What you want to do with the horse doesn’t qualify for a half lease fee. You are only picking up another day, as someoen pointed out, a month. Thats for more days a month, for what, 3 hundred dollars? I don’t know if that’s the amount, but I wouldn’t pay for that. If you want to ride the horse a second day a week, pay for the lesson or use of the horse, but not a half lease.
You don’t pay to groom a horse.
Also, I wouldn’t want the horse used for other lessons. If only one other person was riding the horse, that would be a half lease. Just the way I feel.
[QUOTE=Scribbler;8980177]
Then you do have 3 days a week, a half lease. Otherwise, it’s a two day a week lease, a quarter lease.![/QUOTE]
That is strange math. Quarter is 1/4 and there are not eight days in the week, which there would need to be for two days to be a quarter lease.
OP, am I reading your posts right? Your half lease would allow you to ride or do what you want (groom if you do not want to ride) three days per week? It is not the trainer saying that you can only groom one of those days?
If that is the case then I think half leasing is a great idea if this horse is one that you want to ride more and you can afford to half lease.
Most barns and owners figure a 6 day week when doing school horse half/part leases. So the horse can actually have a day off.
[QUOTE=findeight;8981129]
Most barns and owners figure a 6 day week when doing school horse half/part leases. So the horse can actually have a day off.[/QUOTE]
Yes, that seems very logical. That is what we did when I half leased my horse. The person leasing had three days per week.
This only confirms my confusion how two days a week can be called a quarter lease. Two days per week would be 1/3.
[QUOTE=Ready To Riot;8980961]
If you don’t want to ride 3 days a week, don’t do the lease. Half leases are typically half of the board rate. Maybe a little more. You have the ability to “volunteer” any time you want to come groom and love the horse. This is one of two things, trainer is trying to push you to improve or trainer is tryinf to make some more money. I’d like to be the optimist and say the trainer really wants you to improve and thinks 3 extra days ( the day you pay for a lesson should not be included in the lease unless it gives you a discount on lesson price. If the 3rd day is your normally scheduled lesson day you’re basically paying twice to ride a horse you were already riding) will help push you along quicker than the added one day lesson. And I agree!
If trainer is just trying to make as much money possible, then you’re getting screwed. It’s usually detectable in the fine print though. Something along the lines of you can ride the horse 3 days a week except (insert some silly reason that usually involves making the barn more money)[/QUOTE]
trainer does what me to improve . id just have to get the motivation to ride 3x a week. been quite awhile since ive done it. thats all
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8981072]
That is strange math. Quarter is 1/4 and there are not eight days in the week, which there would need to be for two days to be a quarter lease.
OP, am I reading your posts right? Your half lease would allow you to ride or do what you want (groom if you do not want to ride) three days per week? It is not the trainer saying that you can only groom one of those days?
If that is the case then I think half leasing is a great idea if this horse is one that you want to ride more and you can afford to half lease.[/QUOTE]
the half lease would allow 3 days. if i wanted to ride all 3 days i could or if i just wanted to mess with horse one day i could. Sorry for the confusion
I think it would depend on what your trainer wants to charge you for the half lease. It sounds like you would only get one extra ride in per week aside from your lesson. Would you also have to pay for your lesson in addition to the lease? If so, it doesn’t really sound worth it to me. Lease terms vary A LOT, but in my experience a good half lease allows the rider to ride the horse twice per week in addition to their lesson and the price of the lesson is included in the lease price if the horse is a school/trainer-owned horse. So, three total rides per week.
In your case, since it sounds like you will only be able to get one extra ride in per week, I would say that it makes more sense for you to pay per ride. Many barns allow students to do practice rides and only pay on the days that they actually ride. That way, if you can’t make it out one Saturday, you are not wasting your money. You would have to figure out if the half lease is a less expensive option than doing it this way and also whether or not your trainer would be open to you paying for practice rides.
Good luck! Either way, more ride time is never a bad thing 
I don’t know where you are from but another thing to consider when deciding if the lease is right for you is will you actually use that Saturday ride? For example what is the weather like where you are? Will you want to ride if it is really cold or storm on Saturday? What other commitments do you have?
I ask because it sounds like you don’t think you will feel like riding very often on Friday after working.
Lease fees do not typically include lessons. Lessons are on top of lease fees, and I would say that many barns (training, show barns) do not allow half leasers to ride the horse outside of lessons even if they are leasing. If you are allowed to do so that is great, and if it suits your schedule more that can be a plus for you!
