# Being a Stable Hand?



## Equine Isabelle (Aug 12, 2014)

Hi everyone, I have a question about being a stable hand... I'm not exactly sure which category this should go under so I'm just gonna put it here  
There is a new barn located about 2 minutes from my house and they are just starting up. I have been there before as my friend boards her horse there and is already working there to help pay for some of her board. We rode together a couple of times and the owner of the barn likes us  anyhow, right now they have 4 horses there and the owner is already lining up for four more to come in in the next few weeks. My friend is the only other person working there as well as the owner, and my friend said that the owner will probably be looking for more help very soon, and said I should ask about working there when the owner is looking for help. I have been thinking about this and I think it would be a good way to earn some money spending time with horses, as I have no other job or allowance, bc I'm only 15. My family has a couple horses so I know the basics like:
Grooming
Handling a horse 
Bathing 
Tacking up 
Turning out
Feeding 
Mucking out stalls 
Lunging 
Cleaning tack 
Is there any more criteria I should be able to do before I "apply"? This would be a very laid back job as the owner is very nonchalant and understanding, and I probably won't be riding exercising horses or lunging that much, it what do you think out of the things listed above or from your own ideas would be the most important thing that I should be able to do well? And other things I should be able to do? 
Thanks!!


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Most generally someone that can drive a tractor to clean stalls, reliable feeding and cleanliness. I doubt if you would be doing anything else but maybe turning a horse out or bringing it in.


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## twolucid (Jan 14, 2014)

I dont know where you're located but I am the barn manager at a 10 soon to be 14 horse barn in New England. I open up the barn, feed grain, hay paddocks, turn out, clean stalls, fill water, hay stalls, re up hay outside if needed, leaf blow out the barn, clean paddocks and scrub water buckets and troughs. Along with tidying up things, prepping stalls for new boarders, preparing grain. You sound like you have experience and owning horses I'm sure you understand that the most dangerous thing about leading a horse from stall to paddock is reading them every step of the way and to be aware of them spooking if they see or hear something, excited mares in heat. In winter watch out for ice, etc.

Make sure you agree on a fair salary. Record your hours, make sure you are getting paid for what you are told to do, and aren't expected to do more then what you get paid for. It's been a great way for me to gain experience with all different personalities.


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## horseNpony (Sep 27, 2013)

When I did work experience at my riding school I had to be a stable hand for a week. Basically what I had to do was:
-Feed (wheel burrow of hay, fill up hay bags and prepare each horses individual food)
-Move horses
-Hose down the arena
-groom horses (including tacking up and doing bandages and rugs)
-Prepare stalls
-Mucking out
-Washing horses
-Cleaning tack
-Sweeping (and lots of it!)
-I didnt personally ride but the other stable hands did
-grooming
-checking paddocks and fences
-filling up water
-lunging/letting horses have a run
thats all i remember at the moment. Being a stable hand requires a lot of physical work, but its great exercise


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## STT GUY (Apr 23, 2014)

Equine Isabelle said:


> Hi everyone, I have a question about being a stable hand... I'm not exactly sure which category this should go under so I'm just gonna put it here
> There is a new barn located about 2 minutes from my house and they are just starting up. I have been there before as my friend boards her horse there and is already working there to help pay for some of her board. We rode together a couple of times and the owner of the barn likes us  anyhow, right now they have 4 horses there and the owner is already lining up for four more to come in in the next few weeks. My friend is the only other person working there as well as the owner, and my friend said that the owner will probably be looking for more help very soon, and said I should ask about working there when the owner is looking for help. I have been thinking about this and I think it would be a good way to earn some money spending time with horses, as I have no other job or allowance, bc I'm only 15. My family has a couple horses so I know the basics like:
> Grooming
> Handling a horse
> ...


I wish you lived near us, you would have a job tomorrow!


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## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

I agree a lot of places will require you to use a tractor, so that's always handy experience. The rest is pretty self explanatory and 1-2 times doing the things you don't do now will be enough. Don't over-think it. Tell the owner NOW that you'd love the job when they're ready and give them your name and direct phone number if you have one. 

Keep going around the barn with your friend and standing out to them. More times than not, those barn jobs are given to people the owners know directly. Good luck.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Be sure to check on her insurance and if it covers you - Medical Insurance companies can be awkward about covering you for injuries caused by other peoples horses if you're there in any sort of working capacity


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

another thing, if the place is paying you by the hour, most of them expect you to be quick, yet still do a good job, if you take 45 min to clean 1 stall.. they don't like it too much usually:lol:


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## Shaz22 (May 28, 2014)

I've been lucky I've never had to learn to drive a tractor. But I have had to drive old trucks, 4 wheelers and gators before. 

