How to Price Your Mustang Training Services

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Pricing is the part of running a training business that most trainers either underthink or lose sleep over. Sometimes both.

The mustang world has its own pricing dynamics. You are working with horses that require more time, more patience, and a more specific skill set than most domestically bred horses. That has real value, and your rates should reflect it. But you are also working with a community that often includes first-time horse owners on modest budgets who are trying to do right by an animal they fell in love with. Balancing those two realities is the actual challenge. It is hard to separate emotions from realistic business needs – but in order to survive long term, one must learn this business skill. 

Start with your costs, not your competitors

A common mistake trainers make when setting rates is 1) looking at what other trainers in their area charge and 2) then pricing accordingly. That tells you what the market is doing. It does not tell you whether the market rate is sustainable for your specific operation.

Before you set a single number, sit down and calculate what it actually costs you to do this work:

• Facility costs per stall per month (“stall” can be used loosely, but basically housing cost for the horse)
• Feed
• Farrier (if needed)
• Time spent holding mustangs for the vet or other equine specialist
• Administrative stuff (answering client emails, managing social media, websites, bookkeeping etc)
• Facility and equipment maintenance
• Truck and trailer maintenance
• Small-business fees: yearly registration with the State
• Insurance (both business, auto, potentially facility and equine)
• Further education for your own career development

Once you know your real cost per horse per month, you have a floor. Your rates need to be above that floor. How far above depends on your experience level, your local market, and what you are offering. 

What costs are you expecting the client to cover? Veterinarian, BLM / USFS Adoption Fees, Feed? Make sure this is worked into your calculations.

What to charge for gentling

Gentling rates vary widely across the country, but a rough benchmark (informal data collected from looking at search engine results and social media posts) for a trainer with solid mustang experience is somewhere between $600 and $1,200 per month per horse. Some highly experienced trainers in competitive markets charge more. Newer trainers building their reputation often are charging less while they develop their portfolio.

What that rate covers matters as much as the number itself. Be specific with clients about what is included:

• How many sessions per week?
• What milestones will you work toward?
• What happens if the horse has a bad week and progress stalls?
• What will you cover versus the client: Adoption Fees, Feed, Farrier?
• How often will training updates be provided?
• How many on-site visits are allowed?
• How many phone calls, emails – your overall availability?

Clients who understand what they are paying for have fewer complaints – make sure this is all written out in your training contract (and do not accept a horse for training with out a contract!)

Day training versus full board training

Some trainers offer day training, where the horse stays at the owner’s facility and the trainer comes to them. This can work well for owners who want to stay closely involved in the process, but it has real additional costs for you. Drive time, vehicle wear & tear, inconsistent facilities, and less control over the horse’s daily handling all affect your results.

Full board training, where the horse comes to your facility, gives you control over every variable. It typically commands a higher rate because you are covering facility costs on top of your time. Most experienced mustang trainers prefer this model for ungentled horses specifically.

Communicating your value to first-time adopters

A lot of your mustang clients will have never hired a mustang trainer before. They may look at a monthly rate and feel sticker shock without understanding what goes into it.

One approach we’ve seen that works well is breaking down what a month of training actually looks like. For example: five sessions a week at up  forty-five minutes each is over fifteen hours of hands-on work with their horse. Add in daily observation, health monitoring, and your time communicating with the owner, and it becomes easier for a client to understand why the rate is what it is.

Be honest about timelines too. A horse that arrives completely untouched does not become a horse that is typically backed within thirty days. Clients who go in with realistic expectations are clients who stick with the process. This also helps you out in reverse – by managing expectations and having your value defined, you can also chose to not work with a client who demands that their mustang be “broke” at any cost within 30 days or any other demands which go against your value as a mustang trainer. 

When to raise your rates

A typical rule of thumb in business is if you have a waitlist, your rates are probably too low; if you are turning away business because you are full, your rates are definitely too low.

A recommended practice is to raise rates with new clients first, then gradually bring existing long-term clients up over time. Give existing clients notice and most will understand.

Getting listed in a mustang-specific directory is one of the most effective ways to reach clients who are already specifically looking for what you offer, which means they are less likely to push back on your rates than a general horse owner who found you by accident.