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Post by horseless on Jan 13, 2015 15:04:50 GMT
Today, I decided to drive down a road that a large horse farm is on to see if they had a sign outside. Sure enough they did, when I got home I looked them up, and found their website. I was surprised to see that they charge $40 for a 1/2 hour lesson, and $60 for an hour. I know it been awhile since I've taken lessons, so I was curious what the prices are these days, is this reasonable? I know prices have gone up since the last time I took lessons, but this is just a little out of my price range at the moment. |
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749 
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Post by mistersmom on Jan 13, 2015 15:16:05 GMT
I recently looked into lessons at a barn near me. It was $45 for an hour group lesson and I think $60 for an hour private lesson. This was for English lessons (dressage and jumping)
What kind of lessons are you looking for? Were those prices for private lessons?
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Post by horseless on Jan 13, 2015 15:25:53 GMT
I always took English lessons, but Id really like to take Western lessons. I just want to get comfortable on a horse again, and gain confidence since I've been out of the saddle so long. This is from their website:
1 hour $60.00 (for experienced riders or beginners who need assistance tacking up)
1/2 hour $40.00 (for riders who can tack up on their own)
I'm a little confused, is the 1 hour lesson cheaper if you tack up yourself? It only states you tack up the horse yourself under the 1/2 hour one. I'll probably keep looking around.
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Post by horselover4life on Jan 13, 2015 18:11:46 GMT
Prices for group seem kind of steep for $40 for a 1/2 hour of time....
If that is private, then going rate, maybe a little less.
I am in Florida, and lesson prices are dirt cheap compared to what I have paid in the past for many places, kind of goes with "disposable income" though too. Where I am everyone has horses in their yard too....
I think depending upon the type of barn whether it is a "showing" atmosphere or just a lesson program without the show ring push would make a difference. Caliber of the trainer and school horses, facilities and just the location can make a big difference. Upstate NY is way different in boarding prices than the Island so why not lesson costs too.
Board on LI starts at $700 or over for a mediocre barn and go rapidly to well over $1400.00 per month board alone....
Backyard trail riding barn if you can find one is over $550.00 a month, now upstate NY in some areas is well, ......considerably less.
I found this for a farm on LI for a comparison to Mass. depending upon where you are.
This place unless they did some great improvements is a OK facility but not fancy or fancy mounts either nor top-caliber trainer/instructor....local schooling shows is what they use to do...
I would equate them to better than a backyard but far from a fine, top-notch facility...
40 minute PRIVATE LESSON $60----------- ONE HOUR PRIVATE LESSON $85
OR
Great packages for Beginners to Advanced
Most Popular Program
40 minute PRIVATE or 1 hour Group 4 per month once a week $140
plus $15 to the trainer when you lesson total $200 or $50 each
(out of package $60) 10 minutes to groom and tack with trainer, 30 minutes of riding
OR
1 HOUR PRIVATE 4 a month $200 plus Trainer Fee per Lesson $25.00
total $300 or $75 each (out of the package $85)
10 minutes to groom and tack with trainer
Prices for everything "horse" have gone crazy it seems.
If I was starting out it would be a far cry from what I have accumulated in quality tack and apparel if I had to pay today's prices...
I nearly fell on the floor when I saw the prices for my field boots from the same manufacturer.... same with my saddle.
I really think if the word "horse" is connected the $$$$ is doubled or worse!
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Jan 13, 2015 18:23:05 GMT
Wait a minute hl4l - not only would you pay a lesson fee but also a trainer fee for each lesson?  I've never heard of anything like that before. I guess the lesson fee is to pay for the lesson horse? But what if you are riding your own horse? And I would rather those 10 minutes to groom/tack with trainer be used as actual riding time. I can groom and tack my own horse, thank you very much. (though I would understand that this would be beneficial to beginners). The barn I looked at required a one-time evaluation lesson ($40) for advanced riders or a 3-pack lesson program for beginners before being put into a group lesson. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2015 18:25:42 GMT
That does seems a little steep, but that is based on what I paid in the small city I grew up in. Now that I live in Calgary, the price of everything is way inflated from what I feel it should be. (Or maybe I'm just cheap Lol)
Prices at the barn I started riding at where $25 for an hour group, or half hour private. $60 for an hour private. It was a decent barn to learn at, not run down, not high class either. We didn't know it at the time, but in hind sight the instructors were for the most part young and uncertified.
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Post by horselady on Jan 13, 2015 20:27:07 GMT
People were here for coffee today and we were discussing just this topic. seem that 45 dollars or 45 minutes is the going rate even for trail riders, that is get up and go walk trot and come back . no instruction nothing.
So my way of thinking if you are going to pay for someones use of a horse. and their time. the least amount is 40.00 than go with that. after a couple of lessons showing them you can saddle and bridle your own mount than perhaps they will at least extend your time. after all you are going to be looking to buy and perhaps continue to ride. that should be an incentive for any barn to welcome you as a client. either keep looking for a more suitable place or just bite the bullet and perhaps do every other week for a while until weather breaks. still building that relationship with the people at the barn. i would still consider it getting my horse fix and getting back in the saddle is worth anything.
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Jan 13, 2015 22:51:18 GMT
I'm sure lesson prices, just like everything else, vary greatly by location, so I was curious how lesson prices near me (central Illinois) compared to what the rest of you are finding in your areas. I just did a quick search and found two lesson barns near me. Here are their prices:
Lesson Barn #1: weekly single rider/hr.........$30 open session ---------- $35 semi private ------ $45 private
Lesson Barn #2: $25 per hour - Western, English, halter, and/or showmanship.
