Head Show Barn Manager Salary

[equitationriderx]

Can I have input on salaries of a show barn manager - if this is a great opportunity or the going rate. I will list the tasks and what the return is.

Job:
Help complete barn chores for about an hour in the morning including turnout, feeding, stalls, watering while at home for 24 weeks out of the year. Grooming and tacking/untacking horses usually no more than 4 per day for the trainer to ride. Cleaning tack, bathing, daily treatments, trimming. When there is time or needed; organizing different storage rooms in the barn, moving/organizing jumps. Occasionally a horse will need to be ridden or hacked. Feeding and doing night check in the afternoon. Working at home is usually between a 6 and 7 hour day. At shows feeding, waters, stalls (between 6-12), turnout (if applicable), lunging horses, bathing. Packing all equipment for the show, preparing orders and schedule for the following day, all horse show office paperwork, preparing entries/closeouts, contacting the braider, ordering feed/bedding/manure removal, farm paperwork. Tacking and care for the full service clients. Grooming at the ring, setting jumps, holding a horse at the ring, etc. Picking, feeding, and night check at night. Showing is about 28 weeks out of the year and usually a 13 hour day if not longer.

Salary of $550 a week
Work 6 days a week
Receive up to 3 lessons a week
Receive training and/or trailering at shows
Receive housing at the shows, food at half of the shows
Opportunity to ride occasionally
Body clipping on the show horses
I pay rent while at home
Hotels and gas while traveling to a location is at my expense (ex: to/from florida)

[beowulf]

“about an hour”?

unless there is only one horse in the barn I don’t see how feeding, turn out, cleaning stall, watering, et all would take an hour, unless there are other people here?

How many horses are under this person’s care?

What are the actual hours?

You will need to do this person’s job yourself a few days in a row and ask yourself how much YOU would need to be paid to make this worth your while…

That will really dictate how much you need to pay.

If they are present at first feeding in AM, and night check, sounds to me like this is at minimum a 10-12 hour gig… AM feedings are usually 5-7 AM and night check in my area is usually 8-11 PM… that’s a lot of hours… you need to figure out how you are going to compensate for overtime.

What you are describing is really more of a glorified barn staff position and not a “barn manager” - barn manager usually does not do barn labor but dictates work staff schedules, vet/farrier schedules, orchestrates resupply of hay/grain/et all, lawn maintenance, scheduling, office paperwork, etc.

I think so far what you have is okay, but would it be worth it to me? The answer is no, not really…

what about overtime? health insurance/dental? What about the opportunity to bring your own horse? Very few people accept barn manager positions without looking for long-term advancement in their own riding career – best way to keep a worker is to provide them a place where they can grow as both a worker and a rider…

BTW, I had almost this exact job and made about $700-900 a week depending on how many hours I worked, horse was kept there/fed hay for free, but I did not have health or dental or living provided… and I burned out after several months. It is a lot of work, with very little reward… I never had enough time to ride. Six days a week of full time, grueling work will eat anyone’s reserves very quickly… If I were you I would look for a way to make the work/life balance better, as well as provide a place for the horse in exchange… IMHO that is how you prevent turnover and keep long-lasting, meaningful, valuable employees.

[DancingArabian]

$550 a week for 13 hour days 7 days a week for 28 weeks out of the year? No thank you. That’s 91 hours a week at $6 per hour. Even at 6 days a week, 13 hours a day is 78 hours per week and is merely about $7 per hour. That isn’t even minimum wage.

[beowulf]

@DancingArabian

$550 a week for 13 hour days 7 days a week for 28 weeks out of the year? No thank you. That’s 91 hours a week at $6 per hour. Even at 6 days a week, 13 hours a day is 78 hours per week and is merely about $7 per hour. That isn’t even minimum wage.

yes… and no… if living arrangements are factored in, and a horse, that ends up being a very appealing deal… but if neither of those are offered I agree with you 100%, not even worth it.

