How do I become working student/ get catch rides?

[Jumper.nor]

Hello! I’ve been wanting to become working student to work for some rides. I will take any ride as opportunity to learn something! I know couple sale barns near me but I’m not sure what is the most professional way to contact them on being working student.

I do have lots of experience with working with barns. I probably started working for barns for rides when I was like 10. I would ride the lesson horses for the students so they would behave. In the winter time I would ride the crazy ones that would dump me left and right. I sure did learn how to sit everything and eventually got the nickname “sticky seat”! I did leave that barn when it started to get toxic and outgrew them. I then did eventing for couple years riding this mare who has SPICY she would try to pull me off if I was to much on her face. I was moving up to beginner novice-novice but then I realized that I didn’t like it as much. So I went back to hunter/jumpers and I’m now just getting back to jumping 1 meter courses. I am currently working for two lessons a week at this barn I’m at but it isn’t sales barn so I don’t get much rides for work. I do also have horse of my own but he’s currently 5 and is just learning how to ride.

Anyways I’m just wondering if anyone has any tips or stories on how they got rides. I’m hoping to become professional in the future but I know it’s far fetch. I just really want experience with riding different horses and maybe get catch rides at shows. I also do have learners permit and will be getting my license soon so I’ll be able to drive to barns. Thank you for reading this I appreciate any tips!!!

[Rumorhasit93]

Hi! I became a working student by emailing pros in my area that I admired. I got a gig with someone who’s been on the US team. It was a TON of hard work, a lot of scrubbing buckets and grooming, but some riding to begin with. Then more riding. And then showing. Stick with it! Good luck.

[LCDR]

Are you still in high school?

[Jumper.nor]

Yup!

[kaileymindle]

Networking is going to be your best method for this. Relay that you’re looking for more ride time to your barn owner/trainer/boarders, ask your past barns also (if you left on good terms.) Believe me when I say people are constantly in need of exercise riders, but are hesitant to use someone not referred and recommended by a colleague! You can also message reputable barns with trainers you admire, but keep low expectations for that.

By the sounds of your post, you’re a capable and experienced rider, I’m assuming that when you ride, you do more good than harm in terms of training. Do not get roped into working or paying to ride their horses, no matter how “little” it seems at the time. It will snowball. The miles (by an experienced rider) that you are putting on their horses is more than a fair exchange for time you get in the saddle. I would be super wary of any “working student” positions, it’s kind of code for free child labor. Advertise yourself as an exercise rider, not someone looking for saddle time!

Catch rides are a bit trickier, but again, networking. While you’re still a JR I would recommend you go the pony route, especially ones in their green year (anyone under 18 can ride any size green pony!) Lots of ponies need prepped before their tiny riders get on, but trainers can’t. You can post in local Facebook groups too, just include very good video. Word of mouth is really your best bet though!

It’s okay to be gritty, but know your worth. It’s way too normalized in the industry to exploit kids who are so passionate to ride that they’ll do anything for the smallest bit of opportunity.

[Jumper.nor]

Thank you so much! This is really helpful

[skydy]

Quoting @Jumper.nor

“I do have lots of experience with working with barns. I probably started working for barns for rides when I was like 10. I would ride the lesson horses for the students so they would behave. In the winter time I would ride the crazy ones that would dump me left and right. I sure did learn how to sit everything and eventually got the nickname “sticky seat”! I did leave that barn when it started to get toxic and outgrew them. I then did eventing for couple years riding this mare who has SPICY she would try to pull me off if I was to much on her face. I was moving up to beginner novice-novice but then I realized that I didn’t like it as much. So I went back to hunter/jumpers and I’m now just getting back to jumping 1 meter courses. I am **currently working for two lessons a week at this barn I’m at but it isn’t sales barn so I don’t get much rides for work. **I do also have horse of my own but he’s currently 5 and is just learning how to ride”.

You are young and the desire to show someone else’s horses that are more experienced than your own 5 year old horse is understandable, but honestly your time would be better spent bringing up your own horse rather than looking for catch rides in shows. Offer to hack and school horses at your barn, and do it well. If your current trainers are not helping you to train your own horse than you may well consider other options.

If you are a good rider and have had good instruction from experienced mentors, train and bring up your own 5 year old horse. It will give you invaluable experience. When you have your horse going well that would be the time to ask for catch rides.

There still are people that like to help young people along (probably fewer than when I was a pup) but you still must prove your worth, just like it was back in my day. Now is a different age, but you have a horse! Do your best to train it well.

Ride well and you may get catch rides, if you are able to train and ride your 5 year old well, you will be noticed.

[Jumper.nor]

Thank you!

[LCDR]

Are you willing to forego a lot of your high school experiences to ride? Being in high school a working student position is likely not possible as working students are expected to be there for early AM chores and feeding, plus being right there available to jump on a horse whenever the trainer has time to instruct you.

Would you expect to take your own horse along to a farm with a working student position?

My daughter got to ride a lot if horses as a high school student, once she was able to drive and had her own car. But we were at a fox hunting barn, where some folks also evented. But there were enough boarders who only showed up on hunt days and were looking for ridets to keep their horses cobditioned…

[Jumper.nor]

Actually I started online school back when I was freshman! So that’s definitely free up a lot of time. I don’t really expect to bring my horse to a barn that I would work for but I would like too. But I understand that’s not always possible and my parents are willing to pay for board at training barn.

[Long_Time_Lurker]

@LCDR

My daughter got to ride a lot if horses as a high school student, once she was able to drive and had her own car. But we were at a fox hunting barn, where some folks also evented. But there were enough boarders who only showed up on hunt days and were looking for ridets to keep their horses cobditioned…

Actually I think looking for a fox hunting barn that has horses to be kept fit is a great idea for you if you just want to get more hours in the saddle probably without instruction. The other discipline that always needs exercise riders is a polo team. Each player has a string of horses to keep fit and many have someone who does exercise rides for them. Neither of these situations would come with instruction so not the same as being a working student.

[SinMiedo]

I second the fox hunt suggestion. I started as a stall cleaner for the local hunt in high school and eventually wound up whipping for them. Between the hunt horses and ones who were destined to be, it kept me riding 4-5 days a week. The Huntmaster was also an old school eventing guy who had a ridiculous amount of knowledge, and it was super fun soaking that up and listening to stories about my idols from back in the day. Highly recommend putting out feelers if there happens to be a hunt in your area, especially if they’re more of the informal side.