Working with horses

Gorteenman · 15-04-2011 3:33pm #1

I have a friend with an eventing yard with about twelve horses. His financial circumstances have changed and he's finding it really difficult financially to run. Is it possible to get students or people interested in horses to work for free? He could give bed and board and could give lessons but cant afford to employ someone! He is based on Offaly...just wondering if anyone has any ideas where he might find someone!

Esroh · 15-04-2011 5:38pm

Gorteenman wrote: »

I have a friend with an eventing yard with about twelve horses. His financial circumstances have changed and he's finding it really difficult financially to run. Is it possible to get students or people interested in horses to work for free? He could give bed and board and could give lessons but cant afford to employ someone! He is based on Offaly...just wondering if anyone has any ideas where he might find someone!

That was the way many of my generation started out
Bed and Board and lessons, with livery and transport for my horse thrown in. And what I learnt still stands to me.

Not sure if the Youth of today will work like this but you might be lucky.

Have a chat with the Local Pony Club DC to see if there might be a talented rider whose circumstances would mean they cannot afford to do it for themselves and maybe be interested in working in return for experience

loopyloulilly · 15-04-2011 9:15pm

Gorteenman wrote: »

I have a friend with an eventing yard with about twelve horses. His financial circumstances have changed and he's finding it really difficult financially to run. Is it possible to get students or people interested in horses to work for free? He could give bed and board and could give lessons but cant afford to employ someone! He is based on Offaly...just wondering if anyone has any ideas where he might find someone!

I actually worked on a yard last year doing this loved every minute of it. The experience was much more rewarding, had a part time job to tide me over. I didnt lived there, just the odd cup of tea.

My job was basically mucking out stables, feeding, general care, flatwork to jumping training. I got to compete on their horses which was a big plus.

Where is your friend based?

Gorteenman · 15-04-2011 9:28pm

He's based in Offaly, near Tullamore

Censorsh!t · 16-04-2011 3:36pm

Where I used go riding, I think pretty much all the people helping out did it in exchange for lessons, and did not get paid.

BotanyRox · 19-04-2011 2:03pm

He could try Equipeople, they have a load of capable riders on their books. A friend of mine came over from South Africa with them and ended up in the yard my horses were in.

eilo1 · 19-04-2011 9:39pm

fas have a range of schemes where they use yards to train people and then pay the working students a small salary, normally bed and board are thrown in.

A lot of yards, only pay pocket money, but give accommodation and lessons.

liah · 19-04-2011 9:54pm

Tell him to stick an ad up on YardandGroom.com.

doctor evil · 19-04-2011 11:30pm

Could he not reduce the number of horses? I take it he's not campaiging all twelve.

TBH I think it is a bit much to expect people to work for free. The equestrian industry is still one of the last ones where workers can be badly treated and be considered the norm. Fortuately this is changing. I hate seeing YO's take the piss out of horse mad teens.

leather · 19-04-2011 11:45pm

I might be interested depending on the hours and if he would give free grass livery. I have a full time job but could ride 2 or 3 horses in the evenings. wouldnt do mucking out for free though!

Niamh1980 · 26-04-2011 11:35am

Hi, I live in Edenderry and am actively taking lessons on and off for 4 years... just getting back in to it now and would love to get free ride outs or lessons for helping around... am free on Sat or some sundays... and perhaps summer evenings.. am willing to help out for the exchange.. let me know... "you help me I help you" as they say...

mosi · 26-04-2011 5:28pm

Maybe try this site, www.wwoof.ie
It's called Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms but afaik quite a mix of enterprises use it, so don't be put off if it sounds a bit hippy dippy! I did a bit of this in New Zealand and there were a number of equestrian opportunities there. I can't imagine it being too different here. The premise is that people do a certain amount of hours in exchange for bed and board.
Another option, perhaps a bit more stable (no pun intended), would be to get someone through the Fas Work Placement Programme
http://fas.ie/en/WPP/Provider.htm
The government are very keen to put people into work or training programmes at the moment so as to improve the live register, so it might be worth a shot.
In times like this I don't have a problem with people working for free. I've done it quite recently (not in an equestrian context) here in order to improve my cv and am prepared to do it again if necessary

foxmulerider · 26-04-2011 6:03pm

don't know if he is interested or not but if he is willing to let any go...i would take one for my wife to ride. i'm in Virginia Cavan. But it would need to be well broke for her. wish I could do and offer more than that.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/John-Foxs-Massive-Mule-Marathon-of-Ireland/156357044427953?sk=wall

Cybersue · 27-04-2011 9:35pm

I live in Laois near Mountrath and if you look at my post regarding FETAC level, i would love to help but I am v overweight and cant ride, but I can volunteer for one day a week to muck out and clean tack or whatever. Please read my original post and get back to me. I will totally understand if I am not the type he is looking for. Thanks.

monflat · 05-05-2011 11:19pm

no its not impossible to get people to work for free as i was a paid employee in a yard once i taught but the "young" girls german swiss english all worked their asses off for free food and board but they cared for 20 race horses rode them out and ALL aspects of mucking out sweeping yard etc 7 days a week.

i think if the conditions are good and the people are not over worked he will get some people for the experience
However the above mentioned girls were meant to get "Pocket Money " whenever they were goiing out but they were worked so hard 7 days and off to races early mornings late evenings that they had no energy to go out. and if they did not ask for pocket money they did not automatically get it ( real exploitation if you ask me )

i think if he is offereing this kind of system that it shoud be a 5 day week with alternative weekends off and maybe get 2 or 3 people in to help.

look up www.yardandgroom.com there is endless places there in ireland looking for a groom/nanny/housekeeper/travellinggroom/stablehand/farm hand and this is the job title for only one person. and endless people looking for work in ireland look at their profiles.

its the right time of yr too where there will be young people looking to travel to ireland to look for work with horses.

good luck

j@utis · 06-05-2011 12:01pm

oh what a pitty that offaly is a bit too far for me...
I love horses and I've always wanted to do job like that, i.e. work in the horse yard. I'm about to give up my full time job and that'd be a perfect opportunity to gain some experience in taking care of horses. If only the location of your friend's yard was wexford/wicklow/dublin I'd do it for the ridding lessons in exchange.

leather · 06-05-2011 6:35pm

I just found out that i am to work 3 days on then 3 days off for the summer so I am def interested, can you PM me the details of where the yard is and what kind of horses he has if he is still looking for someone?
thanks

Working with horses

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