Is being a working student worth it?

[Rel6]

I don’t think this is true if you take a gap between undergrad and grad school. I spent a year in the horse industry after college - first as a working student and then as a barn manager. I ended up taking two years between undergrad and grad school.

I can’t speak to going from the horse industry into another job market. I went to law school and people going straight from undergrad to grad school were not the norm - there were a lot of them, but the average age of the recent incoming classes were about 25, meaning the majority did not go straight through. When I was looking for legal internships and eventually jobs, many employers wanted work experience (aka people who did not go straight through).

I do think there is a huge push not to go straight through from HS to undergrad to grad. This may vary depending on the type of grad school (I’m guessing more people go straight through for med school?). Again, I can’t speak to transitioning from the horse industry into a different job, but I can say that my prior work experience from the horse industry made me a better applicant for law school and a more attractive candidate when I began applying to jobs.

[merrygoround]

It VERY much depends on the person for whom you are working. Some are great. others, don’t even unpack your pJs.

[kaya842]

I side with the group that says “it depends”.

Ultimately, I would never, ever recommend NOT getting a degree (any degree will do really) as it is getting increasingly difficult to get a “real” job without one and you never know when a global pandemic (or other catastrophe) will come along and force you to look for a “real” job.

On to the WS stuff. There are TONS of arrangements that fall under “working student”. The one I associate most with the term is where you live on farm and do nothing but care for the horses (your duties). Typically, these arrangements start off with promises of X number of lessons per week and you grain, water, hay, and clean stalls along with other tasks (clean tack, maybe groom and tack up / un tack, sweep, etc). In my experience, the lessons either never happen because you are too overworked and the trainer doesn’t prioritize you since you aren’t paying, or are done MUCH less frequently (and often not as thoroughly as one would hope) than promised. My experiences didn’t teach me much I didn’t know as I had lengthy experience with self care boarding (meaning I knew about cleaning stalls, feeding, turnout, tack care, first aid, basic shoeing, etc) other than horse people can really suck. In all of my experiences, I was lucky to get a half or full day off once a week and barely had time to shower, eat, do laundry, take care of myself. I also never had time to sit in on client lessons or watch the trainers ride so no learning opportunities there. My experiences may not be the norm but 3 tries with the same outcome is good enough for me.

The other type of WS arrangement is more of a part time situation. Maybe you feed AM feedings 3x a week in exchange for 1-2 lessons (or training rides or whatever). I’ve done this and would say it’s definitely worth it. I was able to still work full time / go to school part time and advance my riding skills. I’m going to try to find another situation like this after this arctic blast breaks (though I keep my horses at home, so a bit different now).

I agree with whoever mentioned that it depends on what you want to do with horses - do you want to manage? Show? Train horses? Train people?
I know I don’t have any interest in training people, declining interest in training other peoples horses, and declining interest in showing due to a shift in interests as I get older (I wanted to do all of these less than 5 years ago). Now I’m more interested in being able to retire early with assured financial stability and paying off debt earlier.

Definitely take a while to think about it and don’t be surprised if you change your mind or don’t like something as much as you thought, it happens! And if you take on a live in WS program, get everything in writing!

[173north]

Two things to note!

If you’re in high school, why not see if someone local will take you on part-time now? My trainer has a high school age working student - I’m not sure about their exact arrangement but she logs a lot of hours helping out and is getting invaluable experience, and often rides quite a few horses per day. My trainer helped her find a steal of a deal on a move-up horse when her lease was injured, too. Her riding has progressed hugely in the 18 months or so she’s been with us. I wish I’d done something similar as a teen instead of like, working in a restaurant!

Secondly, if you’re having any urge to take a gap year, do it!! I knew I wanted to do it, didn’t really have a plan, and got swept up in the peer pressure/excitement about going off to school. I ended up taking a year off in the middle of college which was great, but I wish I’d listened to myself and been brave enough to buck the trend - I think my first two years of college would have been happier. No one cares if you’re 18 or 19 your freshman year, trust me. If you feel like you want/need that time before school, honor that instinct!

