How much do you pay for lessons? Or how much do you expect to pa

Jnhuk

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 April 2010
Messages
2,526
Location
Midlothian/Borders
Visit site
I organise a lot of clinics for our RC. A lot of our decent trainers are around £45/50 per hour then you have to factor in school hire on top but various trainers charge differently. Some charge per hour, some charge travel on top, others include it within their hourly 'away from home' rate and also had an FBHS who has a flat hourly rate for private lessons but for group lessons they add an extra £ per head. Some will only travel for a minimum number of hours (if traveling awhile) so it adds all to the fun!
 

charlie76

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 March 2006
Messages
4,665
Visit site
Hmm. This thread makes me think ( without sounding big headed! I hope!) That I am vastly under charging.
I charge 20 for an hours group and 25 for 45 mins private if they come to me. 25 for a group and 30 for private if I go to them. ( although I'm not a clock watcher)

I have my BHS Senior coach certificate, UKCC level three, trained my own dressage horses to advanced from scratch and have helped to produce event horses to Olympic level and show jumpers to HOYS level.

I am VERY busy so my prices must be appealing but seem to be much cheaper than you guys pay.

I also am on the reg of instructors so fully insured and have to attend cpd days to keep up to date with all that's new.
 

MyDogIsAnIdiot

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2013
Messages
732
Location
Lost
Visit site
Blimey Charlie76 - don't suppose you're in West Wales?!

You are under charging massively imo, I'd expect to be paying £35-£55 for 45 mins private if coming to you.

Somewhat related, does anyone know of a good eventing-based instructor in or around Swansea? Got a few SJers and showing people but no eventers.
 

hippocobamus

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 January 2014
Messages
148
Visit site
I pay £35 for an hour with an AI that comes to me. Not as regularly as I would like, I hasten to add, but enough to keep me and hippocob ticking over.

There seems to be quite a range in terms of pricing - it's also interesting to see how many people have lessons with top riders, which was not something that I thought was doable for mere mortals. Food for thought.
 

Leg_end

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 February 2006
Messages
3,251
Visit site
I'm west berks and it totally varies but I guess it also comes down to what you are happy to pay - I care more about the instructors eye and ability to improve me and the horse session to session rather than qualifications. I want an instructor who is happy to give it to me straight and a lot just want to keep their clients happy!

YO - £20 for an hour flat/jump
SJ - £20 for clinic (max 4 in a group) 1:30 or £50 ph for a private
XC - £40 for group session 2hrs + xc hire
DR - £45 for 45 mins at her place or £50 offsite (same instructor as Star)
 

Lanky Loll

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 June 2009
Messages
4,089
Location
Wilts/Glos border
Visit site
I do a lot of my clinics through the riding club so £19/£20 for flat / jumping, xc depends on course hire costs so can be up to £35.
Thankfully my SJ trainer only charges me RC price for an individual lesson - which is usually for an hour but can be less if horse (and rider) are behaving so that's only £20 too.
 

orsceno1

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 June 2004
Messages
185
Location
Midlands
Visit site
I pay my regular trainer £25 for around 45 mins. however I have paid way more than that to some much more experienced 'high profile' trainers and got less from the lessons. I agree that different trainers suit different combos so I would maybe try a few and see who you enjoy the most. personally I would rather have one really good lesson a month and pay a but more, than have one mediocre lesson every week :)
 

Auslander

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2010
Messages
12,622
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
If they do not have BHS / ABRS or UKCC you may well have insurance issues so please be careful.

Not strictly true - or people would be thinking twice about having lessons with the likes of Charlotte Dujardin! When you take out insurance as an instructor, you are asked to state your qualifications OR your years of experience.

I'm qualified, but tbh, I feel that my experience is probably more valuable than my on-paper qualifications. I haven't been "BHS" for years!
 

Milkmaid

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 November 2008
Messages
561
Visit site
I pay £25 (plus £10 arena charge depending on location) for around 45mins with a UKCC level 3 Dressage qualified coach who rides & competes to a high level.
She's fab & really gets me & my pony.
I've had lessons from 'high level riders'(and paid handsomely for the pleasure) who can't teach for toffee tho, so it's definitely not a case of 'get what you pay for'!
Group lessons are another kettle of fish imo, it's a real skill to be able to effectively teach a group effectively that many trainers seem to be lacking!
 

kc100

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 July 2012
Messages
1,051
Location
West Midlands
Visit site
It varies massively.....

