I’m finally gearing up to lease a horse and the numbers that I’m seeing are making me a bit uncomfortable (for the record, I live in Los Angeles so I know there’s a California tax in there somewhere).
I’ve only half-leased horses so my experience with all this is still at newbie level.
My trainer is looking at horses at the $30k price point. Apparently it’s only these horses that are going to be the best fit for me as she want’s to find a horse that is young enough where I can show frequently and move up in terms of level of competition, but not too young where the horse is inexperienced and not trained enough where it will give me issues and I guess those horses really only exist at this price level.
On top of the upfront lease fee, I’m looking at roughly $3k a month for training, boarding, hay, vet, shoes, insurance, etc. and at least a couple thousand per show as I’m pretty much going to be the only one showing out of my trainer’s students. I want to show frequently so that expense will add up fast.
All in all, I’m pushing $100k for one year. Am I crazy to think that this is outrageous or is this just what it is for quality horses in SoCal?
I am in Seattle WA. That sounds about right assuming you aren’t traveling much to show. 30K for a lease on anything decent is very fair. 3K all in monthly expenses would be on the lower end of things in my area (Just B/T at a good show barn is now $3,500). Local rated shows here can be 5K a pop.
The $3k/month and a few thousand per show are definitely in the range of normal for a quality show program in California. Others can speak to the lease fee better than I can.
One thing I’d recommend is being sure to have in the contract who pays for maintenance (it will probably be you), if the owner requires any maintenance be done during the lease term, and also discuss with your trainer/the owner what maintenance might come up during the lease that you’d be on the hook for. Maintenance would be joint injections, adequan/legend, body work, PEMF, etc. I am only mentioning this because you didn’t specifically call it out in your post.
Yes, this is an expensive sport, and your prices are not totally out of line. Please check out the other couple recent threads on leases just to have some background information.
My understanding of LA boarding is that it is not unusual for board to not include many things we are used to being included in many other areas of the country, including hay.
Prices seem “reasonable” for the expectation and the area.
My two questions for the OP are how young is young enough and is it going to be awkward to be the one of the few from the barn going to shows.
Depending on the level you want to show and your experience, an older horse, possibly with known manageable issues and maybe on its way down from a higher level might be a better choice. Might not be any cheaper but it could be, especially if someone is looking for a good situation for a horse. And, as a lease, it goes back to the owner so you aren’t responsible for the horse’s next stage in life (attempting to word that gently, but some people don’t want to buy older horses because they worry about what they’ll do once the horse is no longer rideable/showable). Horses that are youngish but experienced and kind do not come cheap.
Yes, it might be more expensive if only a few people show. Does the barn go to other shows? If they do smaller one- or two-day shows, a horse with enough experience could go right in the ring with you without the trainer doing warmup rounds, so you could get more practice. Are you in a part of SoCal where you can show close enough to home so that you and the trainer and any staff won’t have out-of-town living expenses? If you’re the only one showing from the barn will the trainer have you stable with another trainer and use their staff with her/him coming to help you? IMHO, but if you are the outlier of the barn in some respect (jumper vs hunter, level of shows, financial means…) it often doesn’t last.
@ParadoxFarm - Yes, hay is not necessarily included in board. Some places charge a fee for board and then you add the type and amount of hay or other forage that you want on top of that. Some trainers operate out of facilities where only one type of forage (often alfalfa or alfalfa cubes) is offered as part of the board, but you can provide your own fee, sometimes getting a reduced rate on the board as a result.
This all sounds accurate, tbh. What division do you show in? If its anything higher than low adult jumpers, or 2’6" and under hunters it actually sounds fairly cheap. Esp in CA. I pay almost double that for full board.
To answer some questions, the facility I ride at isn’t really a competition facility. It’s mostly people who own horses for leisure without any aspirations to show or compete. Occasionally people will do a local show or clinic, but it’s rare.
I don’t care if I’m the only one going to shows but I know logistically it’s going to be strange and to my understanding, it’ll cost me a lot more in the long run as opposed to a team of us going. I don’t know the specifics though so it’s another thing I’ll have to consider in the long run.
I did a handful of dressage shows early in my riding journey but haven’t showed jumpers ever, I’m completely new to showing. I’d be jumping low stuff for a while before I move up which I’m okay with, I just want to get started.
I know nothing with respect to how the age of a horse factors in to this other than the basics. I also have no clue what the difference is between the price points of horses. What’s the difference between a $20k horse and a $30k horse?
Hey, with that amount of $$ being dropped, I’m not sure you’re at the right barn for your goals.
If I were dropping 6 figures, I’d want to be in a barn where this is what they DO. Not one where I’m the outlier and the trainer isn’t 100% in the loop on things.
Typically the customers who show will cover the expenses of the trainer and any staff who are helping them at that show. This might include hotel rooms, food allowance, possibly travel expenses to get there.
Normally those expenses would be split between the customers at a show, so if there is just one customer at the show, it’s a much bigger bill to cover it alone.
This is in addition to the day rate for any riding, training and horse care.
Be sure to ask lots of questions ahead of time so you know exactly what the arrangement will be.
If you are just starting to jump and have never shown will you be going to LAHSA or similar shows or jumping right into rated competition? That would be a big savings. You are unlikely to outgrow a horse in one year if you are brand new to showing over fences unless you are an exceptional athlete so I’m not sure you need the Cadillac of horses to move up on. You could potentially start with a less high-priced lease that is not competitive but is safe and do a 6 month lease.
