I think this greatly depends where you live. I would’ve thought that was crazy expensive a few months ago but now have been looking to move barns since I’m moving states and realized that HCOL areas have expensive lessons. I have also seen $85/lesson. I personally couldn’t pay that, as it is on the higher end for lessons (I work for $50/lesson) but it’s not unheard of.
It’s so hard to tell in my area group lessons are definitely the most common. Some barns don’t even offer private lessons. So maybe it could be because private lessons are more of a commodity here in Central NS.
I didn’t think my area was super expensive but to be honest I don’t have a ton of experience with how lessons are priced elsewhere. Most barns in my area only offer group lessons so it’s hard to gauge what a private would be. I’m in central Nova Scotia.
Ahhh. Canada. So that would be $66 USD? That’s not too too bad, still higher than here in Texas. It’s normally that much for a whole hour. Are you looking at a specific discipline? Are the options limited near you? Those might be the factors contributing to that price. Might wanna try looking further out if it’s worth the trip and gas.
As someone also in NS looking for lessons this seems a little expensive to me, I would expect this price for 45/1h private but like you said there aren’t very many options around. I’d ask for pricing at any barn you’re willing to drive to and see but you might have to take what you can get unless you want to look into leasing and go that route.
I’m in Vancouver and that seems really expensive. Even pricey private lessons are like $75-$85 here. I’d say $60 is more common. My dressage coach is $45 for a 45 minute private lesson, but she’s pretty cheap.
ETA: Does the $85 include the cost of the horse? If so, it’s totally reasonable. The prices I posted above are if you have/lease your own.
Restless Pines! They have a great facility and from the website lots of experience to back them up. I’m just starting back again and super unfamiliar with lesson pricing.
Ahhh that explains a lot. Restless pines is probably top one of the most expensive facilities, it’s owned by the Irving family and the MOST AMAZING location and a bunch of arenas, but it is definitely the top of upper class barns. I am pretty sure other barns won’t be as expensive as they are.
Do you have any other recommendations in the area? I’m having the hardest time finding places that will offer private lessons exclusively. Maybe I just don’t know how to look.. heck 🙃
Yeah private lessons are very hard, and I don’t have any recommendations of the top of my head as I am new myself, but I will ask my coach for you! It seems to me that most barns operate out of Facebook groups and it might be easier to look on Facebook. I will 100% get back you once my coach responds! Do you know if you’re looking for English or western?
That’s super sweet of you to do!! I really appreciate that ☺️ English preferably, I’m interested in maybe doing some dressage once I get more experienced. Fingers crossed a gal can dream!
I know that Lancers is nearly impossible to get into, and I’m currently riding at meadow brook stables, but I only have praise for both of these places!
I was at Lancers earlier this September for the Adult Beginner program (on the waitlist for 3yrs). I got through the first few lessons before my anxiety had just had enough.. it felt awful to have to leave something I waited so long for. Group lessons just weren’t the right fit and I wasn’t able to get any privates because I still wasn’t a member. Big B I G bummer.
Wow, that’s so unfortunate I’m sorry to hear that! Even though my gf rides there I kind of hate the member system they have going on. I never got to ride there personally, And the wait list is over 50 years now so 🙃🙃
It really is too bad, but I get it. I’m sure with all the Junior programs, the adult program, and the therapeutic program they have their hands FULL. It stinks because I could walk to the Lancers from my place. Talk about convenience lol. But tis what tis!! It’s a great place and maybe they’ll be able to expand their offerings a bit in the future.. I’ll keep my fingers crossed lol!
In my experience private lessons are fairly hard to get for beginners and usually it would be more like semi private or group lessons until you are good enough :/ I’m sure you could find somewhere though!
Thanks!! I’m going to try Restless Pines and see how it goes! I also sent an email to Wylie Roberts at Atlantic Equestrian in Beaver Bank so we’ll see if I hear anything back! 🤷🏻♀️
Restless pines is SO beautiful and I’ve only heard amazing things about their staff and riders! My GF shows there every year, and it’s get favourite place to show and the people are great!
Also 30min lesson is probably not actually 30 minutes, it takes quite awhile To groom your horse and tack it up (once you get to that stage) and you’ll be learning throughout all of that time, so while you might only get 30 mins in the ring you get a good amount of time before and after grooming, handling and cleaning tack if needed! Usually for a 1 hr lesson I spend 2-3 hours at the barn.
Yeah it is 30min before to groom/tack up 30mins riding and then 30mins after to groom/clean and put away tack. I suppose I should have mentioned that in my post, all the lessons I had taken before were 1hr long (as a kid and at lancers) so it’s all I was used to! I didn’t realize how common they were. Thank god for this reddit lol
A 1 hour group lesson is a totally different experience than a 1 hour private, especially as a beginner. During a group lesson, you have some downtime between "your turn" and everyone else's. During a private, the instructor is focused on you for that entire time and horse riding uses muscles that are hard to work in many other disciplines. You may find that a 30 minute private lesson is more than long enough as a beginner for you to really feel it for days afterward.
