# Barn work in exchange for riding?



## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

Okay, so there is this stable called Hickory Stables. I wanted to ask the owner (Ginger) if I could work at her barn doing things such as cleaning stalls, feeding and grooming the horses you know that kind of stuff in exchange for letting me ride some of her horses. And of course I would do all of the work for free as long as I got to ride some horses. And by the way I am an intermediate rider because I take horse lessons already at Detersmination Equestrian Center. So I need your help. My mom is going to take me there sometime around 4/13/11 so I need answers like how to ask her if I can work there in exchange for riding. Please answer my question!!! Thank you in advance!!!


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

Please Reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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## Lonannuniel (Jun 13, 2008)

If you rode at this stables, and took lessons there consistently, I would just ask. however, since you ride at a different stables, I would think that you should handle asking just like applying for a job. Age is a huge factor, along with liability risks and safety. saying your an intermediate rider does nothing unless she has seen your ride / handle horses.

If you are thinking more towards working off payment for a lease horse, that is a bit different, and in that case I would go in asking about available horses. Some stables don't let people work off lease, but that's something you would have to find out.


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks!


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## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

Maybe you should go there and take a few lessons and volunteer to do a LITTLE barn work. Then after a while ask if she can take a little off of your lesson fee if you do more work. Don't get your hopes up too high for being able to work it ALL off.


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

I really appreciate your answer but I already take lessons and the volunteer thing is a good idea though that's probably what I am going to start off with and then I'll ask her if I can ride her horses. I don't exactly want lessons I just want to be able to ride on my own. THANKS CINDER!


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I think it's a great idea. I did something similar before I got my own horses. I know my current trainer has working students, who do barn chores and are allowed to ride as a pay. So I'd definitely ask!


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

kitten_Val said:


> I think it's a great idea. I did something similar before I got my own horses. I know my current trainer has working students, who do barn chores and are allowed to ride as a pay. So I'd definitely ask!


Thanks for the answer!!! And that's exactly what I wanted to do was ride for my pay!!! I just didn't know exactly how to say it!! THANKS!!!!!
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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

I don't think they would let you ride their horses on your own. You will probably get free lessons though. I have been working at a yard since last September for nothing. I rarely get to ride the horses on my own. The instructors get to ride the horses that need to be ridden. I have ridden about 2-3 horses on my own since I started. And that was because there was no one else to do it.

But of course it could be different wherever you are.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Sarahandlola said:


> I don't think they would let you ride their horses on your own.


I have to respectfully disagree (although I think lessons are always more beneficial than just riding). In 2 barns I know of younger kids (12+/- yo) were allowed to ride as a "pay" for help, not actual lessons. But of course it depends on barn.


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## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

> I have to respectfully disagree (although I think lessons are always more beneficial than just riding). In 2 barns I know of younger kids (12+/- yo) were allowed to ride as a "pay" for help, not actual lessons. But of course it depends on barn.


I've also been allowed to ride by myself and have seen others allowed to as well. I agree that lessons are more beneficial than just riding though, I learned that the hard way!


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

kitten_Val said:


> I have to respectfully disagree (although I think lessons are always more beneficial than just riding). In 2 barns I know of younger kids (12+/- yo) were allowed to ride as a "pay" for help, not actual lessons. But of course it depends on barn.


Yeah I already have lessons. Plus I ride english at the equestrian center now and at Hickory stables they do more of western stuff but it doesn't really matter because I just want to ride!!!


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks for the answers everyone!!! My mom is most likely to take me there on April 13, 2011 so if you have any other opinions or answers I can still use them!!!!!
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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

I can still use answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

I can still use answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

I already went up there but Ginger wasn't home so I talked to her husband and he was really nice and I gave him my first and last name and my home phone number and she might call me back, but if she doesn't then me and my mom are going up there tomorrow on Friday. It's 4/15/11
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## laceyf53 (Oct 21, 2007)

I do work in exchange for riding, and it's worked out pretty well, although there are always issues. 

I feed on Saturday mornings, every week at 7 am. I feed roughly 30 horses hay, stablemix, or a mixture of these and grain, and 2 horses get their own completely custom mixes. Then I clean all of their waterers, and clean almost all of their stalls, take blankets off, so roughly 3 -4 hours of work depending on how fast I get it all done. The barn has a wild mustang, and several "problem" horses ranging from aggressive to spooky, to door darters, or that I have to turn out and then catch in order to clean their stalls. So I would rate my work at 10 dollars an hour, because a person doing this would have to have a fair amount of experience to handle some of these animals. So 40 dollars a week, or 160 dollars a month. 