[DancingArabian]

@beowulf

yes… and no… if living arrangements are factored in, and a horse, that ends up being a very appealing deal… but if neither of those are offered I agree with you 100%, not even worth it.

Depends.
If the living arrangements are shared quarters, then definitely still not worth it for me.
Board for your own horse would be great, but where in a 13 hour day of work are you supposed to have time and energy to ride your own horse? Unless that’s folded into things.

[rockymouse]

I can’t understand why hotels and gas traveling for your job would be your responsibility.

[OneTwoMany]

I would agree with an earlier poster, this job sounds more like a combination of groom / barn manager rather than a straight barn manager job. Perhaps the employer is a smaller barn and there aren’t enough barn manager tasks to fill the day so the job entails wearing more than one hat.

Based on your description, you would be working on average 9.5 hours a day (6.5 hours when at home, 13 while at shows) which works out to $9.40 per hour based on a $550 salary. Your “perks” including lessons, training, trailering and body clipping. Housing at a show is expected to be paid by the employer. Some food money at a show is expected as well.

Unless the lessons and training you are receiving are from an BNT, this situation doesn’t sound especially competitive. The salary is low for a situation that lacks housing. Often, but not always, barn managers are offered stalls. Generally grooms are not. I would agree with DancingArabian that the benefits of having a stall are only useful if you actually ride your horse regularly at the end of the work day. IME most employees don’t, even when the work day is a reasonable 8 hours long.

Your region and your level of experience will factor into the equation too.

For example, if your resume needs some serious polish to achieve your longer term goals and this position will seriously validate your abilities, perhaps it is worth considering as a stepping stone. Only you can make that decision.

[yaya]

Why food at only half the shows? Should be all of them. And I agree, the gas and hotel for traveling for the job should be covered.
Sounds way low to me, especially if you have to pay rent at home.

[Angela_Freda]

@beowulf

yes… and no… if living arrangements are factored in, and a horse, that ends up being a very appealing deal… but if neither of those are offered I agree with you 100%, not even worth it.

She wrote that she pays rent while at ‘home’.

OP on top of the salary, I would want rent free apt. [I will pay utilities] of my own [no roomies], at least self-board on a horse of my own that includes hay and grain. Up to 3 lessons a week would have to become concrete, definite number of lessons. I would cover 0 costs of traveling to shows where I was working and unlikely would pay for some part of those if I was also showing while working.

[findeight]

That sounds like more of a glorified groom, not a barn manager…a real barn manager orders feed and shavings at home, schedules all vet and farrier,keeps the records, has hire-fire responsibility and is responsible for supervising staff duties daily as well as interacting with client/owners. Usually don’t go to shows but stay home and run the home barn. Ones I know make about twice what you quote, most don’t own horses, no time left after supervising care of everybody else’s. There is also opportunity for additional income from tips and sales commission splits on horses if they are involved with marketing and sales presentations…that should be discussed ahead of time.

Most show barns provide on the road housing for staff required to go, might be camper or shared room, and either feed or provide a per diem for food. Honestly never heard of one expecting anybody to pay for their own housing on tne road…does the barn charge clients a hotel split???

Anyway, 550 a week is no way fair and trying to pay for show lodging and half the food out of that is going to involve some Ramen. From what you posted, suspect you are going to have way more then an hours worth of barn chores and you aren’t getting done early, especially if barn is short staffed…and most are a good deal of the time.

Might be a good spot for resume building, depending on the reputation of the barn amongst their peer group (other professional barn operators, be careful there, some better known barns don’t have a reputation for being good employers, have a high turnover and their name on a resume is not a plus.) Depends on what you are looking for.

[Pennywell_Bay]

Not a great opportunity. It is a combination groom position (which itself is fine). You should be reimburses for travel and have 100% food expenses paid, the money is low.

If you are dying for the job, fine. But it is not a great opportunity, or equitable.

[beowulf]

@Angela Freda

She wrote that she pays rent while at ‘home’.