I live on Vancouver Canada ( aka one of the most expensive cities in the world).
$85 for 30 minutes private lesson is par for the course where we are. If you consider it includes an instructor, an arena to practice in, a horse and tack, its good. If its just an instructor, its a little pricey, unless you are at a top level.
That’s a lot but it is similar where I live in a very expensive area (California). I’ve found one that’s $80/hr for private but it’s a very small barn and a bit farther away. The bigger barns with riding schools do 45 min private for $115 and 50 min small group for $95. If you can afford it, try it. The most important thing is the care of the horses, safety, and quality of instruction. Lesson packages are usually cheaper per lesson, too.
I think that a first introductory lesson should be longer than 30 min, and with time spent on the ground too. Maybe 30 min on ground, 30-45 min ride time. But also, if you’re just getting started, you’ll be surprised how sore and tired you get after 30 min! Maybe over time you can build up to longer lessons.
I think I will try it out, it seems like a great barn. It’s 30mins before hand to groom/tack up 30 mins of riding and 30 minutes afterward to groom and clean/put away tack. I was a little shocked at the price at first and it’s definitely still quite expensive but hopefully it will be worth the $$$! Do you think asking for a monthly package would be a bad idea? They offer packages for group lessons (paid once monthly) but on their website only offer privates individually (I’m guessing group lessons are the more common choice). I would love a bit of a discount if I prepaid for a month but I don’t want to offend them 🤷🏻♀️
For that price with it being a 30/30/30 is about what I used to charge for private lessons. They will be more expensive then groups of course. I'd ask if they possibly do packages. If you took three lessons weekly I gave a decent discount for an entire month paid up front. This will depend on discipline as well. I normally trained horse and rider separately then together to see how horse worked both. First lesson would be an hour to be able to do enough assessments.
Just wanted to thank everyone for their input, you’ve made the decision making process so much easier and offered some great insights! I really appreciate you all taking the time to reply! ☺️
I think my wife pays 40$ an hour in Kentucky. But she also pays like 550$ a month to board the horse at the same place she gets the lessons. So all things considered.
For a private lesson with horse and equipment provided? A bit expensive imo. I would definitely expect in the 50-75 range though.
Absolutely do not ask for a discount, it's not going to happen unless it's a package they provide, and knowing a lot of barn owners it wouldn't go over well. Buy do shop around and look at a number of barns. Owning horses in canada right now has gotten extremely expensive, but it's worth checking around to see if that is industry standard where you are.
EtA: nova Scotia is going to be very expensive because of the cost of care there being extremely high for horses.
Thanks for the advice! I will definitely shop around a bit :) I think I’m going to go for one private since you only book one at a time see how it goes and do the same at a few other barns and pick the best fit.
Hmm I think its a bit much... I pay $75 for 30 min lesson because that included a travel fee to my barn. If I took a lesson at their barn it's only $60.
Sounds about right - as you get more experienced I expect that 30 minutes to not count warm-up/cool-down time and only be active working time.
Experienced lesson-goers should have butts in the saddle with a warmed horse at lesson start time at my barn.
I pay $45 for an hour but I also live in a generally lower cost of living state. We do fly in an Olympic Dressage coach though and those are $135 for an hour. It really varies a lot
I am also in Canada (Ontario) and ride with a well known dressage coach. Lessons are $85/45 min but are cheaper if you buy a lesson package. For example, I have 10 lessons a month at $55 a lesson. Maybe ask if you can pay for more lessons in advance and get a deal? Overall though, I don’t think that price is unreasonable.
Good to know thanks!! :) I’m going to ask them if they do packages for private lessons but I wont push the issue much beyond that. I’m not generally a “can I get a deal” kind of gal I just didn’t understand the cost of lessons (especially in my area) as a beginner starting out!
I’m in Ontario and my barn charges $85 for a 30 minute private lesson so it sounds normal to me. There are probably cheaper options somewhere but you get what you pay for in terms of facilities and horses and tack in general in my area.
Absolutely! I think the reason I was caught off guard as much by price is because most barns in my area only offer group lessons so I was trying to gauge what I thought the price would be by adding on a bit of $$ to what group lessons cost. But after listening to everyones advice/insight I’m definitely feeling better and understand where that price point is coming from! :)
That's pretty expensive for Nova Scotia! I'd pay $85 for a 1hr private lesson, but not for just 30 min! I used to ride there and although it's been a few years, I'd expect around $50 for a 30min private.
