This is so true and I think this is something that is really in conflict with what many younger instructors and trainers have visualized as their business model.
A number of years ago, I tried to convince a young couple opening a new boarding/training facility that the way to success was in embracing the adult new rider/rerider market. She was surprisingly (to me) resistant to the idea because, I think, her mental picture of her program was kids and show teams and HITS Ocala in the winter.
I haul 149mi r/t for my weekly lesson!
My entire country is probably smaller than your state 
The costs of the equine industry have leapt, and they were pretty high to begin with. Keeping a lesson horse in good shape is tough, and parents are more litigious than ever meaning that these horses have to absolutely be saints, sound, and good looking. At that point you can sell them for way more than theyâll earn in lessons.
Barns figured out that the only way to stay profitable was to have people own their own horses, but and board onsite if possible, and require lessons/training. At least in my area.
Thatâs the model we are moving to, otherwise Iâm subsidizing peopleâs horses and putting myself in danger with poorly handled and trained shmucks.
APHA sent out an ammie/junior survey (theyâre re-evaluating how they define both) and asked âHow many riding instructors are within 60 miles of you?â with the options of 0, 1-2, 3-4, and 5+. Riding in southern PA, Maryland, and Northern VA I forget the rest of the country isnât as lucky to have so many options.
Me too honestly. When I was growing up in NE Pennsylvania, we had many lesson barns available. How good they were was questionable, but they existed. I had multiple trainers I used a different times as a kid. Then I moved to MD and there was even more horses/programs available. My mom is still in PA, same area, and she has to drive an hour to get to her trainer. There are 1-2 locally, but not like there used to be. In my area now, we have such a booming horse scene. It makes me so sad that others donât have that, and that it is possible that the same lack of access may be in my future.
Iâm benefiting from lesson horses (one or two) kept at private barns. Iâveâeven as an adultâdone the âgroup lessonâ thing.
Even as a kid, though, looking back, I always did my real learning in private lessons. I was pretty timid and shy. Itâs so difficult for instructors to address the needs of individual students week after week. Even a skilled student on a decent horse can lose ground if they constantly get stuck behind horses that stop, or are over-mounted on horses that kill their confidence.
And truthfully, even when things were much cheaper, the warehouse-style lesson barns in my area were on the sketchy side, instruction and horse-care wise. I donât mean barns with lesson horses that catered to new riders, but the âwe have group lessons every hour from 2-6, get your horse, tack up, get in the circle.â I think the ones that survived the longest had groups of kids who hung around and learned more just from being at the barn and their friends than the group lessons themselves, and most eventually moved on to leasing or at least private lessons. But when âthe groupâ graduates and leaves the area, that doesnât mean the barn will generate the same kind of social environment. Kids like to do what their friends are doing.
The barns that still do the group lessons, truthfully, make pretty significant compromises with horse care, and have kids and parents who donât care much if the kids progress. But they are, as a result, less serious, which creates a cycle of instructors âphoning it inâ (quite literally being on the phone during a crowded lesson) and kids not trying very hard.
when i was a child, actually learning anything was not nearly as important as just simply being on a horse. Actually, being in a barn and around horses âŠsmelling the smells, seeing the sights, hearing them blow butterflies out their noses⊠All of that, that is what i was after. Lessons and actually learning was a byproduct. Iâm glad i didnât have the knowledge or sensibilities to SEE the conditions of the lesson horses at some of the earlier barns i went to for lessons. Iâm sure it was sad⊠i remember being moved from lesson barn to lesson barn until we eventually landed where we did (Morgan/Saddlebred breeding/showing/training barn). I actually liked the âlesserâ ones better. They forged me into a decent little rider, but that was never MY goal, i just loved horses with all my heart and just wanted to be around them.
Weâre experiencing the same thing with my daughter now. The group lessons she was in before the winter were just mâeh as the horses they used tended to be the slowest land mammals on earth and were forever stopping or dragging their feet (literally). The other moms all agreed, ring-side, that there wasnât a whole lot of progress happening. We broke for the winter with the intent to try another barn instead.