OP on top of the salary, I would want rent free apt. [I will pay utilities] of my own [no roomies], at least self-board on a horse of my own that includes hay and grain. Up to 3 lessons a week would have to become concrete, definite number of lessons. I would cover 0 costs of traveling to shows where I was working and unlikely would pay for some part of those if I was also showing while working.

ah… I read it as Op was the owner, and owner was paying for rent while home, and housing while at shows… whoops… I see now it is someone asking “is this job worth it”… mea culpa, need to learn to read…

Now seeing the situation as it is and now how I incorrectly misinterpreted it, I agree that if housing and horse are not included it is not at all an opportunity… unless you enjoy grunt work and not riding/furthering your advancement in a horse career.

[gottagrey]

Well a “head show barn manager” could mean a lot of things to a lot of different people; and barns do things differently and may depend on the size (clients, # horses and staff) This barn sounds like it might be on a smaller scale based on the job description and benefits. Also salary/package depends on what is common in the area. I agree with the other posters, this doesn’t sound like a very equitable arrangement and I don’t think I’ve read where any kind of health insurance and/or worker’s comp is included. The BM at my barn gets 1.5 days off, lessons, board, housing, health insurance, coaching at shows - she rides, does most of the barn chores (there is a live-on handyman too), arranges for vet, farrier, feed/supplies, and whatever special care is needed (injured/sick), and paid vacation. In the area where my barn is, rent for a 2 bedroom apartment is around $1200/month so getting housing for her and horse is great.

Honestly, I think the OP would be better off to board and pay for lessons that this “manager” job.

[rockonxox]

The lessons saying “up to 3” which makes me think you could just have none more often than not, so that doesn’t factor into being something compensating for a lower pay.

Honestly, if you are paying for rent (which will likely also mean utilities), hotels and gas away from home, your own health insurance, either the trailering or the trainer fees at shows, food at half the shows (that seems like a weird benefit, why not all or is it you just get lunch/dinner paid for?), and your own board (if you have a horse) you very well may not have any money left after all those expenses. I would definitely look at a budget of the potential income and expenses and then look at what you have to gain (is this a place you really love, is it a trainer that can help you network or that has a lot of experience ie: BNT, etc). Not everything is about money, sure, but you have to be able to not bankrupt yourself/go into debt and know what you are going to gain from the experience. If this is a position you want to take to further your knowledge as a groom and equine husbandry, you need to pad your resume, maybe this place is a great place you can network with others, and you aren’t focused on wanting to ride or train or show then this might be a good experience. If you want to be a competitive rider or trainer this does not, imo, sound like a position that will help with that goal.

[furlong47]

It’s kind of unclear whether “I pay for rent/hotels/gas” means the employer is paying this or the employee is paying this. We don’t know which the OP is. In this case I’m assuming the OP is the (potential) employee.

The body clipping thing is also confusing. Is this a task or part of the compensation?

It sounds like this person would be making almost zero when on the road or actually spending money to be there working. $550/week, consider that even the cheapest hotel rooms these days are about $50/night, so 6 nights would be $300 right off the bat. Now you’re making $250/week and you still have to pay for food half the time, plus gas which could be $50-100+ depending on where you are in relation to the show. Now, I assume just because you aren’t in your rental at home you’re still having to pay for it (at least, I’ve never heard of a rental outside of a hotel that you only pay for when actually occupying it) so certainly we’re into the negative figures by now.

[RedmondDressage]

For those kind of hours housing better be covered and ALL show expenses should be covered plus a per diem for food. I can’t think of another industry where an employer would get away with making their employees cover expenses for work related travel. NOT ok.

[candyappy]

@equitationriderx

Can I have input on salaries of a show barn manager - if this is a great opportunity or the going rate. I will list the tasks and what the return is.