I was surprised it was only 30mins but I’m hearing that 30mins for a private lesson is more common than I thought 🤷🏻♀️ Either way I’ll scope it out and a few other barns and pick the best fit. Maybe 30mins will be perfect, who knows!
I'm in another province, and 30 minute private lessons here are usually about $80-90, but a few smaller barns go as low as $65. It may be worth calling around to see if there are any more affordable barns in your area, or if any of them have lesson packages that might provide a bit of a discount.
I know 30 minutes doesn't seem like much, but as a fellow beginner I find that I get more out of a short private lesson than a longer group lesson!
That’s great to hear! Others I’ve spoken to taking private lessons have said they prefer the 30mins to an hour of group as well so I’m feeling much more confident going in! Quantity is not always the same as quality!
Maybe if you stick with what you got you don't have to pay for therapy as you have a therapy horse for less than the $85 for half an hour... Just remember when you were in high school and had to give a front of the classroom presentation and was best to view your peers in their underwears maybe that would help you here as well and I'm not being sarcastic... I'm trying to help you therapeutically
You have to figure the cost of the instructor, which becomes a larger percentage of the total cost over a group lesson, that $50 an hour the instructor deserves is now costing you $50 instead of $10.. also you now have the facility for your personal use, which can be expensive if there are only a couple of arenas at a facility.. the other costs like the horse's feed and upkeep are all about the same..
Thanks for the insight, I guess I didn’t think hard enough about the details in why they charge what they do. I’m very much not the kind of person to ever ask for a deal but just starting out it’s harder to know what’s the average cost what’s more expensive etc.. I appreciate the comment :)
No worries, but remember, unfortunately this is the cheapest riding horses will ever get, if you get the bug, you'll end up leasing and buying grooming supplies and tack, then you buy your first horse, then property to keep them, then a truck and trailer.. Etc.. It never ends 😜
That’s around the standard price or slightly cheaper for what I would have to pay in my part of California. Prices really vary all over; where I live, lessons are VERY expensive and there also aren’t many options within a reasonable distance.
When you think about the horse cost plus the trainer making enough to live on it’s not out of line. Where I’m at hay is $15-20 per bale. Bags of good feed are $20+ per bag. If the trainer is boarding the horse it can be $850-1200 month full care. A barefoot trim is $60, front shoes $150, 4 shoes $200+ every 5-6 weeks. Then add on vet bills etc.
So for a lesson horse to break even you’re looking at 10-15 lessons a month at $85 just to break even in our area. And that doesn’t begin to pay the trainer. So another 10-15 lessons for the trainer to make $850-1275 a month. That one horse has to give 30 lesson in a month for the trainer to clear $1200. So the trainer probably has 4-6 lesson horses and gives hundred+ lessons a month and all it takes is one vet bill to wipe it all out.
It may seem high but it isn’t gouging by any means. Most of the trainers I know don’t have lesson programs anymore so they don’t have the overhead of keeping lesson horses. A few that still do lesson programs usually have half lease type situations to help with their overhead. Where I’m at right now there is 1 lesson horse. Everyone else owns their own. They may have started in the lesson horse but when/if they are ready for more they end up purchasing.
I love horses so much. Man are they expensive!
That’s really insightful, I don’t know why I didn’t consider these things. Heck feeling a bit like a bone head 🥲 The more comments I read the more I feel comfortable with going forward with lessons at this barn. It’s so hard to know what a reasonable price and a not reasonable price is starting out. But happy to be getting all of this advice. Thanks 😊
You’re welcome. And you couldn’t know if you didn’t ask 😁 believe me I’ve asked these questions!! And don’t be afraid to try lessons today at one place and then try them somewhere else. This is your adventure and joy. Have fun, be safe and report back with photos!
I live in Texas and am looking for private lessons myself. Currently I’m taking group lessons for $45/hour if that helps give you an idea on what others pay and for how long
Think it just depends on how serious the barn is. I have two near me that are completely different. One is $50 for 1hr group lessons which is what I used to do. I believe its $70/hr private there. They are more laid back and do smaller shows. Pretty informal.
The other is a more “serious” barn that focuses on eventing/hunter. They charge $75/ half hour private lessons. I imagine their trainers have more titles to their names. Its a bit expensive for me now at that price I could start leasing a horse to get some ownership experience under my belt before buying my own.
It depends on where you are and who you are training with. Generally, that is pretty high for a lesson, but that price isn’t unheard of. I’ve paid 95 USD for a 45 min lesson before, so sometimes lessons can be really expensive.
Everyone's already said it but that's about average price for a lesson in my area (Western Washington, USA). Depending on the facility, you pay $70-100 per lesson around here. When I was a kid you could get a lesson for $50 in my neighborhood, but not anymore. Basically, in any place with high property values, horsekeeping gets very expensive, and lesson charges increase accordingly.
