How much does horse riding cost?

The short answer

Horse riding is listed here at $50–300 to start and $50k or more to go deep, the highest range on this site. The two figures describe very different things. Starting means a few lessons at a riding school, where the horse and tack belong to the stable. Going deep usually means owning a horse, and the horse's upkeep is what costs the most.

The first lessons

A first lesson is usually on a lead rein, learning to mount, dismount and ask the horse to stop. The school provides the horse, the saddle and the bridle, and most lend helmets.

Riding needs a teacher, so lessons are the cost of starting. In the US, a group lesson is usually about $40–80 and a private lesson about $60–120. Group lessons are fine for the basics.

What to buy first

• A riding helmet that fits you, made to a current safety standard (in the US, ASTM/SEI certified). Decent ones start around $60. It is the first thing worth owning.
• Boots with a small heel, so your foot cannot slide through the stirrup.
• Riding trousers or gloves later, if you find you are riding every week.

Leave everything else until you know which kind of riding you want to do.

Riding regularly

Once you ride every week, lessons become the main monthly cost. Before you commit, multiply your weekly lesson by fifty and see whether you are comfortable with that figure for a year. At $60 a lesson, that is $3,000.

Riding on holiday, or learning abroad

A riding holiday is a good way to ride every day for a week without owning anything. Some places are known for it:

• Ireland, with many riding centres, trail rides and cross-country courses, and a long horse culture.
• Andalusia in Spain and the area around Lisbon in Portugal, home of the classical schools and their Andalusian and Lusitano horses. Good places for dressage lessons on well-schooled horses.
• Argentina, where estancias in the pampas and Patagonia offer riding with gauchos, often for less than in Europe.
• Iceland, whose small, sure-footed horses have an extra gait, the tölt. Day rides suit beginners.
• Mongolia, for multi-day treks on the steppe. These suit riders who are already confident.

For a real beginner, a week at a riding school with daily lessons teaches more than trail rides do. Ask how many hours in the saddle each day includes and what level the horses suit.

Before you own a horse

Many stables and owners offer a middle step: leasing or sharing a horse. You pay part of the upkeep in return for riding it on set days, without buying it. A half lease in the US is often $200–600 a month. It shows you what looking after a horse takes week to week, including the days it needs care and you don't get to ride.

Lease or share for a good stretch before you think about buying.

Why owning costs so much

Buying the horse is often the smaller part: a sound, quiet horse for an amateur rider often costs $5,000–20,000. The cost that keeps coming is livery or boarding, feed and bedding, the farrier every six to eight weeks, vet care, dental care, insurance and the tack. Full board alone is usually $500–2,000 a month in the US, and all of it together commonly comes to $10,000–25,000 a year. These continue whether you ride or not, for as long as you own the horse.

The top range here describes a serious first year: buying a capable horse, keeping it, and paying for training and shows. A first year with a modest horse and no competing usually lands below $50k. The ongoing cost is still what makes horse riding one of the most expensive hobbies to go deep in. If you want plenty of time in the saddle without that bill, regular lessons and a lease get you most of the way.