Menu
If you are interested in riding outside of lessons, please read our Beyond Lessons Packet. This guide contains important information for any FMF rider to know before they begin riding on their own.
Owning & Leasing 101 with Karen Fulton (4/8/21 Zoom meeting)
Riding on Your Own 101 with Karen Fulton (4/15/21 Zoom meeting)
Cost: $60/ride (paid upon scheduling).
Requirements: Instructor’s permission is required to be eligible. You must be able to groom and tack on your own. Anyone who does a practice ride must be enrolled in the weekly lesson program. Jumping is not allowed during practice rides. A signed contract must be on file with the office (prior to the first ride) to ensure the rider is aware of proper warm-up/cool-down and other riding responsibilities.
Scheduling: Practice rides must be scheduled in advance, and cannot be cancelled or rescheduled (except in approved extenuating circumstances). Rides are dependent on horse’s availability and ring space.
Working Students: Working Students with a regular weekly shift may use their hours towards practice rides.
Full lease board for one of our lesson program horses costs $600 per month. Leases are billed month-to-month, with 30 days’ notice required for termination of the lease. Full lessees pay for most of the costs related to the horse’s care, but are generally only responsible for a limited amount of medical costs. In return, full lessees have full access to their leased horse.
A full lease includes: First choice of mount for showing and lessons, riding on your own at your convenience (by prior arrangement), full use of the facilities (as appropriate for mount and riding ability), jumping on your own in the Indoor and Little Outdoor (with permission of instructor), stall space, daily turnout, normal amounts of feed & hay, full boarder tack room space, holding for farrier & dentist, and administration of supplements & medication. Horse-use fees are waived for full lessees.
We do not allow jumping on your own in the Big Outdoor or in the Field ever (this includes the water jump and all banks & ditches). All lessees must be enrolled in at least two lessons per week. Lessees must use their own saddle pads, but may use the horse’s school tack if it is not shared with another horse who is being used for a lesson at the same time. We highly recommend purchasing your own tack.
New leases must provide a new lead rope/chain for farm use. Please expect miscellaneous costs to arise, such as: new halters, bell boots, flymasks, blankets, stall fans, feed buckets, blanket cleaning, etc. All of these items become the property of the farm after 6 months or when the lease ends.
Admin Fee: $100. This one-time fee is non-refundable and due at contract signing. If you take a break from a half-lease, you will have to pay a new Admin Fee when you start another.
Monthly Lease Fee: $330 (minimum of 3-month commitment)
Farrier Costs: Monthly fee to cover part of the horse’s farrier costs ($35 if barefoot, $75 if 2 shoes, and $112.50 if 4 shoes). Rider is responsible for the full cost of having shoes drilled and tapped for studs (if desired for showing), and for replacement of any shoes lost while riding on your own or at a show.
Supplement Costs: Rider is responsible for the full cost of any supplements the horse requires.
Benefits: First choice of mount for showing and clinics, 2 lease rides per week (scheduled at contract signing), partial use of the facilities (as appropriate for mount and riding ability).
Restrictions: We do not allow jumping on your own on a half lease. Half-lessees must use their own saddle pads, but may use the horse’s school tack if it is not shared with another horse who is being used for a lesson at the same time. We highly recommend purchasing your own tack.
Scheduling: We will schedule the 2 recurring weekly ride times at contract signing (e.g., Tuesdays at 4:30pm and Sundays at 2pm). The office will provide you with a list of available ride times, which are based upon ring space and the lesson-use of the leased horse. We require 24 hours’ notice if you cannot attend a lease ride. Up to 2 lease rides may be rescheduled per month, but only if we have received the 24 hours’ notice of cancelation. These makeup rides must occur within the month they were canceled. All scheduled rides that conflict with weather or FMF events may be rescheduled in advance.
We offer quality care and a nurturing environment for all horses. Our caring, professional staff provide daily stall cleaning, turnout, feed, water, and hay.
Full board cost is $1,000 per month. Owners of horses that are regularly used in the Lesson Program receive a discounted board rate of $600 per month. Board includes: full use of the facilities, stall space, daily turnout (as weather permits), normal amounts of feed & hay, full boarder tack room space, holding for farrier & dentist, and administration of supplements & medication.
Please note that all boarders must be enrolled in at least two weekly lessons, and we do not take boarders from outside our program.
When one of our riders brings a new horse to FMF, a commission payment of either $500 or 10% of the horse’s purchase cost or annual lease fee (whichever amount is greater) must be paid to FMF upon the horse’s arrival.
*Our fly/pest control program includes a feed-through supplement administered daily to all horses.
*Dependent on horse’s individual needs. Horses may be barefoot or have 2 or 4 shoes. Shoes may be drilled & tapped for studs at extra cost.
*More if extra work or sedation is needed. (We will ask you to drop off a check made payable to the dentist.)
*For full leases: usually limited to $500 per occurrence
Everyone (regardless of vaccination status) MUST:
If you have tested positive for COVID (regardless of your symptom status), do not come to the farm.
Please consult the CDC for current best practices.