Horse Industry Shift
When I began riding in the 1960s, horses were a way of life. We rode for the love of it, spent hours at the barn, and showing was just one piece of a much larger experience. Fast forward to today, and the horse world looks very different. A few weeks ago, Sheila S Johnson posted a very good article about the challenges facing barns—rising costs, demanding clients, and instructor burnout. She got me thinking: How did we get here? Horses didn’t just suddenly become only the rich person’s game. Sure horses have always been expensive and everything you purchased cost more for a horse than the same thing did for farm animals. But they’d never been truly out of reach if you tried hard enough. Why have horses become out of reach now? The answer, I believe, lies in the shift from horsemanship as a lifestyle to horses as an industry built around competition.
I’m looking at a fundamental shift in the equestrian world—one that has taken decades to develop. I’ve seen this evolution firsthand, from a time when horses were part of a lifestyle to now, where they are largely part of a high-cost, highly structured competitive industry. My perspective adds depth to the discussion because it looks at why these financial and burnout issues exist in the first place, rather than just describing their symptoms.
The Shift from Horsemanship to Competitive Sport= Change in the Equestrian Culture
For many riders today, horses are primarily a competitive sport rather than a lifelong passion. In the 1980s, the equestrian world saw a rapid expansion of horse shows, structured training programs, and high-end boarding facilities. Shows that had previously been put on by volunteers became and industry of their own with management companies and circuits. The focus on winning ribbons and climbing the competition ladder pushed the industry into a high-cost, high-pressure environment.
With this shift:
- The cost of competing skyrocketed, making it harder for the average person to participate.
- Horses became status symbols, often valued more for their performance potential than for their partnership with their rider. Where riders before could win with an ordinary horse or even one that just missed the killer market and off the track Thoroughbreds were diamonds in the rough, suddenly we had to ride imports and warmbloods in order to be competitive.
- The industry marketed an image of success tied to fancy horses, expensive tack, and high-end facilities, leaving many feeling that horse ownership was out of reach without a large budget. Since they still wanted to reach the competitive goal, many people got in over their heads, and barns tried to help the average to better rider move forward with the elite. Barns and instructors compromised and made “provisions.”
The Consequences of the Competitive Mindset
This competition-driven model has led to several significant issues:
- Financial Barriers: Between training fees, show costs, and specialized care, the expenses of competing make horse ownership seem unattainable for the average family.
- Client Expectations: Many riders now expect "show-ready" horses and premium services rather than learning basic horsemanship, and they expect these services at a cost that is below their value. Clients feel entitled and are difficult to work with.
- Trainer Burnout: Instructors feel pressured to produce winning riders rather than well-rounded horsemen, leading to exhaustion and disillusionment. Under paid instructors are working long hours to keep up with business demands and the bar for shows gets higher.
- Horse Welfare Concerns: With the push to constantly upgrade to better horses, many equines are treated as disposable once they are no longer competitive.
The Role of Land Availability in Horse Ownership
One argument often made is that land shortages prevent ordinary horse ownership. While it’s true that urbanization has reduced open space, lack of land doesn’t have to mean lack of horses or the lack of opportunity to ride.
Alternative solutions exist, such as:
- Community and cooperative boarding barns where multiple families share the costs and responsibilities of horse care.
- Creative use of small spaces—horses don’t need a sprawling 50-acre farm to be happy, just thoughtful management.
- Leasing and shared ownership models to make horse involvement more affordable.
The real issue isn’t just land—it’s that the industry has made the standard of care so high that people feel they can’t own a horse unless they have a pristine barn, formulated feed, and top-dollar supplements.
Returning to More Natural Horsemanship
Another major shift in recent decades is how we care for horses. The industry has moved toward over-managed, luxury-style horse keeping, but is that really what's best for the horse? Natural, simple horse care is often better for their health and well-being. Horses are healthier when they can spend a portion of their day grazing on a mixed grass pasture in the company of other horses, than they are confined to a stall with restricted fodder time.
Consider these principles:
- More Turnout, Less Stall Time: Horses thrive in a more natural setting with space to move rather than being stalled for most of the day.
- Simpler Feeding Approaches: Not every horse needs high-end supplements and complex grain formulas—many do best with quality forage and a simple ration balancer.
- Practical Equipment Over Trends: A well-fitted, used saddle can be just as effective as a brand-new custom one. Competition compels riders and owners to have the easily recognized higher dollar equipment for horse and rider. The latest, fancy and expensive are not words synonymous with quality.
- Hands-On Care Over Outsourcing: The more time owners spend with their horses doing daily care, the better they understand their animals. If an owner isn’t willing to take responsibility for their horse, they probably aren’t willing to take the time to be horsemen.
- Less Pampering and More Real Horse Life is better for gut health, emotions, and disposition.
- Teach clients that you are worth your wages and fees. Study your costs and pass them on to clients. Educate your clients up front and ahead of time for what it costs to have horses or just to ride them. YOU DO NOT NEED the client who can’t or won’t pay their bills. If you support your clients to your hurt, of course you will lose money and eventually you’ll lose your business.
- Worry less about your image at the shows and more about the quality of your teaching.
How We Can Restore Balance
To bring back a healthier, more sustainable horse industry, we need to shift our focus back to horsemanship over competition. Some ways to do this include:
- Re-emphasizing Everyday Horsemanship: Encouraging barns to incorporate trail rides, groundwork, and horse care education alongside lessons.
- Diversifying Equestrian Experiences: Hosting schooling shows, obstacle courses, and horsemanship challenges that focus on skill-building over winning.
- Promoting Affordable, Practical Horse Ownership: Encouraging riders to find success with a variety of breeds and price ranges rather than chasing the most expensive mount. Or promote horse sharing. Horse leases.
- Celebrating Progress Over Ribbons: Recognizing growth in riding ability and horsemanship rather than just show results. Treat non show riders equal to those who complete.
- Trainers and barn owners need to learn to keep horses economically while pricing their services so they make a profit. No one should expect you to support someone else’s riding hobby. If you do this you are not a business owner, you are running a hobby farm.
Conclusion
Competition isn’t the enemy, but when it becomes the only goal, it drives up costs, increases stress, and shifts the focus away from the true value of horses. It also trains your clients horses are only for competition. It teaches riding is about winning, or getting on the show team, or getting a spot in the trailer, and ignores that fact that in order to maintain a strong industry we need horsemen and women. We need to encourage a mindset where horses are valued as partners, teachers, and lifelong companions, not just stepping stones to a blue ribbon.
It’s time to rethink what success in the horse world looks like.
What can we do in our barns and programs to make horses more accessible and horsemanship more meaningful? I’d love to hear your thoughts—how do you think we can bring balance back to the industry?
Thanks for reading The Riding Instructor! HAPPY RIDING AND TEACHING.
Barbara Ellin Fox
