How much do you pay - South East?

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BeckyV22

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So...I am currently training for my BHS Stage 3 CCH (BHSAI), and hoping to start freelancing once I've got it.
I'm not sure if it makes a difference, but I'm also an equine degree student.

I intend to offer 30-minute lessons, as I know these do suit some people.
I will also offer either 45 min or 60 min lessons - which do you think are best?
How much would you pay for a private 30/45/60 min private lesson with a BHSAI/Stage 3 CCH?

All lessons would be at a client's yard or a hired arena, as I am yet to invest in my own yard (give me time!).

I'm based in Surrey, but would happily teach in Kent and West Sussex also.

I'm aware that I will have to start a little cheaper than established coaches, whilst I'm building up a client base, and obviously, that's fine by me! Hence I'm starting to try and build a client base now - whilst I have a cushy life at home, and a student loan to keep me afloat for a little while!

TIA for your input
 
With one I didn't know and without particular reputation - sorry I wouldn't. You need to build that reputation and client base. In Surrey particularly (we are too) there is a lot of competition and a number of well known "names" people tend to prefer.

What we have done with PC Kids at this stage, including a foster daughter, is get them started teaching at the local RSs and PC rallies. Its basic minimum wage stuff - but it gets you known. You can start this with just your stage 2 / B test (although PC now also have a coaching certificate at B+). When you get a bit of a reputation and the kids like you they will ask for lessons at home or for you to accompany them training. If you can get into a PC who also provide instructors for competitions that is a plus as you get to prove you have competition coaching experience. It also helps to be accredited BD/BS/BE -again a lot of accredited coaches locally.

ETA - don't foprget you need to be DB cleared to teach kids. PC is a good way to get that.

For teaching adults - really until you have a particular specialty and become known locally it is really difficult to get in. But the kids I mentored have found that when the adults see you make progress with their kids they sometimes will ask too. You can also build up a good reputation at a particular yard - although in the same way working at particular schools can have a damaging impact becuase of their reputation locally. I've had 2 use their languages to travel and teach at schools in europpe too which seems to have really boosted their "saleability" back here.

In specific answer to your question - I pay £15 per child for a PC Rally (PC pays the instructor £30ph or £250 pd for camp) £25 -£30 for an lesson with a stage 3 or 4 instructor with no particular specialty. £50 for a lesson with a proven competition type coach through BE or BS depending on child. (I confess I don't think I have ever booked a lesson with a BD coach - but I believe they can get quite expensive.)

Establishing your client base and your particular specialty is the hardest part - good luck. I hope there has been something useful in this.
 
I pay £50 for a private lesson with a pro eventer (which includes the arena as I travel to him). Lessons are 30-45 minutes, I’m not actually sure how long they ‘officially’ are. This is in the south east. He is an incredible coach and I think £50 is very cheap for the training I get, I see it that what I’m paying for is his years of experience and established training methods having successfully produced many many young horses, and competing in the discipline I’m training for.
It’s not easy to make a name for yourself and I think like with any business it’s a mixture of having a really strong network of horsey contacts so they put you forward for stuff, and then being really really really good at what you do so people will keep coming back and you get word of mouth recommendations. Could you look at becoming an accredited coach with any of the affiliated bodies?
 
I would echo what Shay said about starting with the local pony and riding clubs. This is what a friend of mine did and she picked up a lot of private work from people who enjoyed their lessons with her.
 
Surrey is saturated with coaches & trainers so I think you will need some sort of USP to get bookings. Personally I’d be unlikely to book on with an unknown BHS instructor. I have amazing coaching with a UKCC level 3/BS accredited coach with a brilliant competition record who coaches all levels & abilities. I’d go for the Pony Club route as recommended above to help get started.
 
I currently pay £25.50 for a 30 minute semi-private in Hertfordshire/Essex way.

I would pay up to about £40 for 45mins depending on how much I like the instructor.