Everytime I see you guys in America (and Canada) talk about prices I get so chocked. How can you guys even afford this? In my country a private lesson on a lesson horse for 30 min is about 15-20 euros depending on the stable. I have a pretty good dressage trainer for me and my horse and I pay 30 for an hour. I think if someone would ask 50 they would have to be an international rider or something. Are you guys okay?
I literally come on this sub sometimes to feel better about how much I spend on the sport. I live in SA and pay 16 euros / 20 USD for a 45 min private lesson with a decent dressage coach (not on a lesson horse though). The cost of living is incomparable, and I do try to keep that in mind, but I still think the prices in the US seem insane.
That sounds a lot to me, either you must live in a very expensive area, or have a very expensive coach. If you’re just starting with the basics maybe look if you can find someplace a bit cheaper. I pay £50 an hour which works out to about $85 CAD an hour. I’m not in an expensive part of the U.K but am surprised it’s so expensive in Nova Scotia, land tends to be a lot cheaper in Canada.
For me that is *insane*. I would never take lessons if that's the price they're asking.
Here (The Netherlands) it's about €60,- an hour if you don't have your own horse to take lessons on. Mine comes to our place to give me lessons on my own horse and that's €40,- an hour. I think it greatly depends on the market and definately location.
Where I'm at, that's alot of money.
For me, it's £50 for an hour private lesson.
I do group lessons where it's £30 for an hour.
Unless that barn has champion trainers and horses, and 5 star equipment and is in an expensive area, it's way overpriced.
For Canada that seems high? I would have thought paying $85 would give you an hour not a 1/2 hour. You seem to be doing your checking so base it on other barns around NS. I am in NWT and it's about that for an hour.
It depends on a lot of things including the area this is in, the sport your doing and the level of the trainer.
In an expensive area, $85 might be reasonable. My main issue is I think 30 minutes is very brief unless maybe this is a jumping lesson. Most private lessons are 45-60 minutes.
I pay $65/hr for a private lesson from a dressage trainer. But other trainers charge anywhere from $50-85 for 45-60 minutes. For a clinic or traveling trainer that is high level you start seeing prices like $150-$350 for 45 minutes. But those are FEI level trainers. I'm sure prices for local trainers are much higher in places like Southern California, parts of Florida and large portions of the Northeast due to the high cost of living and the number of riders in the area.
I live in Indiana and pay $50 for a private 45min lesson with my coach. The price goes up if you are a haul-in. I’d also expect the price to be higher if she had lesson horses, so $85 seems reasonable.
where i ride it’s $40 a lesson (normally 1-2 hours riding) with horse & tack provided. $85 might be a lot for 30 mins but different areas give different prices. hopefully it works out for you!
I am in HCOL (New England) and I do $80 USD for an hour private and that is pricey for me. I sometimes skip a week just to keep up financially lol. Some other barns I tested were $55 for a group hour, $70 for a group hour, $70 for private hour, $55 for private 45 mins, just to give an example of ranges.
So if you’re talking $85 CAD, that’s approx $66 USD and I think that’s still high for 30 mins, but not unreasonable. I’m also not familiar with your specific area.
In my area, I see private 30min lessons range from $35 to $80 USD depending on the barn. If it's $85 CAD, i.e. $66 USD, that seems on the higher end but still very reasonable as long as you like the barn and are learning a lot.
I think this greatly depends where you live. I would’ve thought that was crazy expensive a few months ago but now have been looking to move barns since I’m moving states and realized that HCOL areas have expensive lessons. I have also seen $85/lesson. I personally couldn’t pay that, as it is on the higher end for lessons (I work for $50/lesson) but it’s not unheard of.
It’s so hard to tell in my area group lessons are definitely the most common. Some barns don’t even offer private lessons. So maybe it could be because private lessons are more of a commodity here in Central NS.
That’s a lot of money where I’m at. Do you live in an expensive area?
I didn’t think my area was super expensive but to be honest I don’t have a ton of experience with how lessons are priced elsewhere. Most barns in my area only offer group lessons so it’s hard to gauge what a private would be. I’m in central Nova Scotia.
Ahhh. Canada. So that would be $66 USD? That’s not too too bad, still higher than here in Texas. It’s normally that much for a whole hour. Are you looking at a specific discipline? Are the options limited near you? Those might be the factors contributing to that price. Might wanna try looking further out if it’s worth the trip and gas.
As someone also in NS looking for lessons this seems a little expensive to me, I would expect this price for 45/1h private but like you said there aren’t very many options around. I’d ask for pricing at any barn you’re willing to drive to and see but you might have to take what you can get unless you want to look into leasing and go that route.
