Skint Dressage daddy - I'm Feeling your pain!!!
Does your skint dressage hubby need a break?
I too have a 'matchy matchy', Pikeur wearing dressage queen of a wife in (Cost Centre 1 - Jayne Gingell) and 8 year old dressage 'mega cost' of a daughter (Cost Centre 2 - Katya). I feel your pain skint dressage daddy. However instead of fighting it, I do my very best to channel their enthusiasm and join in. I'm trying hard to work up the dressage judging levels and have been the main sponsor of BD East for the past 18 months (that's British Dressage in the eastern region skint dressage daddy).
For the last 2 decades I have been involved in the supplement industry and have learned LOTS. Skint dressage daddy will not be surprised to hear that this industry has targeted people like YOU for years. The usual route to market for calming, joint and hoof supplements is manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to customer (Cost Centre). With everyone taking their cut of the pie you'll not be surprised to hear that the actual cost of the 'active ingredients' you want / need in a tub that retails at £60 is approximately £3-£5.
4 years ago I started a company www.hackup.co.uk that turns everything on its head. I knew people like skint dressage daddy were being taken for a ride and I knew I could, in a very small way, help. Horse owners (Cost Centres) register on the site and tell us all about their horse/pony. We (3 formulators including myself) then devise formula recommendations using specific ingredients that we feel will assist the issues you have in an ideal ratio based on what has worked for horses / ponies in a similar situation in the past. We use NO preservatives, buffers, colourings etc.. that do nothing for the horse.
Every dressage mummy needs a Bespoke supplement or 2 specifically formulated for their horse's / pony's situation. Skint Dressage Daddy will like this bit, contrary to most peoples perception that 'bespoke will be more expensive', because we cut out retailers and wholesalers, they are actually FAR CHEAPER than the others.
So yes, you're on a hiding to nothing in the scheme of things, but in my very small way, I feel I've done my bit to try keep a few coins in your pocket AND to give horse owners FAR better value for money.
