the right travel option for competitor and horses can yield dividends instead of sinking money into hotels, stables and other costs that you’ll never recoup.
Here are some options to make you self-sufficient when travelling to horse meets and dressage competitions.
Do the maths first
How much do you spend on travel, accommodation, stable fees, and other equipment and tidbits that make your competitions possible? How much of it is a sunk cost? Or in other words, how much do you spend that you’ll never see again? Of course, spending money on consumables is inevitable – food, grooming, fuel, and farrier costs – but hiring horse floats where buying one may be a better investment could save you money long-term. Do the sums and see whether buying is more economical than hiring.
RVs and horse floats
One option is to purchase a recreational vehicle – like a caravan with a truck built in – and have it tow your horse float to your competitions. This combination can help save ongoing accommodation costs; which is essentially an expense you won’t get back. Be sure to check whether the RV you choose can handle the towing weight of your float before you make a shortlist of vehicles.
All-in-one horse trailers
Don’t fancy hauling one bulky float with another bulky RV? Modern engineering has combined the horse float and living quarters into one haulable unit. They come with modern safety features, creature comforts for competitor, trainer, and of course the horse. Drop feeds and dividers can also be fitted in the vehicle if need be. You can buy some entry level models all the way up to fancier models with entertainment centres, showers, and push out beds – but of course, you will pay for the privilege. Of course, your towing vehicle needs to handle the weight.
Getting recreational vehicle finance
As these can get plenty expensive, you’ll need to consider your caravan loan options. Caravan finance extends to any type of transport and or accommodation registered to travel on roads with a corresponding VIN (Vehicle Identification Number.) If you’re buying used – which can be fraught with its own downsides – you’ll need to check this VIN against the PPSR to make sure it isn’t stolen, a write-off, or has finance owing.
Getting a dedicated secured caravan loan means you’ll get a better interest rate than going unsecured; the former meaning that the asset itself is security against failing to repay the loan, while unsecured means your loan is not tied to any asset, which means the lender takes on more risk.
Your best bet for finding a good RV or caravan loan deal is to approach a broker who can link up with many banks or lenders vying for your business. If you’re ever unsure, talk to a financial adviser that can point you in the right direction.
