How much do you pay for lessons?

Question

In summer, I try to take a few lessons at a hunter/jumper barn in So-Cal, and sometimes I feel like I'm paying way too much for way too little! If I remember correctly, group lessons were about $45 and private lessons were about $60. I admit that last time I went, I was more of an advanced beginner stuck with first-time-riders, and I remember telling my mom that I couldn't stand it when they got too close or jerked on the horses mouth for no reason. I know I shouldn't talk like that, because I'm not the greatest rider either, but that really annoyed me. Anyways, I'm getting really off topic. xD

A few of the lessons were better because it was with fewer/more passionate riders and I feel like I got a better experience being apart of them. So I'm not saying I don't like the riding school, because I do. Still, it seems like a lot of money. I guess it does depend on level, etc.

During the school year I ride with a friend of my mom, who used to compete in eventing in Holland. We only pay $15 per lesson and I feel like I'm really learning something. I can feel myself slowly improving. I really enjoy my time in the saddle, and on the days that I don't ride, I find myself thinking about what we'll do next time.

In fear of boring you, I'll cut this rambling story short. How much do you pay for lessons? Do you feel like *most* of them are worth it?

Oh, and I also wonder how the people who ride regularly at that particular riding school get by.
If they ride once weekly for a month, that'd be about $200 for four lessons, and about 2.4k a year. (I'm bad at math. That's probably way off. xDD) How in the world are they able to afford that?
That's just lessons; it doesn't include equipment/accessories/other things in life.

Answer 1

I know how you feel about the lessons not being worth it, especially if there's a bad or inconsiderate instructor. But at the moment I take lessons for $41 apiece, with this old dressage instructor. She's about sixty and very interested in the upkeep of "classic dressage", so we don't necessarily wrap our horses up in metal and leather and try to ride that way =) In addition to the $41 a lesson, I also have to pay $16,50 per lesson to borrow one of the school horses, because I don't have the time or money to keep my own at the moment.



She's also really great because although I've been around horses all my life, and ridden loads of dressage before, I took a two-year break from riding and was REALLY rusty when I began. So I was riding with these other pros she was instructing (the lessons are a maximum of three riders each), yet she managed to come down to "my level" and explain when I'd forgotten moves or terms, without being condescending. That, in my eyes, is the quality of a really great riding instructor. She managed to rub the rust off me and get me up to my old standard, without making me feel horrible about all the things I'd forgotten.



We work on a 9-week basis (two months and one week), paying for that in advance. I know the price is a bit much, especially when it lumps up to a sum of $525 every time payment is due, but it's TOTALLY worth it. Within a month I'd remembered things long forgotten, like proper posture, rein support and working trot (no posting - which can be horrible and uncomfortable if not done right!), as well as learning new things like leg yields and turning on the hindquarters. I've never been so satisfied with an instructor all my life!



The only really sucky thing is we can't drop out of a lesson without finding someone else to ride for us or paying for it anyway... if we're sick or have to work or something, then too bad for us!



Also, in the wintertime the lessons stop because she won't brave the icy roads in the dark for the one-hour drive to our barn : ) Then again, the place where I live doesn't go above freezing for three months straight, and likes to go WELL below that; as well as that we get way less sun in the wintertime, so riding heavy concentrated dressage isn't that comfortable anyway at that time, even when we've got an indoor arena...

Answer 2

I ride once a week, every week, for forty dollars an hour for a private reining/trail lesson. Sometimes I will have a group lesson, which is thirty dollars an hour. At previous stables I rode for twenty-five dollars an hour for a private lesson however the barn which I am riding at now is very good (both the instruction and horses) and I feel like it is absolutely worth it.

Most people who ride regularly at an expensive stable have a job to pay for it, and often have to restrict other things in life in order to pay for the lessons. Though forty dollars is not super expensive, it is rather costly for me as I am currently in university and don't work during the school year. I don't go out with friends or necessarily buy new things all the time that way I can afford to ride every week. Sometimes it is the accessories and other things in life that get restricted when you want to pay for lessons.

Answer 3

I take lessons now for $20 dollars. They would be $30 but I get a discount for doing barn chores before I ride. If you like that place you go to try talking to the owner and see if you can get a discount if you just do some quick barn chores before you ride if you feel it's too expensive. And yes I absolutely feel the lessons are worth the money and work. I take them once a week. It's the same for private and group lessons, and by group I mean like one-two other people in the room- my trainer isn't quite comfortable with a lot of people in the arena.

