Wednesday, July 29, 2009

How much would you pay for an exercise rider..?

I need a summer side job to keep me busy %26 to pay for some expenses. I just graduated H.S. and will be going off to college in late September. I've been riding for 7 yrs; have been a working student for 5 yrs and have ridden and shown English (flat and O/F to 2'6") and Western, Trail, and Halter/Showmanship. I've worked w/ horses from many different backgrounds- from breaking to problem horses.
I know it's hard to evaluate a person's riding level through just the Internet with no pics or video, but I'd consider myself an Intermediate rider. I've won many ribbons at shows and usually place pretty high at county fairs and local shows... however, never ridden at an A show because I never had the money to.
Just wondering, how much would you be willing to pay (if you are) for a rider on the same level like me to be grooming, riding/lunging/hand walking for 45 mins, and bathing your horses? I have my own tack %26 training supplies, can provide my own transportation and have health insurance
Answers:
Being honest, if I were to pay someone to ride my horse, it would be an experianced trainer. Other then that, I would not pay someone to ride my horses, you would be paying me...I have show horses, and even if you are a great rider, it's just that chances are you can't do anything for my horses training, most the horses at my barn are dead broke, seasoned show horses, and I wouldn't want anyone but a trainer on my really green horses. If I just needed someone to keep my show horse in shape, I would stick one of my experianced lesson people on it and give them a free/low cost lease. Right now I have a really nice 4 year old quarter horse i don't have time to finish so I'm leasing it out to a lesson kid (that sounds to be at about you level), and she is paying me.
You may be able to find a job lungeing, grooming and hand walking horses at a large show barn, but any kind of legtimate training barn will not let you ride the horses for pay. Also be really careful with takeing money to ride, if you ever want to show a breed circuit like AQHA you won't be able to show as an amature if you have recived money for riding, you would be considered a trainer and have to show in the open classes (which have considerably tougher competition).
if you are looking to buy it, then you can look it up at http://www.craigslist.com, click on the state where you live and click on the nearest area of your place. click on general and maybe you can find one there cheaper
I would say a lot of it depends on where you live. Try to look around. If you live in areas that have the high end stables and top notch horses then you could get paid a lot more than if you live out in one of the lower end areas with fewer horses and less interest. If you do live around a boarding stable, I would suggest advertising through them or finding a stable that would hire you - I know a lot of bigger stables, at least in my area, hire exercise riders and offer it to boarders. I know most stables will hire grooms as well, so as both you could probably get a nice job at a stable. Working yourself I would try to evaluate the situation and each case you have to deal with. Other than the flux of higher to lower end stables/horses, you will have some horses that need more work than others. You need to think about if you would charge them the same amount as a finished horse, or if you would want them to pay more for you to work with their horse in a certain area.
Hope this helps!
Ask at least $10.00 per hour, maybe $20.00.
In other words, ask a lot. You can always bargain down and give people a "deal".
People who would pay you to ride have money in general and they quantify value by the amount they pay. I have five horses and would pay for a good trainer, but not just for someone to ride. I know from a number of people who own boarding facilities that there are many people who have horses and pay big bucks for boarding, but never ride. There must be people willing to have others ride their horses. I have my neighbor's horse here. She is always looking for some to ride him, and has no luck. My view is that he was barely broke two years ago and needs lots more training to be safe to be ridden. He is a very nervous little animal.
You should find horses to ride and paying jobs. I wish I could give you more advice. There was someone who ran ads in our local paper to exercise other peoples horses for pay. The ad is gone and I think they got all the jobs they wanted.
Try running an ad in your local paper where they sell horses and post in tack/feed stores. Make sure that you aren't being paid to ride an "outlaw" or bronc. I know someone here who bred Hannovarians. They were not trained properly and were dangerous. I heard that when the young women got bucked off the horse, the owner would leave the rider, lying on the ground, and rush to comfort the horse!
Ask for references. It should go both ways. It isn't worth getting injured severely to be paid to do this job. Checking with a good, reputable horse vet may be an avenue also.
PS. I live in western Montana.
A friend of mine charges 15$ an hour for basically the same amount of work. No one has ever said she charges too much. We live in a very horse friendly community in Southern California.
it sounds as though you are a very experienced rider
you will have no problems finding work in that category
if i needed basic excersise for my horse i would say between 10 and 50 dollars per session
if my horse needs advanced work and you are willing to train i would say 100-200 dollars
it all depends on the horse and the owner
I would explain the exact details like you did to us but to a prospective client. Tell them the horse will be worked, ridden, and basic rinse down %26 light grooming for $20 a hour. Tell them for $10 extra you will wash the horse, groom out the mane and tail (maybe put in a few long braids), fly spray, put conditioner on the hooves, and clean the stall and buckets. They will know this is hard work.
