So I am currently living in South Korea as an English teacher but will be moving back to the United States in February. I live north of Seattle, WA and am trying to gain more experience in the horse world. I was thinking a working student position would be ideal for gaining a lot of experience quickly in a lot of different aspects not just riding. I of course want to improve my riding but I also want to learn about everything. I have 20 years of experience riding and handling horses and have always wanted to get into eventing. I’m nervous though that I won’t be able to get a position because I’ll be 24 by the time I return, and the last time I jumped was maybe 10 years ago and I’ve never really done anything bigger than a cross rail. I have been grooming for shows here in Korea and riding young green horses including thoroughbreds and warmbloods. Not that I can get references from this since they on’t really speak English and I doubt anywhere I’d be applying will speak Korean. I’m a very hard worker, have a good eye for detail, and am very passionate but I’m not that optimistic that that will be enough.
I also am not sure where to start looking I can definitely move to another part of the US (I’m not looking to spend another year abroad right now). Does anyone have any recommendations for where to look for positions or places to apply? Any thoughts on my situation or recommendations will be appreciated. Thank you in advanced.
Why do you want to be a working student? It doesn’t sound like you are on track to be a trainer or high level competitor.
WS positions come in a variety of flavors. At the top end you are essentially interning with a BNT to become a riding professional, working 12 hour days. At the bottom end you are trading mucking stalls for lessons in a beginner lesson barn. At all levels there is the real possibility you will not get much saddle time relstive to other tasks.
Honestly if you have a college degree and professional credentials, the best way to learn to event would be to get a job and pay your way as a client. That could mean leasing or buying a horse
What is your long term plan for your own riding? Do you want to be a groom? A trainer? An accomplished amateur rider?
What are your own career goals? Do you want to work at low paying horse jobs your whole life? Is being a working student a kind of gap year vacation thing before you return to teaching full time? And how will you support yourself during your WS time?
Why would anyone object on grounds of age if you are willing to work really, really hard for absolutely no wage?
Take Scribbler’s advice!
Hi, I do not have a teaching degree, Teaching English in Korea only requires a degree in ANY field. I have a degree in Criminal Justice but given the current climate in America regarding most law enforcement positions this is no longer something I want to do. I want to get into eventing because this is the type of riding I am interested in doing but long term I’d like to work training horses. Which I see as something easier to learn about via a working student position than just lessons where from my experience at least you don’t usually learn about much more than the tacking up and riding aspects of horse care. I own my own horse who is retired so I am aware of basic horse care, grooming, and maintenance but want to learn more about training. I am well aware that I’m behind track for my age (which is honestly kind of ridiculous but the semantics of that is for another discussion). I’m not really gonna discuss my own monetary situation here cause I don’t feel that everyone on the internet needs to know them but I’d be fine especially if the position is live in.
By and large, people become trainers by excelling in their discipline of choice. Clients want trainers who can achieve results in a specific discipline. In this training horses is like becoming a football coach or a tennis teaching pro. You go as far as you can competing yourself and then you start taking on clients based on your reputation.
This is different from the model of grade school teacher where you just learn how to teach a set curriculum.
Because of this, it honestly makes no sense for someone with modest riding skills to set their sights on becoming a trainer. That’s just not how it works.
If you have some financial security, then take the time to leap back into horses, pay your own way, start competing, and see where you get in ten years. Then you can decide whether you want to hang out your shingle as a coach and trainer.
You can no doubt find a trainer who is happy to let you work for free but if you are coming in with basically no jumping experience then you are not going to progress very fast when you are spending 12 hours a day mucking stalls. And you aren’t going to get alot of rides on Greenies at a good barn.
I realize questions of money are a bit personal but honestly in horses cash is the big determinate for what you can do. All of us adult riders are constrained by what we need to do to earn a living and what we can afford to spend on horses, both money and time.
