Work in exchange for lessons?

Question

I want to work around horse barns in exchange for horsebackriding lessons, but I don't have a lot of expierience with horses and I am 14.. I don't know how to ask or find out if I can. I am shy in these types of situations? Also how much is the average cost for a lesson? I live on Long Island if that helps..

Answer 1

Look for the nearest 4-H club in your area! They are a great way to learn and get started in just about any craft or animal care field. I am sure the club members will be glad to have someone interested and they will teach you anything they can about horses, ridding, and probably even showing. Just ask about it. Usually they are really glad to have members join up, and you will have a lot of great opportunities by being in 4-H. I should know I have been in it for over a decade!

http://www.cce.cornell.edu/editor/show/I...

you can find your local office to contact there. Good luck!

Answer 2

Call around local stables and get lesson rates.  I don't think too many stables would make a work-for-lessons deal right from the get-go, but once you get to know the barn & they get to know you, that kind of arrangement is fairly common. There is a lot of work to be done at a stable and much of it doesn't require a lot of knowledge or experience, such as filling water buckets and cleaning stalls.

Another consideration is the labor laws in NY.  I know that in CT, 16 is the minimum employment age for most jobs, but agricultural jobs have a minimum age of 14.

Answer 3

Average.. $30 - $40. (yes a hour)

if you dont have experience with horses or don't have much i dont think they will let you do much. I mean no offense or anything. Maybe cleaning tack, cleaning out stalls, but probably no riding etc.

like emily said - it all depends on where you go. thats a bit expensive for my taste - $475 and im sure you can find cheaper lessons. infact i know you can. depends where you live too

Answer 4

I worked in exchange for lessons when I was your age, and just so you know, I worked my butt off at it. My job was to clean three rooms (yes - rooms) full of tack, groom and tack up the lesson horses (up to 20 per day), assist with feeding, general gopher duties, and whatever else they needed.  I would be so tired by the end of the day that my legs would shake. I had to work a full 8-hour day to pay for one lesson. And I loved every minute of it.

The best way to find out lesson costs in your area is to call the barns near you and ask for their rates. You can then have an idea of how many hours you would need to work for one lesson by assuming minimum wage as your pay rate. You can ask if they accept working students and what their general rules are about having working students on grounds. Some places may only take working students with experience, in which case you may need to pay for some lessons first to let them get to know you. (In my case, I had been taking lessons at the barn for over a year before I became a working student.)

I know that you said you are shy, and I know that can be hard to overcome. However, if you really want to find that job, you will have to talk to people. You can write out a little script for yourself in advance to help plan what you want to say. Some folks will be very impressed just with the fact that you had the drive to contact them and ask. And if you get a 'no,' remember that it is nothing personal.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I agree with Zippo.

My friend is working for her lessons, she has no experince, and she cleans out stalls, waters, cleans tack, she does nothing involving horses. Since she doesn't have any experience.

as far as prices go, some places are cheaper than otehrs, depending on the stable, I'm riding at a h/j show barn right now, my lessons for two of them a week are $475, really deepnds on where ou go.

Answer 6

We can put you to work for lesson exchange...

Too bad you aren't in Idaho.  We have great riders here to teach too.

Don't get the bad end of any deal, you probably would be better off at a privately owned ranch....  With some nice old broke horses.  It is worth a try!

Answer 7

I did this before. It's tough because you usually get taken advantage of.   They give you the crummy jobs and give you credit close to minimum wage, and then they charge you full price to ride in a lesson.   It worked out that I had to do 4-5 hours of hard work dealing with grumpy horses, neglected stalls, and other things... just to get 1 lesson.  

If you do decide to do this, be careful and don't let anyone take advantage of you.    

To find out who might offer this, I suggest dropping by some of the lesson barns in your area.   I'd advise doing it during one of the instructor's lessons so you can see if you want to take lessons there.    Some instructors are better than others.  

Average cost for a lesson varies.  Around here it's about $30 for a group lesson and $50-75 for a private one.

Answer 8

Well, IMO, a big part of lessons is actually learning about horses, general care and feeding guidlines ect, you need to learn all that before even starting to ride. So using that as a basis I'd say most barns would be glad of the help.

Just go at first and tell them your situation. You want to learn all you can about horses and eventually ride. Most trainers when they see you are serious and don't mind working to reach your goals will be happy to help you along. I know I would.

Have no idea of the cost of lessons where you are but generally it depends on what you are wanting lessons in and the quality & experience of the person you are taking them from. Be sure to go to a barn & trainer with a good reputation, anyone can hang up a shingle and offer lessons and training but that doesn't mean they are truly qualified to teach or even know what they are doing.