In exchange I get to ride this morgan gelding with a "mind of his own". No one else rides him, he's very hot and testy. It takes me a half hour of crap before I even get a decent ride out of him. And I maybe ride once a week, so the owner of the facility is getting a way better deal than I am, I can't get a lesson out of her if it kills me. 

So just know that in many cases, this is what happens. You end up working your butt off for something that ends up not being a very even exchange. I like horses so I don't mind doing it, but it's not even close to an equal exchange.


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

Yup you never get a good exchange for it. I work my butt off too and get to board my horse for nothing. The cost of boarding is 50 euro a week. I work 18-30 hours a week depending on the week. So if I was getting paid I should be getting over 200 a week. And if I miss a day due to being sick etc I have to work an extra day.


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## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

I wouldn't say you never get a good exchange. A while ago my cousins and I took lessons with a very nice girl and we cleaned a few stalls (at the most five) and watered (the whole barn) we got $10 dollars off our already cheap lesson price.

She had to stop giving lessons, though.


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks for the answers everyone I think I'm going up in a half an hour or so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I will say if you come off as impatient with them when you are asking as you do in your thread here begging for answers you are lowering your chances of them saying yes.
I assume you are young but that does not limit your ability to act responsible and professional.
You are basically applying for a job.


I realize your goal is to work for free riding time but look at it from the barn owner's point of view. They do not know you or your riding ability. Plus they probably have kids that ride there that might want to work for riding.
You have to at least be open to the idea of working for lessons to start with (after you do some work for free to prove you have the ability).

Curious, why are you not trying to work for riding time at the barn you already take lessons at?


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I will say if you come off as impatient with them when you are asking as you do in your thread here begging for answers you are lowering your chances of them saying yes.
> I assume you are young but that does not limit your ability to act responsible and professional.
> You are basically applying for a job.
> The place I ride at now already has enough help and they get paid. Plus, the owner already knows me from taking two years of lessons with her.
> ...


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

The place I ride at now already has enough help. Plus the owner already knows me from taking two years of lessons. ( for Alwaysbehind)
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## xdrybonesxvalleyx (Jan 17, 2010)

I would think the owner having a relationship with you would be a good thing. I agree, though, that if you're being impatient with the barn owner as you are with responses here, you won't make a good impression. You need to go accepting a no. In fact, I would go in asking to work just for volunteer experiences and being with the horses, and maybe just mention an idea of doing it for lessons. She doesn't know you, how well you ride, how you treat horses. You also need to prove your level of responsibility.


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

Yeah, I guess your right. I am being impatient. She probably won't call me either, so maybe I could find a different summer job.
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## xdrybonesxvalleyx (Jan 17, 2010)

I'd wait for a phone call back before just going out there. 

I'm not a big fan of cross-stable training. It makes it seem like you're going against your instructor, it makes it seem like that stable's not fulfilling all your needs or providing enough education for you--whether you believe that or not, that is what it seems to show off for me.


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## MarinaBandena15 (Apr 10, 2011)

It's not that I want to go to a different stable, it's just the owner of the place I ride at for lessons has alot of workers and I know she wouldn't let me ride any horses in exchange because they are all boarded, leased, or lesson horses. Plus the place I ride at now is like 15 minutes away and at Gingers it is so close that I would ride my bike there.
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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Actually, folks, I gonna disagree with "waiting" to the point. People often can be so busy that don't even have time to check the phone or email (when I go crazy at work I don't care about calls honestly). So waiting for 2-3 days and calling again is not a bad idea nor it's being too insistent or impatient. If 2nd call would be ignored then I'd say there is no interest.


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

Hmm when I first asked to help where I work now I was turned down. I actually asked 3-4 times in about a year. Then last summer there were a lot of summer camps on and I asked once again could I help. Finally I was allowed for a week then in september I started working two days a week. Now I work 2-5 days a week depending on what is going on. It is the easter holidays for the next two weeks so I am working pretty much everyday to help with the camps.


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## horseobsessed977 (Apr 13, 2011)

Have you asked your lesson place if you can work there in exchange for riding time or a lesson? Thats what I do! Like this week, I had a lesson yesterday and now another one (that I'll pay for) on Saturday. Try asking your place first


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