Long term you are better off putting your degree to work, not necessarily as a cop if that’s lost its lustre for you, buying a green OTTB, and finding a good trainer that you pay to be your coach and mentor. You will learn more by making your own good competitive horse from scratch, than you will mucking stalls and grooming.
I agree with earlier posters that many working student positions are low paying situations that entail a lot of grunt work including plenty of stalls.
To be clear, there are working student situations that do entail riding and training. But these positions are usually offered to students that have spent a considerable amount of time in the sport and are well on their way to becoming accomplished riders.
Something to be aware of is, many working student positions don’t focus on the “student” and are better described as “barn help”. If you are looking for a situation with opportunities to learn how to train I would suggest you look on Yard and Groom and your local FB horse groups for available jobs or post your own ISO. Don’t limit yourself to “working student” situations. Consider jobs that entail riding or being an assistant trainer. Be sure to vet out the job carefully and make sure your goals align with the position.
I know you are looking for a paid position, but something you might want to consider is Judy Winkle’s program at Maplewood. Aspiring trainers enroll in her live-in program. There is monthly tuition, but it is an program that can open doors for alumni. You mention you haven’t jumped in 10 years and you only jumped cross rails. Therefore, it is unlikely you have the requisite experience to be accepted in the program “today”, but it is something to research and consider for a future time.
If you are new to eventing and want to learn more about the sport, I think a working student or groom position is not a bad way to get some experience. It is not a straight path towards becoming a trainer, but will help you decide if you really are interested in the discipline. As several have said above, some positions are glorified barn help, but others offer more opportunities for learning. The difficult thing may be for you as a bit of an outsider to identify a good position with a trainer who actually provides their working students with all the things they promise. There are many stories of working students being promised X lessons a week, but then somehow the trainer is always too busy. So you are going to have to do some research. I would ask any trainer that you contact about a position if you could talk to some of their previous or current working students. If they won’t give you any names to talk to, probably a bad sign.
I dont think being being a bit older is a drawback - a lot of trainers will probably be happy to have someone a bit more mature than the typical 18 yo fresh out of high school working student. The lack of jumping skills is probably more of an impediment, but will just depend on the trainer.
Other posters could comment on the WA and west coast eventing scene, but if you are open to moving, there are likely going to be more opportunities on the east coast. You said you will be back in the US in February - many east coast eventers go to Florida or Aiken for the winter season (Jan-March/April) and then back north for the summer.
Also, if might be useful to get someone to take some videos of you riding that you can show to a prospective employer. Especially if you won’t be able to provide English-speaking references about your experience working with horses in Korea.
This is exactly what I’m doing - bought myself an OTTB with a good mind and am working on bringing him along myself (with the help of fantastic trainers when I feel like we’re plateaued or stuck). I’m probably just about your age and have seen friends become working students or barn “managers,” sending their loans into deferment and living in trailers because they literally can’t afford anything else. If you’re a LL rider, you’ll probably find a position where you sling shit in exchange for lessons, likely not one where you’re exercising the pro’s upper level horses. I did that when I was 17 (and still living under mom and dad’s roof) and would never want to do that again, especially as an adult with bills.
A tip for you - claiming 20 years experience when you’re only 24 years old screams of trying to inflate your credentials. It just would be a red flag for me. Nobody considers petting horses as a toddler relevant experience.
I agree with everyone saying that you should learn as a paying client and not a working student. As a former WS myself, I’m going to say that your age will work against you in terms of you’re now an adult with adult bills, car payments, rent and mom and dad not footing the bill. Even if you find a trainer who will provide housing, you’re still going to barely get paid. $100/$200 per week won’t get you far. Been there, done that.
Also, when you’re a teenager, those 12-14 hour workdays, 6 days a week are not biggie. When you’re an adult, used to having free time after your 8 hour workday to meet friends, go on dates, take random weekend trips, a WS schedule is going to get old suuuuper fast.
