10/03/2026
Patr 1: Why equestrian sports are so much more expensive than other youth sports (hint: it is not because we are greedy).
The three things most equestrian facilities factor into the equation (and there are more we SHOULD factor in) are:
1. Horse
2. Instructor
3. Facility
I am going to do a series on these factors, today let's focus on the horse.
As a "consumer", you want a healthy, well-educated, safe, happy horse to ride. We want that for you, too! This industry is expensive and dangerous, we want you to get the most for your money and be as safe as possible doing it. The question at hand is what does it cost to accomplish all of those things?
We all know horses are expensive, but most don't know how expensive a good lesson horse truly is.
So let's break it down into what you want:
1. Healthy: the basics are feed, hay, feet, teeth, medical. We'll use my horse Brooke, a fairly easy keeper. She costs me about $350 on an average month. But it really goes far beyond that. A beginner lesson horse, no matter how well I do my job, will have their mouth yanked on, imbalanced riders, etc. Bodywork and retraining are necessary. That adds another $150 plus hours of my time. Then we add in the necessity of properly fitting tack - saddle, bit, bridle, girth - and regular fit checks and adjustments. Now that is thousands. Does the horse need a targeted nutrition plan to handle mineral and/or gut deficiencies? Most likely. Monthly supplements? Yup. Now we are at $650/month minimum. None of this includes the costs of having a farm where I can keep her, she can graze, etc.
2. Well-educated: this takes years. A lesson program is either buying these years or making the years. Let's say your average horse costs about $5k per year before training, showing, etc. Let's say it traditionally takes at least 2 years of intensive training for a young, green horse to get the experience to be "well-educated" (the length is debatable, but traditionally military programs had an intensive 2 year program for military horses so we will base this off that). If a program does all the training for a young, green horse, they still have the purchase price and another $10k+ into the horse before it earns a dollar.
3. Safe: This is different than well-educated. Some horses have safer personalities than others, but we can also create safe horses. This takes a lot of time, training, and exposure to different environments (including hauling off-site). So add more cost to the "well-educated" baseline.
4. Happy: This requires a hands-on, observant manager and a diligent instructor. Is the horse getting off-balance, frustrated, bored? How do we catch it before it becomes an issue? How do we build time into the horse's week outside of lessons for rebalancing, for play, for connection? Who does that and with what time? What is the limit on the number of lessons they can teach and be happy? My horses do 3 - 5 lessons a week and I keep it that way because they are happier. Which means lessons have to be more expensive because I am not a barn requiring my horses do 10 lessons a week.
So, if I get cheap/free and spend 2 years cultivating a healthy, well-educated, safe, happy horse that costs me, minimum $16k before I put in an ounce of my time.
We put a dollar sign on a lot of these things, but not on my time. If I sent that horse off for training for 2 years it would cost me $24k more on top of that $16k. If I paid myself as barn manager (a job I do, but don't get paid for) to do basic care, prioritize good handling, hold for the farrier/vent/dentist/bodyworker, use the info from those professionals and my own observations to constantly adapt care and training for the horses, etc. that would have to be a full-time living wage. Luckily, I spent years paying to educate myself so that I don't have to pay someone else to do those jobs (we will get into the cost of instructor education when we do part 2 on the instructor). It just means I need more hours in my day.
None of this takes into account what it costs when we ethically retire that horse on our property because she gave everything for years.
Every time someone complains about a price, this all floods my mind. I know that people do not understand the amount of time and money that goes into creating a healthy, well-educated, safe, happy horse. I think we need to change that.
Lesson horses are incredibly valuable because the rider does not have to absorb these years of costs that allow them to enjoy horses once a week. Most barns are DYING (sometimes almost literally from the work we put in and financial debt) to give you access to horses. Horses have been such a big part of our lives and we want to share that with you. But, we will not compromise the well-being of our horses or your safety. I think that standard is something we can all agree on!
