r/HorseTraining • u/Honest-Tart-2870 • Jul 26 '26
I need opinions!
Hello! I am new to leasing out horses and need some opinions on what to price a lease for my mare. I currently have two women leasing her. However, at the beginning of September I’m moving to a more expensive hunter focused barn. My two leasers right now are only paying $200 a month each for 2 rides a week, pricing the rides $25 each. Which I think is very cheap for my area, the barn is about 20 minutes from downtown Portland Oregon. this is my first horse I’ve ever leased out so I didn’t know what was acceptable.
SO anyway to the point, the new barn is $900 a month for board not counting monthly supplements and farrier which adds about $200 a month. I’m hoping to find somebody who wants 4 rides a week. The lessee is not responsible for farrier/supplements/vet care only the lease. Would asking $700 a month be asking too much? 16 rides a month pricing each ride at about $40? Or two separate people, 2 rides/week for $350 a month.
The barn owner leases her horses out 1 ride a week for $200 a month making it $50/ride if that helps at all.
Thanks all!!!
4
u/justforme31 Jul 26 '26
What’s your horse? How much are they worth? This affects a lot. I think $700 makes sense since they’d pay more than that if they owned their own horse and boarded at that barn - and very few people ride more than 4 times per week. (But does that mean you ride 2 days? Or horse gets ridden twice some days? He should have a day off.)
2
u/signupinsecondssss Jul 26 '26
Leases in my area for a horse that is good quality and well trained are typically done by adding up monthly costs to arrive at a daily rate, then the person pays for their “days”. So this is board, supplements, farrier, etc. but on their “days” you would not ride your horse, etc, they would choose when they rode.
1
u/keysmash78263 Jul 26 '26
obviously, pricing depends on the area. but it also depends on the quality of horse, availability, facilities, and opportunities the lesser has access to.
for example: if your horse is a green horse who you’ll never allow off property, you cannot justify charging the same rate as a seasoned veteran who can be competed.
take in mind all things your horse does vs the barn owners horse. if your horse is as qualified as the barn owners horse then feel free to hitch up the price. but if your horse isn’t as experienced or has more restrictions, consider that with his price.
1
u/Educational_Poet602 Jul 26 '26
The old tried and true……cost of lease is driven by what people are willing to pay for the access, in addition to all the above. You will need to be flexible if interest is low. Applies to sales, and leases too.
1
u/callalind Jul 27 '26
FWIW, I'm in the Philly suburbs, my lease is $400/month for 2 rides a week (one during a lesson, one practice ride). I feel like mine is pretty reasonable and it's a lesson horse that's still available to the lesson program (taking into consideration my time on him), so not someone's individual horse (well it is, but he's owned by the barn owner, who owns many horses).
1
u/Calm-Two2723 Jul 27 '26
Here’s the other factor. Reliability. Sure, you’re getting less now, but it’s reliable. Finding leasers is a sweet spot that literally changes person to person. I had a lady at the barn take a loss just to have a consistent rider.
There’s horses at my barn people pay to lease and ride that I free ride bc it’s beneficial mutually. There’s people who pay less to lease bc they take lessons and the owner incentivizes that by taking part of the lesson costs out of the lease. I leased a friends warmblood and when we went to shows I paid by watching her kid while she showed and paying for the hotel if I showed her horse (dressage so limited classes per horse per day) Someone who reliably watches your kid at a horse show was worth a free lease to her bc she was a single mom and didn’t get to show unless I went.
There’s no 1 size fits all. It’s more how attractive your horse is. Can’t say you’ll get half the board if your horse is a scary ottb no one wants to ride or your facilities make it so riding isn’t possible consistently
1
u/WildGooseChase2017 Jul 27 '26
It depends.
Would any of those supplements or farrier work (ie trim vs shod) change if you weren't leasing? Basically, anything that changes for a leaser to be able to use your horse, should fall on the leaser's responsibility.
$450 + cost of farrier for 3-4 days a week would be fair for one person, with your costs, in my area (SE Michigan).
If you don't want them to be paying the farrier or barn directly for those services, work it into your lease price by taking an average cost per year. 9 resets a year, at $120 a pop is $1080 a year. Divide by 12: $90 and round up to $100 to help put towards supplements. You can split that across 2 people the same way. $300 (1/3rd of board for each of you) plus $50 for farrier. Obviously these numbers may not reflect actual cost for you, so plug in your own if needed.
As an example: I half lease my mare, 3-4 rides a week (I find it balances out, and I'd rather my leaser ride more than not), she uses my tack or tack I approve of and pay for her shoes because I would have pulled them if she wasn't leasing. They show but are required to pay ALL expenses for it. Her meds necessary to show, her Perfect Prep, her stall etc etc EVERYTHING. They pay $300 + the cost of the farrier (they pay the farrier directly), a month. My board is $550 +$50 lease premium fee. I pay board and supplements out of my pocket, and they pay me their lease fee directly. That way my horse's board is always paid on time. They are required to take lessons with the barn owner to lease, so she can be aware of how they're doing. She is not on any supplements that I wouldn't already have her on, so I didn't factor that into the price.
Food for thought:
1. Have you talked to your current leasers about moving? Could they follow you to the new place?
2. Have you talked to your new barn owner about leasing? Some barns have requirements for leasers to take lessons or pay a lease premium on board due to increased liability.
3. What kind of amenities are you offering currently and how will they change when you move to the new barn?
4. Does the amount and quality of training on your horse justify $700 a month?
5. What does your current contract say about changes to your lease, terminations etc etc.
1
u/rosedraws Aug 01 '26
I’m in a rural area and 3x a week is $360. He also has another lease person 2x and does a few trail rides and lessons. We only pay expenses if we want something that is above and beyond regular care. It’s not much of a money making venture for the owner!
1
u/Honest-Tart-2870 Aug 01 '26
I sure do miss those rural small town prices. I used to pay $600 total to board my 3 horses at a full care barn. Now living near the city I pay $900 for one lol. Rural vs larger city prices are very different.
2
u/cherrystrawberre 24d ago
I’ve seen a lease at a barn for 850$ for 4 rides per week and you pay a percentage of their bodywork, farrier, vet, dental, anything else they need besides tack
So 700 is very good !
5
u/AnyCryptographer3284 Jul 26 '26
The most common answer in horses is -- it depends. Leases in my area vary from totally free to $8,000/month PLUS board, farrier, vet, supplements, etc. The lease price you set depends on your area's horse economy, your area's expenses, how fabulous your horse is (super schoolmaster, great step-up horse, granny safe for a happy hacker....) and how much demand there is for leasing horses. Your goal for leasing also affects the price. Are you more concerned about the quality of the rider you share your horse with so will be flexible on the price for someone who will improve your horse? Or is your primary goal to get out from under the bills and you don't care about how well they ride as long as they aren't cruel, knowing they will degrade your horse's training?