I think you should go the route of maybe buying a green horse (appropriate for your level of riding/horsemanship) and pay for lessons with a trainer. Work on your skills that way while still working a “real” job earning real money and see how things go from there. Teach lessons as a side hustle to dip a toe in the business side of things. Groom/ working student on the weekends.
Yeah missed that, but 20 years of experience as a 24 year old does sound silly. Especially when you haven’t jumped in 10 years (not since you were 14?), and only did cross rails, but now want to learn to be an eventing trainer?
Be honest about your experience. You aren’t going to fool anyone. Every trainer and horseperson will reserve judgement until they see you ride.
A commonly accepted rule of thumb is it takes about 10,000 hours to master a skill. That works out to about 5 years full time and about 10 years doing 3 hours a day. And indeed that has a relationship to the length of time people spend in professional training programs.
At the moment as far as jumping at least you are a beginner. You don’t even know if you have an aptitude for itm
Scribbler makes a lot of good points.
I see my share of applications from young ladies looking for horse trainer/rider opportunities. It is quite common to see claims of “XX” years of experience on resumes which, when you do the math, implies the “experience” started when the applicant was 3 or 4 years old. It is comical, but it is common. IMO it is more accurate to state “has been riding since 4 years of age” assuming the individual was riding regularly (weekly) at that age.
The point that a decent trainer will reserve judgement until they see the applicant ride, is also spot on. IMO.
And the point about jumping is totally correct. OP has hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of jumping rides ahead of her before she’ll be experienced enough to train horses on her own, assuming the training is to be done correctly.
For one thing, anybody over 18 can only show horses in open classes, against Pros. Most WS positions go to Juniors with extensive resumes in over fences divisions still eligible for under 18 and non Pro classes. That’s where the trainer can get show miles on green or sale horses which are generally what WS will ride…owners paying for training only want a trainer on their horse.
For another, true WS positions are unpaid depending on parents to support the students. Those positions tend to go to in barn clients accomplished in the show ring and the many details it takes to prepare and compete in under that trainers banner and system.
Some trainers take on what’s basically interns but you’ need to have very recent experience, references and not expect much in the pay department…
If you want to get into the business, get a paying job as a groom and start building your skills and reputation. Pay for your lessons. Oh, it helps if you are willing to travel as well.
The only bit of advice I’d throw in–along with agreeing with everyone else 100% to start out with lessons, not offering to barter work for free–is to wait a bit before you purchase a horse. Buying a horse, regardless of the price tag, is a huge commitment and can really tie you down to a barn or trainer. Start by taking lessons at an eventing barn in your area, once you’ve settled down. See if you like eventing in the first place, since it’s been some time since you’ve been jumping regularly. Ride as many different horses as you (safely) can. If you’re a good rider, even if you don’t have jumping experience, you might come along someone at the barn who would be interested in part-leasing her horse, or allowing you to ride her horse occasionally if she has a busy schedule, in addition to your paid lessons.
Another issue, having been away from the country, is just getting to know who you can trust in the horse industry in a particular area to give you the opportunities you seek. I do know of some trainers who have a reputation for being fair to their working students and barn help (although even then you’d have to work your butt off), and others not so much. And just because someone has a big name in the industry doesn’t mean they’re pleasant to work for. Even if you do become a working student, it’s not a “first job” thing I’d try to run into, right after being away from the industry in the U.S. for some time.
If you are OK with long hours and low pay, are a hard worker and team player, have a positive attitude, don’t mind getting dirty, willing to try new things, ok with showing up every day, even in (very) unpleasant weather conditions, love the horses, and want to learn, then it won’t matter that you don’t have much riding experience or are “so” old (LOL on that last one). It may actually be a benefit - it’s easier to learn the right way from the ground up then to undo baggage picked up along the way in the form of improper/ineffective riding skills/horse husbandry/farm management. Just ask around about whoever you decide to potentially work for - because who you work for can either make or break the experience, everything else being equal.
