Pricing on lessons

[netg]

Asking for a friend who is not on the message board.

Friend has a now partially retired FEI mare who made it there with significant physical limitations (one hind cannon bone is visibly longer than the other; locals who know her will know who I mean.) So, she really knows how to get horses balanced.

She followed work so she is now living in an area with no dressage and few horses at all, very remote with little infrastructure or education available. A barrel racer asked for help in learning to better balance her horses, knowing my friend is very good at that. Friend isn’t showing, so isn’t concerned about amateur status or anything.

It isn’t yet clear if it would be super casual, “here, just try these things” or true lessons. Either way, my friend probably has thousands of exercises to help balance.

Barrel racer is looking to pay for help. My friend is at a loss of what to ask! Assuming it goes well, and knowing my friend isn’t experienced as a riding instructor (though she teaches extensively for her job, and our trainer was an amazing teacher so we learned a whole lot of how to explain things from him), what would you think for casual help sessions vs regular lessons? Friend is not doing it because she needs money - it is a fun chance to be around horses.

I tend to think somewhere $30-ish, but really have no idea!

[atr]

Minimum of $50. She shouldn’t undervalue herself and her expertise, or it will be undervalued equally by the recipient.

[Training_Cupid]

I was going to say $50/lesson as well. Especially if she has to travel to the student’s barn just to teach. But maybe that’s not in line with her geographic area.

[Arlomine]

Min $50
Plus travel if it’s more than a half hour round trip.

[clanter]

does Barrel Racer race for earnings? if so and I knew how to help them improve it would be in the hundreds of dollars.

Barrel Racers in the US range from $19,910 to $187,200 , with a median salary of $44,680 . The middle 60% of Barrel Racers makes between $44,680 and $89,780, with the top 80% making $187,200.

if a backyarder who just wants to be more competitive as they have a desire beat the one who always is beating them then the $50 is a minimum

[luvmyhackney]

I would price the closest area but probably closer to 50.00 if travel is involved.

Any insurance implications that might be needed since I’m assuming she would be teaching at another barn? They might have requirements.

[CHT]

Super casual?

She needs to look into the cost of insurance - she shouldn’t coach without liability insurance just in case. Once she knows the cost of insurance she can ascertain if it is worth coaching, and what she should charge.

[netg]

Thanks for the input everyone! She liked the $50 idea, and I’ll mention the insurance thoughts, very valid!

[endlessclimb]

@clanter

does Barrel Racer race for earnings? if so and I knew how to help them improve it would be in the hundreds of dollars.

This is ridiculous, to price a lesson based on the level or earnings of the person receiving the lesson. I hope you’re joking.

[clanter]

@endlessclimb

This is ridiculous, to price a lesson based on the level or earnings of the person receiving the lesson. I hope you’re joking.

well i usually do not respond to you but no I am not Joking…if the rider is a professional they they fall into another pricing category

[2DogsFarm]

@netg

I’ll mention the insurance thoughts, very valid!

More than valid!
In this litiginous society, accepting payment makes you liable.
She might be able to get a rider on her homeowners policy.

[endlessclimb]

That’s insane. The price is set on what the instructor knows, not what the rider can afford.

That’s really scummy.

I normally don’t respond to you either, but that’s mostly because what you post in other people’s threads is 99% a personal brag entirely not germane to the conversation being had. I sing the song “anything you can do, I can do better” in my head and scroll on by…

[Vyce]

$50 is the going rate in my area for lessons for established teaching barns/ lesson programs. And definitely recommend checking into insurance! Some local instructors just starting out or who do beginner lessons on the side to supplement their income/ help offset horsey cost charge less.

[luvmyhackney]

While it’s odd, in barrel racing the instructor/training normally gets a cut of the earnings. It’s standard practice is my understanding.

https://barrelhorsenews.com/barrel-racing-articles/throwback-thursday/throwback-the-cost-of-barrel-horse-training-by-the-pros/

[hoopoe]

Yes first the insurance
then comes price, I feel 30$ for a novice / non-pro teacher is reasonable. While she may have good foundation on her riding career and experience in her business teaching skills, this is still new territory. As she and her student progresses and she perhaps gets more students, she can set up a business plan for her progress up the ladder.

If I found out that my trainer had a floating rate schedule based on their perceived view of my worth I would be gone PDQ. Certainly if through our work , success in the ring followed I would include the trainer in bonus gift

[endlessclimb]

Couple things.

This is a throw back article from 1996.

Two, this isn’t different rates for the same service, as suggested by @clanter. It’s keeping a portion of any winnings.

[Luseride]

If I travel to a rider I charge $50 an hour including travel time. I would consider my area a low cost area for lessons.

[Lunabear1988]

I would say $40 for this. It’s so area dependent.

I actually get a really great deal from both of my trainers right now. One is a GP Dressage trainer at $50 an hour (as a boarder.) Although that’s just an exceptionally good deal around here.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

I’m a little surprised everyone is quoting such a low figure. I’d say at least $60 for a private one-off lesson. It’s still her time. Riding isn’t something like doctoring, where a psychiatrist might charge a higher price for a consult than a psychologist, based upon having more education. As long as the instructor is upfront about what she does and does not know and can and cannot do, she should make the experience worth her time and effort.

In my area, a private lesson with an instructor runs from $75-$95 on average.

[Djones]

I was paying 70/lesson most recently, or 50 if I bought a package of 6. those lessons were roughly 45 minutes up to maybe an hour, depending on how hard we were working the horse.

I enjoy helping such riders tremendously, that doesn’t mean my time is worth nothing. I would at least charge the above rates.