Hey guys, I’m planning on starting up a horse business when I turn 16. I plan on doing horse-sitting, exercise riding, training, and maybe more! My question is this, what’s the difference between an exercise rider and a trainer? So far, this is what I’ve got
Trainer-Person that teaches a horse new things, and pushes them beyond what they’re used to doing
Exercise Rider-Person that maintains a horse at a certain level of fitness
Is there anything that y’all can add to that?
The trainer versus exercise rider is a distinction that holds at the race track. It is not so meaningful in the riding horse world.
This question suggests you have little experience in organized riding.
What is your current experience? Are you at a good lesson barn with a trainer? Typically junior riders apprentice as a working student then an assistant trainer before even thinking of going into business as a trainer and coach in their 2Os.
Frankly no one is going to pay a 16 year old to train their horse, and probably no one is going to pay you to exercise their horse. Quite the opposite. They may expect you to pay lease money to ride.
If you want to work with horses, you should find a good barn that does lessons and training. Start there as barn help and groom. Indeed if the barn goes to big shows you can work as a groom, and if you learn to braid manes for hunter/jumper that’s another income source.
If you can’t afford lessons exchange work for ride times, get lots of practice, learn how to ride and fix naughty ponies , get some ribbons at shows, and in 10 years you might be a trainer.
Well, as a minor, is this business okay with your folks? You should think about some liability insurance too. Not sure if anything formal is available to a minor. I, personally, would be very leery of a minor training or riding my horses without a formal agreement and insurance. I work in insurance and people are very sue happy even with the best intentions. What if you got hurt really bad and your folks wanted to sue the horse owner? Doesn’t matter what your opinion is if that is your folks wanted to do. I’d wait until your 18 if you really want to do this.
I would agree with your assessment; an exercise rider would not necessarily to be able to push a horse and handle the fall out based on how the horse reacts, but is there to help with fitness only. Definitely a different need and skill set. Though a good exercise rider may help train the horse a bit in the process.
I currently work as a working student for a higher level eventer (who also trains) and I’m a ranch hand for a breeder in my area. This explains why exercise rider doesn’t come up in search results not relating to racing lol. Thank you for your input!
You have a very valid point on the liability insurance. I plan on talking to a lawyer before the business is open (maybe too ambitious?) and talking about things like that. I’d probably have my mother (no dad in picture) sign something stating the standard “I accept the risk of horseback riding” along with “I will not sue you should any injury come to my daughter.”
Hold harmless agreements, unfortunately, do not legally prevent anyone from filing suit against you. You need the advice of a lawyer and an insurance agent, both of whom should be intimately familiar with the horse industry.
I would ask both the trainer and breeder you work for about their insurance costs and coverage, and see if one of their agents can help you. Good luck!
You will need your own insurance, and it is not likely an insurance company will take on a minor.
Re: liability. Definitely talk to an attorney, insurance company, etc. when you get to the point of setting up your own business. (Most states have laws that exempt equine professionals from liability due to the “inherent risk” of equine activities but there are obviously a variety of considerations.) But there’s not going to be much you can do as a minor as far as running a business (for example, entering into contracts).
I don’t know what your options are - depends on your area and experience. You can probably do some catch riding, etc. but be careful about your status if you want to do anything in the future that requires “amateur” status vs professional. Plan on working with a well-established trainer for a while, and then branch out on your own.
Definitely plan to finish high school, and maybe take some business-type and writing classes at a local college. Pippa Funnell and Charlotte DuJardin left school when they were 16 to pursue horses - I think it’s great that you have this passion and want to make a plan, but also take time to learn from and work with others.
Speaking as someone who runs a horse business and who routinely hires both riders and trainers, I would not hire a 16 year old in any capacity due to several issues including liability. There are barns that will hire you, but you still would be best situated as the employee of a more experienced trainer for the time being.
I think the best option for you is to build your reputation for the next two years. House sit and babysit for neighbors and friends. Pick up as many catch rides as you can at local barns. If someone will pay you for exercising or schooling your horse, great. If you are concerned about liability for yourself or your parents, you might need to be very careful. Any time you ride or handle someone else’s horse you (your mother actually) could be held responsible if something should happen to it (whether it is your fault or not). This is not theoretical–because you are 16 and looking for rides people will feel like they are doing you a favor (even if you are getting paid). To avoid liability, your best bet is to do as much riding and building of your reputation as you can as a WS where you fall under your employer’s supervision and liability policy.
Like any businessperson, choose your clients and who you associate with carefully–even now. Build relationships with owners by being polite, reliable, and responsible at all times. Learn some business skills–learn how to use quickbooks and see if there is some way you can take some business classes.
Although my first reaction was like the above: I wouldn’t hire a 16 year old, I do know of a trainer that started at that age.
It likely helped that her family owns a boarding stable, but she seemed to do ok, and has a reasonable reputation. She started out with ponies (as she is/was short), which I think helped her get started as not many adults are sized right, and that got her foot in the door.
not sure about liability insurance, although a coach can be insured at 16 years of age, so I am not sure why a trainer couldn’t be.
Yes clearly there are junior riders doing catch riding, assistant trainer, working student, coaching, so the insurance must exist.
Ok, that’s great experience! Can you work out of your eventing barn as an assistant trainer?
I’m going with no (for a minor). Policies definitely exist for personal equine liability for adults though. However, whether that covers accidents from riding several non-owned horse is another issue, that probably requires a trainer policy.