Job:
Help complete barn chores for about an hour in the morning including turnout, feeding, stalls, watering while at home for 24 weeks out of the year. Grooming and tacking/untacking horses usually no more than 4 per day for the trainer to ride. Cleaning tack, bathing, daily treatments, trimming. When there is time or needed; organizing different storage rooms in the barn, moving/organizing jumps. Occasionally a horse will need to be ridden or hacked. Feeding and doing night check in the afternoon. Working at home is usually between a 6 and 7 hour day. At shows feeding, waters, stalls (between 6-12), turnout (if applicable), lunging horses, bathing. Packing all equipment for the show, preparing orders and schedule for the following day, all horse show office paperwork, preparing entries/closeouts, contacting the braider, ordering feed/bedding/manure removal, farm paperwork. Tacking and care for the full service clients. Grooming at the ring, setting jumps, holding a horse at the ring, etc. Picking, feeding, and night check at night. Showing is about 28 weeks out of the year and usually a 13 hour day if not longer.

Salary of $550 a week
Work 6 days a week
Receive up to 3 lessons a week
Receive training and/or trailering at shows
Receive housing at the shows, food at half of the shows
Opportunity to ride occasionally
Body clipping on the show horses
I pay rent while at home
Hotels and gas while traveling to a location is at my expense (ex: to/from florida)

Do they provide health insurance? That is going to take a chunk out of your salary.

[OneTwoMany]

@furlong47

It’s kind of unclear whether “I pay for rent/hotels/gas” means the employer is paying this or the employee is paying this. We don’t know which the OP is.

On first read, I thought the OP was the potential employee. On second read, I think the OP is the employer. If that is the case, the position includes housing and travel to shows. 28 weeks of showing could include FL and other away shows but it could also include local shows in the mix. Perhaps the local shows are the shows where food isn’t covered. That would make a little more sense.

A job title doesn’t define the job. The employer defines the job, but I would still submit that most barn manager positions don’t include tacking, un-tacking, bathing etc. When I see jobs like the one you described, they are often called “Working Assistant Barn Manager” positions. At the end of the day, the job description is more important that the title and you’ve done a good job describing the job.

550 plus housing is more in line with some lower cost regions of the country. Employees like certainty. If you can promise three lessons a week while at home and an XX hour work week while at home that will enhance the position’s appeal. If the housing is not shared, is clean and in good repair, and if you aren’t in an expensive part of the country, I could see this position being attractive to a person with grooming experience who is looking to broaden their skills and build their resume. I highly doubt this situation would be attractive to a barn manager with any real experience or competence.

You mention there are clients. Can the employee expect tips at shows?

You’ve received a lot of advice regarding all the amenities that should be offered in a job like the one you are describing. I believe most good equine employers wish they could pay their employees more. However, anyone running a boarding/training facility understands the reality. Every barn is limited in their ability to price their services; they have to be competitive with the market. Noncompetitive prices equal no clients. The prices a barn can charge for their services ultimately impacts the salaries they can offer their employees without going belly up. It is a catch 22.

Amenities such as lessons, training and housing are non-monetary items a barn can offer their employees to help make ends meet without the barns being forced to price themselves out of the market. Other items that appeal to employees are certainty in hours at home, a drama-free work environment and of course, when the clients are encouraged to tip generously.

Best of luck!!!

[Marshfield]

If this what an employer was thinking of offering–add in health insurance, space for own horse, and all meals while on show grounds (or food allowance) then, I think you’re in the right ballpark for total compensation.

[anicolle]

When I was grooming I was making 100$ a day, 7am-5pm sometimes a few extra hours if clients were riding later but we were done by 5 most days. 1 ‘head’ groom and me. I worked 6 days a week and also came back and did night check for 30$ a night.

We had a total of 9, sometimes 10 horses spilt between 2 grooms and our actual barn manager would help all the time.

The barn manager was in charge of supplies, scheduling, show entries and all that jazz. Keep in mind mostly FEI horses. I got free lessons when I use to have horse there. I also sometimes got to hack horses.

I never traveled to shows I always stayed behind and took care of the ones at home.

I took care of my own housing and insurance, because I could. The other groom, I’m pretty sure had his housing taken care of. It wasn’t the best housing but housing non the less.