Has your trainer ever taken people to jumper shows before? Have they competed in jumpers? Do they have connections in the industry? I could probably find a care lease for someone in your situation right now as people are trying hard to cut costs and it’s end of the school year. Basically if money is a concern, are you getting your money’s worth here?
Finally the most important part of any lease imho is what happens if the horse is hurt- who is responsible for board and upkeep, treatment, rehab etc. Find a horse attorney and have them review it, don’t just sign anything your trainer hands you.
I think that would only make it more expensive, especially with the So Cal options for that. So Cal is somewhat unique in that there are a lot of small-scale, somewhat communal boarding situations where you can kind of “go at alone” successfully, and attend a variety of local-ish but decent quality shows without all that tack room set -up glam and associated costs, and still access the bigger shows with just a bit of a drive.
The numbers all sound reasonable. I would expect the 20k/yr horse to probably be older and you very well might spend the difference just in bills to keep it sound and comfortable to do the job you want it to do. Expect the $30k/yr horse to be the equivalent of a 60-90k horse for sale, you can search some of the sale sites to get a feel for those.
But what are the plans for year 2? 12 months is a drop in the bucket on the horse timeline, you may feel like you’re just getting the swing of things when the lease is up.
This 1000%. The other thing I want to call out here is being aware of is if the trainer is getting this horse for YOU to ride, learn, and show on, or if the trainer is getting a horse that they can show on/enjoy.
I want to be clear: there isn’t anything wrong with a trainer wanting to enjoy a horse that they bring into their barn, and I totally get trainers (young trainers in particular) wanting to build their reputation. Many times a purchase can be mutually beneficial to both parties.
But if there is to be any overlap between your trainer riding this horse and you, I would have a serious discussion about the parameters. You do not want a trainer buying a horse that is in THEIR best interests and not so much yours.
Something about leasing a horse young enough to do a lot of shows set off a tiny bell in my head. Everything may totally be above board but as you may have seen with recent lease threads… there’s a lot that can go wrong for first-timers.
Are you not interested in owning? 30k could go along way to finding a nicer young horses. Perhaps you could do a lease to own? You’re in a high cost of living so board and show bills will be a fixed price. It’s an expensive sport.
I agree, with this further information you are at the wrong barn for your current goals.
Honestly the biggest variable in competing happily is the quality of the show program you are involved in. You can have the best horse but if you don’t have coherent support and a team, it’s going to be much harder getting started. I recall you started riding a few years ago as an adult, and you were a a fit multi sport competitive man. You made really great progress fast!
Many many adults that show did this at some level as a junior when they were in a supportive showing program. Even so, many adults still prefer to be based out of a competition program if that is their goal. The adults on COTH that show solo tend to be very experienced riders who had prior show experience and often have their horses at home.
I would say doing a horse show is not like running a marathon where you could just show up solo or with a friend to meet you at the finish line.
Just figuring out your classes and how to register is worth paying a coach a day fee! Then there is warmup ring etiquette, whether warm up is ticketed, walking the course, etc etc.
As far as the lease, I would look for a horse that can show at the level you will be entering this summer and that can “take a joke.” You don’t need a horse with unlimited future potential because you are not buying him. Pick a horse that will give you the best ride now, figure on keeping him a year and re evaluating if you need more scope then.
The change up between doing things at home and at a show is huge. I would suggest whatever horse, that you find a well run schooling show series locally and spend your first summer aiming to get up to 2 foot 9. If you stick at 2 foot 6 that’s fine and if you make it to 3 feet, celebrate! But you want to focus on rhythm calm no refusals etc etc. if you ace your first couple schooling shows you can move over to recognized shows which are way more expensive.
In general, for any discipline you are schooling more advanced at home than you compete. You want to compete well within your competence level, you and horse together. Then when you move up, I’d say either move to a more competitive show at the same or lower level, or move up levels in your schooling show.
As far as the price difference, comparing horses is complex because they are all unique.
Lease tends to be correlated to a percentage of purchase cost. It’s also correlated to what the market will bear (LA has deep pockets) and how subjectively appealing the horse is.
Here are some factors. Age, breeding, temperament, rideability, show record, recent show record, soundness, medical maintenance needed. Generally when people lease at this level they want a proven horse they can learn and compete on immediately. It’s really common to lease different horses as you advance or until you buy one.
How he feels to you is huge. You want a horse that gives you confidence.
I’ve been riding for over 10 years now, roughly 50/50 between dressage and jumping and I’ve done a number of things on the western side.
My trainer goes to shows with a local university team that she trains but it’s very low jumps (I’d be surprised if they were even 2’ tall), none of them own or lease horses and they often get most of their expenses covered through donations. It’s also for a very short season and isn’t happening year round.
None of the people at her side of the barn who own and/or lease ever go to shows, they’re just weekend riders. Same goes for the rest of the facility. I know if I start showing, I’m going to footing the bill for everything vs. having it split amongst a team.
If the horse gets hurt, it’s my responsibility to keep paying the monthly expenses and vet bills.
A few people have suggested I’m at the wrong barn for my goals and I think that’s accurate and has been for years. But I’m assuming serious show barns here in SoCal would probably make $100k look like a joke.
I am thinking about just buying a horse if I’m going to spend that much money although everyone dissuades me from owning whenever I talk to them
A one-year lease on a good teacher will put you in a much better position to shop the market. You’ll be able to handle a wider range of animals and can maybe weight athleticism a bit higher at that point, whereas right now you need the “teach me how to horse show” model.
