Saturday type job at riding school

[BercowsFlamingoFlownSouth]

Hi, my dd is wanting to work at one of the local stables at a weekend. She's 13. What makes somewhere a good place to work, what should I be looking out for and how much do they get paid?

It might have changed since my day, but they usually don’t get paid. It’s usually girls who attend the riding school and want to help out in return for getting to look after the horses and some free riding. It’s volunteering really rather than working but it’s a great experience!

If you actually love horse riding that is! Does she ride now?

She has ridden in the past but I can't afford for her to go now unfortunately.

Then it might be something that she would enjoy, but you do it for love not money unfortunately!

She could try volunteering with riding for the disabled to get her horsey fix. They are very geared up to deal with volunteers.

That's how kids who can't afford to pay for lessons get paid. If she wants to ride, she has to spend a day mucking out and tacking up.

She wants to earn some money so maybe she needs to think of something else. Thank you.

I think things have changed since the old days, she may need to be older for their insurance.

I do sessions with RDA, don't think they'd entertain a 13 yr old, insurance and DBS checks.

None of them get paid at the stables where DS1 works. They all work for free to be around the horses.

DD’s been working - and getting paid - at a riding school for the last 3 years, since she was 14. However she’d been volunteering at another riding school for 2 years before that without getting anything in return, not even discounted lessons, let alone free rides. When she started having lessons at the bigger riding school, she helped out for free before and after her lesson and after a few months, did full days during the holidays in exchange for a chance to exercise the horses. Because she’s quick, competent and very good with small children, the school owner offered her paid work every Sunday and whenever she wanted during school holidays. The money she earns pays for extras for her own horse and she’s able to save up for things like a new saddle. She’s in the minority though, as most of the helpers don’t get paid and are doing it to increase their horse time. Unless your dd is very experienced and competent at yard duties, she’s probably going to struggle to find someone who’ll want to give her actual cash I’m afraid

Could she volunteer in exchange for lessons ? That’s what I did, and as I got more experienced I worked after school and weekends on an Arab stud farm in exchange for my horse’s livery.
It was such hard, physical work and I’ve got the scars to prove it but the experience I got with different horses was amazing, and the knowledge of the people I got to deal with was irreplaceable.
Money comes and goes but I look back with huge fondness on that chapter of my life.

We worked for lessons when I was a teenager.

Also, not being funny or anything, but when you say “she’s ridden in the past”, was it to a good standard and did she have experience of handling horses? Because there are a dozen horse mad and quite knowledgeable kids at most riding schools willing to work for free so it’s quite a hard market I think.

I used to work as a riding instructor, and I think it's very unlikely she'd be able to find paid work at a riding school at 13. Most riding schools have very strict insurance, which will often specify a minimum age for staff and lone working (usually 16/17/18). There's also quite tight restrictions on hours which means it's often not viable to employ 13/14yos.

In general, paid staff are expected to be able to handle all horses on the yard and do all yard jobs without supervision, as well as sometimes to be able to supervise clients doing things like tacking up, grooming etc. To do all of this, you need to have a lot of experience, which unfortunately it doesn't sound like your daughter has. Most people who work with horses will have done some kind of unpaid work experience/volunteering before hand, or have had their own for a while.

If she wants to earn money, unfortunately, I think she'll have to look for something else, or see this as a goal to work towards in a few years time.

At 13 very few opportunities exist due to insurance, and legal issues having children - 16 is the minimum for many places, others it's 18

Thanks all. She's just been thinking what she could do.

Most riding schools wouldn't pay their helpers. They might get a free ride or a free lesson, or help with working towards pony club badges or BHS stages but generally no money changes hands.

You can volunteer for RDA at 12 and over. DBS not necessary, but will need application form completed and offer 2 references. IME volunteering for RDA generally doesn't mean that you'd be offered riding. You'd need to do unpaid yard work/helping out for the day and in some places may offer a free ride, even if it's just taking horses from the stables to remote grazing or exercising whoever needs it in an arena.