I work for a university as a barn manager. Disclaimer: this position looks VERY different depending on the program, size, funding, etc. But this has been my experience.
Pros: Having a reliable paycheck. Great health, disability, and retirement (if I made it that far) benefits. Lots of paid time off when I can find time to take it. Resources like an accountant, legal, risk management, etc. It’s not my money. (Obviously there’s a budget I’m expected to stick to, but if there’s a crisis, I will never have to choose between eating and fixing the tractor.) When all is going well, I have a pretty flexible schedule. I can sometimes go in late to have breakfast with my SO, sneak away for a mid-day doctors appointment, or cut my day short when I’ve just had enough. No two days are the same and if I’ve burnt out on a project, I can usually switch gears for a day or two and come back to it. While my job doesn’t involve formal teaching (either classroom or lessons), I love training my staff or teaching the student leaders about horse health. I take a lot of pride in my well trained staff actually.
Cons: Pay sucks. It’s just barely a living wage and definitely not comfortable. University officials do not understand how a barn works, and trying to communicate why I have to buy the more expensive hay, or why this crisis has be dealt with NOW, or why this isn’t safe (or is safe) can be very frustrating. For example, we have an annual safety walk through which is next to useless. Last year their recommendations included having all hay storage behind fireproof walls/in fireproof buildings AND to never stack hay more than 4 (small, 40lb) bales high. :rolleyes:
We don’t receive any funding from the school, so we have to be completely self sustainable, including the mortgage, taxes, some insurance, etc. It’s a real challenge balancing that with staying affordable enough for students. The students will also make you want to rip your hair out some days. They can be the best and worst part of this job. My role is odd because I don’t oversee the students, the students run the club which I sort of work for… so it becomes this odd dynamic sometimes. But we are weird.
And horses. And acreage. Last week, in the middle of summer camp, one of our beginner horses presented with a snotty nose and had to be semi-quarantined. Two other beginner horses came up lame for two weeks. And another ate a plastic bag that a student left in his stall with a carrot in it “for just a minute.” Plus something is always flooding and freezing and breaking and some boarder is always pissed about something.
Like I said, when everything is going right, my schedule can be pretty cushy, but when everything is going wrong, I have worked 80-100 hour weeks before. I am also ALWAYS working. My cell phone is never turned off. This can be exceptionally frustrating when I’m working with other University staff who “understand, because I had a long week too.” What they actually mean is they worked until 8 one night. What I mean is I haven’t gotten a day off in 6 weeks. Universities also don’t understand that barns are 24/7 operations and that I can’t postpone approval for the emergency thing just because it’s a holiday.
I have a BA in “Outdoor Leadership” from a non-prestigious state school. I ran my equestrian team in college and got a TON of business, management, and sales experience during summer jobs. I think the business and management experience at such a young age is what really set me apart from many of the candidates. I also worked abroad for an adventure education company for a year before taking this job. While that’s not a traditional route, I think it helped me land this job because we fall under the outdoor programing department (think backpacking, paddling, climbing, etc.) so I am able to relate well about topics of safety, goals of outdoor education, etc.
My parents didn’t support my riding more than a bare minimum so I knew I didn’t have the riding/training/showing resume for a job like this. So I really padded my resume with the other useful skills.
To move up from here I would probably need a Masters Degree. For many universities, that is an entry level requirement regardless of the position. I make $32,000 per year before they take out everything for those nice benefits. Our school is large and fairly competitive so most of our students are pretty smart and most of their families are middle to upper-middle class with some very privileged kids thrown in. We also offer lessons to non-students, and those people are youth-adults, middle class. Very few own horses, and our lesson horse string is what brings them here.
I’m young, especially for my role, in my mid-20’s and I would say my lifestyle is pretty typical with money being more of an issue for me than some of my friends. I do have a horse I keep on a tight budget (with free board), but showing isn’t even an option. I rent a small apartment with my SO, but before he moved here I could only afford a bedroom in a house. My social life suffers because friends don’t understand the requirements of my job. And if you’re after any university position, you have to be willing to be a bit nomadic. If I want to move up, I will have to move far away. It’s not like there’s another one down the street I can go to. SO stays busy with his job an hobbies so he doesn’t become too resentful, but I’m not sure how I could possibly fit children into this equation.
Overall I like my job. I get to work with ponies while having the security of a “real job.” It’s also nice to say that I work for a The University instead of ABC Little Barn. That also allows me to keep my options open when I move on. It’s more transferable.
Sorry for the novel. 
