Dunrovin Ranch Montana - Equestrian Club

Annual Equestrian Club membership benefits can best be seen by making a comparison with horse ownership. The chart below compares Dunrovin Annual Equestrian Club member costs and benefits with those of a horse owner who boards one horse at a local riding facility such as Treasure State Equestrian (Lolo) or Sapphire Event Center (Corvallis) and owns a truck and trailer for hauling.

AVERAGE COSTS	Club Member	Horse Owner
Purchase a gaited horse	$0	$3,000
Purchase saddle and tack	$0	$2,000
Purchase truck and trailer to haul horse	$0	$15,000
Total Purchase Costs	$0	$20,000
Annual Costs
12 months pasture boarding with shelter @$200/month	$0	$2,400
feed supplements – grain, salt, etc.	$0	$300
farrier every seven weeks	$0	$580
routine health care – vaccinations, floating teeth, worming, etc	$0	$400
license, insurance, maintenance for truck and trailer	$0	$700
truck gas – one tank/month 8 months	$0	$400
Membership Fees	$4,200	$0
Total Annual Costs	$4,200	$4,780
Are there unanticipated costs, such as a sick horse or a truck breakdown ?	NO	YES
KNOWLEDGE – CONVENIENCE	Club Member	Horse Owner
Need the time, money, and knowledge to find, test ride, and vet prospective horses in order to find the RIGHT horse	NO	YES
Need the time to arrange and meet farrier and vet, nurse injured or sick horse, fix and maintain truck, trailer, and tack	NO	YES
Need time and skill to keep horse physically and emotionally fit through exercise, exposure to a range of circumstances, and consistent, constant training	NO	YES
Need a knowledge of trails to ride, back country routes and camping sites; use of topographic maps and GPS units to explore new territory	NO	YES
Need a knowledge of using horses safely in the back country and in a manner consistent with the Forest Service’s “Leave No Trace” policies	NO	YES
RIDING – HORSEMANSHIP – FACILITY AMENITIES	Dunrovin Ranch	Boarding Facility
On site outdoor riding arena	YES	YES
On site indoor riding arena	NO	YES
On site ranch riding	YES	NO
Assistance and supervision as needed	YES	MAYBE
On site lessons for additional fee	YES	YES
Regularly scheduled group trail rides	YES	NO
Substitute horse available when horse is injured	YES	NO
Several horses available for different types of riding situations	YES	NO
Experienced trail riders to lead back country adventures	YES	MAYBE
Number of hours open per day	sunrise to sunset	7AM – 10PM
Number of days open per week	6 - 7	7
Number of weeks open per year	48	52
On site river recreation – fishing, floating, swimming	YES	NO
On site picnic facilities	YES	NO
On site guest quarters for visitors at discount prices	YES	NO
Availability for special events – wedding, reunions	YES	NO
FUN – COMPANIONSHIP	Dunrovin Ranch	Boarding Facility
Guided trail rides for guests at discount prices	YES	NO
Organizes group trail rides, group lessons, and informal drill team	YES	NO
Social events for members – Christmas party, barbeques	YES	NO
Opportunities for overnight camping trips with horses	YES	NO
Offers unique rides – high tea at a lookout, sunrise breakfast ride, etc.	YES	NO

Dunrovin Equestrian Club benefits can readily be seen in these examples

NO UNANTICIPATED COSTS! Club member Sally came out to Dunrovin for a ranch ride on her favorite horse, Mickey. It was a beautiful, sunny and warm December afternoon and Sally was anxious to get in the saddle. However, while getting Mickey saddled, she noticed a vertical cut on Mickey’s left hind hoof. Upon close inspection it was apparent the Mickey needed to see the vet. So Sally simply switched horses, got Monty saddled, and went ahead with her ride. Meanwhile, the Dunrovin staff hauled Mickey to the vet who said that cuts of this nature are very difficult to heal unless the hoof is put into a cast. Mickey was given antibiotics, bandaged and sent home for 3 days to eliminate any infection in the hoof before putting it into a cast. Mickey went to back to the vet, got his cast, and was put on “stable rest” for 2 weeks. Once the cast was removed, Mickey needed an additional 5 days to heal several sores that developed under the cast. The end result was that Dunrovin took Mickey to the vet 4 times, paid over $700 for veterinary care, medications, and supplies for his stall, and worked an average of 30 extra minutes per day caring for him. None of this impacted club members. Unlike a horse owner, club members did not have to nurse Mickey; they had other horses to ride during his convalescence; and they did not have to pay any extra expenses associated with Mickey’s care!

GUESTS WELCOME: Nearly all club members have had visiting friends and relatives participate in Dunrovin Ranch adventures or events. Both Cherie’s and Sally’s adult sons accompanied them on day adventures—Sally’s son liked it so much that he returned for riding lessons. Jane arranged for a special ride and picnic in the mountains with her visiting sister and brother-in-law. Jackie brought her sister and brother-in-law out to participate in Dunrovin’s Christmas party. Jean’s husband joined her for a beautiful autumn ride near Lolo Peak. Nancy’s entire family has gotten into the act. She arranged to have Dunrovin haul horses to their summer cabin where she hosted a weekend of riding with her husband. Her twin 5 year old daughters regularly visit Dunrovin to ride the pony, play with the donkey, picnic, and swim.