However, I am always skeptical of half leasing schoolies because many times you would be riding them anyways even if you bump up your lessons to twice or even three times a week. You already said that he is the best match for you and the rest are ponies or too advanced, so for me, I’d rather just pay for an extra lesson or two a week since you are more then likely guaranteed to be on that same horse anyways, and then you don’t have to pay board as well.
I think half lease on school horses makes more sense if you are constantly riding different horses and want to stick to just one, or if there is a more advanced horse that is not necessarily used for the lesson program exclusively, but is a good step up horse. If you want to pay half board, shoes, plus extra lessons to ride the same horse you would be anyways if you just got the extra lesson that’s totally up to you. I am just skeptical of any “lease” that involves horses used for multiple people, and multiple uses, because the lease days can sometimes end up not actually being exclusive if you aren’t really clear and careful (get it in writing) up front. You may get time after or before your rides, but then the other program may need the horse. It happens!
[QUOTE=dreamcatcherhorsemanship;8981408]
Lease terms vary A LOT, but in my experience a good half lease allows the rider to ride the horse twice per week in addition to their lesson and the price of the lesson is included in the lease price if the horse is a school/trainer-owned horse. [/QUOTE]
Unless the lease fee is half of training board I have never heard of the lease fee including the price of the lesson.
A half lease allows for three rides per week, the person paying for the other half in theory gets three rides per week and the horse gets one day off. In the case of the OP it would be a pretty standard two hack days and one lesson day, where the cost of the lesson would be additional to the lease fee.
But if the trainer has a tiered set of lesson prices, ie one price for using a school horse, and a slightly cheaper price for using your own own horse, you should get the latter price if you are already leasing.
Some places do bundle mandatory lessons into the lease price, others don’t.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8981480]
Unless the lease fee is half of training board I have never heard of the lease fee including the price of the lesson.
A half lease allows for three rides per week, the person paying for the other half in theory gets three rides per week and the horse gets one day off. In the case of the OP it would be a pretty standard two hack days and one lesson day, where the cost of the lesson would be additional to the lease fee.[/QUOTE]
Right
[QUOTE=MtnDrmz;8981459]
Lease fees do not typically include lessons. Lessons are on top of lease fees, and I would say that many barns (training, show barns) do not allow half leasers to ride the horse outside of lessons even if they are leasing. If you are allowed to do so that is great, and if it suits your schedule more that can be a plus for you!
However, I am always skeptical of half leasing schoolies because many times you would be riding them anyways even if you bump up your lessons to twice or even three times a week. You already said that he is the best match for you and the rest are ponies or too advanced, so for me, I’d rather just pay for an extra lesson or two a week since you are more then likely guaranteed to be on that same horse anyways, and then you don’t have to pay board as well.
I think half lease on school horses makes more sense if you are constantly riding different horses and want to stick to just one, or if there is a more advanced horse that is not necessarily used for the lesson program exclusively, but is a good step up horse. If you want to pay half board, shoes, plus extra lessons to ride the same horse you would be anyways if you just got the extra lesson that’s totally up to you. I am just skeptical of any “lease” that involves horses used for multiple people, and multiple uses, because the lease days can sometimes end up not actually being exclusive if you aren’t really clear and careful (get it in writing) up front. You may get time after or before your rides, but then the other program may need the horse. It happens![/QUOTE]
There will be a contract of course. The horse i ride atm trainer feels is a good match and i’ll eventually move up to more advanced horses
[QUOTE=RockinHorse;8981432]
I don’t know where you are from but another thing to consider when deciding if the lease is right for you is will you actually use that Saturday ride? For example what is the weather like where you are? Will you want to ride if it is really cold or storm on Saturday? What other commitments do you have?
I ask because it sounds like you don’t think you will feel like riding very often on Friday after working.[/QUOTE]
the lease would more than likely start late feb/early spring. Due to winter being weird here in the south(warm clear one day/rainy cold the next).
[QUOTE=Soaponarope;8980993]
If you can afford it, why not? If you don’t, he might get half leased to someone else or used in other lessons on weekends cutting into your quality time. A perfect match for you? Why not nail it down so you can both have some quality time together.[/QUOTE]
thanks soap. i dont mind him being used during the week because he stays fit and sound and has little kids fussing on him (which he loves.)
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