Do you live in the States and are you have riding lessons? If so do you mind me asking how much do they cost, are they private or group and which state do you live in?
Private 45 minutes $60 Florida
In my experience, it very much depends on the bona-fides of the instructor. Instructors with national-level riding awards are much more expensive.
In the Houston area currently, regular lesson at a riding school, school provides the horse, is $90 for an hour. This is for approximately 40-45 minutes of riding, the rest is supervised experience in grooming and tacking.
Prices have no doubt gone up, but pre-pandemic in eventing Area 5, 45 minutes on my horse by a higher-level instructor was $75 with an additional $15 to the facility (if it was not where I boarded). This is an instructor who has competed at higher levels, especially at larger national-level events, and won stuff.
An instructor whose riding and competition experience (eventing) primarily in my area was $45-$50. The instructor’s riding resume’, including what students have accomplished, has a lot of influence on the price.
1 Like
I pay 80.00 for an hour, but they come to my private farm and tolerate my total amateur self and dark humor. Instructor is well regarded and used to be a top notch trainer, now just gives lessons. She’s fabulous.
3 Likes
a family friend who has a young daughter, her daughter’s no more than a pony ride 30 minute lesson is $135. The location is Southlake Texas area (DFW)
1 Like
Thank you, that’s perfect
1 Like
Thanks, I completely agree that the instructor, their experience and the speciality do make a big difference
Thank you, do you mind me asking which state you’re in?
WOW, that is expensive!
Thanks
$60, private lesson, instructor is silver medalist dressage rider, comes to my farm for an hour --I am totally new to dressage (although my horse Hugh Jackman is upper level) --so that works for us —I have a full size dressage arena.
1 Like
Eastern West Virginia.
yeah she was lamenting the cost of those lessons that she described as glorified pony ride as she had been an instructor at my daughter’s summer camp over twenty years ago when the whole week of the summer camp fee was $250
I take jumping lessons from my BO and she only charges $30. I’ve told her she needs to charge more.
My dressage instructor comes from out of state and charges $85 for a lesson at my barn, though she has raised it to $100 for her new clients. There is another local dressage trainer (gold medalist) I occasionally haul to for lessons and she charges $70.
This fall I’m signed up (and pre-paid) to ride with Leslie Morse. That is $300 per ride. By far the most expensive lessons I’ve ever taken and I’m rather nervous about it! Smaller name dressage clinicians that come through here (Boise, Idaho) regularly are usually in the $150 range.
Midwest, $50 for Dressage trainer to come to my farm. 45-60min private.
I’ve never thought to ask if she’s earned a medal, but, to me, her cred comes from training her own horses & those of clients to GP.
I’ve twice ridden in the same clinic with BNT - Jeff Ashton Moore - she suggested & she rode her own WB & client’s QH.
Sidebar:
1st time I brought my hardwired-to-gait TWH & asked on here if anyone who knew Jeff thought that would be a problem.
After much pearl-clutching 
, someone suggested I call him.
I did & his answer was:
“He’s a horse, right?”
In another clinic I audited, he taught a guy on a QH mare in full Western tack.
Like every student he worked with, they improved.
IIRC, the 3-day clinics were $150 for 1hr private sessions. This was over 15yrs ago.
1 Like
Professional instructor here. SE Michigan for location, 2 decades of riding experience, 10 years of showing experience, 15 years of professional parade experience (I’ve ridden down Woodward more than I’ve driven down Woodward!), with thousands of hours under a successful Arab owner and trainer.
Private lessons only starting at $50 for a 45 minute session.
Consultation/assessment lesson 1-1.5 hours is $70.
Since I am mobile, I charge mileage fees too. $5 - 5 miles and under, $8 6-10 miles, $10 11-14 miles, $15 15-20 miles. If I traveled more than 20 miles, I charged the $15 plus $.65 per additional mile over 20 both ways.
I took a step back from teaching this year to focus on my young horse, show more, but also coach a local HS equestrian team that was in dire need of a coach, but if the need arises for me to teach more than my team members, I will go back in full swing.
1 Like
I am in the Metrowest, Boston. I take lessons from three different professionals, and they all charge different rates. I should mention in this area that a barn that offers a bonafide lesson horse string is very rare – if professionals have horse[s] for you to ride, it’s typically their own and the rates are higher and/or you are expected to half-lease them and subsidize them if you ride with any regularity.
My main instructor is an eventer who runs a successful eventing competition barn. She has moved to 45 or 30m lessons only, and no lesson horse string – so it’s all your own horses. It’s $80 for a private 45, $70 for group and/or 30m private. She is more competition focused and one of the best in the area.
The other instructor is green horse trainer and charges $60/hr for most people but has very limited books. I think she’s criminally undercharging herself but she is a wonderfully generous person and has a very small clientele base because she is semi-retired. She’s just kept a handful of us on the roster because we’ve been her student[s] for decades. No lesson horse string.
The local H/Jer I ride with charges $120 a lesson (using one of her own horses), so I go very rarely. I believe it’s $90 if you use your own horse. She’s a competitive rider on the winter circuit and you won’t get a nicer horse to ride than the horses in her string. This is ballpark what H/J trainers in this area are charging that are competitive and go south for the winter. I admit I was floored when I was given her rates, but this is going rate for a barn of her caliber.
3 Likes
PNW, very lucky to pay $40 for ~45-60 min private lesson; most are closer to $60 if not more and for less time.
Trainer based in NH charges $80/hr but offers a package deal of $75/hr if you buy six lessons at a time. So I do that. Trainer (younger with less established program) in MA charges $65/hr plus travel to the farm, so it ends up being $80. Both offer dressage instruction exclusively.
Southlake’s average household income in 2021 is $240,000, fwiw. It is a very upscale community.
This rate does not surprise me, especially if the barn is providing the pony. The real estate where the pony lives is hugely expensive. I have no idea about this barn, of course, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it is a legacy place that has been in the family for several decades, at least. Meaning, not acquired at current market price.
Kentucky. Private 45-minute dressage lesson with USDF gold medalist: $80. Private 45-minute jumping lesson with Advanced-level eventer: $75. I trailer to both.
