How much does professional horse training cost?
ByI’m considering buying a horse, but all the broke to ride ones advertised locally are either too much money or too old, I really want a Tennessee Walker, and have found a beautiful filly, but I would need a professional to break her. Does anybody know how much training I’m looking at and approx. how much it costs?
Training costs vary from trainer to trainer even within the same area. Some trainers combine training costs with board as a "package", some break it out as a separate cost from board.
To get a realistic answer to your question, you need to know how much training you will require: do you want your filly green-broke (i.e., an experienced rider could handle her but not an inexperienced rider)? Broke to the point where even a beginner could ride her? Do you want her trained for a specific show discipline?
Do you want to work with the filly as she’s being trained, and get lessons from the trainer? Or do you expect the trainer to do everything and at some point hand you off a trained horse?
Once you know what your expectations are, you need to start looking for trainers and talking to them. Some trainers aren’t interested in training horses they haven’t bought for the client themselves. Sad to say, some of these kinds of trainers will take your horse on and then try to talk you into letting them sell it, telling you that the horse isn’t suitable for you and they can find a better one for you. And of course they’re getting a commission on the sale of your horse and the purchase of the new horse.
You need to make sure that you are happy with the methods the trainer uses to train horses. You also need to pay attention to how well the trainer communicates with you and be comfortable with that. Some people are great at training horses but not so great at talking to horse owners. There can be a real disconnect.
In general, you’ll pay more for a trainer that has a good reputation that is widely known than for a trainer that is either just starting out or is only known in a very small area. You’ll also pay more for a trainer who has a showplace stable than someone whose facilities are more workmanlike.
You really need to talk to the trainers you’re considering and get their quote on training costs. It doesn’t do much good to have a trainer whose price you like but whose methods and results you don’t like.
Good luck!
7 Comments
April 29th, 2010 at 4:46 am
Well I think it depends on your riding experience.
If you are an advanced rider you could get away with 30-60 days of training, but if this is your first young horse to ride and train I would say at least 90-120 days. I know to some this may seem excessive, but paying an extra month or so of training is much cheaper than a medical bill if you wind up in the hospital.
Horse training is not cheap, keep in mind it usually includes full care boarding and feeding fees. A good trainer is worth every penny. I would expect to pay at least $300-$600/Month for professional training. (Also depends greatly where you live as well) Either way just because someone calls themselves a professional trainer, doesn’t make them a good or safe one.
Be sure to ask for references and ask to see their current horses in training. I like to see horses that are in good shape, well fed, and fitting tack. The trainer should be willing to explain their training theories and their thoughts on what is and isn’t acceptable. I like to see someone who has safe facilities, who takes regards their job seriously.
References :
April 29th, 2010 at 5:28 am
I don’t know where you are located, but generally, as with all things, you get what you pay for. A "cheaper" trainer may not be as skilled or may not ride your horse as often as they say they are going to.
If you are a novice I stress, and I do mean STRESS that you buy a horse that is already trained. 60-120 days of training on a young horse is not enough to make them solid enough for a new horse owner. There is so much more to it, can’t go into it all here, for lack of space. But trust me, in the over 30 years we have in operating a successful training business that is the biggest "Kiss of Death"… novice rider + Green Horse. Please don’t do it.
But , just because you asked. We are in California, somewhat small town and our training rates are $750 – $850 per month. depending on stall preference. It may be more in the bigger cities, and less depending on the experience of the "trainer". Get references before you choose someone and cost is not the main factor. In fact, in the realm of things, it is minimal considering how easily a horse can get "messed up" and become a danger to itself and the rider. Your safety is much more important than a "cheap" trainer.
In the long run it is much cheaper and safer to buy a horse that is already trained and suited to your goals.
References :
Successful Training business for over 30 years.
April 29th, 2010 at 5:43 am
Training board (cost of board plus daily training) at really top-notch farms averages $1500/month. But you probably don’t need a fancy showplace barn or a top competition trainer, so you don’t need to spend that much. Several mid-priced trainers that I know charge around $1000/month for training board. This is stall board, you might get a better price if your horse can go on field board but most trainers want training horses in the barn just for ease of access to the horse (they don’t want to have to catch that horse in a 20 acre field every time they ride it!).
