Work/Volunteering for Rides

[SaddlePsych'D]

Quick opinion poll...

How many hours of horse-related work/volunteering (mucking out, making haynets, sweeping yard etc.) would you think fair to do in exchange for an hour's riding (group lesson or hack, valued at £40/45ish)?

Obviously individuals decide for themselves what they feel is a good deal for them but I'm really interested to see what numbers people come up with!

 

[Burnttoast]

Really depends on many factors - how skilled the rider is, how badly the yard needs riders as opposed to yardworkers. When I was a helper I would turn up when the gates opened, do morning stables and then ride as many horses as were required - sometimes none, sometimes three or four. Usually this was schooling on my own but sometimes I would have help, or could ask for help generally or with a specific issue. Then I would help with tack cleaning and lunch stables and leave after human lunch. But later when I had my own horse and less time they were happy for me to turn up when I'd done my boy, ride, clean tack if I had time, and leave. So at that point I wasn't doing much more than putting a brush over, tacking up and getting on.

ETA I am self employed so taking a couple of mornings out of my week was fine!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Good point about skill factor etc.

For my opinion poll assume yard volunteering is by non-pro, generally capable/basic knowledge of mucking out etc., can be left unsupervised once shown how, and able to ask staff if unsure. Riding offered is not unsupervised so not independent schooling and RS horses so perhaps not so much 'needed riding' in terms of exercise.

 

[teapot]

It used to be an average day for one lesson/ride I think, but work for rides is technically illegal so...

If you went by the over 23 years 2023 minimum wage of £10.42, you'd need to do four hours worth.

 

[SO1]

Volunteering at the RS I go to is 8 hours of volunteering for one group lesson.

A group lesson is £60.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

It used to be an average day for one lesson/ride I think, but work for rides is technically illegal so...

If you went by the over 23 years 2023 minimum wage of £10.42, you'd need to do four hours worth.

Interesting, I didn't know it wasn't allowed!

Seems a 4-8 hours from the responses so far, leaning towards 8 which was what I had in mind.

 

[Dexter]

Interesting, I didn't know it wasn't allowed!

Seems a 4-8 hours from the responses so far, leaning towards 8 which was what I had in mind.

Is your time really only worth £5 an hour??

 

[splashgirl45]

i used to work all day and my REWARD was riding a horse on a hack but taking one or two lead reins so in effect, still working, but i loved being there and the owner would pay my bus fare. i was 16 at the time so relied on the bus to get me there and back, it was a good education for me as i learnt loads and rode all sorts of horses and ponies and progressed to exercising the livery horses who were both a cut above the RS horses..i learnt very quickly about hard work and dedication so was prepared when i finally got my own at 21...

 

[teapot]

Interesting, I didn't know it wasn't allowed!

Seems a 4-8 hours from the responses so far, leaning towards 8 which was what I had in mind.

It's effectively free labour and abuses people's goodwill in the process

 

[DiNozzo]

To be fair, I don't think you can say it "abuses people's goodwill" if everyone is fully aware from the outset of what it's going to entail.

I think it's also about what sort of work you do- if you're willing to do less popular tasks you might need to do less work.

 

[teapot]

To be fair, I don't think you can say it "abuses people's goodwill" if everyone is fully aware from the outset of what it's going to entail.

I think it's also about what sort of work you do- if you're willing to do less popular tasks you might need to do less work.

From an industry and employment point of view, some yards (yes I know not all!) continue to use and abuse people who will do anything just to be around horses, in the hope of a free ride. Especially so if it means they don't have to employ as many people as they know plenty of people are willing to do it for free. Offering a free ride costs them nothing

In my old big yard, we banned anyone doing anything for free, bar formal organised work experience for college students. Even the 16 year old weekend helpers were paid.

 

[Red-1]

I used to do this as a kid at a riding school. 8 hours of work, only if we also paid for a ride. If we were lucky, the reward was riding to the field bareback. One of the fields was half an hour away though. That was sometimes exciting, as you would do ride and lead.

I enjoyed the helping as much as the riding. I did hours as a leader. Loads of grooming and mucking out. It was heaven.

So sad it is now seen as taking advantage, as it was such a bonus.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Is your time really only worth £5 an hour??

I suppose I was seeing it more as volunteering than work, even if the tasks are the same, with the reward/bonus of some free riding to supplement the lessons I pay for and the opportunity to learn.

I also did lots of RS helping as a child/teen. Rides weren't always guaranteed (we did get to bareback ride one, lead one to field at the end of the day - unlikely that would happen these days!) but I enjoyed leading the younger children and beginner riders in lessons. One RS did ABRS certificates with us so although you had to pay for the certificate bit you got lots back in terms of learning and time with the horses.

My hunch was 16 hours probably was a bit much. As has been said, any deal is take or leave. I'm thinking possibly leave in my particular case if it continues as is because I'm not sure I will be learning much doing what I've been doing which was as much if not more important than the rides bit.

I may have an alternative which is to put my time in to helping out at share horse's yard. The YO is incredibly generous in sharing their expertise and that in itself is a good exchange.

 

[Abacus]

I’m not sure of your level of skill currently but this sounds like an awful lot of work for an hours ride or lesson, assuming you’re an adult and not a child/teenager. I would expect if you’re a capable enough rider you could find a private owner who would let you ride their horse in return for jobs, and that might include having lessons (although you’d have to pay an instructor for this - perhaps at the right yard you could work in some way to cover this). As a private owner with a sharer I would probably only ask for the jobs that horse needed doing that day - muck out, groom and maybe feed - max of an hour.

It might be different if you are quite novice and so need the lessons and support while hacking.