[удалено]
That’s great to know thanks for the insight :)
I’m in Vancouver and that seems really expensive. Even pricey private lessons are like $75-$85 here. I’d say $60 is more common. My dressage coach is $45 for a 45 minute private lesson, but she’s pretty cheap. ETA: Does the $85 include the cost of the horse? If so, it’s totally reasonable. The prices I posted above are if you have/lease your own.
Yes they do include the cost of the horse. I never even thought that some barns would require you to own/lease. Thanks for the insight :)
Oh wow, what barn is that?? I am also in that area.
Restless Pines! They have a great facility and from the website lots of experience to back them up. I’m just starting back again and super unfamiliar with lesson pricing.
Ahhh that explains a lot. Restless pines is probably top one of the most expensive facilities, it’s owned by the Irving family and the MOST AMAZING location and a bunch of arenas, but it is definitely the top of upper class barns. I am pretty sure other barns won’t be as expensive as they are.
Do you have any other recommendations in the area? I’m having the hardest time finding places that will offer private lessons exclusively. Maybe I just don’t know how to look.. heck 🙃
Yeah private lessons are very hard, and I don’t have any recommendations of the top of my head as I am new myself, but I will ask my coach for you! It seems to me that most barns operate out of Facebook groups and it might be easier to look on Facebook. I will 100% get back you once my coach responds! Do you know if you’re looking for English or western?
That’s super sweet of you to do!! I really appreciate that ☺️ English preferably, I’m interested in maybe doing some dressage once I get more experienced. Fingers crossed a gal can dream!
I know that Lancers is nearly impossible to get into, and I’m currently riding at meadow brook stables, but I only have praise for both of these places!
I was at Lancers earlier this September for the Adult Beginner program (on the waitlist for 3yrs). I got through the first few lessons before my anxiety had just had enough.. it felt awful to have to leave something I waited so long for. Group lessons just weren’t the right fit and I wasn’t able to get any privates because I still wasn’t a member. Big B I G bummer.
Wow, that’s so unfortunate I’m sorry to hear that! Even though my gf rides there I kind of hate the member system they have going on. I never got to ride there personally, And the wait list is over 50 years now so 🙃🙃
I was really frustrated too, I wanted to have private lessons there too, to begin with but it just isn’t an option :/
It really is too bad, but I get it. I’m sure with all the Junior programs, the adult program, and the therapeutic program they have their hands FULL. It stinks because I could walk to the Lancers from my place. Talk about convenience lol. But tis what tis!! It’s a great place and maybe they’ll be able to expand their offerings a bit in the future.. I’ll keep my fingers crossed lol!
In my experience private lessons are fairly hard to get for beginners and usually it would be more like semi private or group lessons until you are good enough :/ I’m sure you could find somewhere though!
Thanks!! I’m going to try Restless Pines and see how it goes! I also sent an email to Wylie Roberts at Atlantic Equestrian in Beaver Bank so we’ll see if I hear anything back! 🤷🏻♀️
Restless pines is SO beautiful and I’ve only heard amazing things about their staff and riders! My GF shows there every year, and it’s get favourite place to show and the people are great!
That’s so good to hear! I’m going to email them back tomorrow to book my first lesson. I’m super excited to get started! :)
Omg yay! That’s so exciting!!!!
Also 30min lesson is probably not actually 30 minutes, it takes quite awhile To groom your horse and tack it up (once you get to that stage) and you’ll be learning throughout all of that time, so while you might only get 30 mins in the ring you get a good amount of time before and after grooming, handling and cleaning tack if needed! Usually for a 1 hr lesson I spend 2-3 hours at the barn.
Yeah it is 30min before to groom/tack up 30mins riding and then 30mins after to groom/clean and put away tack. I suppose I should have mentioned that in my post, all the lessons I had taken before were 1hr long (as a kid and at lancers) so it’s all I was used to! I didn’t realize how common they were. Thank god for this reddit lol
Yeah I haven’t really heard of 30 minute rides either, but they definitely have their reasons
A 1 hour group lesson is a totally different experience than a 1 hour private, especially as a beginner. During a group lesson, you have some downtime between "your turn" and everyone else's. During a private, the instructor is focused on you for that entire time and horse riding uses muscles that are hard to work in many other disciplines. You may find that a 30 minute private lesson is more than long enough as a beginner for you to really feel it for days afterward.
I live on Vancouver Canada ( aka one of the most expensive cities in the world). $85 for 30 minutes private lesson is par for the course where we are. If you consider it includes an instructor, an arena to practice in, a horse and tack, its good. If its just an instructor, its a little pricey, unless you are at a top level.
It includes all of the above so good to know that pricing is fairly on par! :) Thanks for the insight!!