My youngest stepson is a pizza delivery driver which requires a commercial liability policy that is $7k a year, as most personal auto policies do not cover when the vehicle is used for work (company i work for does cover it so we get him insured that way). Guarantee you most of the these drivers are running around not properly insured, which is my guess with most of the working students too- they are not properly insured unless they are covered directly under the trainer or barn manager they work for.
OP, you sound like my youngest daughter… no was not acceptable for her. She was a year younger than most of of school class mates, many got jobs and she wanted to also…but she was fifteen. and no one would hire her
We had a bunch of horses here at home so she started a riding school for beginners… hired one of her school friends as an assistant (they are still to this day best friends) . She developed her own curriculum (which she later sold to other beginner training operations)… … she had this school going for four years, many repeat clients … oh and made enough to pay most of her college education
When I was 16 I regularly exercise rode. My barn was a smaller eventing-ish barn primarily made up of young riders (under 12). By the standards of the barn, being able to competently W/T/C, pop over a 2’ course, safely hack out, and remind a pony of basic ground manners was a huge asset for the parent of an 8 year old with a sneaky 12h pony.
From 16 - 18 I regularly exercised 3-6 ponies daily for $15/ride. There were no contracts. I was paid in cash. I’m not advocating for this as a model, but I think my experience is super common. If someone is going to advertise themselves as an exercise rider, liability insurance makes a lot of sense but I don’t think it is the norm in most areas for teens.
OP if this is something you are determined to do then continue to find out what you need in place to make it happen.
Obviously many people catch ride, farm sit, and school ponies so hopefully you can find something that works for you.
I agree with pp many teens do these things similar to babysitting- as asked by other people and little thought to insurance and taxes.
This used to be very common. In fact, I did the same as a teenager. However, this is becoming less common as people are becoming more sensitive to the liability issues for both sides. Nowadays, I would say that in general these situations are limited to “pony jocks” that ride under a reputable trainer so that both parties (horse owner and the rider) are protected from liability, or situations where less reputable horse owners (i.e. horse owners who don’t want to pay a professional/can’t get along with a professional or have badly behaved or unsound horses no professional is interested in riding) are looking for some kind of an alternative. Unfortunately, I think most reputable owners in this day and age would stop and think, “Gee, what would the repercussions be if this minor were to get hurt?”
Personally I think that Clanter’s model was a significant liability risk. I also think that it is irresponsible to have minors running a riding school. That’s just my opinion, others may disagree. I also think that if the OP were to go out and start a riding school, buy a property, buy school horses, feed them, pay for vet and farrier, purchase insurance, maintain the property including mowing, trimming, maintaining the buildings and equipment, pay taxes, etc. I feel 100% certain that the OP would NOT end up with any money to pay for college. If she has a parent or benefactor that can provide her with a free facility and free horses (and free vet/farrier care for those horses) then yes, she might be able to make some money, but again, times have changed, and many parents might be less receptive to a riding school taught by a minor.
You aren’t considering the reverse… not just that you/mother would sue someone if you got injured but what if you/mother gets sued because the horse you were riding/training got injured or if a student you were teaching or who was riding a horse you were training got injured/killed?
All the hold harmless contracts in the world will not, as noted keep anyone from suing you. Not saying to not do them but they are not ironclad protection.
Did she pay you a fee for using your facilities? A fee for using your horses? (If yes, true market rate fees?) Buy a liability insurance policy?
It’s great if you have Mom and Dad subsidizing your business, but I’m not sure it’s practical for the vast majority who don’t have that advantage.
I’m with BeeHoney on this. I really doubt that the OP’s plan to get paid for riding other people’s horses is viable. It’s too easy to recruit young riders who will ride your horse for free and be happy to get the ride. There isn’t much need to pay for a non-training ride. Heck, if I was still boarding my horse, I would have absolutely no trouble doing a partial lease and having someone pay me for the privilege of riding him.
However, OP, I pay $50/day for horse sitting, more if you will stay at my house and take care of the dog and cat, water the flowers, and pick up the mail and paper. If you want a viable business, start a farm sitting service.
That will get you in the front gate at a reputable facility, but won’t be sufficient for most facilities to allow you to offer professional services like riding or training on their property.
If you plan to skirt the insurance issue by cultivating backyard type clientele who accept or don’t understand the risk, how will they find you and why would they pay for your services instead of finding someone else who will ride for free or even pay for time in the saddle?
When I had several horses I needed help exercising it was easy to find capable adult and teen riders who were delighted to ride for free, and probably would have paid for the privilege if that had been the arrangement. Is there really a market for professional exercise riding?
As for going pro as a trainer at age 16, I’ve known exactly 2 people over the course of multiple decades in decent eventing and dressage barns who really had an aptitude for training at that age (meaning, had developed the timing, feel, understanding of the aids to be very effective riders and capable of teaching horses new things intuitively). Both of them were humble enough to realize that they needed a lot more experience to build that talent into a pro skill set. Again, is there really a market for trainers with the level of experience of a16 year old?
OP, if what you’re interested in is a long term career in horses, you’re better off staying in your working student position and building up skill and reputation under the tutelage of a good trainer. If what you want is some summer spending money you’re better off finding a conventional teen job or equine gigs that don’t involve so much liability (e.g. braiding for shows).
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