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How much do you usually pay for board and lease?

Hunter/Jumper
#1

At the barn I am currently at I have an opportunity to have my parents lease a horse. We were considering it until we realized how expensive it is. $700 a month! I do not know how much lease usually is, but I assume that this is a decent price for a very well broke horse that has placed at AQHA Congress and world shows most every time he has gone in his 24 years. He was previously leased by a 9 year old girl and did fantastic. Just wondering what everyones opinion is on the leasing price. If I can remember to ask for his show name I can post his competition record if I can. I do not know if it is part or full, but I am thinking full?

We are also possibly going to start looking for a horse that I can call my own. I was wondering what average board prices are. The resort that used to board near me was $250 for just a stall. No feed, turnout, tack storage, anything. Just a stall. So I am assuming board that includes feed and turnout or just turnout will be quite a bit more than that. I do not know what options are avaliable for my barn, but I know that stall and pasture board is possible. It is a bit competitive seeing as the resort that boarded I think 30+ horses just closed it’s stable and evicted all the horses. If you have question about my questions (make sense?) let me know and I will do my best to answer!

#2

Board in any given region depends on land costs first, and then barn amenities. Where I live, $700 a month board would be moderate for full board in a barn with an indoor and lessons available (they would be extra). This would include feed, bedding, cleaning, and labor.

A dry stall or self board or would be $200 to $300 a month. You supply your own feed, probably about $200 a month or more. And you do all your own work including coming down to feed and clean daily.

Pasture board could run $200 to $400 depending on how much attention they give the horse.

Here, an inbarn half lease is typically half the board costs. A free lease means you take on the full.cost of the horse. At higher competition leveld you might pay a lease fee in addition to the care fee for a full lease. But I think.this is most common in hunter jumper.

What does your $700 fee include? If this is a full inbarn lease, and covers full board, routine vet, and farrier, and you can ride at any time every day and treat horse like your own? Well, that is a fantastic bargain.

2 Likes
#3

A lease at our barn is about $15,000/year for rated show mounts doing short stirrup and below. My previous barn could find a decent horse for $5k/year for local shows up to 3’. It really depends on what you are looking for.

Board at my current barn is $1200/month and board/training starts at $1900/month. A barn with no covered here runs closer to $900/950/month for board PLUS training/lessons. I’m in Atlanta and it is very expensive here. Where are you located?

Does your lease fee also include the board or is it just the horse fee? If the horse is still sound and packing people around, then it’s not that unreasonable even if it’s just the horse fee.

Good luck with your lease! There is a former Congress champion in our barn… Lovely horse and honest as they come. It’s worth every penny to start with something that is kind and reliable.

#4

I think question number one would be where you’re located - around me board prices range anywhere from about $325 a month (where I’m at, which is full care board, just further out of the city in a cheaper area and not at a super fancy place) to over $1000 a month for the bigger show barns with more amenities and closer proximity to the city. I’m in southwest Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh area) and I consider anything over $600 a month to be expensive for full-care board, since that’s a pretty standard board price around here.

If you do a full lease on a horse you frequently wind up picking up all of the horse’s expenses (board, vet, farrier, etc.) (these are often referred to as “free” leases because you’re paying for the horse’s care but not paying the owners anything in addition to that, i.e. the lease itself is free even though the care of the horse isn’t) so you would really need to find out exactly what the terms of the lease are. Does it include tack? Are you responsible for all of the expenses? Are you paying them an additional fee on top of those expenses for use of the horse? Is it a flat fee every month where you don’t have to pay for shoeing/vet/etc.?

It’s hard to say what “average” is without knowing more because “average” is going to vary immensely based on your location. Nearly every barn in my area is full-care board, so I’m not able to give you any real estimate for the cost of self-care around here, unfortunately.

