How much should I pay a teenage girl to help with horses?

Ravenwood

Ravenwood

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 November 2005
Messages
11,196
Location
Devon
Visit site
I have started to work much longer hours with my new job and am struggling with the horses. When the fields are this wet they can't go out into the main fields but they can go out for a couple of hours in a little paddock but of course now I am at work all day, I am not around to bring them in again. (Both horses hate being out in this weather and trudge up and down, up and down by the gate after an hour or so wanting to come back in).

So, there is a lovely 16 year old girl nearby who is willing to lend me a hand for the next fortnight whilst YO is away, who will either ride them for me, bring them in and generally help out on a casual basis. She is coming over on Saturday when I will take her for a ride and discuss the finer details. She can have free rein with both horses - do what she wants with them.

But, how much shall I pay her? Bless her, she did say she was just happy to lend a hand for no money but I would much rather pay her and then I can ask her again!

I imagine the best way forward is for her to keep a tally of how many hours she puts in - so how much an hour?

Any replies very much appreciated
smile.gif
 
Maybe give her the minimum adult wage? I know it is a bit less for 16 year olds so you'll be giving her more than you have to but then you'll be getting someone who knows more and is more motivated than she might be. Only thing I'd say is that you should agree min and importantly max hours you'll pay for first. That way you won't get back to find she's enthusiastically spent the whole day there and expects to be paid for it :-)
 
[ QUOTE ]
Only thing I'd say is that you should agree min and importantly max hours you'll pay for first. That way you won't get back to find she's enthusiastically spent the whole day there and expects to be paid for it :-)

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL - good point
smile.gif


She is still in 6th form but doing a vocational course so most days she just goes in for a couple of lessons or so - there are going to be two days per week which we both clash work/school wise - I will just have to get up even earlier those days!!
blush.gif


I will Google minimum wages - Thanks
smile.gif
 
when I was teenager no-one would have payed me for riding, usually was the other way around - of course in the second one was for lessons.
I rode "on my own" occasionally after the riding lessons to help exercise other horses at the yard, paying nothign but earning nothing as well, just for the pleasure of riding. All was fair and all right.
when I rode horses not for the riding centre, the "equal exchange" for the possibility to ride was to take care about the horse - useless to say for me was two good things in one!
the idea was that the owner gave me a favour letting me ride and I gave the favour back looking after the horse.

in short, for a teenager I think that the possibility to ride worth the effort of looking after the horses ridden; however if you wish to give her some pocket money, my suggestion is to pay her for coming and NOT on a hour basis, e.g. if she come 3 time a week you can give her 10-15£ per time (the amount is absolutely random to make an example but think is not that far from fair)

smile.gif
mak
 
Dont want to be a Party pooper, and as I had to have help in the past, just like you are needing. These days I would just make sure an insurance covers this arrangement, you never know, All the best and hope this arrangement works out for you.
JC
 
I would be very careful if you are paying her. Do you have employers liability insurance? Are you going to provide her with a wage slip + register with Inland Revenue? (You have to by law if you are employing her) However if she is 'self employed' and bills you so you can pay the bill then the girl will have to register as self employed, fill out self assessments etc........a bit of a mine field!! Why not buy her a gift instead? As its only a two week period, look back and decide on an amount and treat her to some really nice joddies or similar?

Good Luck
 
If she is afull time student she hsould be tax exempt,get her a personal accident insurance (very cheap) and then give her an amount for travelling expenses and make it clear that it is for her travelling and the work is in return for riding. There all bases covered.
 
£3.57 is the national minmum wage for someone under the age of 18, I personally would work out how many hours roughly she is going to be working for you, I think £4 p/h is nice.
 
If she doesnt want any payment what about some sort of useful gift? I helped a lady who went BE and i used to ride when she couldnt etc help at events. She got me a lovely pair of Jodhpur boots! I was over the moon!!
 
I don't think you should pay her, you then get into all sorts of employer/employee stuff. I bet she will do the work for the pleasure of having the opportunity to ride, she has said she doesn't want paying. I'd leave it at that and then give her something as a thank you present afterwards.

Last time I helped someone when they were on holiday they got me £20 M&S vouchers, which was lovely and unexpected as I would genuinely have done it for pleasure! You could get her vouchers for rideaway so she can get riding gear or for a teenage friendly shop like topshop.

If she enjoys herself and does it for pleasure then hopefully you can call on her again, but if you buy her a thank you gift then you don't feel like you are taking advantage.

Bear in mind that if you posted that you were looking for a sharer people would be saying you should charge them!
 
I did it for years on my local livery yard was there from 8-5 every weekend and school holiday. did it for the love of it.

lots of good advice above, I would say marvie had a good idea and also like the gift voucher idea some tack shops do vouchers these days.

have you spoke to her parents and say that you recomend that she has a rider insurance to cover herself in case of an accident or check your own (it may cover her).

these days people are so quick to sue not sying that she is like that but we just have to be careful when money starts to exchange hands.

How many hours would you be hoping for her to do? not including riding.?

I personally think people shouldnt be paid to ride your horse they should count themselfes lucky lol (unless you want them to re school, compete etc)
 
I know these days everyone seems to be so caught up in a world where we want to protect oursleves and make sure we are adequately covered by insurance etc but if you get a baby sitter in and pay them then I don't think a majority of babysitters would be declaring the cash and themselves a self-employed.

I get where Ravenwood is coming from I think.... she does not want to employ the girl as such but reward her by providing her with a gift that happens to be cash. I agree though would be worth checking out if her insurance covers her for others riding her horses.

I sometimes think that this country has gone to far when it comes to bureaucracy and red tape but the litigation culture seems to have taken hold.
 
I pay a 16 yr old £5 to do my horses per day. It takes me about 35 mins to do everything but she is a bit slower and takes about an hour! She is paid to poo pick, feed, hay and water as a minimum but if she wants to groom etc and spend longer with them then thats up to her. She always says she doesnt want paying but I just leave the money out for her everytime she comes down which is only about once a month when I am desperate!

ETA that she lives a 3 min walk from us so no travel costs!
 
QR: Thank you all for replying
smile.gif


Crikey, I hadn't even thought about insurance! Nor the consequences of paying her - what a minefield
frown.gif


Isn't it always the way, a simple little solution to a problem never really turns out to be so.

I will have to give it all a lot more thought before Saturday. Its such a shame we have gone this way nowadays. My daughter has looked after horses during holidays that have stayed with us for a bit of cash in hand and we never gave it a thought.

Now I am going to worry - what if she does fall off and injure herself, left out for hours on the moor with no phone signal - perhaps I will just ask her to bring them in for me and not ride.
crazy.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top