# how do you pay for your lessons?



## myhorseriesen (Nov 11, 2010)

ok so i just started taking lessons at a new barn and it is alot more expensive then my old barn and i was wondering how do you guys pay for your lessons? thank you so much!


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

I write my trainer a check. Since I board with her, at the end of each month she gives me a bill for how much I owe her in lessons/training for the previous month and my board for the next month.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Lessons?? Who can afford lessons?? I barely have enough money to feed myself at the end of the month, so I'm mostly self taught.


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## vikki92 (Dec 18, 2010)

i took jumping lesson for 2 yrs, becasue i was brought up in westren but my dream was to jump, so i worked at the barn (fed the horses, mucked out all the stalls etc.) for lessons.


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## EmilyandNikki (Sep 7, 2010)

This year I work part-time and am in high school, so I just budget out my money.

Last year I literally saved every Penney and cut corners where ever I could to give me extra money. With a little help from Mom I managed to pay for my lessons.


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## Lonannuniel (Jun 13, 2008)

Me & my parents have an agreement - They pay board and half lessons, and I pay half lessons and any extras, tack, or shows. I pay in cash after every lesson. This requires me to save every penny, literally. I haven't spent a dime on anything non-horse related in over 7 months. With my old trainer, I would worked off my half of lessons, but unfortunately, I can't with my current trainer =(


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## wafflestheunicorn (Feb 23, 2011)

i muck stalls


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## raywonk (Jan 9, 2011)

When I was your age I started my own bussnes. I put up a flyer in my barn offering to groom and lunge other peoples horses when they could not. I also would clean thier tack and anything eles they needed. I got quiet a bit of exctra income from the adults (like me now) who can not get to the barn as much as they would like. I could make a hunderd a week sometimes.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I'll be putting up my tack cleaning flyers in the local tack shops to pay for Excel's eventing lessons


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## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

I am able to work off the costs of leasing, shows, and part of lesson costs- it's hard work but if you want it bad enough you can make it happen. I also get a lot of rides on boarder horses when they need to be ridden or if their owners are out of town, so that may be a plus once people see how dedicated you are!
If you are prepared to work hard, I would check with the instructors there to see if you could arrange something to pay for lessons.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I take a lesson once a week, and I write 1 cheque for a total of all 4 lessons in a month. It makes it much easier


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

I pay in cash at the end of every lesson, it's not as painful when i'm only playing for one lesson at a time lol, and my lessons are very cheap compared to most in the area, i only pay $35 for a hour(and she's generous with her time) semi-private, although my ridding buddy's car is in the shop so the past few lessons have been private and she hasn't charged me extra, when i start taken lessons at a different barn with a dressage trainer the lessons will be $50 an hour


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## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

I basically had to cut out all the non-horsey hobby stuff. So, no soccer matches that require a plane ticket or collecting expensive jerseys, or splurging at American Eagle. 

My lessons are also pretty cheap, at $35 an hour, although she cuts us a discount if we pay in advance so it's only $120 for 4 lessons, which is what I do. 

I'm probably going to ask her to teach me how to braid so I can hopefully offer up my services to anyone who might need it as a way to help finance not only my lessons but also my own show fees. (I may also get her to teach me how to bodyclip.)


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## trynottofall (Feb 23, 2011)

My parents pay at the end of a session of about 2 months...I am planning on doing chores around the barn and my trainer offsets the cost of either lessons or board when you work there. If you can you can ride other peoples horses and they might pay you, or you could braid, since braiding is a good way to make money. I'm planning on learning how to braid before show season really comes around in my area.


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## phoenix (Jun 7, 2010)

I used to work and live at barns (mucking, turnout, feeding) a few years back but then i got a "grown-up" job and bought a condo so i had to quit lessons.

I'm trying to come to an arrangement with an instructor for me to take 1 lesson a month, to get this money i have stumbled upon a grooming (3 times a month) job and a helping to muck stalls job that my friend is having to take a break from due to her getting surgery. It'll only be temporary but if i really get into the lessons i'm thinking i'll try and rent out my spare room for some extra cash.