#5

Lease prices are so incredibly dependent on the situation. If it is a lease for rated/recognized shows, it would usually be a 6-12 month lease fee in the 4 or 5 figures, and then you would also be responsible for all other costs as if it was your own horse (including boarding at a barn of your choice). Otherwise the typical arrangement is a quarter lease for a quarter of what the barn charges for board, a half lease for half of what the barn charges, or full lease. Usually all other expenses (vet, shoes, etc.) are divided and added onto that. Some barns include a lesson/week in the fee, but not all. People who do partial leases at my barn also have to pay $150/day to take the horse off property or use it in a show.

Board at my barn starts at $1400 and includes 4 lessons. Training board starts at $1950 and goes up depending on many days/week you need training.

#6

Boarders get1 free lesson a week (usually 2-4 payed lessons a week) and arena and roundpen access when no one is using it as long as you want to my knowledge. Lease is about $8000 a year and I do not think that it includes vet, farrier, etc. It does include tack. I should be at the barn tomorrow so I am going to ask. I am in Southern West Virginia. The good thing I can think about lease is that I am pretty sure you don’t have to pay to use the horse at shows and I can compete at AQHA shows with him. The same as if having my own quarter horse, but less expensive and a good place to start out.

#7

How old is the horse? You say he has “most every time he has gone in his 24 years”. If this horse is that old, or older, big consideration is the vet costs. Older guys may require some maintenance, you need to find out what you would be require to pay, or what proportion of the bills if he does require any maintenance or special shoeing.

1 Like
#8

Yes, find out what is included in lease.

How many days a week you can ride. Who pays farrier and routine vet. Who pays emergency or catastrophic vet bills. If the lease is month to month or annual. If you have sole use of horse or if he will also be used for lessons for other people.

Also ask what full board is per month at this barn.

Also if you need to pay insurance in horse.

Also if horse becomes unsound during lease do you give him back or do you have to keep suppirtung him.

Also if you pay vet and farrier, get a quote in his shoeing and any regular hick injections or meds or supplements you have to pay. Bound to be something on an old horse.

If it is $700 a month and no add ons to ride full time tack supplied plus one lesson you have an insanely good deal for a quality barn. Even if its just 3 days a week that’s a good price for all included.

#9

I am in southern West Virginia too. That’s not expensive depending on what’s involved and the amenities. I actually think I know the place and horse you are referring to. For reference, I pay $310 for pasture board at one local place, $450 for stall board on one in Morgantown, $500 for board and training at a place in Ripley, and I have one more in training in Virginia where I pay about $800. So, if the horse is to remain in at least partial training, board/training should be a minimum of $500 and you’re only paying a $200 premium to ride a former Congress placer. The weekly lesson adds another $160-200 in perks. So in all, that doesn’t seem unreasonable. I imagine if you are to show you will incur a trip fee and day fee on top of all other associated horse showing fees. Interesting to see another WV person here.

#10

You have gotten good advice here already. I am not familiar with your area’s prices so won’t comment on that; as others have pointed out, costs vary dramatically from place to place. In my area, full board at a show barn is north of $1500/mo, farriers are in the $150+ range, and an annual check up/wellness/vaccination visit will be a few hundred bucks.

You do need to review (or have your parents review) the contract for the lease. And there absolutely, positively MUST be a contract involved, BTW. It should cover the details of all costs, the term of the lease, who is responsible for things like veterinary expenses, farrier work, who is responsible if tack is damaged or lost, etc.

Also you will want to understand who gets to make decisions about the horse’s care and program. For example, if you want to go to a show or clinic or whatever in the next city/state, can you take the horse there or must you get permission from owner/trainer? Can you take lessons from any trainer you wish, or only from the barn trainer?

Think about all the possible scenarios - however unlikely you think they might be. For example, can you continue to lease the horse and work with a different trainer if you want to? What happens if the barn trainer leaves, and you don’t care for the new one who replaces them? Likewise, can you use the vet/farrier of your choice? And what happens if the horse is injured while in your care? At 24, insurance is likely not an option, so you definitely want to understand what your responsibility may be, and be comfortable with who is going to make decisions about this horse and program.