I think every job is different, I was a stablehand for a racing stable and just started with mucking out boxes, changing waters, cleaning tack, washing horses and leading them out the the paddock. Then slowly I got more jobs to do, like I learnt to tack the standardbreds up (with all the gear thats a feat in itself), making feeds, cleaning water troughs, cleaning and organizing the barn etc. 

Then I had some working experience on a large ranch and had to do a lot of different things like turning out and bringing in horses (some were out over night, some during the day, some only 1/2 day), cleaning pens and stalls, making feeds, feeding out a huge amount of hay, making sure horses were in pens ready for lessons since a lot were in paddocks very far away, and riding horses. 

The hardest thing was to stay organised and on time while keeping a good awareness of what was going on. There were over 60 horses all over the ranch, I had to learn who the majority of them were, if they were ranch owned or boarders and keep and eye out for any injuries or strange behaviour.

Since its a new barn without many horses I would get in while the going is easy. Even if its just to pay off riding lessons and get experience. You will learn pretty valuable experience of how to organise and deal with horses on a larger scale and in a more business like manner. I can get away with a lot of things with my own horses but with a client's horse I have to be very particular and controlled. 

I always loved hanging around places that trained horses because it was interesting seeing how the business worked and now I know what is efficient and what isn't. And just the fact that if you hang around a place with lots of horses you are going to learn to deal with a lot of weird and extreme situations. So if it ever happens to your own horses, you know the process and what to do. 

My horse colicked a couple years ago and it was just lucky I was familiar with the symptoms and behaviours and could get into action very quickly. Not to mention there was no local vets handy since it was Christmas eve so I was walking and keeping my mare from going down for over an hour. I was very thankful for my experience in the racing stable for that one.


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## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

I was a stable hand for a brief time a few years ago. i did a lot of feeding, watering and more feeding and watering. There were 27 Tennessee Walking Horses housed at this barn, and they were all on a pretty specific diet that required a lot of attention to detail. It was a really great experience, it sounds like you have a good foundation and are taking the initiative!

I did find that grooming and the "fun" stuff was left up to the trainer(s) and owner(s) in my barn. They liked to come in, take a quick ride and groom the horses before returning them to their stalls.


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## Jumping4Joy (Jan 29, 2014)

I'm currently a stable hand at a 15 horse barn. I only work weekends as I am only 16 and still in highschool, but I basically run the entire farm by myself. My schedule is:
-make beet pulp
-bring in night horses
-hay
-feed
-turn out day horses 
-water outside (inside gets watered night before and all horses have 2+ buckets) 
-clean stalls
-make beet pulp
-water inside (EVERY STALL, not just the ones who are in at night, it makes your job easier to get it over with)
-hay
-bring horses in
-feed
-turn night horses out 
-clean stalls
-blow barn 
-close doors 
My day lasts from about 7-4:30pm ish. It's very hard work, but it's good that you will be getting help from the BO! Also, if anyone asks you to groom, tack up, lunge, or exercise their horses, they should pay you personally for doing so, it's not normally something that's offered unless it specifically states that's what they pay for in their board agreement.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

It was be an asset if you could get an equine emergency first aid course. These courses are offered in this area every couple of weeks. My daughter has worked as a stable hand for years and has encountered a number of situations where knowing the signs of illness and basic first aid was a huge asset. 

Other than that, I agree that driving a tractor is a plus, and being able to work hard, fast and efficiently.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If they wish to hire you, be adamant about working for not less than min. wage. Overtime is time and a half. If you don't do this you will find yourself a barn slave, working for poor wages and very long hours. It starts with niggling little things. Keep a record of the time your start, any breaks and when you quit for the day. If you are asked to do extras, tell them "excuse me I have to get my book so I can record my time" That's just a little reminder that your time is worth money. Anything a boarder asks you to do something, it comes with a fee. You'll have to do it after hours and not on company time. If you wish to ride the BO's horse, on a day off, you may have to pay for it's use. No trading horse time for time worked, it backfires.


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## jinxremoving (Apr 6, 2009)

I ride at a show barn and we have about 60 horses and you can only imagine how much fun that is to muck, lol! Definitely not for the weak and as someone else said, if you are slow... don't expect to be around for long. (Of course, if the barn is smaller than that probably isn't much of a concern.)

My only advice would be to look out for yourself. A lot of barns are great at enlisting help for something that ends up becoming a lot more for little or no extra pay than what was agreed upon. Unfortunately, so many people, especially those who are young and without a job, are willing to be taken advantage of in order to be around the horses... and a lot of barn owners know that!


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