Is it always this hard to find lessons?

I’ve been interested in taking riding lessons for a little over a month now. I live in a suburban area that’s well surrounded by farmland. Every place I’ve either emailed or called has not picked up/responded to voicemail, or left emails/texts on read. Plus they’re all about an hour away. I feel like I’m going crazy. Is this normal? Any advice on finding a lesson barn as a beginner?