Cost of breaking a horse

[emilylou]

With a rising 3yo mare, it is fast approaching the time to send her away to be broken. I am out of touch with how much this is likely to set me back so I can start saving! So was wondering if anyone has sent a horse away to be broken recently and how much it cost you for this? Particularly anyone based in West Midlands. Reccomendations are also welcome!

 

[ihatework]

You will find huge variation, and whilst paying more doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get a better job/service (and likewise a cheap rate doesn’t always equal bad) I do think that in general you get what you pay for, especially if dealing with something a bit tricky/sensitive/sharp.

I’m a bit control freak over such a critical stage of training - and I’d expect to pay a minimum of £200 a week and more likely £250+

The people I know charging in the £150-180 bracket I wouldn’t let loose with my horses. But I’m in an expensive area.

 

[be positive]

As already said costs vary but I would suggest sending Adorable Alice a pm to find out who started Ted as they did an amazing job with a tricky young horse.

 

[Louby]

My young mare was backed in March, I too didnt have a clue how much it would be. I was recommended the same person by lots of different peope, so she went there. It was £140 a week which I thought was very cheap! but then someone in the know reckoned that was expensive?? Seems their recommendation charged £120 and had fab facilities. Anyway she was there 4 weeks, mainly due to the horrid weather and has so far proved to be great. She is a Sports Horse type, is very sensitive and I was worried at the time but they were fantastic with her and it shows. Her confidence has grown massively and shes come home all grown up lol.

 

[Fanatical]

I have recently paid £150 PW. Very happy with the first and just sent the second. This was Wrexham/ Whitchurch area.

 

[TheMule]

£170/ week, excellent service, not rushed so overall probably as expensive as some more expenive yards

 

[WelshD]

I'm in the East Midlands and have paid from £100 to £160 a week but for a pony not a horse.

Price is not necessarily an indicator of value, the £100 option for me was with someone who didn't have the overheads of renting a yard, I got a great service from them and would use them again.

Take a look at what the YO does with their own horses or horses that are already in being broken or produced. I once had poor value for money from someone purely because their competition ponies took precedence and my pony was given more days off than I'd had hot dinners and came back in a worse physical and mental state then when I had sent it - I'd never send an equine to a competing professional in competition season again unless I was sure they would get the attention they needed - having said that I have just sent one away to someone who is regularly competing but she was ultra organised and disciplined with her time and did an excellent job.

 

[Otherwise]

Take a look at what the YO does with their own horses or horses that are already in being broken or produced. I once had poor value for money from someone purely because their competition ponies took precedence and my pony was given more days off than I'd had hot dinners and came back in a worse physical and mental state then when I had sent it - I'd never send an equine to a competing professional in competition season again unless I was sure they would get the attention they needed - having said that I have just sent one away to someone who is regularly competing but she was ultra organised and disciplined with her time and did an excellent job.

No idea on price but having worked on a competition yard that backed a couple I'd be very picky about sending a horse off for any sort of schooling. The yard isn't around any more but the breakers were more of an afterthought, if we didn't have time they wouldn't get done to the point where after 12 weeks one had been hacked only once on a lead rein and was still on the lunge in the school. You don't want them to rush the process of course but I'd expect to get the service I'm paying for and not for the horse to just to sit in someone else's field. Funny enough the days the owners came up to see them we definitely had time to work them.

 

[BethanT]

I paid £175 per week for my mare to go away for schooling, and their breaking rates are the same. VERY knowledgeable people who dealt with my mare amazingly as she can be a bit of a hot head and bit tricky!

Though one thing to bear in mind, is that you may budget to send away for say 12 weeks, but this may take longer, and will depend on how established you want your horse to be when she comes back. Every horse is different, so what might take one horse 2 weeks to get the hang of, might take another 5. So be mindful of that. Either say to yourself "Max I want to spend is X for so many weeks" or you say "I want her to be doing X, Y, Z to this level before she comes back".

 

[Cortez]

I used to charge a £1,200 flat rate reckoning on an average 6 - 8 weeks to get them going happily W/T/C, and if it took longer than that it didn't cost any more. And that included a minimum of 4 lessons for the owner before the horse was sent home.