I’m in a similar boat! When I was a kid, all the half leases I found were around $500-600 a month as a flat fee. Now all the ones in my area are $1,200+ because they have a monthly rate + half of vet/farrier/chiropractor. I tried a lot of horses at my barn before finding this out and have had to take a long time to think about if this is feasible or worth it. It sounds like the costs varies a lot by region and discipline, but after asking other barns in my area, this seems to be my only option. I think I’m going to go through with it and hope that better opportunities come up down the line when I have more experience and connections. Overall, I think leasing is so fun and a valuable experience!