<p>I live in a city, but there are stables outside of it (mine is a 20-minute drive away). I agree that it's ridiculously expensive in the US -- I used to ride in Sweden for a fraction of the price -- which is why I don't compete and only take lessons for part of the year. My parents' employer has actually reimbursed us for it the last two years since they pay for k-12 education and my riding lessons fulfill my school's physical education requirement (and are therefore an educational expense)... which is really nice. :D</p>