Shocked by the cost of riding nowadays

[Showjumper]

I'll preface this by saying it's been a LONG time since I've paid to ride as until 9 years ago I had my own horses and yes, they were expensive to keep, but nothing like the cost of riding nowadays. After losing my heart horse and having two children, I'm now wanting to get back into horses and riding and with an aim of looking for a share horse next year, thought I'd start investigating local options to get myself riding fit again.

Nearly fell off my chair when I found out group lessons nearby are £35 for half an hour and a 2 hour hack is £80. To put these costs in perspective, when I had my own horses I used to pay £120 a month for livery and ride 5 days a week Even with replacement tack, hay, straw, feed, vet bills, insurance etc, it was still a huge saving on the prices I'm seeing for a weekly ride at a local stables.

I've been watching the Brecon horse sales online and have been surprised at the cost of horses too - what would have been a £1500 happy hacker 9 years ago now costs in excess of £4000 and a totally average riding club horse is in 5 figures. When did these prices happen and is it the same everywhere?

 

[carthorse]

Lockdown sent horse prices crazy, particularly the happy hacker types that so many people want, and while they've come down a bit they're still high. I do wonder if they'll come down this winter if hay and straw are in short supply and expensive, but who knows?

Lessons are also hit for similar reasons and more. A fair few schools went out of business in lockdown because they couldn't keep going with no income and no guarantee of when it would end. And also the amount of regulation has increased, as have wages and that's on top of overheads that are already high. All this is passed on in lesson costs, and I suspect even then many schools don't make high profits.

Wait until you see insurance prices now!

 

[Showjumper]

Eeps, I can well imagine that insurance prices have gone through the roof - it's taken a lot of searching to get my house and contents insurance to a reasonable rate this year.

The lockdown effect makes sense - there are certainly more dog owners around nowadays than I remember in days gone by (I'm one of them but have always had a dog). Are there more novices taking the plunge and buying horses to compensate for the cost of lessons than used to be the case or are people still stumping up for several years of lessons and coaching before buying but just accepting the high prices?

I suppose I'm wondering whether there would be people out there keen for an out-of-practice ex-horse owner to share their horses to help them out if they've bought too soon, rather than spending an inordinate amount of money on lessons and hacks to get back into full riding fitness first.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

I'll preface this by saying it's been a LONG time since I've paid to ride as until 9 years ago I had my own horses and yes, they were expensive to keep, but nothing like the cost of riding nowadays. After losing my heart horse and having two children, I'm now wanting to get back into horses and riding and with an aim of looking for a share horse next year, thought I'd start investigating local options to get myself riding fit again.

Nearly fell off my chair when I found out group lessons nearby are £35 for half an hour and a 2 hour hack is £80. To put these costs in perspective, when I had my own horses I used to pay £120 a month for livery and ride 5 days a week Even with replacement tack, hay, straw, feed, vet bills, insurance etc, it was still a huge saving on the prices I'm seeing for a weekly ride at a local stables.

I've been watching the Brecon horse sales online and have been surprised at the cost of horses too - what would have been a £1500 happy hacker 9 years ago now costs in excess of £4000 and a totally average riding club horse is in 5 figures. When did these prices happen and is it the same everywhere?

When I was looking to buy a horse last year, the happy hackers were even going close to £9K. I managed to find an older horse for £3k and she is lovely but I was looking up to £10K

 

[Skib]

I doubt if you will find a free ride. There are dozens of people wanting to ride and most of us have to pay for it. Your local Facebook page may offer something but you would need to be very lucky.
Riding has always been expensive. This was so even before the advent of motor vehicles.
I had a legacy from my mother (yes, 10K in 1998) which I set aside to ride and to buy and to keep a horse when the time came. In the event I did not buy because I found a regular ride, first at a local RS and then shared.
I rode twice a week: one lesson and one hack.
After Covid, that went down to riding once a week which I somewhat regret. But I am very old and the current beloved mare is very safe.
The loving bit matters a lot. I have loved the three mares I have shared and tried to ensure that if any of them were to be sold, I could have first refusal.
I never understood the fitness side. OH and I both rode for years after retirement age of 60 and the riding kept us fit. But we never took any other excercise than walking. And thanks to careful eating we neither of us put on much weight,
Being more constructive, one important thing is to become known locally among other riders, which means going to a local riding school both for lessons and possibly helping out.

 

[Showjumper]

I'm happy to pay. I always charged my sharers £10 a day plus they did all the work on their days too so I'm totally comfortable with that sort of arrangement. I would love to go volunteer at a riding school but at 40 with 2 small children, time doesn't allow me to disappear all day on the weekends as I did in my teens and the local schools don't seem to do much on weekdays during school hours.

I'm also technically fit - I walk about 2 hours a day with my dog and cycle regularly with the children - but riding uses different muscle groups and I'm keen to get them working better before I commit to a regular arrangement. You are right though - I need to start letting my local horsey folks know that I'm here. My closest horsey neighbours compete at too high a level to be interested in me but they may have some more low-key friends who'd appreciate some help

I think I will stump up for at least a few lessons and hacks (while trying not to remember that it used to be much cheaper ) and then see what the future holds.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

I'm happy to pay. I always charged my sharers £10 a day plus they did all the work on their days too so I'm totally comfortable with that sort of arrangement. I would love to go volunteer at a riding school but at 40 with 2 small children, time doesn't allow me to disappear all day on the weekends as I did in my teens and the local schools don't seem to do much on weekdays during school hours.