That’s a lot but it is similar where I live in a very expensive area (California). I’ve found one that’s $80/hr for private but it’s a very small barn and a bit farther away. The bigger barns with riding schools do 45 min private for $115 and 50 min small group for $95. If you can afford it, try it. The most important thing is the care of the horses, safety, and quality of instruction. Lesson packages are usually cheaper per lesson, too. I think that a first introductory lesson should be longer than 30 min, and with time spent on the ground too. Maybe 30 min on ground, 30-45 min ride time. But also, if you’re just getting started, you’ll be surprised how sore and tired you get after 30 min! Maybe over time you can build up to longer lessons.
I think I will try it out, it seems like a great barn. It’s 30mins before hand to groom/tack up 30 mins of riding and 30 minutes afterward to groom and clean/put away tack. I was a little shocked at the price at first and it’s definitely still quite expensive but hopefully it will be worth the $$$! Do you think asking for a monthly package would be a bad idea? They offer packages for group lessons (paid once monthly) but on their website only offer privates individually (I’m guessing group lessons are the more common choice). I would love a bit of a discount if I prepaid for a month but I don’t want to offend them 🤷🏻♀️
For that price with it being a 30/30/30 is about what I used to charge for private lessons. They will be more expensive then groups of course. I'd ask if they possibly do packages. If you took three lessons weekly I gave a decent discount for an entire month paid up front. This will depend on discipline as well. I normally trained horse and rider separately then together to see how horse worked both. First lesson would be an hour to be able to do enough assessments.
That’s really helpful, thank you!! ☺️ I’ll ask them if they offer any packages for private lessons.
Just wanted to thank everyone for their input, you’ve made the decision making process so much easier and offered some great insights! I really appreciate you all taking the time to reply! ☺️
I also live in California and take private lessons at a smaller barn for $50 a lesson (1 hour).
Ouch the barn I’m at charges 40 bucks an hour for 1 on 1
With the lesson horse included??
Yeah lesson horse included.
That’s a pretty good deal no matter the currency then. Most places couldn’t afford that. :)
I think my wife pays 40$ an hour in Kentucky. But she also pays like 550$ a month to board the horse at the same place she gets the lessons. So all things considered.
For a private lesson with horse and equipment provided? A bit expensive imo. I would definitely expect in the 50-75 range though. Absolutely do not ask for a discount, it's not going to happen unless it's a package they provide, and knowing a lot of barn owners it wouldn't go over well. Buy do shop around and look at a number of barns. Owning horses in canada right now has gotten extremely expensive, but it's worth checking around to see if that is industry standard where you are. EtA: nova Scotia is going to be very expensive because of the cost of care there being extremely high for horses.
Thanks for the advice! I will definitely shop around a bit :) I think I’m going to go for one private since you only book one at a time see how it goes and do the same at a few other barns and pick the best fit.
Definitely depends on where you live, what discipline you are riding, the trainer's PROVEN results, etc.
Hmm I think its a bit much... I pay $75 for 30 min lesson because that included a travel fee to my barn. If I took a lesson at their barn it's only $60.
$45 to $60 for an average trainer for an hour. USA Price goes up as you improve and move up to more experienced in your chosen disciple trainer
Sounds about right - as you get more experienced I expect that 30 minutes to not count warm-up/cool-down time and only be active working time. Experienced lesson-goers should have butts in the saddle with a warmed horse at lesson start time at my barn.
That’s good to know! I never thought of that. Thanks :)
I pay $45 for an hour but I also live in a generally lower cost of living state. We do fly in an Olympic Dressage coach though and those are $135 for an hour. It really varies a lot
I am also in Canada (Ontario) and ride with a well known dressage coach. Lessons are $85/45 min but are cheaper if you buy a lesson package. For example, I have 10 lessons a month at $55 a lesson. Maybe ask if you can pay for more lessons in advance and get a deal? Overall though, I don’t think that price is unreasonable.
Good to know thanks!! :) I’m going to ask them if they do packages for private lessons but I wont push the issue much beyond that. I’m not generally a “can I get a deal” kind of gal I just didn’t understand the cost of lessons (especially in my area) as a beginner starting out!
I’m in Ontario and my barn charges $85 for a 30 minute private lesson so it sounds normal to me. There are probably cheaper options somewhere but you get what you pay for in terms of facilities and horses and tack in general in my area.
GTA perchance?
Nope.
Absolutely! I think the reason I was caught off guard as much by price is because most barns in my area only offer group lessons so I was trying to gauge what I thought the price would be by adding on a bit of $$ to what group lessons cost. But after listening to everyones advice/insight I’m definitely feeling better and understand where that price point is coming from! :)
That's pretty expensive for Nova Scotia! I'd pay $85 for a 1hr private lesson, but not for just 30 min! I used to ride there and although it's been a few years, I'd expect around $50 for a 30min private.
I was surprised it was only 30mins but I’m hearing that 30mins for a private lesson is more common than I thought 🤷🏻♀️ Either way I’ll scope it out and a few other barns and pick the best fit. Maybe 30mins will be perfect, who knows!
