Has anyone ever traded goods/services for a horse? What was your experience?

[Ajierene]

I got a previous mare that way. I was helping train her for the owner that had bought her as a resale project to learn some things. The mare turned out to be a bit looney but liked her so when I was done with the training I was doing, I asked if I could keep riding her. The owner said yes, then then owner decided that while she is a resale project, she doesn’t have a lot of interest and could end up in a dangerous situation. In the mean time, she had another horse that needed training. So I put a couple of hundred down and worked off the rest of the price ($1500 to my recollection) in training rides. The owner was also pregnant at the time so I could keep the mare there for free if I fed and cleaned stalls (4 horses) 6 days a week. It worked out very well for us.

Currently, I trade work for board and sometimes we have to have a discussion on what that means - there is no written contract so I am basically salaried and sometimes we need to reassess value. Overall, though, it works out well.

[Carrera]

I’ve traded a puppy for farrier services, twice, actually! Worked out great for both of us.

[Lunabear1988]

When I was a teen, we sold our farm and moved across the country. I had to board and my parents traded our tractor for a year’s worth of board at a fancy show barn…

My husband also djed a trainer’s wedding in exchange for lessons for me.

I have a great family!

[Bogie]

@coffeehag

That’s just the thing! I work in advertising and don’t get me wrong, I’d easily trade my marketing services for a nice horse but I can’t for the life of me imagine anyone willing to make the trade 😂

I work in PR. Years ago I traded services (I wrote a brochure) in lieu of a fee from a Nanny agency. The problem was they didn’t have a clue how much a “normal” client would pay for that kind of service and I think they felt I’d overvalued my time and I felt like they’d gotten a screaming deal. The trick is to make sure everyone agrees on the value of each item. I’ve since traded “like” services – writing content for someone who was producing an ad or a video, for example. I have also been offered a month’s free board for services I did for the owner where I keep my horse, but that was a surprise. I had offered to help her without expecting any compensation.

[HereComesZach]

Sort of? Most of my horses come to me for free, (without having to trade anything,) but the last one I got for free was because I’d allowed a friend to board a (different) horse for free at my place for a few years. She had a horse she wanted to pass along so she just came and switched the horses one day, and now I have an awesome OTTB mare :lol: