Wondering if there’s any trainers that do a sort of adult boot camp/working student/shadowing program?
I was a working student and assistant way back when on the circuit and have gotten back into riding and running my own small facility but am always looking for more educational opportunities. I’m in an area without a lot of higher caliber trainers or they require a full lease to lesson with them and trying to find some options to continue my riding and horse education. Happy to help with chores, grooming, lessons etc to ride as well as pay for lessons. Would love any sort of lead on a program that lets you come in for a weekend or even a week on a regular basis or shadow for a couple months.
Clarification- I am not expecting this to be a free situation - I was looking to see if there was a lease or program that would allow me more exposure and experience like a working student gets. Standard clients show up, ride and leave- I would like to be able to be able to learn and observe more then that.
Are you planning to do this on vacation time? Not sure how you fit it in with a job and your own barn?
Do you have a coach now? The easiest thing would be to block out a weeks worth of lessons every day, and put your horse on a weeks board at their barn. Easy enough to do if you have a contact and some lead time. Easier to do in summer if horse can just stay outside in a paddock 24/7.
Otherwise, a weekend adult boot camp is generally known as a clinic!
Thanks for the response! Yes on vacation time! I have barn help so I could take time away- and I work remotely with a semi-flexible schedule. Not afraid of pulling long days.
Unfortunately no regular trainer at this time- there’s not many of the same experience/knowledge I was fortunate enough to grow up with in my area or they ask you to commit to a lease and x amount of lessons a month which I’m unable to afford as I grow my facility- so my options are limited. That’s why I wanted to hop on here and see if anyone knew of other options.
Would love to do a clinic! Well aware of what they are- unfortunately not many of those in my area either and I haven’t been able to find any semi close that would let me lease a horse for the clinic. They usually want you to bring your own or the clinics in my area are only open to the boarders of the facility. The other perk of my working student days was being able to ride multiple a day without having to own one. Any good leads on where to find clinics would be appreciated! I haven’t had much luck searching online or Facebook.
I would reach out to reputable local trainers for clinic info. Our barn has clinics every few months but they aren’t widely advertised because we can typically fill them ourselves.
But more to your dilemma - the issue with adult working students is the lack of consistency. Very very few, if any, trainers are going to let you just be a working student for a week here and there unless you already have a good working relationship with them, they know your riding ability, and they know they won’t need to babysit you. It’s just not worth it to spend a whole week training someone and showing them how things are done at their barn, just for them to leave at the end of it.
There are instructional horse riding “vacations” offered by some of the various horse vacation companies. For example, some years ago I recall reading about one in New England (Vermont, maybe?) where you spent a week having both on- and off-horse classes. If you can actually get away, i.e. travel someplace, for a week, something like that might be useful.
Can you connect with your former trainer? Either go with them or have them put you in touch with a student who has moved on, or a colleague? Unless you know someone reasonably well, cold calling isn’t going to get you in a door.
It’s very very hard next to impossible to find intermediate/advanced horses for lessons anywhere because of the cost and logistics of lesson horses. That’s why people lease or buy when they are moving up from beginner. Typically no trainer wants their lesson horses doing more than cross rails or two feet for the sake of the horse.
Now if you have a pre-existing relationship with a coach they may be able to find a deal for you, let you ride a private horse, but that’s not a typical deal for the public.
Clinics don’t usually lease horses either. In general a clinic is as much about schooling the horse as it is the rider, which is generally true of all lessons past beginner.
What is your riding level? Can you acquire your own horse, since you are running a barn? I don’t think there’s a lot to support horseless adults past basic beginner.
Given you have a barn, can you buy your own horse and half lease him to a good rider to cover expenses if that’s a concern?
could totally understand that- and I understand needing paying clients-that’s why I was curious if anyone offers anything- life was a lot simpler back in the junior days! Appreciate the advise
We had a young 30s rider looking for more ride time who successfully became a working student and then an employee (rider, for exercise, at shows and home), but she came to the barn with a horse she wanted to sell and initiative to buy another one. She is now considered a “staff” rider who at least for me, is helpful, because I don’t pay the trainer rider rate when she rides my horses. To sum up some of what others have said: why let someone ride for free when there are plenty of people who will pay for it (there are several adults at our barn who ride extra horses but pay full-freight for 2 horses at the barn). Most customers refuse to let the above staff rider ride their horses because she is not one of the trainers (I do not, because I’m currently in significant debt). There are a couple adults who are currently, but not usually horseless, but who have been at the barn for a long time, and thus are getting some “free” rides for some brief period. This winter, a 18 year old who is currently horseless will help the barn for the first time on the winter circuit, but again, she has ridden with them extensively and successfully at high rent venues, etc. I wish you good luck, I agree it was easier as a junior! I was able to ride up to 6 horses each weekend day, for free! 1990s.
If you’re an adult, receiving renumeration in exchange for training horses - even if the renumeration isn’t cash – doesn’t that make you a pro?
Juniors don’t adhere to the same rule, which is one of the reasons you see it more often.
