As I read this thread, the only thing I could think of was “if you have to,ask you can’t afford it”.
Seriously though I am curious - my guess is all in with lessons, training, transportation and showing etc it is a big number
[QUOTE=Lucassb;7715115]
When I priced out a program at that level of barn a few years ago, on a practical level it worked out to be around $7-8K/month minimum; I think you’d have to budget close to $10K to be safe (not including WEF.)
I do have one friend who rode in a different BNT barn (in CT) who paid $7500/mo which included the cost of a leased horse, but that was essentially a WS position and she worked her butt off.[/QUOTE]
Pray tell what were the additional things she received for being a working student while still paying $7500/month???
I know some people who have been working students, and none of them had to pay even a fraction of that for the privilege. One worked for a BNT in the eventing world where they had to pay for the upkeep for 1 horse (board, shoeing, vet care) and had to work extremely hard. However, they did not have to pay for lessons or any saddle time on other horses that they got to ride.
I know several people who are working students for BNT dressage trainers and they get a small stipend and housing (usually a trailer or apartment above the barn).
Maybe the H/J world is different, but I can’t see paying $7500/month. Crazy!!!
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7715223]
Pray tell what were the additional things she received for being a working student while still paying $7500/month???
I know some people who have been working students, and none of them had to pay even a fraction of that for the privilege. One worked for a BNT in the eventing world where they had to pay for the upkeep for 1 horse (board, shoeing, vet care) and had to work extremely hard. However, they did not have to pay for lessons or any saddle time on other horses that they got to ride.
I know several people who are working students for BNT dressage trainers and they get a small stipend and housing (usually a trailer or apartment above the barn).
Maybe the H/J world is different, but I can’t see paying $7500/month. Crazy!!![/QUOTE]
Yeah but Lucasb’s example INCLUDES the lease on what I assume is a big eq horse. If it’s a good one, we could be talking a biiiiiiiiiiiiiig chunk of change in there for the lease.
If we’re talking 30% of the horse’s value for the lease, that’s the only way I could see being a WS yet still paying $7500/month. If it’s a $250k horse, then the lease fee would be $75k/year. Still that’s a ton of money to be shelling for working your butt off.
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7715279]
If we’re talking 30% of the horse’s value for the lease, that’s the only way I could see being a WS yet still paying $7500/month. If it’s a $250k horse, then the lease fee would be $75k/year. Still that’s a ton of money to be shelling for working your butt off.[/QUOTE]
Yeah but she was likely working off part of board and lessons. The lease was on top of that. That doesn’t seen unreasonable to me for a working student position WITH a lease. You really can’t compare it to a working student position where you bring your own horse you already own. It’s just apples and oranges. I suspect a really, really big portion of that $7,500/month was for the lease itself. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be a big eq horse and why it wouldn’t lease for close to 30% of its sale value if we’re talking a bigeq barn. So it’s really likely that a huge portion of that monthly figure was the lease on a really good horse.
I ride at a BNT’s barn. They have been very very nice and don’t require you to have more than one horse.
The board is 960.00 a month
Training/grooming/care is 1,400.00
I ride a lot with the assistant trainer because the trainer is away at shows three weeks out of each month.
It is working perfectly for me because I have young green horses and the assistant is superb.
I think the bigger cost to the BNT world would be the shows and being away three weeks a month cost is a lot. About 3,500 a week including trailering, braiding, hotel, grooms, rail fees, classes, stall fees etc.
And any horse you have regardless where you board or train would require shoeing and vet services.
[QUOTE=supershorty628;7715168]
I didn’t make it to the top of the sport in the sense that a lot of people have, but I made it up to the national prix level without being rich. Make sure to read the Aug 25th issue of COTH - I have an article in there on that! :)[/QUOTE]
I don’t get the Chronicle anymore. 
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7715223]
Pray tell what were the additional things she received for being a working student while still paying $7500/month???
I know some people who have been working students, and none of them had to pay even a fraction of that for the privilege. One worked for a BNT in the eventing world where they had to pay for the upkeep for 1 horse (board, shoeing, vet care) and had to work extremely hard. However, they did not have to pay for lessons or any saddle time on other horses that they got to ride.
I know several people who are working students for BNT dressage trainers and they get a small stipend and housing (usually a trailer or apartment above the barn).
Maybe the H/J world is different, but I can’t see paying $7500/month. Crazy!!![/QUOTE]
V is correct that the lease was a chunk of change. The WS got board and training at home in exchange for her work. She had to pay out of pocket for the lease and for her showing expenses, which included all the big northeast shows and WEF.
^^still, that would be a LOT of $$$
Here’s Karen Healey’s rate sheet: http://karenhealeystables.com/KHS/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/KHS-PRICELIST2014.pdf
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7715980]
Here’s Karen Healey’s rate sheet: http://karenhealeystables.com/KHS/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/KHS-PRICELIST2014.pdf[/QUOTE]
Board is higher now. That’s where I board. 
[QUOTE=doublesstable;7715983]
Board is higher now. That’s where I board. :)[/QUOTE]
Thought it might be. It’s a good program.
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7715987]
Thought it might be. It’s a good program. :)[/QUOTE]
I was surprised at how much I am learning and how wonderful everyone is!!! Even for me as an older rider. So worth it.
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7715980]
Here’s Karen Healey’s rate sheet: http://karenhealeystables.com/KHS/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/KHS-PRICELIST2014.pdf[/QUOTE]
On another note, how great is this rate sheet? Would love this as a customer. Everything is spelled out and makes keeping your bill, um, clean easier
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7715980]
Here’s Karen Healey’s rate sheet: http://karenhealeystables.com/KHS/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/KHS-PRICELIST2014.pdf[/QUOTE]
Forgive me if this is a dumb question: what exactly does “board” include? Why would I be paying for “care” plus “board”?
[QUOTE=CaitlinandTheBay;7716250]
Forgive me if this is a dumb question: what exactly does “board” include? Why would I be paying for “care” plus “board”?[/QUOTE]
In California, “board” usually covers a stall, hay, bedding, and stall cleaning.
It does not cover:
- blanketing
- turnout
- holding the horse for vet or farrier
- fly masks
- feeding grain
In this specific example (and this is common in California barns), the board is paid to a separate property owner. The trainer is resident (and may be one of many trainers) and has responsibility only for training and handling the horses, not the basic board.
[QUOTE=CaitlinandTheBay;7716250]
Forgive me if this is a dumb question: what exactly does “board” include? Why would I be paying for “care” plus “board”?[/QUOTE]
The barn has a rate sheet too. Board is for the stall, facility, arenas, feed, shavings, water, manure removal and they clean stalls a few times a day.
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7715980]
Here’s Karen Healey’s rate sheet: http://karenhealeystables.com/KHS/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/KHS-PRICELIST2014.pdf[/QUOTE]
That’s very reasonable for full training and board/care in comparison with some places on the east coast, particularly in Westchester county and CT.
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7716346]
That’s very reasonable for full training and board/care in comparison with some places on the east coast, particularly in Westchester county and CT.[/QUOTE]
It’s roughly the same, IME.
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7716357]
It’s roughly the same, IME.[/QUOTE]
I’d have to disagree, as some of the big programs in westchester county are charging a LOT more than $1k for board. In fact, medium sizes barns that show, not super fancy, but workmanlike are charging $1k+ just because property taxes are so high.
