Agreed, but I wasn’t meaning standards as in just one type of board. I meant standards for expectations of what is included in each board (and training) type, and standard expectations for unavailable prepaid services.
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To answer the OPs question, I agree that 1-2 weeks over 6 months doesn’t seem like a big deal.
I just finished doing 18 shows in 7 months, and I charge by the service. I know some on here do not like this business model, but my rates are clearly spelled out upon signing the agreement. My customers can still accurately estimate what they are paying each month, as most are on some type of regular weekly schedule. No one is paying for services they do not get, and no one feels pushed when they aren’t ready to show (horse or rider - why would I want to take horse/rider teams to show when they aren’t ready? It certainly wouldn’t make my program look good).
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Why should consumers/ clients cover a trainers bad business plan? Makes no sense they pay for services they don’t receive!
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I agree but it’s pretty common at least where I’ve been in programs.
We have this in our Boarding Contract:
“PWF provides lessons and training rides 48 weeks out of the year to provide a consistent training schedule. Trainers rotate vacation time, but there may be 4 weeks (scattered throughout the year) where clients are welcome to ride, but trainer is on vacation.”
We have enough staff and have a schedule designed so that our clients are not left without. We don’t pack up and leave for the Winter Circuit for example. Our training schedule goes on Mon through Thur at all times, with a rotating (but not guaranteed) weekend availability to accommodate showing. However, we were having conflicts when clients would vacation, thus missing lessons, but would freak out if we went on vacation. Now, when they were vacationing, we were doing training rides, so the horses were staying in training. But god forbid, if they missed a riding lesson, they would come home and expect us to fit them in for makeups. And if we went on vacation? They acted like we were supposed to be providing lessons, training rides, constant problem solving 52 weeks out of the year. It was just exhausting.
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Personal anecdote here, but my horse is in full training at my barn and we have two trainers who (on average) are gone 1 week out of the month. For an absence of 1-2 weeks out of the month (less than ½ the time) I still expect to pay the training fees. If our trainers are going to be gone for a full 2 weeks or more, they will generally have another trainer come in to provide training rides and lessons for anyone who wants to take advantage. I think this is a great compromise! I don’t always take advantage personally, but it is nice to offer.
When I was a junior, my trainers would frequently be away at circuits for 3-6 weeks at a time and they would not bring in additional help or provide any discount/break on training fees for the month. I don’t find that to be the norm and I found it really frustrating at the time, and especially looking back now as an adult.
In short, depending on the length of time that the trainer(s) away at shows during the month, I do think it is reasonable to continue paying training fees.
When you do the math, how much are you paying per-ride if they’re gone half the time?
The horse world is a crazy place. When I get to work today I’m going to pitch the idea that I stay home up to 2 weeks a month but they still pay me full time. When you put this scenario in a real life application it sounds ridiculous, but in horses it’s perfectly fine lmao.
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“No boss, I don’t mean work from home. I mean stay home and not do my job.”
I’m going to float the idea of 12 weeks of PTO. That’s the lowest end of the 1 week a month. lol
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Most trainers who show a lot (every month and weeks at a time) will tell you up front that they have a show barn and the expectation is that you will be going to shows. If you don’t choose to go to shows, you may find yourself asked to leave or you will be doing your own riding etc. for part of the month. That’s always been my experience and the trainers I had were very open about their policy. It did get aggravating however.
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Except that the trainer isn’t just staying at home and not doing their job. Going to shows and riding and coaching IS part of their job. Presumably when a client chooses the program, the general schedule is disclosed, the clients know they will be gone, and have the opportunity to assess what the plan is for the clients who don’t go to the show. This is a question that should always be asked when someone looks at a program, then you decide if their plan works for you. If it doesn’t, the realistic answer isn’t to expect a discount or to have the program bend to your preferences, it is to find a program that is a better fit.
Now, that said, if the training package is X rides or lessons per month, then the trainer really should have a plan for making sure the client can get those rides and lessons. And that’s where you usually see an assistant trainer covering, or an outside trainer arranged to cover. But I don’t think it is fair to say it is the trainer not doing the job, it is more accurate to say that the trainer is doing a different part of their job.
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Which is exactly what was outlined in the OPs first post and what I assume they are not getting or they would not have started this thread.
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Exactly! If a barn is a show barn charging premium rates for their services, and it’s specificized that the client will have 1 lunge day and 4 training rides a week, it’s the trainer’s responsibility that’s what the client receives, regardless of the trainer’s other work obligations like coaching at shows.
If the trainer has difficulty providing the services the client is paying for, they should either 1. offer some compensation, like an additional training ride on the missed week or a discount on the training board for the missed sessions or 2. think about hiring an assistant trainer, which the OP says the barn doesn’t have.
It’s possible the barn has expanded beyond the trainer’s capabilities to offer the services she’s offering her clients, given she has no help.
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It sounds like your program has a very specific services and schedule that you’ve agreed to pay for, so maybe that warrants a discussion with the trainer. Do people who show with your trainer pay extra for transport and coaching at the shows?
I know that my horse’s trainer competes a lot. My horse’s work schedule varies accordingly. My horse makes consistent progress while being treated fairly, which is all I want out of his training so I’m happy to go with the flow.
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This happened to me once when no one was left at home and no training services were offered/available. I asked for a credit (I figured I had nothing to lose) and was told that the trainer still has to pay staff regardless. I understand both perspectives. You can ask, but I would expect to get a no.
Here is what I would think about: (1) How often is this happening, (2) With that in mind, do you feel you are getting your money’s worth, and (3) Do you feel that you and your horse are still progressing towards your goals or do you feel it is impacting them?
If you feel you aren’t getting your money’s worth or you feel it is impacting your goals, then I would take this as a sign that this program is not the best program for you at this time. If you aren’t showing frequently look for a program that does have an assistant and/or someone who will stay back and/or a barn that doesn’t show as frequently. You would want to have a clear conversation about what training/services looks like when the trainer is gone.
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This is it for me: I don’t care how much you bill me, as long as it is consistent and my bills aren’t full of BS. Now, my bills are “Full Board & Training” and a quarterly supply fee per horse. That’s it. I’d much rather pay $4k per horse with a simplified bill then have one month be $2k and one month be $6k because the trainer’s around more for rides or I was traveling and needed the horse ridden more. Consistency is king for me and I don’t mind paying a premium for it in some cases.
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