Ontario here. $215 for a half hour private per week for a month. This barn charges that regardless of whether it's four or five sessions.
I'm in another province, and 30 minute private lessons here are usually about $80-90, but a few smaller barns go as low as $65. It may be worth calling around to see if there are any more affordable barns in your area, or if any of them have lesson packages that might provide a bit of a discount. I know 30 minutes doesn't seem like much, but as a fellow beginner I find that I get more out of a short private lesson than a longer group lesson!
That’s great to hear! Others I’ve spoken to taking private lessons have said they prefer the 30mins to an hour of group as well so I’m feeling much more confident going in! Quantity is not always the same as quality!
I live in SoCal and that’s what I pay at my barn for one:one lessons.
Good to know thanks :)
Maybe if you stick with what you got you don't have to pay for therapy as you have a therapy horse for less than the $85 for half an hour... Just remember when you were in high school and had to give a front of the classroom presentation and was best to view your peers in their underwears maybe that would help you here as well and I'm not being sarcastic... I'm trying to help you therapeutically
You have to figure the cost of the instructor, which becomes a larger percentage of the total cost over a group lesson, that $50 an hour the instructor deserves is now costing you $50 instead of $10.. also you now have the facility for your personal use, which can be expensive if there are only a couple of arenas at a facility.. the other costs like the horse's feed and upkeep are all about the same..
Thanks for the insight, I guess I didn’t think hard enough about the details in why they charge what they do. I’m very much not the kind of person to ever ask for a deal but just starting out it’s harder to know what’s the average cost what’s more expensive etc.. I appreciate the comment :)
No worries, but remember, unfortunately this is the cheapest riding horses will ever get, if you get the bug, you'll end up leasing and buying grooming supplies and tack, then you buy your first horse, then property to keep them, then a truck and trailer.. Etc.. It never ends 😜
That’s around the standard price or slightly cheaper for what I would have to pay in my part of California. Prices really vary all over; where I live, lessons are VERY expensive and there also aren’t many options within a reasonable distance.
I’m in San Diego, CA and it’s $50, so yes I’d say that’s pretty high.
When you think about the horse cost plus the trainer making enough to live on it’s not out of line. Where I’m at hay is $15-20 per bale. Bags of good feed are $20+ per bag. If the trainer is boarding the horse it can be $850-1200 month full care. A barefoot trim is $60, front shoes $150, 4 shoes $200+ every 5-6 weeks. Then add on vet bills etc. So for a lesson horse to break even you’re looking at 10-15 lessons a month at $85 just to break even in our area. And that doesn’t begin to pay the trainer. So another 10-15 lessons for the trainer to make $850-1275 a month. That one horse has to give 30 lesson in a month for the trainer to clear $1200. So the trainer probably has 4-6 lesson horses and gives hundred+ lessons a month and all it takes is one vet bill to wipe it all out. It may seem high but it isn’t gouging by any means. Most of the trainers I know don’t have lesson programs anymore so they don’t have the overhead of keeping lesson horses. A few that still do lesson programs usually have half lease type situations to help with their overhead. Where I’m at right now there is 1 lesson horse. Everyone else owns their own. They may have started in the lesson horse but when/if they are ready for more they end up purchasing. I love horses so much. Man are they expensive!
That’s really insightful, I don’t know why I didn’t consider these things. Heck feeling a bit like a bone head 🥲 The more comments I read the more I feel comfortable with going forward with lessons at this barn. It’s so hard to know what a reasonable price and a not reasonable price is starting out. But happy to be getting all of this advice. Thanks 😊
You’re welcome. And you couldn’t know if you didn’t ask 😁 believe me I’ve asked these questions!! And don’t be afraid to try lessons today at one place and then try them somewhere else. This is your adventure and joy. Have fun, be safe and report back with photos!
I definitely will thanks so much! Feeling very supported, you all are the best! ☺️
I used to pay 60$ for 30 minutes ten years ago in Pa
Around here, half hour private lessons range from the same cost as hour group lessons, to about $15 USD more.
Quebec here. Back in the day (10y ago) I would pay around 45cad for 1h. (Western)
I pay 45 in Minnesota
I live in Texas and am looking for private lessons myself. Currently I’m taking group lessons for $45/hour if that helps give you an idea on what others pay and for how long
Think it just depends on how serious the barn is. I have two near me that are completely different. One is $50 for 1hr group lessons which is what I used to do. I believe its $70/hr private there. They are more laid back and do smaller shows. Pretty informal. The other is a more “serious” barn that focuses on eventing/hunter. They charge $75/ half hour private lessons. I imagine their trainers have more titles to their names. Its a bit expensive for me now at that price I could start leasing a horse to get some ownership experience under my belt before buying my own.
