Horse riding hobby

[ambereeree]

Hi all my DD wants to take up horseriding. She's 5 so maybe this is just a phase. How much are lessons on average in Herefordshire? This is one of those expensive hobbies isn't it?

If you google stables in your area they will usually have prices on their website, or you could call them.

On the riding schools near me, Essex, does lead rein classes at £20 for half an hour. Lead rein is what your DD would start on until she is competent enough to be in control.

I'm just over in Gloucestershire. I just took dd6 for her first lesson yesterday. It was a 30 min group lesson, £20. I'm taking her every other week!

But yes it's an expensive hobby, not awful at first but because it snowballs!

OK thanks all I'll ask for the lead rein lesson prices. I had a look at the websites and most had contact for details.
@Orangeinmybluelightcup that's what I was thinking or rather dreading.

Unless you are prepared to knock it on the head or have plenty of spare cash then don't start is my advice.

We currently spend £40 per week for a loan at our riding school, this allows DD to ride 3 days a week and go up as much as she wants. Plus probably £60 a month in private lessons plus equipment, tack, clothing and hours spent in the yard. I'm probably there for 4 - 8 hours a week.

I'm afraid a few lead rein classes is how it starts. So unless you've got the spare cash don't start

If she wants to do it regularly then you'll want to invest in getting her her own helmet, back protector and boots.

Its ok to buy second hand boots but not a helmet or back protector, so if you do decide to let her ride, start looking into the cost of protective gear.

And to give you an idea of those costs DD's current safety kit
Helmet £75
Body protector £120
Jodhpur boots £25

Although you will be able to use the school's helmets & body protectors and heeled wellies for the first few session. Your child won't be coming to any harm on a the smallest of the riding school ponies that she will ride at 5, being led round an arena on a lead rein

You can make it as expensive or as cheap as you like really. DD1 has her own horses, we started at a riding school fortnightly, then a better riding school weekly, then borrowed a pony at the bottom of the road (£10/week no chores, lessons from private instructor £15/lesson once per week or fortnight) when we started out.

Now DD looks after and rides other peoples horses on top of her day job, and earns her own horses keep pretty much, she paid her own way through Uni by schooling horses for other people and earned £20 per hour on average .

I started horse riding at 7/8, it cost my parents a fortune until I was old enough to ‘help out’ at the riding school from 12/13 on a Saturday and Sunday which meant I got a free group lesson Each day I helped out otherwise there’s no way my parents could have afforded it.

I now have my own horse, and have done all my adult life / it’s an addiction, it really is and current mare must cost me anything from 5-600 a month without anything extra that’s needed, new rugs, lost shoes, vet bills, horse box hire, lessons. It’s crippling some months. My current mate I’ve managed to ride for about 4-5 months in 3 years due to various injuries/Covid/work.

If you can afford it - go for it but it’s not cheap, and it gets more expensive the higher up the ranks you go but it teaches kids so much about responsibility and confidence- there’s no feeling like it!