09/07/2026
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of posts from stables and horse professionals talking about declining lesson enrolment, fewer young people getting involved, and the ever-increasing costs of keeping and caring for horses. These are very real challenges, but they’ve also made me wonder if there’s another part of the conversation we’re missing.
Are horses truly becoming unaffordable, or do we also have an education, perception and value problem within the horse industry?
I think education is a huge part of the answer — but I also think the horse industry has undervalued itself for far too long.
Compare the cost of a riding lesson to other youth sports. Parents may pay $60 for a 30-minute private figure skating lesson, plus ice time, skates, costumes and competition fees. Look at the cost of hockey — registration, equipment, tournaments, camps and travel. Yet families accept those costs because they understand what those sports cost.
Meanwhile, many riding programs are hesitant to charge what their lessons are actually worth.
A riding lesson isn't just paying for an instructor's time. There is a horse to feed, house, shoe or trim, provide veterinary care for, insure and keep properly trained and safe. Then there's the facility, tack, equipment and countless hours of work behind the scenes. We need to stop undervaluing our lesson programs compared to other sports.
At the same time, we need to do a much better job of educating families about the different ways kids can get involved with horses.
I was a horse-crazy kid who desperately wanted a horse. My parents told me we couldn't afford one. They didn't know anyone with horses or know about riding lessons, leasing, clubs or other ways to get involved — and they never really looked into it.
So when I became an adult, I bought my own horse... and the rest is history! 🐴
There are LOTS of horse-crazy kids out there who would give anything for the opportunity to ride, drive, groom or simply spend time around horses. Their parents may just assume, like mine did, that horses are completely out of reach.
Education is key — education about the costs, the opportunities and the affordable ways to participate.
We don't necessarily need to make horses cheap. We need to demonstrate their value, create different entry points into the horse world, and make sure families know those opportunities exist.
The next generation of horse people is out there. We just need to help them find their way to the barn. ❤️🐴