There are always new trainers and young trainers coming up through the ranks who charge quite a bit less because they have not earned a "name" and reputation yet. You want to check such trainers out thoroughly. Some are fabulous horsemen who for one reason or another have not (yet) hit the big time, but others are wanna-be’s who will not give your horse a good start. I know some "backyard" trainers who will break horses for around $500/month. Some are OK, some don’t have a clue how terrible they are as riders. You want to watch them ride to decide for yourself if they have the expertise to break your horse. If possible, watch them ride on other young horses that they broke and trained themselves to see how they turned out. And check references.
One suggestion since money is an issue is to see if some of the "big name" very respectable trainers in your area have students that they would recommend to take your horse on. The students should still be under the supervision of the expert trainer, so your horse will benefit from his/her expertise while you will only have to pay a discounted price since it is a student doing the riding.
There is a guy around me who breaks a lot of local horses. He got his start at the racetrack, but now goes to people’s farms to break and train horses. He charges only $20 per ride and comes right to your farm. What a deal!
As you can see, prices vary wildly depending on what you want. A big name trainer at a fancy barn will charge a lot more than a backyard horseperson who takes on a few project horses every now and then. You can find good trainers at bargain prices, but please find the best trainer you can. The first trainer to ride your horses sets the tone for every ride thereafter. Mistakes made in the breaking process can create lifetime problems for horses.
Another point to make is that you can’t just send a horse off for training and expect to just bring the horse home to start riding. You have to be an active part of the training process. Watch the trainer working with your horse so you learn what methods he/she uses and what aids are taught to your horse. See what your horse’s problem areas are, and how the trainer works through them. Before you bring the horse home from the trainer, take some lessons on your horse from the trainer to make sure you can handle the horse yourself. I can’t tell you how many people bring the horse home from the trainer and then can’t do a thing with the horse because they don’t know how the trainer taught the horse and what aids he/she used.
References :
10 years professional horse experience as farm manager/trainer/instructor.
April 29th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Training costs vary from trainer to trainer even within the same area. Some trainers combine training costs with board as a "package", some break it out as a separate cost from board.
To get a realistic answer to your question, you need to know how much training you will require: do you want your filly green-broke (i.e., an experienced rider could handle her but not an inexperienced rider)? Broke to the point where even a beginner could ride her? Do you want her trained for a specific show discipline?
Do you want to work with the filly as she’s being trained, and get lessons from the trainer? Or do you expect the trainer to do everything and at some point hand you off a trained horse?
Once you know what your expectations are, you need to start looking for trainers and talking to them. Some trainers aren’t interested in training horses they haven’t bought for the client themselves. Sad to say, some of these kinds of trainers will take your horse on and then try to talk you into letting them sell it, telling you that the horse isn’t suitable for you and they can find a better one for you. And of course they’re getting a commission on the sale of your horse and the purchase of the new horse.
You need to make sure that you are happy with the methods the trainer uses to train horses. You also need to pay attention to how well the trainer communicates with you and be comfortable with that. Some people are great at training horses but not so great at talking to horse owners. There can be a real disconnect.
In general, you’ll pay more for a trainer that has a good reputation that is widely known than for a trainer that is either just starting out or is only known in a very small area. You’ll also pay more for a trainer who has a showplace stable than someone whose facilities are more workmanlike.
You really need to talk to the trainers you’re considering and get their quote on training costs. It doesn’t do much good to have a trainer whose price you like but whose methods and results you don’t like.
Good luck!
References :
April 29th, 2010 at 6:47 am
20-100 per hr
References :
April 29th, 2010 at 7:08 am
If you are an experienced, confident rider then all you need is for someone to start him under saddle and you can do the rest. My trainer charged me $300 to start my horse. However, if you are not an experienced, confident rider then you will need to spend more to get the horse to your skill level and it would probably be lots cheaper for you to buy an older, experienced horse. I would not recommend an inexperienced or beginner rider get a an untrained horse.
References :
17 years horse owner, 48 years horse addict
April 29th, 2010 at 7:47 am
im located in the midwest and the prices here for monthly training is 200$ – 500$ per monthi haven’t seen anything cheaper and 500$ is the most expensive i’ve seen
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