do u think anyone would hire me as a stablehand?

Question

ive loved horses since i was like 8 and even went to a spring break horse camp once, but i never really was able to take lessons. now that im older i never really lost that interest but i have a way of spending lots of money on something and then not finishing it. so i thought a good way to see if i liked it without spending alot of money would be to get a job as a stablehand. ive been wanting a job anyway and i always wanted to do something with animals. i dont really have alot of experience all id really know how to do would be to muck out stalls. but i thought maybe i could start out with that being paid minimum wage or as an intern or something while someone teaches me more stuff like grooming and tacking up, and then i could work my way up. but i dont really know if anyone would hire me if all i can do is clean stalls. what do u think?

Answer 1

Well, not many stables are hiring at the moment. I have been looking at barn/ stable jobs for a while and I have lots of experience with horses. The strangest thing was, when I gave up on finding a job that involved horses, my riding instructor offered me one. However, it is bellow minimum wage; I am a contracted worker (that is how they get around having a minimum wage).



The area I am in, isn't all that great for horse people though, so you probably have a better chance where you are.



If you really want this, I'd suggest volunteering at a barn or stable first. You will still be with horses and you will get TONS of experience! Once you feel like you know more, you can start looking for jobs. Also, if you are trying to decide if you like horses, you can try to find either a working student job or trade work for lessons. Working students get paid less, but get free lessons. If you trade work for lessons, you ge the experience of working with horses and you also get riding lessons.



Good Luck!

Answer 2

Well, I have a lot of experience with this subject, maybe not in America but at least in my own country, and I can say that ... :

your chances of getting a paid job as an uneducated stablehand are pretty slim. On the other hand, this is exactly how I started out, and I kid you not!

When I was nine, I started going around to the various racing stables and asking if they needed help with anything. I was young and crazy about horses; willing to do anything just to be close to them. I got a job mucking out stalls at this old harness racer guy's stable. He was mean and abused his horses, but that's another story. The deal was that if I came to muck out pretty much every day, I'd get to groom some horses, and trail ride one of the horses once a week. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it. I gradually started working more; and I tell you, riding a difficult harness racer who wants nothing more than to buck you off, is one of the best ways to learn to ride! Meaning, of course, trail riding and the basics of handling a horse, not the refinedness of dressage. I had to take lessons for that. : )

So when I was eleven, my dad bought me my first horse to share with my elder sister who was sixteen at the time. When I was fifteen, I went back to that stable with the abused harness racers and bought the horse I'd always groomed and ridden. It was a dream come true; but it required a lot of HARD WORK and will! (I never got supported economically by my parents).



So long story short, you can start out unpaid and gradually work your way up. Your chances of getting a job that way are pretty big. But paid, while untaught? Slimmer....

I'd recommend it though, it's really giving. If you're willing to work.





EDIT:

Mello1: ....bullshit.

I walk behind horses all the time. Right behind their butts. The difference is walking behind a horse when you don't know them or walking behind a horse you know is happy.

The rule goes:

NEVER startle a horse by walking behind it. Now THAT is dangerous. Or walking behind an angry or frightened horse. Always keep a hand on their butt when you walk behind them, so they know you're there.

And -- yes you can walk between a mother and a foal without problem. You can also put a halter on the foal and lead it into the stable. The mother will DEFINITELY follow, but not attack you.

Answer 3

speaking spanish is not a requirement. don't listen to the person who said that.

at my barn, and all other barns around my area, people can be hired with little to know experience around horses cleaning stalls. In fact we have a new employee at my barn who came in knowing nothing of horses. He cleans stalls just fine, and before he started working, he got a crash course in leading and handling, and now he does his job like a pro. I'm sure you could find a job cleaning stalls, feeding, turning out horses, or doing something similar. Cleaning stalls is very easy. I did it for a year cleaning 80 stalls every weekend. You just need to know basic horse safety and be willing to listen to your boss.

Good luck :)

Answer 4

Well heres my best answer:

I work at an Equestrian Centre in Australia.

Don't know about the country you're in but,

Most stables will take you in, and show you the ropes, how to do things apart from cleaning stalls. It isn't hard to learn these things and shouldn't take too much time.

A good hard worker is an asset to any stables, as long as your'e willing to get in and have a go at anything, i'm sure if you keep asking round, your bound to get someone to say that they'll give you a shot.

Just remember to let them know that you are inexperienced and need to be shown how to do things,



Don't be embarrassed, we've all gotta start somewhere :)

Goodluck.

Answer 5

Perhaps. I don't know beans about horses. I do know there are basics to be learned, for safety of both horse and rider. Long ago, while in the Military, a few guys in the barracks found part-time jobs simply riding horses. Horses require frequent riding, and some owners lack the free time to exercise their own horses. I know never never lose a grip on the reins as you're riding, the horse will immediately run like hell back to the stable.

Also never walk behind a hoofed animal, as they are afraid of what they cannot see and a quick hoof can kill.....you likely knew this stuff already

yet I see no harm in mentioning it. Heck, I might as well mention something few people know. The way to stop a runaway horse is for a

bystander to jamb the thumb and forefinger of one hand into the nostrils

of the runaway as he charges by. It's a tricky maneuver. I witnessed ny father do it on two occasions on the streets of NYC.Stopping a horse's

air intake is like slamming on the emergency brake. A horse cannot run when his air intake is cut off. I also saw the technique illustrated in a 1920s police manual. Recently I mentioned the technique to a woman ranching in Texas and she'd never heard of it, though she'd been ranching 12 years.

Another safety rule is never walk between a hoofed mother and her offspring,

even a cow will attack if that happens.

Answer 6

because you dont know much about horses and horse behavior, i would be willing to let you volunteer, but hiring you to work would be a loss because of your lack of knowledge. try finding a barn you can volunteer at, and after you gain a little more knowledge THEN see about getting payed.

Answer 7

do you speak mexican? that's right, not spanish; mexican. that's pretty much a requirement for "stablehands." also, it takes a lot of time to teach someone about horses, and good luck if you can find someone to do that for free.



look up trainers around your area and see if you can become a working student. or, post an ad on craigslist saying that you would be willing to clean stalls twice a day in exchange for some horsemanship lessons.

Answer 8

Honestly, no i wouldn't hire you because of your lack of experiance, but i would let you volunteer and let you work your way up.