What is a sensible price for training?
Trying to find someone to start my two year old quarter horse colt in western pleasure. What is a reasonable price for this? One trainer charges 800 and another 600. (including board and full-care)
How much do you deem its worth? Those two are the professional trainers in my area. What do you think non-professional costs?
I could afford the pro trainers but i dont want to recompense that much for my horse to learn how to walk trot and lope.
thoughts?
thanks!
hey i charge $200 but i newly do basic Vice breaking stuff and gait fixing(for gaited horses) not starting horses. if i where starting a horse i would be $400 -$600 but not $1400 mabye $800 whether i evaluated the horse knowing it would be a hard horse to break.
bur- i no plenty of barns in my area that are charging around $200 to board. Mabye your not looking intricate enough.
My PRO trainer, who really wasn't certified, or famous like Clinton Anderson or whoever, was really virtuous and he charged $500 for training board and feed. He taught them how to lope, flying lead change,head sets,everything. His blue roan stallion Preston, had won many championship at the Quarter horse congress,he was a BIG time showman,he knew what he was doing,and he never charged much. Some trainers in our time DO happen to charge $250, not because they cant the do job,but just because they have need of a little money,there are tons of horse trainers so they have greatly of competition sometime lowering the price helps.Plus in today's economy,smaller amount and less people are owning horses and less and smaller quantity are willing to pay for extra training, so trainers own to lower their fees or get out of the business.
And i agree it depends what they will be teaching him.
Answers: Those nouns like pretty reasonable charges. I have hear of people who claim to be trainers charging as little as $250, but I don't' think I would be using them. Some trainers change thousands of dollars. Instead of worrying just about a $200 difference (I know, money does matter), check out the style of the trainer. Does he/she do things the slow gentle way? Look at the other horses in the barn, are they okay kept? What does the trainer expect the horse to learn in the month(s) you horse is with him/her? Does this meeting what you hope the horse will learn in that time? Does the trainer state it as fact that the horse WILL be doing X, Y or Z, or that he hopes or expects the horse to enjoy learned X,Y or Z. My point here is that horses do not all progress at the same gait, and you can not predict exactly how long it will take to start a horse under saddle. A trainer who promises too much might run out up hurting your horse to force him to do what was promised.
How a horse is started is probably THE most important point in a working horse's energy, if a bad job is done, you can not start them over glibly. The finishing touches can be put on later.
RE: "What do you think a non-professional costs?" By Definition, nothing, but I assume you intended more like a cowboy instead of a show trainer. You are probably looking at about the same price. Again, I would regard as being what the person is doing, rather than the money. Some backyard trainers are wonderful, almost approaching horse whisperers, and some are brutal beasts, and all stops along the way. BTW, some dignified end trainers have a "colt starter" associate who does not care to show, but have a special affinity for the youngsters, which frees up the big name trainer to put the finishing touches on the show horses in his barn.
My main point is to look at more than purely price, look at the value, and be sure your horse is being ably taken care of.
No offence intended horse rep..I was looking at boarding costs also, and $200 won't generally even buy you board around here. Thanks.