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## ellygraceee (May 26, 2010)

At the moment, I'm my coach's "slave" haha. I babysit, groom, muck out, feed, clean tack, attend shows as a groom, do a bit of admin stuff and assist her in starting her young horses in exchange for lessons or feed or other random horse products. It means that I don't have to pay for them, she doesn't have to be completely run off her feet and I've got more horsey experience to put on my CV/resume.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_I work overtime to afford lessons, but even at that, I have had to drop down to two lessons a month. Hopefully with my new job, it will be easier to have a few more lessons!_

_I pay by writing a cheque. If I take an extra lesson, I just write an extra cheque, or pay cash._

_Our lessons are paid for at the beginning of the month, for a two month period. Jan-Feb, Mar-Apr, May-June, July-Aug, Sept-Oct, Nov-Dec. July and August can be paid for seperately, but ONLY if you arent going to be around for a few weeks of the one. _

_If my BO could keep track of cheques...I would probably just post date them all for the year._


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

My lessons cost $40 in an hour group. My group is actually just me and another girl, so I get TONS of riding time, and I probably couldn't go any longer, because it is so tiring  I take them once a week. Oh, and I have gas, so that's about $10 a day as well.

I've got a car payment now though, so I'm sure my lessons will be cut back to every other week. Also, the lessons at the eventing barn I'm looking at is $50/hr, which I'm sure I'll only be able to do about twice a month. 

I'm hoping I may be able to work some of it off..


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

Wow, curse my skim-reading habit! I thought the title said how MUCH do you pay for lessons.. 

So right now I just have a job, but hopefully I can be a stable hand for at least some money off 

I was wondering why no one came outright and said the amount they paid


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

When I was growing up, my dad would pay for riding lessons as long as I got A's. The official deal was "one lesson per A", although I took 1 lesson per week & certainly didn't have 52 classes lol

11th grade - 2nd year of college, after my dad decided to stop paying for lessons & I couldn't afford to pay for them myself, my trainer made a deal with me that I'd get free lessons + discounted coaching/trailering fees at shows & xc schoolings in exchange for me cleaning out the trailer, grooming/tacking the schooling ponies, teaching beginner lessons, exercising boarder horses, & keeping the tack room/grooming areas neat & tidy. This is also when I got my horse, Simon - basically, it was a completely free full lease, I just had to put in the "work" to re-train him. I put in about 15 hours a week doing this, & loved every minute of it.

I moved away after my 2nd year of college & only had one or two lessons per year for about 5 years, which I would pay for out of pocket, although my trainer gave me as much of a discount as she could.

Now, I make an hour & a half drive once or twice a week to ride with her, & she gives me a huge discount. I pay $45 for a 1/2 hour private or 1 hour group, although if you count my warm-up time + random riding after my official lesson time is up, I always end up riding for about an hour & a half. I'm not sure how much everyone else pays - I'd guess around $60, although the rate was $80 before she left our big eventing barn & went to a much smaller private barn, so I'm really not sure how much she's actually adjusted the rate, since she didn't set the prices at the old barn. I write out checks for 10 lessons at a time. I'm paying for them with insurance settlement money from the god awful car accident I was in last year - horrible experience, but at least it's funding my lessons!


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## drafteventer (Jul 6, 2009)

I'm very lucky that I have a horse loving mom with enough money to be able to pay for my lessons. I, however, want to take some extra lessons every week this year. So after I get my license I'm going to see if I can get a job somewhere. Even if I just paid off my lessons by doing work around the stable would be fine. But the stable I want to take lessons at is only 15 minutes away


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I am a working student for my trainer. It doesn't pay all of it (board, show fees, hauling fees, trainer rides ,lessons) but it pays the majority of it.


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## RockandRide (Jan 23, 2011)

My parents pay for my lessons because that is the only thing I do. I pay for anything else "horsey" with my own money. Ask if you could work there in return for lessons or put up flyers for odd jobs you are willing to do.


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## petitepyromaniac (Oct 12, 2010)

There's a lady that I'd like to take lessons from who's $45 for a lesson, but even that is a struggle for me. I've talked her student into giving me lessons for $15 a lesson  I figured I'd be getting the same education for a much cheaper price, and I'm confident that her student will have plenty to teach me, at least for a while. I'm pretty happy about it!