It certainly seems like prices are much higher in Massachusetts than they are here where I live. Either that or they are just much higher at the one barn you looked into. If I were you, I'd check around to a few more barns to compare what the going rates are in your area.
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Post by horselover4life on Jan 13, 2015 22:51:37 GMT
The idea is to make as much money as you can...in other words... nickel and dime you to death as far as I can see!!
The list of expenses charged in barns today would probably make most throw-up!! Anything done = $$ paid out.
That though is how legit, insured riding barns stay afloat as liability insurance....well, open a riding academy and offer boarding & lessons...can we say lawsuit potential. ouch!! It is a $$$$$$$ to be insured and protected.
MM.... I think those prices are because the horses belong to the barn/stable and the instructor comes and goes...feast or famine to her and her abilities.
I have never paid for a "group" of lessons in a block like that and then had to pay the trainer too....so add that to the other money and your lessons are right up there in price. I rode the horses that belonged to the barn or I rode my own!!
Now, I know if you brought a outside instructor in to give you lessons you paid a ring fee and had to schedule special riding ring time with the office the places I worked.
Most of the time that ride time was a hour when no one was around riding, late at night, mid-day....I had to be on premise as I had to lock-up and make sure no one else arrived secretly to ride and not pay....
It was not a pleasant situation to be in...
When I went "traveling" to clinics/lessons with my boss and she took several horses {I drove the horse van}, I rode free to warm up her horses...sometimes that resulted in me having a impromptu clinic lesson with some excellent horseman for free too...
It was my job to take care of her string of mounts so rub, wrap, walk them cool, blanket {not necessarily in that order}...whatever was needed I did. We loaded the van together as several horses were always aboard and it was safer to have a extra set of hands on hand to help...
I'm not sure what that barn on LI does is the norm or not....
I for one would not pre-pay for lessons then have to pay the trainer again...sort of feels like a forced tip to me... ummm "NO". 
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Post by carshon on Jan 14, 2015 14:40:06 GMT
My friend is taking lessons at a small barn near here and is paying $40/hour for a private lesson and using the facilities horse. Not sure if it would be cheaper if she took her own horse or not.
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Post by horseless on Jan 15, 2015 11:51:22 GMT
I wouldn't mind paying $40 for a private lesson. I agree hl4l, I wouldn't prepay for lessons either, and I certainly wouldn't pay the trainer a separate fee. Im going to look around for more barns so I can get a few more prices to compare.
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Post by lorddaxter on Jan 15, 2015 13:11:15 GMT
I wouldn't do a half hour lesson, it would be over with way too fast.
A friend I have just did her first lesson yesterday, dknt know how much it was but she said they taught her grooming, picking feet out, tacking up, I was surprised as they made her use a school horse, she just took a horse on trial and is desperate to work with it, I don't get why they wouldn't let her use it, I've never heard of that before, maybe I'm being British again?!
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Jan 15, 2015 13:30:07 GMT
Perhaps they wanted to do some sort of evaluation on your friend to see what she knows using a known steady-eddy type of horse. Hopefully next time she can use her horse. Did she ask if she could use her horse or why they were having her use the lesson horse?
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Post by horselover4life on Jan 15, 2015 15:32:43 GMT
Agree horselesss.....
Think you will do well to shop around for other barns, lesson programs and riding arrangements... and especially the cost structures of each program.
ld...First lesson, unknown horse to her she is desperate to work with.....
Yup, lesson horse it will be that the "vices" are known already to keep all safe.
Now that your friend had her first lesson/eval she should ask for her lessons to be astride her "trial" horse to see if they are compatible and safe as a team.
May actually cost her more.... and personally, I would be doing some semi-private or private lessons on that "trial" horse to get a real good understanding of knowledge, lack of it and problem areas she will be dealing with....
Kind of a gray area that she needs first time lessons yet has a horse on "trial"....
To me, most who take a horse on trial not need to have a overseen ride time, they get & go on there own ....Isn't this basically "her horse" and she have exclusive ride time on it???
Lessons is lessons though and you need a good schoolmaster to teach new things so you can "feel" them done correctly.... once you know how you can ride and "teach" the new mount as you know what it feels like and how it should be done....
You remember jumping the first few times...a school master I was astride to learn I know...
Kind of think this might be the case of keeping your friend safe during a eval....
A private lesson for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes....one on one is exhausting I have found when being continually instructed, worked with and new things tackled...much of that has to do with the instruction and what you are doing though too.
In a group setting or semi private....a hour is the norm as attention is not always just focused on you...just my thought on the subject....but I could be really wrong about how this was approached for your friend... |
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Post by horseless on Jan 15, 2015 16:42:48 GMT
ld i agree a 1/2 hour lesson would seem like it was over before it started.
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Post by horselover4life on Jan 15, 2015 18:08:06 GMT
ld i agree a 1/2 hour lesson would seem like it was over before it started.
It is only time to work on improving your riding.
The other time astride I never included when I rode in private lessons....other wise...
Oh yes, 1/2 hour is much to short a instructed time astride!! smart horse
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Jan 15, 2015 19:31:00 GMT
I agree about the warm up and cool down. Unless a rider is a true beginner, that time should not be included in the actual lesson time. Of course this means the rider needs to plan ahead so that they can tack up and warm up in an appropriate amount of time.
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Post by DancingFeathers on Jan 20, 2015 0:09:07 GMT
Where I live in New York lesson prices range. Where I board right now it's $40 for a 45 minute private lesson. $50 for an hour group trail ride. $50 for an hour private lesson. $35 for a 45 minute group lessons. We have to be in the ring 15 minutes prior to lesson time to warm up our horses.
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I've never heard of anything like that before. I guess the lesson fee is to pay for the lesson horse? But what if you are riding your own horse? 