If I were you, I’d start looking for someone to help out after school and on weekends now with the thought of using that experience to get a full time working student position - either with them or with someone they know - for your gap year.

[Tha_Ridge]

Do it!

I didn’t even really think I wanted to “do” horses as a career (in fact, I was fairly certain I didn’t), but I worked for two high-end southern California show barns in my late teens/early 20s and never regretted it. Obviously there are different tiers of positions like this, but in my case, I got to sit on some of the nicest horses I’d ever ridden, learned how to teach, and learned how to prep horses for show and sale beyond what my (decently robust) junior and college riding careers had provided.

Now, as an amateur bringing along my own young sale horse in a program (with a completely non-horsey day job!), I rely on a lot of what I learned for my own horse’s care and training. You’re young enough where nothing is permanent, but if you want horses to be a part of your life later on, you’ll absolutely learn things that will not only benefit you but make you indispensable to barns in the future. Even as a bonafide amateur now, I’m the one in the barn who gets to hack babies, swing a leg over Grand Prix horses, tune up a lesson horse, etc., and I absolutely know that’s because of the riding and horsemanship skills I learned during my experience working.

[lenapesadie]

IME a position as a pro groom was by far more educational than WS positions.

However, it’s more common that a WS can bring their own horse. Grooms not so much.

On the upside grooms do get paid.

[Atlas_Shrugged]

In my personal experience, Equine degrees are useless. I went to college and law school after a successful Jr career and returned many years later and have competed consistently to this day. My education financed my return to the sport. I now train and ride my one horses full time and have my own barn. Frankly, I can earn more sitting at my desk for billable hours than I would coaching for a week. I love both, and feel college first was the most sensible option for me, even tho neither of my parents finished college. Successful riding is all about feeling independent and resourceful in the show ring, and when training at home. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career- I was a science major undergrad because my bf was headed to med school - but he dumped me in favor of school - then I dated a judge’s son and decided on law school. Alas, many years later I married the first boyfriend - who made it up to me by building me a barn ! College and grad school take forever ! Had I put it off a year I am not sure I would have taken a similar route. On the other hand, my 4 “kids” went to good colleges and none of them are wealthy - but they are well-rounded

[Spudsmyguy]

@lenapesadie

However, it’s more common that a WS can bring their own horse. Grooms not so much.

When I was a professional groom both the other groom and I brought our personal horses with us. We weren’t charged board but were expected to take on some extra duties to help pay.

[mychestnutvalentine]

I was a groom at a A circuit barn while career searching after I left my long term job. I learned a ton and the barn owner/rider is someone that had good horse management techniques and habits. Downside is long days, tight pay, sometimes feeling insignificant in the world of wealthy owners and riders. Working with animals always comes with its struggles- getting kicked, bit ,or having a horse that just isn’t cooperating requires a groom to have infinite patience. Putting a time limit on this side venture is strongly recommended- the groom lifestyle is not something I would ever do long term for the physical and mental exhaustion and stress it puts on yourself. I stayed about 8 months then found my next career opportunity which allowed me to leave on good terms instead of leaving burnt out.

[Scribbler]

From everything I have read on COTH and seen IRL, don’t take a WS or groom job and expect to focus on your own riding and showing.

As the lowest ranking pro in the barn, your job is to facilitate the fee paying clients to reach their goals. If you are entering the WS position already a top junior rider who adds value to a horse, you may get to show sales horses, catch ride clients’ horses, and warm up clients’ horses.

If not you are going to be on the ground except for whatever lessons are included as perks.

If what you want to do primarily is show, and if you already have a horse and trainer, you’d be much better off going to work half time in almost any niche of the service industry, living at home, and put your earnings into your show season.

If you don’t have a horse, haven’t shown much, and are a basic intermediate level rider, you aren’t going to get great showing opportunities as a WS. You will learn a lot about customer service, hard physical labor, horse care and long hours. But don’t expect a lot of saddle time.

[lenapesadie]

@Spudsmyguy

When I was a professional groom both the other groom and I brought our personal horses with us. We weren’t charged board but were expected to take on some extra duties to help pay.

Certainly every job is unique