I found a coach reasonably close who teaches classical dressage, and can also teach at liberty riding and haute ecole. I haven’t met her yet or audited any lessons. The lessons are done on her aged but well-schooled andalusian gelding, who can be part-boarded for $120 per month. I have years of riding experience, and have had some instruction in dressage but I probably have to go back to basics.
She charges $60 for a one-hour lesson and $40 for a half-lesson.
Is this a fair price? Would my riding still progress even if I only did one full lesson per month in addition to co-boarding the horse and riding him twice a week? Maybe two half-lessons per month?
Working on the current exchange rate, I reckon that’s an incredibly good price.
I think your riding would improve more quickly by two short lessons rather than one long one, a month. The horse will teach you throughout the rest of the month if he is particularly good at dressage.
March 10th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
My friend is a dressage instructor and he charges $75 per hour so it sounds like your quote is about right. Your riding should progress but probably not as quickly as it would with more lessons taken more frequently.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
40 – 60.00 is a good price. I did 2 dressage lessons a week to prep me for the show ring.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
price sounds good but if you and take private lessons its best so that the instructor is focused on you.twice a week would be great.good luck.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
In my opinion it’s pretty steep, but depending on her and her horse’s credentials, it might be worth it. I used to ride with a classical dressage trainer (who trained with Walter Zettl and a couple others I cannot recall at the moment) and I think she charged me about $30 for an hour (or sometimes longer, depending on what we were learning that day.) I was on a well-schooled TB, though, not a former dressage champ. (Her horse, not mine.) I you really like her and her horse(s) and feel she can take you far, try her out! Best of luck to you!
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Working on the current exchange rate, I reckon that’s an incredibly good price.
I think your riding would improve more quickly by two short lessons rather than one long one, a month. The horse will teach you throughout the rest of the month if he is particularly good at dressage.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
i have a very good private trainer that charges $40 for a one hour (private) jumping lesson. i have seen more expensive and less, i guess it depends on how good the instructor. $60 sounds about right (don’t forget to take in your area and her training ability into account).
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Not so much fair as cheap. Your riding will progress either way and actually sharing the horse will take you faster too. My charges are in that area of cost. A colleague who is a published author and high level judge charges roughly $90 in your money, and her own trainers are internationals who charge between $200 -$300 . To be honest I think you should jump at the chance….the offer of the schoolmaster to ride is quite rare!
References :
Dressage trainer for 30 yrs.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
some people are the kind that wont an out rags Pris over some thing like that but I know some one that would help you for free.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Yes that is a very good price. Lessons in classical dressage on well schooled Lusitanos stallions in my area are about £45-£50 ($100) per hour.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
I think her fees are very reasonable. I’d take it! Someone with that much experience can help you a great deal…plus getting to ride a school Andalusian…that is like HEAVEN!!! You may want to audit a lesson so you can see what you are getting in to. Good luck.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
WHOA THATS EXPENCIVE!!! im getting coached by a level 4 dressage coach, for 35 dollars an hour, also i used to be coached by a lever 2 dressage coach dor 25 dollars, so no, thats extremly expencive.
References :
March 10th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
The price sounds pretty normal. I think it would be better to split the lessons in two……you may learn something quickly and then what do you do until the next month???
References :
March 11th, 2010 at 12:07 am
you tend to get what you pay for in life,however I would check to see how this instructors other pupils are doing competetively……Time spent doing homework can be worth it in the long run
References :
March 11th, 2010 at 12:48 am
Yes, that seems reasonable. I train with a "r" judge who costs me about $60, not including the trailering to her farm. You’ll be riding on a schoolmaster, which is great! You’ll learn more just riding on the schoolmaster than you will with just riding with your trainer!
Many new dressage riders who wish to go up to levels buy a hot, young horse with hopes that they will be able to train them up to levels. It is actually better to own an older, more experienced, and more highly trained schoolmaster than a young horse. So, to the question on whether or not you will progress in your riding, yes, you will advance simply because you will be riding a horse that will teach you how to give the right aids. I would highly recomend that you take this oppurtunity!
References :