[Dancers Mom]

Originally Posted by OrangeRikki

She charges $17 a day for board. Totals about $520 a month.

And no, $225 a night does not seem right. It was four of us in the one room, but one of the other girls told me the room was about $160 a night.

I'm not upset, I understand the charges for the most part, I just didn't expect them to be so high. I'm just more in shock than anything at this point.

If the room was 160.00 a night:= 40.00 a night. I think she is making a profit off the hotel.

[CJnBucksMom]

Originally Posted by nrhareiner

I have used many different trainers and talked to even more about training and everyone with one exception 1 lesson a week was included in the training. Does no good for them to train your horse if you can not ride it and show it. They know this so it is only a benefit to them to give you lessons on your horse. So no I would not pay extra unless I wanted several lessons every week. If it was not included I would keep looking.

I agree on this too and have seen the same, I do the same for the owners of my horses in training. Too many times people get a horse trained but they're still clueless on what they were doing wrong or what caused the issue in the first place so it's pointless to not include lessons, I've seen it come back and bite trainers in the butt by having people say 'well he didn't train my horse, I still can't ride it' all because it's a simple matter of he never showed them how. LOL. With all of my horses in training the owners get a 1 hour lesson once a week. Now, anything over that I do charge for but I will give 4 lessons a month included with training.

[MysticRealm]

hmm. I am going to add up what I would have paid to do that show
Trailering (I have my own trailer so I will just take a guess) if I would have paid 800 for a 28 hour drive. I would probably have paid lets say 100 for trailering.
At show help: 45 a day (Gold or A rated shows) X3= 135
1 private lesson 45
4 semi private lessons: 40 X4 = 160
Hotel: never shared one with trainer (he's a guy, ew) or students so let just go with your price 150
Half a months board 375
MY trainer would not have given supplements or clipped legs without asking so those prices are null and void. Am I forgetting anything?

So that adds up to 965

[Klaycock]

For my area the price very high. Sucks you didn't know it was coming for sure! But hey, live and learn right. I do agree that you should not be charged for clipping and supp's if you did not ask for them but I also agree that from the trainers standpoint if the legs were not up to par doing them is what I'd have done as well so my student looked tip top heading out. I would NOT charge you if I took it upon myself. I would personally find a different trainer for several reasons but money would be the big one. Soo. How did you do at the show anyway?? You said you did two classes right? Did you place? Pics?

[OrangeRikki]

Originally Posted by Fox Glove

Being from the area, and knowing who the big winning barns, trainers and owners are, and knowing that this woman hardly falls into that catagory...Yes, that is high for her IMVHO. She is not setting the pond on fire, nor are any of her students, at any rated shows in or around the area.

She does list her prices, and you did agree to her terms the day your horse entered the barn, pay her, and count it an expensive lesson learned .She can charge whatever she pleases, is she worth it? she seems to thinks so.

Just for giggles, what show was this?

I am sorry this thread has that beat down feeling to it, but, next time you are going to send your horse to ANYONE, do your research, horse people love to talk...

This from her website..



Would have told me all I needed to know, Hubert has been dead for well over twenty-five years, had a farm in Mars,and was a small time dressage trainer.

As for the other trainer, not someone I would posting on my resume.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=3455,6382867

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.c...4483/index.htm

Nasty bussiness, too many have forgotten.


A look at the scrap book ,on the site, gave me a great deal of insite as well.

SW PA does have a wonderful BNT who has ridden as a student of GM, and does indeed turn out Big A winning students and horses, even for her in this part of the Country, depending on the show, this would be a little high.

Prices are what the market will bear, seems she is getting this, she must have one heck of a rig.

I've heard many stories about Chuck and his wife. Horrible, horrible things.

The show was a schooling show at Saxonburg.

Can you reccommend any trainers? Christy Nealer said she would give me lessons. Have you heard anything good or bad about the Nealers?

[OrangeRikki]

Originally Posted by Klaycock

Soo. How did you do at the show anyway?? You said you did two classes right? Did you place? Pics?

Spear's first show. The schooling was AMAZING, best rides of my LIFE. The first round was a big ball of suck (he'd never seen jumper fences like that until a few days beforehand, and he didn't like the idea of being alone in an arena going over 'big, scary fences!'), but I got him around the second time. This explains it, with some pictures.

Pictures from Spear's First Show!