If it is not a full lease, and the horse will be shared with other riders, you will want details on how the scheduling will be handled, and consider whether it will work for you. What happens if the horse is injured while being ridden by someone else? The contract should contain provisions for how to end the lease under certain conditions, how much notice must be provided, and whether any fees will be returned if the lease is ended early, for example if the horse becomes unsound and can/should no longer be ridden. (At 24, this is not an unrealistic scenario to consider.)

1 Like
#11

Ask some more questions!

What is your total monthly bill? Is anything extra on top of that (shoes, vet, supplements, etc.)?

What is the breakdown of that amount? (e.g. $500 covers 1/2 of board, $100 covers shoeing, $200 is a lease fee to the owner of the horse).

How many days per week can you ride the horse?

Will anyone else ride the horse on the same days you do?

Will anyone ride the horse on the days you don’t ride?

#12

A 24 year old horse? My first thought would be, make sure the lease is month-to-month–i.e., if he goes unsound or becomes ill, you don’t have to keep paying on the lease.

What are you planning to do with a 24 year old horse? In my experience, most horses are reducing their workload by that age, and I would expect a low or zero cost lease.

2 Likes
#13

I believe OP is looking for a confidence builder after a nasty accident at another barn. So a good been there horse is appropriate. If the $700 a month is basically covering board cost plus lesson then that’s pretty much a free lease or care lease.

24 can mean different things. I’m currently riding a 23 year old school master who is sound, forward, fantastic, teaching me lots. No maintenance issues.

2 Likes
#14

700 a month for lease, board, and lessons for a horse who has placed at the highest national level shows available in breed and discipline sounds like a great deal anywhere.

3 Likes
#15

Thanks for remembering! The horse has never been unsound as the most bombproof horse I have seen in my life. My trainer actually told me that a horse was loose at a show and the loose horse ran into Raven (The horse I am thinking of leasing) and Raven just stood still and didn’t move. He had the 9 year girl on him. My trainer also said that he acts like a crazy 2 year old in the pasture and sometimes on the lunge but it is a total sweetheart under saddle. My trainer showed me a video of him under saddle and he seems like a very good horse for me to regain confidence. Again, still have to wait until tomorrow to ask questions!

#16

He sounds like the right horse for you right now.

#17

I agree with all your comments. You are lucky to have a 23 year old who feels so good… sounds like s/he has been well taken care of.

#18

Had a lesson yesterday and got a few answers! The lease is just to pay for “renting” the horse as far as I understood. No other fees other than showing fees. But I could ver, very well have this wrong because I was grooming while he was talking and was only paying 90% attention. Board however, is $700 a month with training, meaning my trainer will ride the horse 6 times a week and I can ride when I want. Without my trainer riding and training the horse it is $450 a month. I want to say that the prices I have given cover everything, but again, I was not paying 100% attention. Right now I personally am leaning for toward a lease for right now so that I can build my confidence with one horse enough to where I feel comfortable to hop on another horse and “take off”. But we won’t decide for a while!

I want to think everyone who has responded and shedding light on a few things!

#19

OP, I know you are a teen. But it is never too soon to learn this important skill:

When you are talking money and business with anyone, halt the busy work and give your full attention. Make sure it makes sense and you fully understand the deal. And that there are no hidden fees or deal breakers.

And ask for a contract in writing.

There are so many posts on COTH about leases gone sour because the leaser never clarified details at the start.

This includes things like extra fees, or finding out horse is being ridden by multiple other people, etc.

When I was 14 I started doing self board of my own horse. Any month I could have told you to the penny what she was costing me, how long a bale of hay lasted, what the farrier charged, etc. It’s not rocket science but it does require paying attention.

Even if your parents are paying the bills, they are probably going to do this on your recommendation, so you need to be really clear on the details.

It’s a good life skills to learn for not being taken advantage of by mechanics, tradesmen, hair stylists, and of course horse professionals!

1 Like
#20

Noted. Thanks for saying this! Definitely opened my eyes a bit. I should be going back down within the next few days so I get some questions together and ask. Something like what you said is what I needed. I think I need to realize that this isn’t just my parents, it’s also me. One day I’m going to have to deal with this by myself and it’s best to get a head start. And your right, it will be my my recommendation. Thanks!

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