By: David Thomas
January 15,  2015

I recently had a discussion with a horse trainer who was making his case for raising his training rates.  In the conversation several other breeds were mentioned.  The discussion focused on the averages of other breeds and an important question came up.  How do the average Walking Horse training fees compare to other breeds?

I thought that was a great question and began to search for the answer.  I researched each breed by contacting trainers, breed organizations,  websites and other sources. The results are very interesting. 

I hope this information can help our trainers as they move into a new show season and as they evaluate their business plan.

The breeds researched were Thoroughbred, Arabian, Morgan, Saddlebred, Quarter Horse and the Hunter/Jumper industry which is compiled of different breeds.

Thoroughbred-  The race industry has a wide range of training charges that are hard to average and calculated differently than most other breeds.  There is a daily track charge that the owner pays that is for training.  On smaller tracks the average charge equals to approximately $750 per month and on the larger tracks the average charge is approximately $3,600 per month.  These charges are in addition to board and feed.
The industry average for the cost of training a Thoroughbred is $2100.00 per month   (this excludes board, feed, tack, vet or farrier charges)

Arabian-  The Arabian training bill varies depending on the location of the facility.  On the west and east coasts the average is higher than in other areas of the country.  
The national average for training is $1085 per month including board and feed (this excludes feed, tack, vet or farrier charges)

Morgan-  The Morgan training bill has a smaller range than that of the Arabian or Thoroughbreds.  The Northeastern U.S. seems to be a bit higher than the rest of the country, but the overall average nationwide is a modest $1,030 per month (this exludes feed, tack, vet or farrier charges)

Saddlebred- The Saddlebred industry has a wide range of training rates depending on the level of competition.  For the purpose of this report, I will divide these into three categories:  
A- Entry Level - Horses prepared for recreational shows  
AA- Mid Level Quality - Horses prepared for B & C grade competition
AAA- Top Show Quality - Horses prepared for A grade National Competition & Regional Shows

The Training fees charged by ASB training typically include board and feed, but exclude vet, tack and farrier charges.  The ASB rates are wide ranging  from a low of $800 per month to a high of $3600 per month.  
Below are the averages for each category within the Saddlebred industry.

A-   $ 900 per month
AA-  $1100 per month
AAA- $1300 per month

Hunter/Jumper (includes several different breeds such as warmbloods, thoroughbred, quarter horse and arabian)
The H/J industry also has a wide range of training fees similar to the ASB industry.  The following categories have been created for this report.
A-  Entry Level: Horses for pleasure and entry level competitions
AA- Mid Level:  Horses for "B" grade shows featuring mid-level competitions
AAA- Top Quality: Horses for "A" grade shows featuring championship level competitions

There are many variations in training fees within the H/J industry, but for the purposes of this report basic training fees with board and feed will be included in the averages.

A-   $1100 per month
AA-  $1350 per month
AAA- $1600 per month

Tennessee Walking Horse-  The TWH industry has traditionally included board & feed in the training fees. The averages within the TWH industry do not vary much from performance to pleasure so this average includes both divisions.

$650 per month   -  NOTE- some boarding stables in Middle Tennessee are charging $750  per month just for boarding alone

It looks like its time for some adjustments.  The average TWH trainer cannot be expected to be this underpaid.  They work hard and deal with more than any other horse trainer in the world.
 
For What?  Pennies