Discussing trainer's show fees?

[BAC]

[QUOTE=BeeHoney;8098199]
Whether it is an A show or a fun show, it’s still a ton of work to haul horses somewhere and pack/unpack for a show. In this case, the set up might not be as fancy, but because it is just for two days it is a lot of travel and set up for two days, whereas for an A show it usually is 5-7 days with a chance to be a little more settled in. Your trainer’s fees don’t seem unreasonable to me. I think it is pretty typical that at local / fun shows the entry fees are just a small part of the cost. Your trainer isn’t saving any money just because the entries are cheaper.[/QUOTE]

Yes, her time is her time, regardless of the type of show it is, especially when she is working on her day off. I get double-time to work on a Sunday. I am surprised that anyone would bother going the day before for an unrated, fun show that is only 20 minutes away though.

[Blinky]

Maybe she doesn’t want to go to the show so set her prices high.

I wouldn’t pay a set up fee and then help to set up.

with all that…I would just ask him/her how they came to determine their rate fee.

[trubandloki]

It sounds like the point of this show is to make a real show out of it. Go the day before, set up in stalls, get the whole show experience. Not everyone does big rated shows so this is probably a huge deal to part of the people riding at this show.

[hb]

It’s the whole show experience for the horses as well as the rider - we go the day before even for shorter, closer shows to let the horses settle in and not have to leave at 4am then rush to set up and get going for an am class. Easier on all involved.

I’ve gone to schooling shows on just the day of by myself when it’s a familiar venue, but if I were a trainer bringing several horses and riders I’d want to go the day before to get set up and organized.

[KateKat]

I think the prices look relatively in line with what I have paid at shows. What were the prices like in previous years? If you say this is a smaller barn sometimes the newer trainers undercharge to get clients and help them go to shows so they can get their name out there. Its possible that now your trainer feels its time to up prices to be more in line with the industry as she has a more robust business.

[ShadowDansere]

:o Thanks guys. Sounds like I’m just being sore from having a surprise IRS bill :no:

Time to go buy a lotto ticket :winkgrin:

[mvp]

[QUOTE=Carolinadreamin’;8098211]
Meds fees? Is this common? Honest question![/QUOTE]

Yes, in some barns.

And it’s not always to cheat at showing or to bilk customers. Sometimes, it’s to subsidize an enormous supply of various medications so that they are always on hand to dispense to clients’ horses. (We’ll leave aside, for the moment, the question about whether or not that’s legal. It’s done often enough, and not just by trainers.)

So the next time a pro has a tube of banamine for you to borrow or some DMSO, remember that there’s capital tied up in that.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=BAC;8098297]
I am surprised that anyone would bother going the day before for an unrated, fun show that is only 20 minutes away though.[/QUOTE]

I’d want that if I were taking a green horse who didn’t yet know how to horse show and needed more than one shot at figuring out how to keep his big boy pants pulled up even.at.a.horse.show. Along these lines, a full five-dayer is even better for the purpose.

[EmJ628]

I didn’t catch if the original fee quoted ($100) includes coaching and day care. At most barns around here, those are separate fees. (coaching covering your training at the show and day care covering the barn staff feeding, cleaning stall, night check etc). If that is an all-inclusive fee, I think its a pretty good rate. And I second the people who say she may be charging more bc she doesn’t have many people who show. I have adjusted my own fee to coach at a show for that very reason- I may only have 1 or 2 students, and I am giving up a (long) day or more that I could be teaching or doing something else with my family.

[Jsalem]

You keep referring to this as a “fun” show. Keep in mind that this isn’t a fun show for your trainer. It’s work. On her day off. Overtime. I don’t think her rates sound out of line.

[SCI]

You received a copy of her “rate sheet”. It doesn’t mean that you will necessarily be charged all of those fees for each show. For instance, maybe the only people who are charged a “set up fee” are those who are not there to help set up.

[enjoytheride]

Is she hauling your horse? Who is doing the care of the horse?

[roamingnome]

I’m not sure I totally understand the ‘day off’ idea. I realize that your trainer usually takes Sunday off, but she wouldn’t have offered/accepted to go to the show on her day off if it was really that big of a deal to her.

In the horse world, typically Monday/Tuesday is the day off. I’ve ridden with a slew of trainers, and for the very, very few trainers who did take a weekend day off regularly (most did not, because,well, clients/horse shows…), they would either say yes or no to going to that show. If yes, we were charged the normal rate and all understood that Monday/Tuesday was the default day off for trainer instead.

I fully support trainer having a day of her choosing off. But its up to trainer to say yes or no to the horse show, if she doesn’t want to go she shouldn’t. I can’t tell if trainer is changing her rates just for this show, or for the rest of the season, but if it’s just for this show, and because it’s on her day off, well, I might be looking for a new trainer if it was me. Trainer isn’t losing any income by going to the show, since she normally doesn’t work. Horse shows are on the weekend, that’s the horse world.

[ShadowDansere]

[QUOTE=enjoytheride;8098673]
Is she hauling your horse? Who is doing the care of the horse?[/QUOTE]

She hauls all the horses that go to the show with her (I think) 5 horse trailer and own truck. We, her clients, help her pack the trailer and unpack, load, and set-up and take down at the show.

We generally take care of our own horses, filling water buckets, cleaning the stall, grooming, etc.

[paw]

“Set up” can also include the cost of the items - buckets, fixtures, tents, draperies, mounting blocks, etc don’t just magically appear. Some trainers amortize costs over the year so that they can replace or upgrade everything that goes into making the space nicer as needed. It may be that the set up fee is lower than it otherwise might be because your trainer counts on people pitching in…

And yes, show meds happen - there are permissible levels of NSAIDs that can be used not to affect performance, but to keep horses more comfortable at night in those small stalls.

[LovesHorses]

Just an FYI, Bob Hubbard charges $150 one way for the hassle to go anywhere in town, even down the street (Woodinville to Kirkland).

[Jsalem]

Your trainer is charging what it’s worth for her to work the show. If you guys didn’t help, then she would add in the cost of hiring grooms to pack, setup, clean stalls, etc.
As a client, you should evaluate the value of having your trainer work the show. Some folks go it alone. Only you can decide if you appreciate the value of your trainer’s time.

[Soaponarope]

These are rates you are seeing on the handout not on your bill, right? If you do your own set up I would protest the set up fee. The $100 day does seem high. I think we are charged 50/day coaching fee and 25/day day care fee for trainer or employee to clean stall. We are charged the same regardless of whether it is a schooling show or an A show.

I would wait until you see your bill before you get upset.

[enjoytheride]

I don’t buy that just because she originally bought all the stuff that a Set Up fee is still acceptable. Her day fee is high enough.

I’m also not ok with the daycare fee if you do all of the care. I don’t expect to do any of the care if I’m paying a considerable daycare fee, but if I want the barn to feed in the AM while I do everything else I’m fine paying something.

[jhg140]

For a non-rated show, I’m going to say those prices feel excessive. Most barns I’ve been with have charged a day fee for day care, etc, but that fee is usually all inclusive of set up, etc.

Just my $0.02