My daughter wants to get a job at a horse barn. Not sure how to go about it...

[Sweetums_Mom]

I have a small boarding barn and do all of the work myself. Out of the blue, I got an email (very well written by the way) from a 14 year old local girl asking about helping around the barn and learning about horses as she was interested in being a vet, no previous experience. After some thought as to whether this is something I wanted to pursue, I replied saying that I would be interested, gave her some info about what I would expect, and said that her and a parent needed to meet me in person. She replied the same day and we set up a time. The meeting with her and her mom went very well and for the first year, her mother would drop her off and I would tell her to come back in x hours.

There was no money involved as I said I could give her “mini” lessons. She is still “helping” me at 18 but this is her last summer as she’s off to college (eventually). She now rides at an advanced beginner level, is a very hard worker, soaks up information like a sponge and is a joy to teach.

When I asked her originally how she found me, she just said she sent emails to local barns that had email addresses. I was one of the first (and maybe only?) to answer her. Some other tips: she is punctual, very good at communicating with me when she can’t come, etc., very good at following instructions, and very interested in all aspects of horses, not just riding, Good luck!

[JustTheTicket]

Another thing to consider- are you going to be willing to drive her to and from work? That’s going to be something potential employers will consider. If she can’t get herself to work, they may not want to deal with making sure someone else will drive her.

[Equibrit]

Go to horse barn…ask.

[MoonWitch]

@Sugar And Spice Horses

Sorry for the late reply, but I think there is some confusion. I am in no way shape or form going to call around for my daughter and get her a job. I just simply wanted to know if there was a certain way to go about finding open positions. Then I would relate this info to her so we could sit down together, find some barns in our area, and she can call while I sit by her and be ready to talk on the phone if they need to speak to a parent. Thanks!

Try FB horse groups in your area. I suspect there are some “ISO” groups for boarding, lessons, work etc that you can start with. I know here in PA if someone posts that they are looking for work, they get at least a dozen responses.

[dungrulla]

I have some kids that work for me. Unfortunately we just lost them due to a variety of factors including one having a long-term chronic health problem that has become less manageable. She may come back but we’ll see, I’m bummed.

To find them, I just posted on craigslist/local facebook pages and sorted through responses. My requirements are easy–I pay minimum wage, you show up on time, you treat my horses nicely, and you do what you’re asked to safely and ask questions if you’re confused. We got incredibly lucky with this go-around of teenagers and at the moment I’m sort of seeking a second set but haven’t found one yet.

Most of the time you find these via word-of-mouth or the local facebook group.