Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Angie:

 

I'm from Massachusetts and last year during ride season, diesel was around the $1.80+/-/gallon mark and I did more rides than I've ever done (ECTRA) and it was my first season of endurance.  I accumulated 300 miles last year alone, which was more than lifetime miles up to that point.  I hauled as far away as southern Maryland and Central Maine, to give you and idea of the distance.  This year I have only gone to one endurance ride, a two hour backroad ride to Vermont, and 2 CTR's, and that was because of gas prices being in the low to mid $2/gallon.  At $3.29/gal for gasoline and $3/gal for diesel, I'm not going anywhere.   That is what those prices were at 8:30 am this morning.  It is now 1:30 pm, so who knows what they are now. 

 

When I posed this question in the spring on our ECTRA e-group, people thought I was whining about the price of gas and that it would only be $20 more per ride.  Well, yes that is correct, but I drive 400 - 500 miles/week for work, so my gas bill went from about $50/week last year, to $70/week (before yesterday).  So while a ride might have only cost me $20 more in gas, I am paying $20 more a week, which is $1,000 year.  But wait, that is only for the gas in my car, all of my other costs (food, supplies, hay, grain, everything) has gone up to cover the cost of fuel increases that is in everything in the US supply chain.  To put this into perspective, that $1,000 increase in fuel was six months worth of hay for me at last years prices.  This year that same $1,000 only bought me 4 1/2 months hay.

 

Everyone wants more of me because of the cost of fuel and there is only so much that I can give without having to give up things.  I need two saddles: one for a new horse, and one for a hard to fit horse.  I have been trying to sell the saddle that doesn't fit so that I can get a new one, but I think money is tight for everyone, so no bites on the saddle I need to sell.  I'm going to buy the saddles before spending money on rides because I can't ride without a saddle.

 

My husband and I used to truck to ride at various parks in the region.  We are now staying closer to home because who can afford to spend $150 on fuel just to ride over the weekend.  I can't.

 

Massachusetts has no AERC rides and only one remaining CTR ride.  We have lost all others.  RI has none, CT has one CTR every other year, Vermont has lots of rides, but the closest are 2 hours away, some require GMHA membership (probably $100/year), they are in the mountains so it takes alot of fuel to go to these rides.  There are lots of rides in Maine, but most are 3 hours from me (lots more fuel and tolls to get into and out of Maine).

 

I don't want to see my membership fee to AERC go up.  I understand the needs, but consider those of us who are just trying to figure out how to stay ahead of the costs of fuel (and the NE is going to have to start buying home heating oil in the next few weeks).

 

Carolyn Burgess

 

"rides2far@xxxxxxxx" <rides2far@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

OK, here's a chance to make it endurance related. I'm curious. Nobody has mentioned changing their competition schedule due to the hurricane aftermath. Here at home I've got a truck that I believe I put $8 worth of gas in "just to get back home where it was cheaper" last Sat. That "high priced" gas was $2.51. Now at my "cheap" exit it's $3.17 and people are happy the pumps aren't empty. This Saturday I've declined to meet friends at a trail 1 hr. away. It would cost me too much to go. Time to do a bit of maintenance on the local trails and bring them back on line. My neighbor's Explorer wasn't empty, but she went to fill it up and it was $81. That makes you think twice about wasting trips to the store, much less hauling 300 miles to a ride.

We're looking at things like...what will it cost the hay man to get his hay in? How much will he have to go up? Will fuel even be available when the hay is ready? Luckily, I filled my barn last Saturday but some of my friends were banking on the last cutting and the fuel costs have risen about 30%. I've already had friends talking about not going to rides they were going to go to. Hopefully the only problem will be the cost of gas, not the availability but we're not too sure how soon supply to the SE will normalize. Most corn & grain goes down the Mississippi to the port of New Orleans by barge. If they have to haul by truck feed will go up.

I've had a ride manager ask me if I think people will come. Personally, I think fewer will. The managers need to know this. They may need fewer vets, awards, etc. It's possible to break even on small rides but you really need to know they're going to be small!  Meanwhile in the middle of all these skyrocketing costs I hear rumors that AERC wants to raise our fees. The prevailing thought there seems to be that we're paying so much already that a little more won't hurt us. Ever heard of the straw that broke the camel's back?

I think most of us probaby expect this situation to be somewhat termporary and so many will just sort of hunker down in survival mode for awhile. I'm not going to cut back on my horse's food, healthcare, or any of the necessities, but I can skip a ride. How many others plan to? If you were planning to go to rides up to 8 hrs away, will you drop it to 4? Am I the only one who is worried?

I know this seems unimportant when people's lives are in danger, just trying to be endurance relaterd.

Angie (glad we kept the 92 Toyota Corola that my daughter learned to drive on)