Yet. The other barn Iâd planned to move her to in the spring just announced theyâre no longer offering lessons. A third barn isnât currently taking on beginner or novice riders into their program. A fourth barn is so inundated that theyâre only offering group lessons (and I think they have a waitlist for that). And thatâs if they even bother to respond to emails or phone calls inquiring about programming. No private or semi-private, as they donât have the manpower. Iâve started looking into options further afield at some fancier barns, but group lessons are running $70 a week there!
I just donât know where to turn. Itâs exhausting, and Iâm a mom whoâs already drunk the kool-aid and has a pony of her own. I canât imagine parents who werenât already horsey themselves would have much patience for lesson-hunting.
Iâm wondering if it wouldnât just be easier to see if my daughter has an interest in another extracurricular that isnât as time- (or money) consuming.
When I was a kid taking lessons, group, at 2 kinda run-down places, there was no thought of progressing, or learning. I was a horse-crazy kid, and I wanted to be around them. Nobody thought beyond that, certainly not my parents.
I think for many lesson barns that derive most of their income from actual lessons, the logic is that if you stick six kids on dead quiet horses who barely move, itâs more income and requires less training for the horse than to give a single private lesson to a kid on a horse thatâs tuned up enough to respond to the aids.
A horse-savvy parent will eventually find a better barn, if there is one, but many kids and parents just lose interest with the activity, or get sticker shock with a barn that demands more of a commitment, financially, to progress.
Itâs really hard, and the cost of horse-keeping makes it harder.
Not to mention, those group lessons that are mostly walk-trot and maybe a little canter are a lot less wearing on the horses than a private lesson where the rider expects to learn how to jump and really progress. Meanwhile the barn is making a lot less money for that private lesson hour, even factoring in the upkeep of more horses.
Iâve also found that many many kids donât really care so much about progressing in their riding as long as theyâre having fun and enjoying the social aspect as much as the actual riding.
as for Kids in the Horse industry the ones I see are fully invested often from families that are Horse centered.
Just few months ago we had two horses at the Morgan Nationals, the place was overrun with kids showing their horses, nearly all were from families who were horse people.
So the industry will continue as the other kids play their games or some other sport.
Then that rider might just have to miss a week. Most people donât suddenly make plans a day or two out, so thatâs their fault for either not scheduling around their existing commitment of the lesson or not giving the barn enough notice of something they knew well in advance. Iâve never given my trainer less than 1 week notice of missing a lesson with the exception of waking up sick that morning. If someone is consistently missing and rescheduling, then they probably arenât a good fit for that barn or maybe for riding period or possibly for anything that requires sticking to any kind of schedule.
Or you ride with the less advanced group for one week. Most people still have plenty that they can work on over a lower fence height, or trainer can give them additional challenges or different courses. Iâve been riding in group lessons for eons and sometimes it just be that way.
Agree with others, it definitely is not your imagination. This is occurring for a variety of reasons. Most of it boils down to costs/lack of profitability.
The main issue with regards to profitability is the cost of school horses. First of all, a horse that is sound enough, reliable/safe enough, and has enough training and ability for students to learn on is a fairly valuable creature. If a trainer owns such an animal, it is almost certainly a better financial prospect for the trainer to sell or lease it.
Secondly, horse keeping expenses have gone through the roof. It is very expensive for a trainer to fill a stall with a lesson horse and foot the costs vs. filling that stall with a client horse that has its expenses paid and is generating just as much (or more) revenue in training/show fees. In addition, lesson horses get sick or need layups at the same rate as client horses, and it really is extremely difficult for a lesson horse to generate enough revenue to cover those bills.
Thirdly, many good school horses are older or have a minor soundness issue but there are very few socially acceptable ways for lesson barns to handle horses that need to retire due to age or soundness issues. Caring for retired horses is extremely expensive.
From a business perspective, once a week or twice a week lesson students generate very little revenue compared to people who own or lease horses. Lesson programs are really only useful on a small scale as an entry point for new clients. Dealing with each individual client is time consuming for a trainer, and a busy lesson program involves a lot of different individual students who might be very time consuming in terms of scheduling, messaging, questions, billing, etc. but who might only be generating four lessons worth of revenue per month.
I agree that the limited availability of lessons on respectable school horses is problematic for the horse industry and makes the sport less accessible.
Iâll contribute but can only supply anecdotal evidence so take that for whatever itâs worth.
I think this is due to all the reasons already mentioned above but I also wonder how much of this is due to generational issues?
