Dressage Lesson Prices in GA/Southeast

[LRemsATL]

Hey everyone!!

I was wondering what everyone in or around Georgia or the Southeast pays for lessons. I am in Atlanta and looking to start riding again after a seven year hiatus and got a bit of sticker shock at some trainers here that are charging $100 per lesson. Good instruction is extremely important to me especially since I’m switching from 20+ years of h/j, but I’m noticing that it can be hard to find that and trainers with lesson horses. I don’t own my own horse and that’s honestly not going to happen for a while (thank you student loans).

Any responses, advice about riding on a budget or trainers with lesson horses within an hour of Atlanta is very much appreciated!

Thanks!!

[spook1]

Hello,
Not In Georgia, But in florida its about 100 sometimes depending on who the trainer is more. Prior to my stopping lessons last 1 year and half ago I was paying 65 which was doable but now I will only be able to do 1 lesson a month (adult army here).

[GraceLikeRain]

Outside of Atl and other hubs, I think prices are $45-65 ish with the bigger trainers commanding closer to $75. Inside of Atlanta it is a bit of a wild west at $75-$100+ per lesson.

Have you considered reaching out to some eventing barns? Lesson prices seem to be a touch lower and there’s a slightly better chance of finding a lesson horse. Additionally, if you’re a competent H/J rider, you may be able to find a trainer who has a client that cannot afford partial training but their horse would benefit from more rides per week. So while it isn’t a “lesson horse” it could become a consistent riding partner for lessons.

[Lucassb]

I have pretty routinely paid between $75-100/lesson for good dressage instruction in the Atlanta area. The lower end of that price range was what a full training package worked out to on a per lesson basis (5 lessons/rides per week.)

[lenapesadie]

I am in Pensacola and pay $75 for private lessons on my own horse. Dressage school horses are harder to come by than hunter/jumper horses in my area.

[LRemsATL]

Thanks for the responses! A competent trainer and good instruction is super important to me so I will just have to re budget money and hope to find a good schoolmaster to learn on in the mean time.

[DownYonder]

Average rates I have seen and been quoted in north Atlanta area range from $35 for trailer-ins to $150 on a lesson horse. The higher rates have generally been for higher-end barns (covered arena, use of washracks, indoor restrooms, etc.), with instructors with fairly solid credentials. Dependable and safe lesson horses at 3rd level or above also tend to command a higher rate, primarily because they are generally older and it takes more maintenance to keep them going. Lesson horses are not nearly as common in dressage as in hunters so you may have to do some looking around.

[LRemsATL]

@DownYonder

Average rates I have seen and been quoted in north Atlanta area range from $35 for trailer-ins to $150 on a lesson horse. The higher rates have generally been for higher-end barns (covered arena, use of washracks, indoor restrooms, etc.), with instructors with fairly solid credentials. Dependable and safe lesson horses at 3rd level or above also tend to command a higher rate, primarily because they are generally older and it takes more maintenance to keep them going. Lesson horses are not nearly as common in dressage as in hunters so you may have to do some looking around.

Thank you for the info!! Yes I am definitely noticing that it’s very difficult to find good dressage barns with lesson horses/a schoolmaster. Someone told me that maybe Shannondale and Charlotte Osborne might have a schoolmaster to lesson on, but I haven’t contacted them yet and I know they are both high in price.

[DownYonder]

Shannondale has 3-4 they use for lessons but their dance cards tend to stay pretty full. Most are older and are being carefully protected from overuse. Lessons are generally available only Tuesday-Saturday although there may be an occasional Sunday scheduled. Rates are on the high end of the scale–it’s a nice facility and the horses are all at least 3rd level (most are actually FEI).

[LRemsATL]

@DownYonder

Shannondale has 3-4 they use for lessons but their dance cards tend to stay pretty full. Most are older and are being carefully protected from overuse. Lessons are generally available only Tuesday-Saturday although there may be an occasional Sunday scheduled. Rates are on the high end of the scale–it’s a nice facility and the horses are all at least 3rd level (most are actually FEI).

Thanks DownYonder! Dressage seems to be a difficult sport to get into if you don’t already have a horse, but if you know of anyone else that provides great instruction with or without lesson horses please let me know!

[DownYonder]

I don’t really know of others in the area that have nice lesson horses. There are a few instructors around that do combined training and teach lessons on low-level CT horses or hunter types. There are also some that say they teach “dressage” but the program is primarily hunter, the horses are primarily hunters, the tack is hunter, and the vast majority of the clientele is hunter.

I am most familiar with the program at Shannondale but things get adjusted from time to time so your best bet is to contact them directly. You also might want to contact Charlotte Osborne as mentioned above–she may have something suitable but I don’t know for sure.

[joiedevie99]

I don’t know the area at all, but I spent a few days at Osbourne Dressage trying sale horses in the fall. Everyone was super nice, and the sale horses were all as described. I would certainly give them a try.

[mmeqcenter]

I also had sticker shock when I started looking for a trainer in the Ocala, FL area after moving from Ohio. $100-140 per lesson, almost all of the highest priced coming from eventers, and not 4*/5* ones (some hadn’t even gone Prelim). I wasn’t looking for an eventer, per say, but none of the H/J trainers I contacted did travel lessons and I didn’t have a trailer yet. I believe the lessons at their farms were in the $65-95 range. I eventually found an excellent dressage instructor (who has her Bronze, Silver, and Gold) at a much more reasonable $45 and we’ve been having a lot of fun with the new discipline. I lesson on my own mare at my farm, she travels to us.