Answer 4

I also take lessons at a hunter/jumper barn in So-Cal! Lol :) Small world <3 Anywho, I take around 3 lessons a week during the school year and 5 lessons a week during the summer! In the summer it cost me around $840 and during the rest of the year it is around $500 a month (I didn't really do the math but that is just around how much it cost)! My private lessons (with jumping) are about $60 per 45 minutes and they are definitely worth it (well, really I would rather pay $40 but I love my trainer)! So, if anything your rates are super cheap! Where do you ride? I ride at San Pascual Stables in South Pasadena <3

Answer 5

It really depends on where you live and ride. Even in LA, lessons in some areas are more expensive than other areas. Micaiah is paying about what friends do in the same area, but some pay more. You are very lucky to have your mom's friend to teach you at such an amazing rate! (I paid more than $15 an hour when I was a teen, and that was a long time ago.)



A couple of my teen son's friends' parents are looking at $50,000 a year for their daughter's equestrian endeavors. It's a very expensive sport. But then once you get to a certain level, any teen activity can be very expensive, like ice skating, soccer (son's friends traveled to Europe to play), drama/voice, filmmaking (USC 6 week summer program - $10,400).



Private lessons are expensive. My son takes private voice lessons at $60 for 45 minutes, and that is on the low side (and she is amazing). Private tutoring in LA can run up to $125 an hour for a 5th grader. (Yikes!)



If you're not happy with your lessons (not looking at the price, because it's not out of line for So Cal), then perhaps you can find a different instructor that is more your style (when your mom's friend can't teach you).



Good luck!

Answer 6

Because I'm part of a riding team and work for the barn I pay $15 per lesson for a 2 hour lesson instead of the normal $50 (ya it was originally free lessons plus $5 for each day I worked and now my boss, not my trainer, is trying to make it just the $5 a day and wants me to use what was originally my gas money to pay for my lessons. I gotta talk to her about that)

Answer 7

I am lucky to be on my college equestrian team and I pay 30 dollars for 2 lessons a week not including the shows we go too. I think though that the english teams lesson costs a little more than our western team but im not sure why. Do I feel they are worth it? Absolutely! My coach teaches us everything from natural horsemanship to how to ride properly in the show ring and I am proud to call her my coach. Also she lets us ride more after our lesson while she is giving another (the more you ride the better you get) So yea im defiantly happy with my lessons.

Answer 8

I belong to ponyclub and for $25 a month I get 2 good quality lessons 1 jumping and 1 dressage. I feel like my lessons are definitely worth it I can go to hunter/jumper shows in the Summer and clean up on a horse I trained. I used to get lessons for $30 dollars at a reining barn and they were great for my dressage(I know sounds weird).

Answer 9

i used to take lessons in western pleasure and reining for $40 for a private lesson and $30 for a group lesson. I don't take lessons anymore because I just got my first horse and my mom doesn;t want to pay for a horse AND lessons, so I am training her myself because I have been riding for 9 years now. Lol I get off topic too. xD Anyway, I thought I was overpaying for western lessons, but I'm not sure about english...

Answer 10

I live in a very wealthy region of Connecticut, ad I pay $60 for a 30 minute private lesson. It's insanely priced. Boarding at that farm is $800 in their main barn and &1000 in their new barn. Who can afford that!

Answer 11

Around here (the northern WI) lessons are about 25$ for private... which is normal for english flatwork, 40$ for jumping - for an hour.

Lessons providers usually have the schooling horses and the equp that fits them. They require you to wear proper riding clothing (breeches, helmet) that you have to provide yourself.

Most places offer more lessons for discounted rate - I believe that I paid for 10 lessons for 185 or something back in the day.

Yes, I think the rates that we have are worth while,

Answer 12

I take lessons every week. I pay $30 per private lesson and it's an hour. And at my barn it's $25 for a semi-private for an hour.

Answer 13

I have taken so many lessons from $15-60 15 being very cheap and 60 ridicules. currently i ride my owns horses at my house with a mobile trainer for 30 a hour and im lovin it! :) Also in SoCall

Answer 14

My trainer charges:

$50 for a 45 minute lesson on your own horse

$65 for an hour on your own horse

$70 if she rides/schools your horse

$65 for a 45 minute lesson on one of the school horses

$75 for an hour on one of her school horses

Answer 15

Where I am from you pay about $25-40/hour for a lesson with you and another person.

Answer 16

at my barn its $35 for semi-private on a lesson horse and $30 on your own..and than $45 for private on a lesson horse and $40 on your own

Answer 17

i pay £25.00 normally but if we go on a long hack it can be from £35.00-£55.00 but half an hour lesson is £12.00.

Answer 18

With our young lab, whom we adopted from the pound, we took her to a new vet and they actually gave us free lessons for just taking her there. They were only group lessons but they helped with her ability to stay calm around other dogs.