Could it be that younger generations now just simply arenât all that engaged/interested in outdoor activities? Or perhaps they are but not to the extent of something that requires hard work and life-long practice?
Iâm 32 and most people I know limit their outdoor activities to hiking and theyâre not much interested in anything else unless itâs a one-time experience that they can post on social media and then move on. Even people I know who are riders arenât in pursuit of anything specific. Theyâll show up for a lesson here and there once a week or whenever they can but I know very few who dedicate meaningful time to riding on a daily/weekly basis.
I also think that younger generations just arenât willing to pry themselves away from screens enough to partake in something as substantial as riding. I still go to my universityâs gym and Iâm now working out alongside people at least a decade younger than me (18 year olds mostly) and Iâm constantly astonished how much time they spend glued to their phones. I can finish an entire workout in the time some of these people are âtaking a breakâ and have their heads cranked down staring at their phones. I canât imagine these same people taking up something like riding and actually sticking with it. And thatâs just cell phones, nevermind the people who spend their weekends binge-watching on Netflix, HBO, etc.
I probably sound like a grumpy old guy but I definitely think this is at least part of the reason why lesson barns are on the decline.
You donât sound grumpy, and you certainly arenât old, but your post really interested me even while it made me sad.
I am more than twice your age and I have no opportunity to be around younger generations or see what their lifestyles are like. the last time I had that opp was at a lesson/boarding barn more than 10 years ago, and the kids in the lesson program spent so much time on their phones at the barn that the BM had to take their phones away from them for lessons and barn work with thei horses.
I was interested that you said most people you know limit their outdoor time to hiking or onetime experiences. I did know of a couple of young couples at that lesson barn I mentioned who only came for a onetime lesson prior to going on vacation that might include a nose-to-tail trail ride. When I was in my 30s the only people I knew of who participated in sports regularly were kids who played team sports, and a couple of adults who played tennis or golf. Later, when I was older, and riding, I knew several women in their 30s who owned dressage horses and lessoned/showed at the lower levels, at local schooling shows. I only knew one h/j assistant manager who went on the A circuit, and she only worked, she didnât ride. And within a couple of years she gave up and got out of horses entirely in order to make more money.
Thank you for your perspective on the 30-somethingsâ world of today.
Itâs exhausting trying to run an Academy program. We are mainly an Owner show barn but I really believe in having a few lessons horses to get people started. Itâs a great way to keep up with your older horses- cycle them down to the lesson string and make their job easier and easier. It can bring you new clients.
But⊠I cannot find lesson pony/horses. Todayâs clients expect a completely reliable, safe machine. They Do Not expect to fall off or even have a tough ride. So I need saints. And theyâre expensive. 10-15k. People use to keep their horses and let the trainers use them as lesson horses rather than sell them. Now, folks need to sell in order to buy their new one. Or theyâre worried about liability if theyâre used in lessons. If weâre lucky, we find an older horse to borrow, but itâs getting harder and harder to find.
Think about the economics of it. I canât teach you a $65 riding lesson on a $15k horse that is properly cared for. The instructor gets $25. That leaves us with $40 a lesson. My horses live in stalls, just like the show horses. Theyâre all shod, vaccinated, etc. And donât get me started on the cancellations. Ever since COVID- folks call the morning of their lesson and call out with a headache.
Weâve gone to a tuition system. You pay a monthly fee and if you cancel, you donât get to âpush your lesson to a different dayâ. Thereâs way too much of that. Itâs impossible to even out the workload and itâs impossible to make the lesson horses pay their way.
For us, it makes a whole lot more sense to put an Owner horse in that stall.
I think that in my lifetime lesson barns as we used to know them will no longer exist. I think trainers will still have one or two horses for lessons that are perhaps former show horses that need a retirement life or client-owned horses that need to go on the payroll so client can continue riding and showing with another horse, but the string of lesson horses and ponies for recreational riders is simply not sustainable.
Is this related to an aging clientele? I feel like I see a lot more older people taking lessons and showing than I used to. As an old lady, while I accept that sometimes with horses stuff happens and youâre going to come off, I only want to ride horses for whom that kind of thing would be a truly unusual event and well outside the normal behavior for the horse. Iâm already broken enough. 
Or do you see the same thing with kids (or kidsâ parents)?
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