I'm also technically fit - I walk about 2 hours a day with my dog and cycle regularly with the children - but riding uses different muscle groups and I'm keen to get them working better before I commit to a regular arrangement. You are right though - I need to start letting my local horsey folks know that I'm here. My closest horsey neighbours compete at too high a level to be interested in me but they may have some more low-key friends who'd appreciate some help

I think I will stump up for at least a few lessons and hacks (while trying not to remember that it used to be much cheaper ) and then see what the future holds.

Years ago I shared cost me £10 a week and i got to ride some beautiful hunters and showjumpers for a mad irishmen. There are folks out there who do want a bit of help I would advertise on local sites. When I looked at a track livery for Fleur it was £350-£450 a month plus all other costs

 

[Trewsers]

I'll preface this by saying it's been a LONG time since I've paid to ride as until 9 years ago I had my own horses and yes, they were expensive to keep, but nothing like the cost of riding nowadays. After losing my heart horse and having two children, I'm now wanting to get back into horses and riding and with an aim of looking for a share horse next year, thought I'd start investigating local options to get myself riding fit again.

Nearly fell off my chair when I found out group lessons nearby are £35 for half an hour and a 2 hour hack is £80. To put these costs in perspective, when I had my own horses I used to pay £120 a month for livery and ride 5 days a week Even with replacement tack, hay, straw, feed, vet bills, insurance etc, it was still a huge saving on the prices I'm seeing for a weekly ride at a local stables.

I've been watching the Brecon horse sales online and have been surprised at the cost of horses too - what would have been a £1500 happy hacker 9 years ago now costs in excess of £4000 and a totally average riding club horse is in 5 figures. When did these prices happen and is it the same everywhere?

Wow that was cheap livery! When I was on a yard twenty years ago I paid roughly £140 a month for one horse. When I moved yards to be nearer our new home it doubled. But anyway, with regard to the buying a horse prices yes, they are much more expensive than they were I agree. I have three, one of which I was lucky enough to find last year (I live on a remote island and there's not that many options for what I wanted) but I do remember looking at mainland prices and wowser, they were steep. For what I wanted and the potentials I looked at online they were in the region of £4,500. Eeek indeed. I had savings of £3,000 lol so just figured either something would come along or else I'd have to do more saving!!! Anyway, hope you find something suitable to share or buy.

 

[Showjumper]

Thanks I am definitely leaning towards sharing rather than buying as neither child is particularly interested and I don't want to force them into spending time indulging my hobby when they have interests of their own. They already have to put up with the time we spend tending to our flock of pedigree sheep so horses will be just for me, ideally during the day when they're at school

 

[Tir]

Try the RDA for volunteering for some horse time and to wake the muscles back up to the hard word that is keeping them?

My sister has sharers and they pay from £120 to £220 a month depending on which of her horses it is and how much riding they want. £220 gets them 4 to 5 days a week. One of them is a loveky lady who had a 23 year gap, 6 months at a RS once a week, then came to join us. Was rusty, but competant for the older horse who doesnt really jump anymore.

 

[carthorse]

@Showjumper I think a lot of people bought when riding schools couldn't open in lockdown, it was a way to carry on riding and also an allowed reason to go out. So not the cost of lessons, rather the unavailability of them.

You may or may not find a share, you never know until you try! I wouldn't assume people are only looking for a sharer because they've bought too soon and have problems though, it may be that a contribution to costs or struggling for time are reasons. And I do think some lessons to get back into the swing of things first would be a good idea, that way you'll make a better impression if someone is interested. Or if you can't find a shar you could look to buy and then look for a sharer so you have a bit more free time, that way you get the horse you want rather than what's available.

Whatever you decide good luck!

 

[newforest]

I would look around as my local stables is £30 am hour for a group, the beach ride is £80.

 

[Jessey]

It definitely isn’t cheap! I’d think you’d be a welcome addition as a sharer, any non-novice is generally snapped up, but a few lessons sounds like a wise plan to get you on the right track.

 

[Skib]

the local schools don't seem to do much on weekdays during school hours.

That is odd. Our local riding schools are busy on weekday mornings with the mothers of the children now at school, I used to ride out with the mother of two teenagers.

 

[carthorse]

That is odd. Our local riding schools are busy on weekday mornings with the mothers of the children now at school, I used to ride out with the mother of two teenagers.

I guess it depends on the area, around here many mums work and so aren't free in the week.

 

[Showjumper]

Thanks all After a LOT of scouring the internet and Facebook, I've found a reasonably local riding school with plenty of recommendations who offer private lessons for £35 for half an hour so I've dropped them a line and will be booking in for September once the kids are back at school. They don't do much hacking which is a shame but there are plenty of other local places that do so I'll brush up on technique then book some hacks elsewhere just for a bit of fun

 

[eventerbabe]

I know this is an old thread, but the cost of riding is something that’s come up for me with my daughter now riding. I’m £40 for an hours group lesson or £35 for a half hour private. She’s now competing at the yard she rides at and with horse hire and class fees, I was nearly £100 for one competition with two classes (inhand and ridden). She’s wanting a pony at some point and I’m fully expecting to pay up to £10k for a suitable horse for her