Is it normal for teenage stable hands to work for free?

[Bellaisoneluckywoman]

Hi there. DD is about to turn 15. She helping out last weekend at our local stables (where she has always ridden - as a paying client), working from 7am to 3pm. She had assumed she'd get a tenner or similar, but was told it was entirely voluntary. Just wondering if that is normal practice. Seems a bit of a cheek to have free child labour, but maybe it's all just supply and demand and there are enough horse-mad teenagers happy to do it. Keen to hear whether this is standard stuff or a bit of a chutzpah.

Helping out at the yard was the best day of my week when I was growing up. We still paid for my lesson and I never got anything for free but I loved every second of it. As a PP said, parking about and cuddling ponies - bliss!

Larking not parking

Legally and insurance-wise, most of these yards are not covered. Ironically, the BHS safeguarding courses emphasise that modern slavery is rife in our industry, so any instructors up to date with their CPD know it.

Helping out at a yard for experience IS a rite of passage for young people in the industry. It was when I really started to learn horsemanship, not in the riding lessons. We would do a day in return for a free ride, that's the usual transaction, and I am grateful for it, much though I dislike the model nowadays in most places I see it. When I was a teenager doing it we had to fill in work placement forms and at the time the council were shit hot on checking that children weren't being exploited. I've seen and heard of set ups that were much worse, including some of these mentioned on this thread, and I hate the way that the industry is set up to rely on unpaid labour, that just seems inherently problematic and often exploitative.

Agree about the rite of passage hting.

it was just standard procedure when I was growing up. But I do get the vibe that things are a bit stricter these days.

I absolutely loved being a "helper" LOVED it. I got the odd free ride here and there but there was no set "this many hours for a free ride" But I just loved being with the horses and getting the experience before I had my own pony. I made some of the best friendships there. We would feed, muck out, tack up etc then eat pizza in the hay shed :) Ah memories. Definitely learned how to work! Learned some aazing life skills there that I really couldn't put a price on.

When I got a bit older I was offered the opportunity to loan a pony from them for a very low rate. The reason they offered me it was because they knew I wouldn't let them down and they had seen how dedicated I was and how much I had learned!

I also remember the sleepovers we would have at the stables watching horse films and eating crap. Getting all nostalgic now!

Don’t they get free riding time?

Did she ask to do it or did they ask her?

Very normal. I'd expect her to get some free riding in return. Possibly not every time but certainly every 2 or 3 times. You might see it as your daughter helping/working but for the stable staff they are helping her and doing her a favour. It's a big responsibility having teens on a yard. I'm sure they have no shortage of volunteers. I remember being turned away from so many yards as a child as they were inundated with children wanting to help

I remember causing MAYHEM at a stables I had a pony at. Every Saturday they'd have huge lessons of about 20-30 pony's that all needed leading. The owner of the stables would round us all up and have us leading. I did half an hour and was told I needed to stay for the next lesson?

I paid livery for my pony. Why did I have to do this? So I point blank refused and walked off. She went crazy with me. Proper shouting and telling me if my attitude didn't change I'd be told to leave (with pony).

My parents got involved and I had to move stables. Very bazar how it's just expected.

It was definitely NOT expected at dd's yard. You had to wait to be asked. A lot of girls wanted to do it. Equally, some just wanted to come for their paid lesson and leave again. All fine.
Dd's yard owner carefully balanced a spread of ages / abilities between saturday and sunday so she had help but also had paid staff / older helpers supervise and guide the young ones. Written parental permission was obtained.
Volunteer hours were logged. Accidents were logged. Lunch and sweets and drinks were provided.
In the summer a couple of large bell tents appeared in the field for the girls to stay over and help with summer camps for the little ones.
Dd LOVED it. And in terms of friendships, skill, and knowledge gained it was absolutely invaluable.

It's very normal for young people to do this on an adhoc basis in return for some riding- most places I've know of try to offer a ride a day, but this isn't formalised and wouldn't always be a full hour lesson- and may not always be possible. If she did two days and got a hour of riding with instruction, I would see this as reasonably fair. If it's the first time she'd done this, it's very likely she got some informal stable management teaching too.

I think in some set ups, it can be really exploitative but in others it's a great way for kids to get experience of being around horses and what working on a yard is like- as well as usually getting in a bit of free riding. Longer term, it also helps keep the cost of lessons down for everybody.

It's also worth being aware that the yard obviously can't pay her under minimum wage, so they can't just "chuck her a tenner"- and there are all sorts of considerations involved in taking on staff. That's why being paid in kind through riding etc is so much more common. As she gets older, it may well lead into a chance of paid employment (or at least a good reference) if that's what she wants to do.

As long as she is safe and happy, I'd let her carry on doing it, but if she ever wants to stop then equally, I'd let her do that to (although not let down the yard owner at very short notice).

FWIW, I do agree that it's not really a sustainable business model for the industry long term- but I also don't know what the solution is. Without this kind of free labour, a lot of riding schools would really struggle to make the books balance, and then this in turn means that riding as a hobby becomes out of reach of so many people. It's also hard to find staff to work on an adhoc basis or for just one day a week (often a Saturday or a Sunday)- so without this type of thing going on, you'd definitely see riding schools have to close.

DD helps at her riding stable on the same day she has her paid for lesson. They do a "helpers" rider each evening before they turn the horses in, what they do depends on the level of the riders and horses, could be a proper lesson, a short hack in Summer or just simple walk/trot.

The school sees the helping as part of preparation for tests, learning about stable management and tasks.

My 14yo helps her coach at his riding school in the school holidays. In exchange for tacking up ponies/leading beginners/picking up poo etc he gives her a lesson on her own horse each day. Coach is a 5* rider (and unbelievably nice person) who she utterly worships, so it is a very good deal for her, she's in heaven.

Not sure about nowadays but in the 70s I helped at a riding school from age 5 to age 12. From 6 I worked from 7 to 5 both days at the weekend. From 8 I worked there every night after school. At 12 I got my own and left I had never known so much free time.

I did not get paid or get free rides although I did get used to ride ponies that were being broken in before being moved into the riding school or being sold.

I felt lucky to be able to do it and didn't expect to be paid. I think the world has changed now though.

Back when I helped at a riding school it was all for free just for the love of it and you might occasionally get a free ride. My parents thought it was terrible exploitation but I loved it.

The riding school where DN learned to ride the 14-16 year old helpers would get credit/discount on lessons in return for helping. They got to lead the ponies and tack up mainly so quite nice jobs. They didn't have to arrange holiday cover or anything.

Once over 16 they get paid by the hour but there are limited "jobs" and more is expected of them in terms of mucking out etc and actually being useful. He's an apprentice now and loves it.