For those of you whose trainers go to ocala for the winter season, how are costs usually calculated? My trainer would like to do a flat one time fee for the 4 months and have it include everything except our entry fees and any vet bills. So the fee would include all training, horse care, boarding, professional rides and stabling st the show. Is this typical for programs to do it this way? also what is the average cost one would expect to spend for the 4 month circuit ?
No that is not common. For that amount of time most programs rent a barn, which the trainer covers then charges board just like they would at home. So say a barn is X amount for 10 stalls, you divide X by 10 + hay/feed/shavings/labor cost for the board fee. So maybe you would pay that up front, but training/rides at the show would be billed individually unless you are never riding your horse and they are on training board which should include all of that plus board.
Stabling at the show should be part of your show fees and billed along with your entry fees not by your trainer?
“Horse care” to me is an at show only thing so that would only be applicable to the days he is at the show and not when he is theoretically at the barn y’all may or may not be renting?
More details would be needed to give a better idea. Also 4 months is a long time, horses get hurt, pull shoes, etc so saying he is going to get ridden X amount every week and show X weeks can be hard to plan for which is why paying in advance one time isn’t common unless it is a training package that includes board + rides.
I can understand paying board in advanced, but one flat fee for the whole time is odd, especially when you try to decide what a fair number is.
1 Like
No. It should be done on a week per week schedule depending on what your horse does that week. Hopefully your horse will not be showing every week for four months. If so, please find another trainer for your horse’s sake.
2 Likes
My trainer does a fixed, all inclusive weekly price for Ocala. We stable at the show for the circuit, and our fixed price includes stall, tack/grooming stalls, paddocks, feed, hay, grooms, training rides, coaching, trainer and groom housing, etc. etc. Show entries/fees and vet care are the only things our fixed price doesn’t cover.
Because some folks from our barn do the whole circuit and some only do part, trainers charge per week, but the cost is the same whether you show that week or not. So someone might come for three weeks and show all three weeks - they’d pay weekly fee x 3. Someone else might come for the whole ten weeks but only show six of those weeks. They’d pay the weekly fee x 10.
This model probably makes more sense if you “live” at the show like we do than it would if you are at a farm elsewhere and only at the show some weeks.
1 Like
Most trainers I know charge by day. The day care and training/coaching/groom fees are the same no matter how many days you are talking about. Many, if not most client horses don’t show every week for the entire circuit, some aren’t even there every week for 16 weeks. Or they are there but not showing for various reasons so the lump sum all inclusive package might not be fair to everybody going who doesn’t have a crystal ball. Sure hate to pay for 2 weeks coaching/training on a lame horse. Also hate to pay the same for showing 2 days a week as another client pays for showing 3-4 days a week, that’s not fair.
There’s really no way to price that out as a lump sum for multiple clients with multiple needs.
Far as how much total for 4 months? Figure how much per day based on trainers charges multiplied by 120 days. No idea what your per day all inclusive trainer charges are but most trainers charge in the 75-150+ per day per horse for away show services and splits. Do the math.
Another who pays an “all-inclusive” monthly rate. Love it. Includes board off-grounds, all lessons/training/coaching,shipping back and forth from show. Makes budgeting so easy. Only extra is tip for the woman who does stalls and I bring my own feed.
eta…and of course entry fees and any special services are over and above (vet, body clipping, braiding, etc. )
I could see it being useful to have a lump sum for a limited set of basic/standard charges, but I’d think that trainer and client would be at odds trying to set a lump sum price for individual services. Clients would presumably prefer to have control of their “extra” expenses, especially on off weeks, and trainers would presumably prefer to maximize the fees they can collect for individual/special services, especially on show days. I suppose it would be possible but it’s not common in my experience.
Be sure to understand your obligation to pay the lump sums, or what your recourse is or isn’t, in case you have to cancel or take unexpected weeks off. It’s not unheard of for horses to be injured or otherwise sidelined and sent home halfway through the circuit. . .
Think the sticking point for me is the training and coaching fees being a lump sum. So, I fly in on Thursday, do a prep lesson and show 3 Hunter over fences and a hack Fri and Saturday. Susie is there with her horse all week, takes a lesson Tuesday, shows 2 schooling Jumper rounds Wed, 2 Ch/ Ad rounds on Thursday, age group Eq on Sat and a two phase Medal or Classic on Sunday.
Susie and I pay exactly the same for trainer services. Lump sum works great for Susie, not so great for me. On the other hand, trainer makes money on me, probably would make more billing services individually with Susie. It very much depends on the barn and clients need whether lump sum all inclusive billing is the way to go or not. No one size fits all. Would think smaller barns might find lump sum more attractive then larger ones.
For those of you that have already been to the winter shows - what is the cost of your average monthly bill from your trainer? Do they bill per week or per month or per show? It is interesting to see how everyone charges a little differently, would be nice to be able to compare as I’ve noticed the 3ft hunter trainers tend to be higher priced then several grand prix jumper trainers. Is it because they spend less time with prepping the jumpers and undoing the braids??
