Folks w/ lesson horses - do you have different rates versus if you're teaching someone on their horse?

[Abbie.S]

My program has grown to the point that I’m looking at purchasing a horse specifically for lessons. I charge a flat rate per hour regardless of whom I’m teaching or what we’re doing, but that’s historically always been on a horse they owned. I’m running the numbers for a lesson animal and wondering if folks have different rates if someone takes a lesson on their horse, using their tack, etc. I obviously want to factor in the wear and tear aspect plus the maintenance of the animal and don’t feel it’s unreasonable to charge slightly more.

Do others have two separate rates, or keep it the same regardless (or should I just raise my rates - which I haven’t done in a few years - so it covers all costs)?

[lenapesadie]

I’ve seen it done both ways, but only once on the it costs more to lesson on a school horse side.

The surcharge for using lesson ponies was small, ten bucks.

What I have seen more often is # of lessons available on school horses being restricted to once a week unless paying some sort of lease fee.

[trubandloki]

I am older than dirt (well, not quite) and no place I have ever ridden has charged a different rate for using a lesson horse versus having your own horse.

I am not against the idea. If your riders are willing to pay more to use a lesson horse then go for it.

[Lusoluv]

At my barn, if you lesson on a school horse the cost is $15 more/lesson than if you have your own. Obviously riders using school horses are not boarders and usually lesson once a week. I’ve not heard anyone complain as they get access to:

• a safe/steady horse
• saddle/bridle/halter/lead
• grooming supplies

^^ All things they’d have to invest in (plus board or lease fee) that would probably prevent them from riding at all.

[Ponycatraz]

I can only speak for the Dressage lessons I’ve taken, but there was always a discount for using our own horses.

I usually trailered in and didn’t board at the stable.

[trubandloki]

@Natalie_A

As a non-owner, I have always paid in some way for lesson/private horse use. The prevailing model in my area (at least for dressage barns) seems to be a flat rate monthly horse “sponsorship”/use fee, regardless of if you are using the horse in a lesson or riding on your own. I find that makes a lot of sense economically and for more independent riders, and is easier to budget for both trainers and students.

That is more like a lease, which to me is different than just taking a lesson once a week on a school horse.

[Vyce]

In my area, its a flat lesson fee. Going rate is $50/ hour private lesson. Most do not offer group lessons. There’s one barn that’s $65 for 45 minute lesson but that barn doesn’t have the best reputation from what I hear theough the local horsey grapevine. Most barns in the area (I shopped around before settling at my current barn) seem to prefer you use their school horses, but these riding programs are all geared towards novice riders. A lot of them offer partial leases on the schoolies for things like showing etc. So it’s a different set up from the OPs. We have no in house trainer or instructor at my barn, and the rules of our arena are its shared space even if you bring an outside instructor in for a private lesson, so I haven’t seen any boarders do that. A few boarders who have several horses teach on the side- this is what my current instructor does, and she likes her students to use her horses. My own thoughts, as a non horse owner, I’d expect maybe to pay less if using my own horse- I’d assume use of horse etc was already built into the lesson costs?

[NC001]

At our barn, lessons are cheaper if you lease or own than if you use a school horse which makes sense to me. I’ve bene other places that do the same but also places that charge the same regardless of what horse you use.

[rockonxox]

I’ve been at both. Most have not had an extra fee, but current barn I’m at eventually did add a fee. It is currently an additional $10 if you don’t own or lease the horse you are riding.

[Luseride]

I find that there is more of a time issue when they are on their own horse. I used to charge less but then ended up with scheduling problems due to the horse and owner. Plus it makes it all easier if things are one price.

I used to include a group lesson in a lease, one per week. If they wanted private they then paid the difference between the two. Again, a time issue so I stopped doing that also.

Go up $5 and make it even across the board.

[stargzng386]

I’m at an eventing barn who charges $15 more per lesson to use the barn’s horse. There isn’t a big lesson string just a few horses for lease/lessons. I think this is fair as an owner I’m paying a lot more with board etc.

[Equkelly]

I’ve usually paid more to ride a lesson horse.

[moonlitoaksranch]

That’s funny. I would think that if someone rides their own horse, you’re in effect, training both. Whereas, on a school horse, it’s usually just the rider. But, I guess it’s different than that. I suppose you could ask around and go with what people are used to in your area.

[Libby2563]

@stargzng386

I’m at an eventing barn who charges $15 more per lesson to use the barn’s horse. There isn’t a big lesson string just a few horses for lease/lessons. I think this is fair as an owner I’m paying a lot more with board etc.

The eventing barn where I take jump lessons sounds very similar. When I lessoned on one of their horses a few years ago the surcharge was $10. When I ship in with my horse it’s a $10 ring fee instead, so the cost to me is the same either way. Boarders/lessees using their own horse pay less than someone like me who isn’t paying into the system monthly. I think this is totally fair and would expect to pay more to have the horse and tack supplied to me.

[kwpn_01]

At all lesson barns in my area, the cost per lesson is always greater if you are using the school’s horse. For exmaple, one 45-minute group lesson on your own horse (or leased horse) runs $35/hr and a 45-minute group lesson with the school’s horse runs more for $50/hr. Regardless of semi-private or private, school horse lessons cost more, which makes sense in my opinion. There is more money coming out of your pocket to feed/maintain these horses and they must pay for themselves in some way.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

When I was looking for my daughter to take lessons, I noticed that many barns offered a slight (ie. $5) discount if you were lessoning on your own horse.

Perhaps you could revamp your rates to reflect a discount for those using their own horse instead of a surcharge for using a lesson horse?

[furlong47]

Where I ride, it’s $5 more if you’re using a lesson horse (lessons are listed at the higher amount and boarders subtract $5 for using their own horse).

[Tee]

The one trainer/lesson horse combo I used, it was one charge for the lesson horse and a separate charge for the lesson. When I brought my own horse, it was the same lesson charge (and an arena fee vs. paying for the lesson horse).

[TheJenners]

@Ponycatraz

I can only speak for the Dressage lessons I’ve taken, but there was always a discount for using our own horses.

I usually trailered in and didn’t board at the stable.

Yabbut… I could see any offset savings by having to pay a ring fee. Can’t win.

[Ponycatraz]

I’ve never paid a ring fee so never had that issue.