Unless you’re wanting to be a pro, but at that point - I’m not sure how you have your own facility and don’t own any horses? Are you taking training horses? Retirees? I’m not quite sure what the angle is - can you add any clarity on the end goal out of this?
Totally get it! I was quite involved in the horse world and left for a corporate job awhile back now- used to be an assistant trainer, did training rides and got commissions off sales and taught lessons for a few programs. Competed up to 3’6", did EAP, rode with a few big R judges, did freelance grooming/riding during WEF - currently happy at the 3’ level but would love one day to get a nice jumper again. Took a hiatus but have found doing it as a passion project on a smaller scale and being on my own to be a better fit for me. That said- I still want to improve and learn which has been much harder to find as an adult. I have `1-2 of my own at a time right now- I train them, go to a few shows and then sell them. I’ve just had a hard time finding any good lesson options in my area or clinics so I thought perhaps if I could go somewhere without a horse for a bit of extended time I would be able to find more options to continue being the best rider and caretaker I can be. I believe everyone should have someone on the ground to help them in the saddle- so I thought it couldn’t hurt to post on here and see if anyone knew of any options.
That’s actually quite similar to what I used to do! I would go to local barns and essentially be a freelance rider for them- usually worked out a commission deal with sales horses. Unfortunately I got the bad end of a few too many deals and then I bought my own farm. However- that means all the bills are mine too and free time no longer exists! thank you for your kind response
Yes- I’m technically a pro. I have a small group of lesson students and 1-2 horses in training at a time.
My end goal is to find a way to continue improving my riding and education with reputable trainers. I’m unable to afford a large lease fee so I thought maybe there could be a potential for some sort of adult working student spin. I think everyone can gain something from having a knowledgeable trainer on the ground helping them - I’ve been looking for a couple years in my area and haven’t had any luck. I have one trainer that comes but she travels a lot so it gets tough- so I thought if I could go somewhere without a horse that could open up options. I had a friend travel to Europe and got to train over there for a couple weeks when she was a junior- so I was curious if there was anything similar people were familiar with. I was talking to a trainer friend in my area he was having the same issue- we’re of similar level so while we could help each other -we also want someone that can help develop and grow us as well. I’ve purchased some Noelle Floyd clinics and am working through the USHJA certification- but hands on training also can’t be beat.
Ok, really different scenario than I thought at first
I think it’s really hard to make the jump from Good Solid Local Pro to Big Time Circuit, because so much depends on cash and a very good horse. And so many local pros have to put their students first and spend weekends babysitting crosspole kidlets whose parents pay day fees, rather than doing your own development.
Came here to say this. I am a “working student” for my trainer, and am horseless by choice after putting my long time partner down in 2022. I had a relationship with this trainer already, she knew my riding ability, and it helped her to know someone semi-competent (I am NOT a pro), was hacking a horse or two after work, which took one off her “to be ridden” list that day. I currently do night check shifts a couple evenings a week in exchange for practice rides on an older former show horse, and a lesson. It works great for me because I get to maintain my riding skills without taking on additional expenses right now.
All that said - is that an arrangement she would make with a new acquaintance? Doubtful. I think the key here is as Scribbler said, to form a relationship with a trainer you like and build that trust into opportunities.
I think Julie Winkle (sp?) does an “adult horse camp” that might fit the bill - also there’s a program in GA that does “Thoroughbred School” in different blocks (8 lessons in a month or 4 lessons and a hack day, etc). Both have horses on site to use and are short term programs, but you do have to pay. You might be able to find something like those to do on a vacation break? I think your goals are admirable but you might need to let go of the Junior Working Student mindset and think more like a regular industry client.
Honestly your easiest option might be to pick up a project of your own if you can afford it - this will allow you to take lessons and do clinics. Something you can half lease out to a student or use in your more advanced lessons, or a rotating door of sale projects. I know a couple people who started with nice cheap pony projects and used the sale price to buy nicer and nicer things. If you have something in the barn owned by a client, organizing clinics for your students and “leasing” one of their horses for yourself can work too.
I think the helpful thing would be to flip the script and ask “what would a top trainer get from bringing me in for a few weeks, letting me ride their horses or training horses, and giving me free instruction”.
That’s a hard sell beyond the goodness of their hearts. Part of the reason the working student model works is that someone (or rotating someones) offsets labor. For better or worse, the working student labor reduces overhead costs through stalls/feeding/maintenance or allows the assistant trainer more time to do profitable endeavors like teaching or training rides.
For a few weeks you can’t replace existing labor and it is difficult to learn a program well enough that a trainer is going to want you taking on substantial tasks.
I think you may be able to find a long weekend or week-long deal where you can lesson on a sale horse and audit lessons, help out, etc. and demonstrate the value you bring but I would still expect to pay for the lessons. Perhaps over time something like that could evolve into more but I don’t know how realistic it is right off the bat.
Understand and agreed - I did also mention I would be willing to pay for lessons. I was just hoping for more than just a full service lease- something where I can observe and help more. I think because I put “working student” everyone thinks I want this for free. Not the case- I just want more of the immersion and experience you get being a working student then a standard client.
