Help at riding school?

M

MgO

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Hi all:)
I just would like your comments on this:
Baisacally, I help regulary at my local riding school. I am the youngest helper there (only by about a year). I don't think my help is appreciated - I seem to do all the work no one else wants to do whilst they all do better things. For example - filling water buckets in the freezing cold with no help:mad:. I don't want to do this but if I don't, I would get told off. No-one else gets told off for not doing things but I do. The other helpers are generally nice, but I just feel I'm not respected. I almost don't want to help some days.:(
What do you guys think I should do, or just any comments;)
Sorry - I had to get this out of my system xD
Sorry if this is the wrong place! :p
Please help
Thanks xxx
 
The_angel_littlelegs said:
Have you also been there less time than the other helpers? And what better things are they doing?
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I have been there less time, yes. They are actually working with the horses, somedays, I only get to groom and tack up 1 or 2 ponies. Yes, I know there are the bad jobs, but it is usually me who has to do them. I am capable of doing other things... I don't know..
 
It could be that they get newer helpers to do less pleasant jobs before progressing to the more fun stuff, so you have to earn the right to do the more pleasant stuff. Plus it could be a case of experience, in that the ones doing more grooming/ tacking up are maybe doing stuff with ponies that aren't always well behaved. Or, your riding school could just be treating you like a mug. Have you tried speaking to some of the long standing helpers about it? It may well be that they had to start out doing less fun stuff like you too.
 
I had a similar situation to you last year. I was working my ass off for no praise and didnt even get a ride. Yard owner was horrible and put me off ever going to a riding school again. I quit after 4 weeks and can honestly say im much happier with my own horses now, based on a friendly and family run farm :)
 
The_angel_littlelegs said:
It could be that they get newer helpers to do less pleasant jobs before progressing to the more fun stuff, so you have to earn the right to do the more pleasant stuff. Plus it could be a case of experience, in that the ones doing more grooming/ tacking up are maybe doing stuff with ponies that aren't always well behaved. Or, your riding school could just be treating you like a mug. Have you tried speaking to some of the long standing helpers about it? It may well be that they had to start out doing less fun stuff like you too.
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^^ This sounds reasonable. How long have you been helping at the stables for and how often are you there?
 
Yeah, that is quite reasonable - and while it isn't reasonable, it's quite possible that you are just getting the short end of the stick - in which case, mentioning it can't do any harm. Either it'll carry on the same, or things will improve.

We have a lot of child 'helpers' at our yard. I'm afraid, at times, I've left a job because I know it'll be picked up by either 1) someone who's paid to do it, or 2) someone who's young and really enthusiastic and wants to do it ;D I'm being brutally honest here, it's not something I do often or like to admit to! (it's lazy!) But - I have seen within the younger helpers, quite often they'll leave the rubbish jobs for newer kids. Not fair, but not surprising.

If we're all helping to bring jumps in, I'll go for the heavy ones first so the easiest are last - I notice the helpers just go for the easy ones ;) I think the conscience comes with age, but also young helpers are more likely to 'delegate' to other helpers - so don't be afraid to say something if you think that's happening to you because you're not as 'established' :)
 
It happens at riding schools I'm afraid! You are always gonna have the "teachers pet" who unfairly gets all the best jobs, and you end up with the rubbish ones. You just have to keep on with the rubbish ones and earn your place usually. At my first riding school I wasnt working for lessons (didn't want to ride at the time) so they did show me how to tack up/lead on lessons/groom fairly quickly because I wasn't getting anything out of it other than being around horses. Still did get thrown in at the deep end with the naughtiest pony on the school though :p
Second riding school I got the rubbish jobs every weekend until I started working in the evenings after school when there were no other helpers (I live two minutes drive away from the yard so could walk straight from school) I got the better jobs then eg the tacking up, turnout, bring in, grooming, rugs etc rather than the endless poo picking in the mud/emptying wheelbarrows/tidying the muckheap that I would get at the weekends!
 
The way it always was when I was younger is that the longer you had been there, and the more experienced you were, the more fun stuff you could do. The better jobs were a privilege, you have to earn them. In my old yard mentionning to the farmer wouldn't have got you anywhere (he'd have said if I don't like it then he will find someone who will!!) but I learnt a great trick early on... Find someone younger than you with less experience who loves ponies and get them to come and help out. And voila! You are no longer bottom of the heap :) I started helping at a school when I was 9 and still help there at 29... I now get the best jobs (but still have to make the cups of tea!). Just be patient, your time will come :)
 
I used to help quite often at my rs when I was a kids and in my teens.

I also started out with the basic jobs and was then given more interesting ones to do.

If you don't mind me asking how old are you? Maybe they have given you those 2 ponies to start with because they are the quietest?

Do you get free rides for helping out.

I used to go up on Saturday's and a couple of days after school so showed them I was willing to learn.

Once you have finished your tasks you could always ask them if there is anything else you could do/ anything they could show you to learn to do so then you look eager to learn and are showing you want to be able to do more for them?
 
Thanks guys! You've made me feel a lot better;) Haven't decided what I'm going to do - probably nothing XD
Thanks! xx
 
I do understand how you feel OP!

It purely depends on the individual riding school, some places have the teachers pets who get all the good jobs and other helpers get blanked whereas others make it fair for everyone.

Maybe because you have been there for the least amount of time means that you dont get the best jobs but in some places (such as the racing stables where i help out) you work at the crappy jobs, do a good job then get a ride (for example now i have proved i can handle some of the more difficult horses in the stables like the ones that kick and bite whilst mucking out to a high standard and working my ass off i get rewarded with a ride, but another girl who sat texting and mucked out one stable never came close to getting a ride/doing the fun jobs and has now left)

I hope your yard is one of the fair places like mine, but chin up, smile and work hard :) and basically what other posters have said!
 
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