my trainer wants to take us down to wef this year, and i’m wondering what a rough price would be for a week lease of a junior or high children’s hunter with stalling, care/grooming, and showing.
Plan on around $1200 for your show bill if you’re stabling on grounds; maybe $700-900 if you’re stabling off grounds, but then your stall fee will be on top of that and it will vary.You can also look up show costs exactly in the prize list.
Care/grooming would be dependent upon your trainer/horse’s trainer.
Lease price would also be dependent on the horse, and would vary greatly from children’s to juniors.
A lease fee can be nothing or it can be astronomical, there really isn’t an average. A horse that is high enough caliber to show at WEF is likely to be closer to the latter however. Can’t your trainer provide you with the actual cost?
Depending on the week you are looking at leasing a children’s hunter for between $2,000-$7,500 for the lease, it’s hard to find a week lease on a 3’6 junior hunter, more likely a circuit lease. The shorter the lease period the higher the fee.
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2k to 10k. Depends on trainers day care, lesson and coaching in class charges, stall fees and possible transport if off the grounds and, of course, the lease fee for the horse. Also, by a week do you mean Mon thru Sun or just the weekend?
Be careful. Anytime your DD so much as touches a horse you are thinking of leasing, you might get a bill for a lesson from either your own trainer or from tne other trainer. Had it happen to several friends and barn mates, anytime anybody says " Hey, want to hop on and jump him around?" Ask “WHAT IS THIS GOING TO COST ME? Our trainer never failed to say " do you want a lesson on him”? clarifying there would be a charge for her coaching and opinion on suitability. But the other trainer may not be clear and probably will want your contact info before your child gets on their horse… Worst case they’ll charge you a lease fee on top of their lesson fee and you’ll get a surprise in your mailbox or an e mail a month later.
Practice saying “What is this going to cost me” daily before you go down there and don’t be shy about using it no matter how flattered you may feel about your DD being offered a ride on it.
Its fun to go down there, just protect yourself.
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I’ll reaffirm much of what has already been posted. Shorter term leases command a premium - if you’re able to find them. The 3’3" horses are very competitive at WEF. The best, most competitive ones are likely owned by AOs, and in my experience they aren’t very likely to lease short-term. If you want a winner (or, maybe better said, one that has repeatedly won at WEF or major shows before), the starting point for negotiations is going to be in the $10,000 range. A possibility if the junior has a reputation as a good rider is to try to lease a horse that is actively for sale. Showcasing a horse as junior-friendly can help increase its value and make it more marketable to a wider audience. Sometimes an owner or trainer will factor a “showcase” discount into the lease price.
For a short-term lease, I think there is an excellent chance that the horse must remain in the owner’s care. I think you’re looking at $1,200-$1,500 for a show stall with grooming, etc. Plus braiding. You should probably expect to tip the groom who cares for your horse $100-200 for the week. If the horse is at an onsite or nearby private barn, this rate will go up to $2,000-$3,000 per week.
If you’re really just in it for the experience, then I think that you can find a serviceable hunter in the $2,000-3,000 range per week.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