[ironartist]

Thats why I want to just plug away and train my own, if I have a problem or question I will ask someone who knows. I hate having to pay someone for doing something I can probably do myself. Granted what they can teach will be in less time but eventually my boy buddys gonna be a moose hunting machine.

[Native Winds]

To me its a little steep but then again I am no longer a big show person either. It also depends where you live. If you live in the New England states your going to pay more. If your at a well noted primarily show barn your going to pay more. If your at a high end exclusive show and training facility your going to pay more. Since I train and ride my own horses I pay for myself. Now if I need trans portation for my horse to a show I will find out ahead of time how many horses are going and make arrangements prior for the cost of transportation.
Some times if I plan to go to a show but not show a horse and I work with a student of mine I dont charge for it. There was no prior agreement to charge for something that was pretty much "spur of the moment". I dont have to help or give a little coaching so it was my choice. Now if they required my assistance to go to a specific show for "coaching" then yes I charge for the time.

I did not board myloate mare at a show/training facility. It was a small barn for individuals to board thier horses and I paid (back then) $275 a month for hay, feed, stall cleaning (they stunk at that job), water, and turn out on a daily basis. I guarantee you its more than that now. I usualy ended up cleaning out my stall for they didnt do a very good job of doing that. I charge 50 dollars for a general trim clip: that includes bridlepath, around the face, ears and jaw line, all four legs and around the coronet bands. Mane pulling is more, and other clipping like body clipping I charge more.

I guess the best thing is to get it all in writing before hand.

[jeda_horse]

Originally Posted by deann28

And to all of you that mentioned what how your trainers would do things for free??????!!!!?!??!??!
A.) Those aren't trainers - those are wanna-bes that are desperate to get thier feet in the door. Good or not - they are desperate for a reason. If you wanted help from a wanna be then you should have found a wanna be - but understand the results could be less than shining.
b.) Those "trainer wanna-bes" are part of the reason that people like the OP don't understand that you have to pay to play the game. If I go to the laundromat to clean my clothes I don't expect the counter clerk to supply my soap or quarters. Legitimate business practice - You charge for your time, supplies, and material!!!

You guys also need to consider what levels you are showing and the cost involved......

JMHO - this post kind of rather ticked me off when I got into reading it.

Just makes light of the fact that too many people have problems separating horse business from horse hobby. Trainers don't enjoy following you around - they enjoy winning, they possibly enjoy thier own horses, but clients are work.

Just wanted to say I mentioned that my trainer, and my friends give free advice, and even ride for free.

Neither are wannabes haha thats a joke, one rode at the athens olympics and the other is a very well established trainer, who owns 2 "barns" has over 100 students and is very sought after. Hardly wannabes.

But this is australia and I guess things work differently here.

[deann28]

Sorry OrangeRikki - I was perhaps a bit harsh on you personally not even knowing YOUR position per se. Not necessarily directed at you, but the post pushed a button. And to the rest that posted in reply to my posted opinion - I also agree with your angle. And I don't want you to think that I think EVERYTHING should be paid for nickle and dime fashion, I do think that there are times and things that as a trainer you step in and help out. My point was that I do think though that often SOME clients lose sight of the fact that training is a business for a trainer - not a hobby. Trainers have to charge for stuff (all those small things do add up) or we lose our butts in the end, and those that are out there willing to pay thier own lodging, clip your horse for you for no charge, ride it, show it, etc no charge - my question is why? As for the free stuff - help at a show, get on a horse here and there, put a tail up, turn in/turn out, blankets, fly masks, etc. those are things that I got no problem doing free - from time to time I got no problemo clipping a set of ears to help a client out if they need someone to show them a better way, but I don't want them to expect it free - I do invoice it on thier bill and I call it out as a courtesy credit, show what I would have charged them, and then plug it back in as a credit. BUT going to a show and paying MY own lodging????? No I don't think so. The clients puts me up and feeds me. Trailering somewhere? I personally charge .50/mile both ways for every horse in the trailer. Do I make money? Show me how? My truck needs gas, I got maintainance, tires, what if something gets broken, commercial hauling insurance, my time, etc. So in your case to the show - it was my two horses and your 1 horse? I charge you the same .50/mile.

I agree that getting an almost $1200 bill is shellshock when you weren't expecting that. Again perhaps I was harsh - I think you caught me on a bad day.

Now I can say I see it from both sides - as a trainer who charges people and as a mom who sends her own child to another trainer that charges me. I have dealt with some trainers that are sneaky and ambiguous about thier charges. We opt out of thier services.