Ask if the horse has bad habits that need to be worked on. . . . they'll love that part ! Simple ones like standing still when being mounted, resisting being bridled, barn sour, not wanting to walk or stand still, doesn't like picking up a certain lead, not flexing, biting, shying, etc.
If the owners can't meet a veterinarian or the farrier, tell them you can do this for $10 a hour and will pick out the stall.
Also for $10 a hour, you can offer to get the horse cleaned, saddled, and lounged/worked before an owner goes out to ride. My older sister has a 'weekend' horse and he needs to be worked 20 minutes at least before she feels he's relaxed enough to go for a ride. A couple of rides mid-week would help, too, but I usually do that or her son. My sister's work limits her time.
You may want to talk to an insurance company about waiving the right to sue if you are hurt on someone's property. You know you risk being hurt. Carry your cell phone on a safe place on your body; some wear it on the upper arm.
I would also think about caring for pets while owners are away on vacation.
I have 8 show dogs, 2 horses, and 1 donkey. It's hard to get away and not worry about my dogs! I don't need an immature, irresponsible person, or one afraid of individual animals.
I hired a vet tech to go in to my kennel, separate from my house twice a day to feed/water, and check. If electricity might have blinked off the air conditioner, she could make a 3rd trip to check it, and give treats. I paid $10 per trip, or $20 per day. I know I was not relying on a person who would not be able to tell if a dog was not feeling well, didn't mind being barked at, and could intervene if needed.
My friend used the same vet tech. For this nice lady, the tech went inside the home to care for parrots, little dog, and 3 cats. She made 2 trips and played with the dog for 15 - 20 minutes.
For $30 extra, my animal loving friend came back to clean home - thoroughly dusted, dishes up, vaccumed, mopped, bath cleaned, mail %26 newspapers stacked, litter boxed changed, bird cage clean, dog beds washed, garbage set out, etc.
The tech 'rents' out off/on light timers to turn lights and TV or radio on in evening and off at 11:00 pm. This also helped the tech enter a lit house during her evening runs. She cleaned the house the day before the owners returned from vacation so the house smelled fresh.
The vet tech also fed horses, goats, ducks, etc. while owners went on vacation. She went out every morning about 6 am to do this and get to work in clean clothes about 8 a.m. She had a lunch hour and could make 1 close run if needed. After work or in the evening, she made 2nd runs.
Just doing 3 homes, she could make $60 a day or x 5 days was $300 a week. Not bad.
Printed up simple cards with your name, pet and animal care specializing in care %26 exercise of horses, and cell phone 'cards' to pass out or put in a slip which fits on a heavy paper ad you can post. A half sheet won't take up as much room.
I would go to large stables that board, tack stores, feed stores, veterinarians, bulletin boards that may be at a grocery store, restaurant, etc. and ...put an ad in the paper.
I would find the local kennel club and obedience club through vet's offices or on " akc.org " and call them. They may be glad to publish a spot on their website or newsletter.
Your best advertising is word of mouth.
Keep a notebook for owners' instructions, their telephone numbers, and back-up numbers to reach a family member or friend if you can't reach them. The neighbor's were given her number if they thought outside animals were in trouble.
Also put in your notebook the exact time of arriving and leaving a house or barn for your hours in case someone asks.
Please take safety precautions yourself as you will be alone on many of these trips. Put rape whistle, mace spray on your keychain and have several flashlights.
Make sure the owners' veterinarian knows you are responsible for taking care of the animals if something were to happen.
Once a dog could not urinate and was straining. After a few more minutes of observing and feeling the dogs' bladder, it was obvious the dog was in pain and something was blocked. The tech took the dog to the veterinarian who said determined it was a bladder stone by catheterizing the dog so he could urinate. The dog was still in pain and would not eat or drink.
The vet could not do anything to the dog until the owners were reached ! The vet tech said she'd pay for the surgery, but the dog was not hers, so the surgery could not be approved. Luckily, the owners answered her message within 3 hours and called their vet to straighten out the situation. The vet had their approval and charge card.
I hope this helps.
You sound like a caring and responsible person. I wish you were in my area !
Gallop riders can make about $50 to $60 per horse and in TX, there were guys that started colts and would charge $25 per ride. Depends on what you can do and really what your services are worth to the other person.
Isn't that like leasing? Wouldn't you be paying me?
If my horse is not getting enough excersize or attention then obviously I'm not ready to own a horse.
20 dollars probably. i would put a flier up, and before you take the horse on, work the horse into your schedule, and make sure the owner can pay you regularly. I would also do a check on the facilities you will be working them at, and the horses themselves. Make sure you know all the vices the horse has, so when he were to rear, you were ready.
Best of Luck
~jimafreak~
I work at a barn were I do basically the same thing. I'm paid about $250 a month. But I'm very experienced. So for a well trained rider, I'm guessing $150 a month. But it depends on how well you do handle horses.
I honestly would pay you $25-$35
In my region, which is very rural, people don't pay for exercise riders. Instead, exercise riders are volunteers who are paid by the fact that they get to ride.
Also, it's disappointing, but locally, people with that experience are a dime a dozen. Nobody goes out and buys a finished horse, everybody has breaking and/or problem horse experience. Honestly, there just isn't a market for intermediate riders to work on horses.
In Ca its 35 an hr they brush them get themready then unsaddle brush them put them away.

No comments:

Post a Comment