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## Horsel02 (Jan 6, 2010)

I have several different trainers. My first trainer was my best friend and she gave me free h/j lessons, the next trainer I had I mainly worked off lessons by cleaning tack and doing other jobs for himand my mom also helped pay for them when she could and I think his lessons were about $35, the following trainer I had was $45 for an hour private and i paid for those by housesitting animals while their owners were out of town, and my current trainer her private hour lessons are $20 and i pay for them by still housesitting but i also have a real job to help with them as well.


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## BeauReba (Jul 2, 2008)

I just started riding after a 5 year break so I can barely do 30min let alone an hour lesson! I will just have to cut back on my Timmies and start bringing my lunch to work to pay for them when I'm ready.


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## Silvera (Apr 27, 2010)

Right now I'm taking dressage lessons from a lady that wants to learn reining so we are kind of swapping if that makes sense.


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## Bopadoodle (May 17, 2011)

My dad isn't very supportive of my riding, but my mum said: "I'll pay, because it's something you absoloutely love" which it is.
I have private lessons, so its more expensive, and I ride evry 2 weeks. BUUTTT!! My mom said that after my brothers math tuition stops, I can go every week!
So yeah thats how I pay, when I am a year or two older, I'm going to write an advertisment for myself, seeing if I can work, in exchange for rides


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

BeauReba said:


> I will just have to cut back on my Timmies


_LOL. Ahhh....us Canadians and our Timmies. I swear we can't live without it!_


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## kalliy10 (Mar 25, 2011)

I have a job, so I pay for my own lesson. Starting next payday (next Friday) I'm going to pay the for the full month money.... (130 for a whole month) It seems WAYYY cheaper then what I am doing "paying 35 each lesson...." Cause then I have to budget the money... I'm a girl who LOVES to spend her money on stupid things. I actually had to call my parents to ask for money to pay for my horse/lessons cause i spend it already.... So budgeting isn't in my vocab. But, i am learning.


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## amymarie57 (Feb 20, 2011)

I worked part-time while I was in highschool and full-time during the summers. I currently don't work while I'm away at college but I still take lessons with the extra money I stored from summer/cleaning the houses.


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## amymarie57 (Feb 20, 2011)

petitepyromaniac said:


> There's a lady that I'd like to take lessons from who's $45 for a lesson, but even that is a struggle for me. I've talked her student into giving me lessons for $15 a lesson  I figured I'd be getting the same education for a much cheaper price, and I'm confident that her student will have plenty to teach me, at least for a while. I'm pretty happy about it!


Wow!! Good deal


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## Hidalgo13 (Dec 24, 2010)

I used to go to a barn that charged 30 the group lesson, and it went up to 35 the year I left. That barn was the perfect price because I was only 13-14 at the time and I could only manage to save 300-400 a year by babysitting and saving money from birthdays and xmas presents.
At 15 I left and am now at my current barn (16), where the lessons are 50 for private and 45 for group (but the tenth lesson is free so 45$ and 40.50$).

For the last two years I have been working at my town's children's library. I work 3 hours a week and get payed 10.50 an hour. I also do some filing, computer problem fixing, etc for my neighbor. 
Then I also get a bit of money from my grandmother for cleaning her apartment every week and for bringing her some food and other things almost everyday.

I tried to get a summer job to make my life easier, but at 16 you can't get much. Ya I could work in a mall but I think I would die working full time all summer. Can't stand being cooped up inside on a beautiful day. And 35 min in a hot bus sucks. 
I got a small job as a junior counselor for half the summer, and will have a few other small odd jobs, like babysitting, more filing for my neighbor and etc.

Ya that's all of it. I wish my parents could pay for a bit, but anyhow. Don't mind paying and working for it all. Makes it mean so much more to me, but sometimes the budget is tight and money doesn't grow on trees. ><
Sorry for the book lol.


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## Clair (Jun 7, 2010)

I pet sit! I house sit for some neighbors with 10 horses and then they tell others about me so I have a LOT of income from that. It helps me buy tack too.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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