Real talk: What's everyone paying these days?

[Rumorhasit93]

Oh hey! Zone 9 here too. Also do my own care. Except I’m up at tbird this week and paying for grooming/daily training days and YIKES. I love it, but I cannot do it again.

My show bill was $1300 USD (including splits)
Grooming is $800 ($100/day plus tip)
Training is $100/day
Plus travel expenses
Plus whatever the trainer charges for supplies used (poultice, etc).

I usually am completely DIY. I don’t pay splits, etc. so I can get away with spending under $2k at a local show.

*edited to add I have a jumper and typically show in 3 classes, no more than 4.

[Tha_Ridge]

So one thing that I think is interesting — Zone 2 has always been historically more expensive than other places, but I haven’t seen much increase in prices here compared to other places. It’s almost like the horse economy elsewhere in the country is inflating to match the NE, whereas what we pay has remained relatively stable. Heh, pun intended.

[Tini_Sea_Soldier1]

So far, I think the biggest surprise to me was Zone 10. I guess I had characteristically assumed that things were much higher there just based on the few people that I knew that boarded there and just real estate costs overall.
I’d guess that some of the highest inflation of costs has been south, as they have had some tough times getting good hay for a good price and with the migration south of so many barns permanently, it’s driven costs up dramatically. Maybe not as much for Wellington which has always catered to a higher range, but certainly northern and central FL, as well as AL, GA, and SC.

[Calvincrowe]

Zone 9 here.
Training board $1250/month
A show costs: two divisions, braid my own, no pro rides $1500

I mostly show Outreach now due to horse’s age and my comfort level, so my costs are far less. I can swing one or two A shows a year at this point. We are a DIY type program, but will hire a groom if enough folks go, or pay our working students to groom. I have traditionally done it all myself (clean stalls, prep and braid my horse, etc.) but as I’ve gotten older and more affluent, I find grooming services to be more worth it.

The costs I’ve seen rise have been trainer’s fees, show fees (stabling, add-ons, etc.), feed/services. Entries haven’t changed much at all-- class/division fees are same as a decade ago.

[lintesia]

NorCal. Zone 10.

B and D. I can rarely do 2 shows in a month, even 1 a month is a stretch.

[Peggy]

@Tini_Sea_Soldier1

So far, I think the biggest surprise to me was Zone 10.

Even in Zone 10 you can save by having horses live out and doing some of your own work.

[onlyTBmares]

Zone 9

1. A
2. Going to my first rated show this summer so please god let it be A!!! No grooms, sharing a single tack stall with another barn, working off trailering and training fees, only jumper classes so probably 4 total. But obviously my

We’re a little bit of a DIY barn. We clean stalls once a week, our barn is old and not fancy (but clean and safe with an amazing trainer) we set jump courses, do some land scraping, help with the lesson ponies etc. Other area barns are high A or B mostly.

I want to add that in my area it is impossible to find a full care board only barn that actually covers the basics: safe, has a decent arena, feeds properly. I went through it before, skipped meals, dinner served at 3pm breakfast at 9, no stall shavings, loose stallions….you name it. Unless I want to drive super far (I don’t) it’s either full training program or garbage care.

[phoenixrises]

SE PA

1. A -but can dip into B
2. I haven’t showed at new barn but I’d say High A low B

[beowulf]

Holy crap. I knew I was priced out of the HJ world (event/dressage transplant here), I had no idea I was that priced out!

Next time I grumble about USEA’s fees for recognized events, I’ll remember this thread…

[ammy4life]

Zone 6

1. A
2. A

But, these numbers are rare and only because I have my horse in training with a friend. When I was boarding at a full-service, AA barn, my answers would have been 1. B, 2. D(ish???).

Going into a career with a six-figure starting salary was more comforting before rate increases.

[Rumorhasit93]

I’d be happy to share my bill from a WSHJA show to give you a solid idea. I do jumpers so only do 3-4 classes. I don’t have any splits. Feel free to DM me. I’m always happy to make other DIY friends on the PNW circuit.

[tohorse]

1. A. One horse is out at retirement board (recovering from injury) that’s ~450 all in, includes stall and grain. Another horse we just signed up for board at a new place - all in at 875. Lessons are with a private coach, 120/hr, 70 yr old German gentleman, take when I can, but ideally would be once a week. So for one horse we are looking at a little less than 1.5k, but given the frequency I can ride with him and his busy schedule, it ends up being closer to 1.5k for both horses included.

2. A. We normally do haul ins for a day and by normally I mean we really show once, maybe twice a year. It’s a big thing as both of mine are green and we don’t haul ourselves, I have a full time job and small kids. So to give you an idea our last day of showing at a local, rated show was at approx 600-700, but I ended up spending closer to 400-500, as one of the horses placed and made some money back. It was a 40min haul and we were shipped by someone at the barn, 4 classes for 2 horses. Our coach is too busy to come to most shows, so no fees there. A full weekend (Thu night to Sunday afternoon) including stall, show fees etc. without any prize money to offset anything would’ve been closer to 1500, if I had to guess. But i want to emphasize that this is all DIY except hauling.

[vxf111]

$120/hour for lessons! Wow.

[Pokerface]

@beowulf

Holy crap. I knew I was priced out of the HJ world (event/dressage transplant here), I had no idea I was that priced out!

Next time I grumble about USEA’s fees for recognized events, I’ll remember this thread…

For real lol.

That said, this is the higher end. There are still plenty of us who can’t/don’t do “training board” and pay less. Even with that, my board, a weekly lesson, and 2 shoes cost me about $1100.Horses are heart-breakingly expensive.

[Tini_Sea_Soldier1]

I’m jealous.
My horse’s shoes alone are $350.
I just got a chiro bill for $395 because they used laser! My husband was like… you don’t even treat yourself to a spa day at those prices! What the hell is the laser doing? Shooting moonbeams into her?
He’s also in healthcare, so he understands why chiro is great, but cannot justify a one-time expense of that amount for it.

[blondewithchrome]

“shooting moonbeams into her”

[wtxhunter]

My shoes are $490. Feel this so hard. 🫶🏼no mani pedis for me

[libgrrl]

This is exactly why – after over 50 years – I’ve become much more involved in eventerland. I still go to h/j shows to support my friends, sometimes I announce, but it isn’t my world anymore.

[Peggy]

@Tini_Sea_Soldier1 and @wtxhunter, I’ll see your shoeing bill and raise it. I pay $500 but that’s for Epona shoes.

If shoes were included in question 1, I’d be into choice B.

[Hoofbeat_Heartbeat]

Yes, my horse gets monthly acupuncture/chiro/massage … when was the last time I had a massage?!