I have a number of trainers (strange I know but I like getting lots of different views on the horse I'm riding and find it can be helpful to approach problems/issues in different ways):

GP trainer, formerly of the Spanish High School, who is in his 60's and comes over from Spain a few times a year charges £30 per lesson (typically 45 mins to an hour). That is massively underpriced IMO as he is so experienced and quite simply AMAZING. But he cant get clients out in Spain so comes back to the UK to teach, and to him £30 is enough so refuses to charge more (despite me telling him many times he should).

My latest trainer, BYRDS young rider of the year runner up and only 18 but has a wonderful way of explaining things and really gets me working - charges £20 per lesson. But I would put this down to his age and lack of 'years' of experience, despite riding successfully at PSG currently. I wouldnt pay more than £30 for him to be honest as he is so young I think you are paying for experience with your trainers.

Other trainer (who I've not had in a while but was great with previous horse) charged £40 per lesson. Competing at PSG and training with the Eilbergs, runs own yard and has produced a vast array of horses often from non-dressage backgrounds so very experienced and a lovely lady who explains everything well, and is great at problem solving (never got stumped with my former incredibly difficult horse)

Have contacted Eilbergs as they are only over the road from me thinking might like a lesson with them....£80-£100 ish per lesson....ouch. Think I'll give that a miss, just too damn expensive!

So you can pay as much or as little as you want I think.....I'd say around £40 is the average but if you look hard enough you'll find cheaper people at around the £20-£30 mark but they do take some finding. I found my current young trainer via my weekend job at a dressage competition venue, helps that he works there yes but my point is if you go to a comp venue, just to watch, go on an affiliated day (i.e. BD day) and see who appears to be the pro riders and after they've finished their test ask them if they do lessons! I've done this before to some of my competitors (ha!) and as long as you ask after they've finished for the day (dont interrupt their warm up!) they're normally happy to help as most are always looking for new clients.

BD/BE/BS should all have lists of registered trainers but for me it is more important (and actually more helpful) to see them ride, see if I like their style and see what level they are competing at. Generally for me with dressage I want someone who has reached PSG or higher, might sound snobby but that is what I want to achieve in the future so I need to be around someone who can eventually get me there. You can learn a lot from watching someone warm up and watching them ride/compete, so if you are feeling brave one day go and watch a competition and ask one of the riders who you like if they are a trainer, if they are not then you could always ask who trains them!
 

noname

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2009
Messages
433
Visit site
Have contacted Eilbergs as they are only over the road from me thinking might like a lesson with them....£80-£100 ish per lesson....ouch. Think I'll give that a miss, just too damn expensive!
!

Oooh you can't be far away from me. Who's your Spanish trainer? Would be really interested to watch, have a lesson perhaps. Can PM me??

Have to agree with you kc100, you don't get what you pay for.

To some extent it depends on what you are hoping to get out of the lesson and whether your on the same wavelength at a personal level too. But God there are some good ones and God there are some clueless ones. Can't brlieve the price of some local experts. 😜
 

MyDogIsAnIdiot

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2013
Messages
732
Location
Lost
Visit site
GP trainer, formerly of the Spanish High School, who is in his 60's and comes over from Spain a few times a year charges £30 per lesson (typically 45 mins to an hour). That is massively underpriced IMO as he is so experienced and quite simply AMAZING. But he cant get clients out in Spain so comes back to the UK to teach, and to him £30 is enough so refuses to charge more (despite me telling him many times he should).

Don't suppose he travels when he comes over to the UK? Or does he base himself around West Mids?

Would be v interested in his lessons! :).
 

kc100

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 July 2012
Messages
1,051
Location
West Midlands
Visit site
Oooh you can't be far away from me. Who's your Spanish trainer? Would be really interested to watch, have a lesson perhaps. Can PM me??

Have to agree with you kc100, you don't get what you pay for.

To some extent it depends on what you are hoping to get out of the lesson and whether your on the same wavelength at a personal level too. But God there are some good ones and God there are some clueless ones. Can't brlieve the price of some local experts. ��

Have PM'd you x
 
Top