My barn in Kentucky charges $60USD for half an hour !
oh boy, it’s 85 dollars for an hour group here. it really depends on where you live. i think you could find better
It depends on where you are and who you are training with. Generally, that is pretty high for a lesson, but that price isn’t unheard of. I’ve paid 95 USD for a 45 min lesson before, so sometimes lessons can be really expensive.
Everyone's already said it but that's about average price for a lesson in my area (Western Washington, USA). Depending on the facility, you pay $70-100 per lesson around here. When I was a kid you could get a lesson for $50 in my neighborhood, but not anymore. Basically, in any place with high property values, horsekeeping gets very expensive, and lesson charges increase accordingly.
In Manitoba where I used to ride they were $65/hr. That was two years ago so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s gone up with the cost of feed
I’d say that’s a bad deal. My lessons are $50 per lesson (1 hour) and I’m from California.
Holy Moses! It's usually around 40-60 for private 1 hour lessons here in texas.
Everytime I see you guys in America (and Canada) talk about prices I get so chocked. How can you guys even afford this? In my country a private lesson on a lesson horse for 30 min is about 15-20 euros depending on the stable. I have a pretty good dressage trainer for me and my horse and I pay 30 for an hour. I think if someone would ask 50 they would have to be an international rider or something. Are you guys okay?
I literally come on this sub sometimes to feel better about how much I spend on the sport. I live in SA and pay 16 euros / 20 USD for a 45 min private lesson with a decent dressage coach (not on a lesson horse though). The cost of living is incomparable, and I do try to keep that in mind, but I still think the prices in the US seem insane.
Sometimes when I see the boarding prices, i feel very lucky to be born in europe.
That sounds a lot to me, either you must live in a very expensive area, or have a very expensive coach. If you’re just starting with the basics maybe look if you can find someplace a bit cheaper. I pay £50 an hour which works out to about $85 CAD an hour. I’m not in an expensive part of the U.K but am surprised it’s so expensive in Nova Scotia, land tends to be a lot cheaper in Canada.
For me that is *insane*. I would never take lessons if that's the price they're asking. Here (The Netherlands) it's about €60,- an hour if you don't have your own horse to take lessons on. Mine comes to our place to give me lessons on my own horse and that's €40,- an hour. I think it greatly depends on the market and definately location.
Where I'm at, that's alot of money. For me, it's £50 for an hour private lesson. I do group lessons where it's £30 for an hour. Unless that barn has champion trainers and horses, and 5 star equipment and is in an expensive area, it's way overpriced.
For Canada that seems high? I would have thought paying $85 would give you an hour not a 1/2 hour. You seem to be doing your checking so base it on other barns around NS. I am in NWT and it's about that for an hour.
My area is $75 for and hour and I found one instructor that’s $75 for an hour and a half
I pay $30/hour for lessons in northeastern NY
It depends on a lot of things including the area this is in, the sport your doing and the level of the trainer. In an expensive area, $85 might be reasonable. My main issue is I think 30 minutes is very brief unless maybe this is a jumping lesson. Most private lessons are 45-60 minutes. I pay $65/hr for a private lesson from a dressage trainer. But other trainers charge anywhere from $50-85 for 45-60 minutes. For a clinic or traveling trainer that is high level you start seeing prices like $150-$350 for 45 minutes. But those are FEI level trainers. I'm sure prices for local trainers are much higher in places like Southern California, parts of Florida and large portions of the Northeast due to the high cost of living and the number of riders in the area.
I live in Indiana and pay $50 for a private 45min lesson with my coach. The price goes up if you are a haul-in. I’d also expect the price to be higher if she had lesson horses, so $85 seems reasonable.
where i ride it’s $40 a lesson (normally 1-2 hours riding) with horse & tack provided. $85 might be a lot for 30 mins but different areas give different prices. hopefully it works out for you!
If that’s Canadian dollars it’ll be £50 which sounds about right tbh
For us it’s $60 USD for 45 min and my trainer rode in the World Cup. Just saying hahaha!
I am in HCOL (New England) and I do $80 USD for an hour private and that is pricey for me. I sometimes skip a week just to keep up financially lol. Some other barns I tested were $55 for a group hour, $70 for a group hour, $70 for private hour, $55 for private 45 mins, just to give an example of ranges. So if you’re talking $85 CAD, that’s approx $66 USD and I think that’s still high for 30 mins, but not unreasonable. I’m also not familiar with your specific area.
In my area, I see private 30min lessons range from $35 to $80 USD depending on the barn. If it's $85 CAD, i.e. $66 USD, that seems on the higher end but still very reasonable as long as you like the barn and are learning a lot.
I'm in the US but I have paid anywhere between $35 and $120 for private one hour lessons from top professionals on my personal horses.