I personally wouldn't do 60min private, the last time I did was years ago and I was knackered by the end (not good knackered) I don't know many instructors that offer 60 min private.

I think your degree could be beneficial to your USP, if you can offer a little more than just teaching ridden work to the lesson.
 
I pay approx. £30.00 for 45 minutes for Stage 3 coach which includes their travelling to our yard.
She will teach or school horse herself or hack out which is very handy & supportive when based at home.
 
Definitely try and get in with local Riding Clubs as the clients you have exposure to there may be keen to come back
I know I sometimes have a flat lesson with a local instructor to tune me up between my other training as she is £25 (its for around 40 mins, sometimes less sometimes more depending on whats needed!) and given that other trainers are more like 40-50 I feel like I can afford it because its less. She also will take 2 people together for an hour for £20 each. If you can start with lower prices to entice people who perhaps won't / can't pay for 'big name' training, especially if you can do a semi private on a yard with 2 friends, you can start to build up that reputation. Also worth contacting local livery yards to see if they would run clinics for their liveries - people who don't have transport love to have someone come to them
Good luck :-)
 
Depends how good you are! There's a BHSAI/Stage 3 local to me who offers lessons and she's a rubbish rider. You'd assume she's been riding for a few years if you didn't know her and my mind boggles as to why people take lessons with her.

On the flip side, both my regular instructors have no qualifications but compete up to 3* level, understand a horse's brain and look good in the process! One charges £20 and the other £25-30 for half hour/45 mins.
 
Hi Becky
I did my bhs exams a few years back, was already teaching on the side just wanted to have the choice to do riding schools too.
Most of my private customers are people that have booked me because of my competition experience and riding rather than my exams. All the local people I do I charge £20 and normally do 45mins and have a few in a row at the same yard.
I normally up to £25 for travel within 10 miles and £30 for up to 15 miles I won’t travel further than that for one lesson.
I freelance at a few riding schools and get between £15 and £20 per hour.
It takes time to build up, I only do 2 days a week teaching and one eve and they are packed normally without any advertising whatsoever.
If you do a good job and really help people progress you will build you client base in no time, good luck x
 
I'm in Surrey too and am virtually retired from general teaching these days. (Have old bhs ii and stage 4). That said, I still get out and about attending things on a Fuzzy.
I pay £15 at riding club for a shared 2 or 3 person clinic for an hour with an AI who is also an eventer, who is pretty good with instruction.
For sj trainer its £40 for 40 mins but he is well known, has a huge arena with good surface and its stocked with many different fences.
I've recently got an old friend to sort me out on the flat, I'm very lucky I'm on his route to his horses as he passes my gate, so he's £25 for 30 mins to me if I fit in with his timing, but rather more elsewhere (£50+) as he's a pretty good instructor (and competitor at higher end) of dressage.

I still do specialist training on occasions for specific reasons, I dont travel far, I only go by word of mouth, flat fee of £30 for 45 mins to an hour. Usually i allow up to 3 or 4 sessions.
 
I'm glad I'm not too far out with what I was thinking - I was thinking of charging around £25/45 mins including travel within 10 miles so good to know I haven't massively overpriced. I know people around uni who are charging £15 for an hour, so just wanted to check what's normal around here.

I am fully intent on doing one or other of the UKCCs. I know there's a BS one in Hampshire, which starts in September, so I might aim for that, or I'll do one (either BD or BS) at the start of next year.
I am also training (or trying to find the time to) to be a BS Course Designer so no doubt that will come in handy at some point!
But I will definitely look into doing PC/RC; v. cheap clinics (basically at cost); sponsoring riders who can't afford regular training; coaching NSEA teams; buy 5 get one free etc. to start with.

I am very lucky to be quite well-connected in the equine industry, locally and nationally, so I'm not too worried about finding clients, and I'm fortunate that I can afford to take time growing my little business and enjoying the process :)

Thank you all, you've been a great help.
 
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