If you have ever been a working student for your horse trainer before, chances are you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into. The job description that your trainer gives you is true (for the most part), but usually it comes with a lot more baggage and responsibility than you expect. Several times, I found myself wondering if the task I was doing was for my job or for my trainer’s own personal benefit. Most likely it’s a mix of both, but you stop questioning it when you’re getting free lessons and training fees. If you have ever been a working student, you'll probably be able to relate.
1. Flexible Hours Aren't a Thing.
Stop, drop and go to the barn. This really means that you need to be able to drop whatever you’re doing and go to work. Chances are your trainer won’t text you a start time until 30 minutes before she wants you to be there. Forget your social life because who needs that? School? That’s a waste of time. Occasional 12-hour work days? Forget labor laws.
2. Summer Time is Horse-Show Time.
Do you dream of spending every moment of summer you have at horse shows? Waking up at 5 a.m., working all day and going to bed at 9 p.m.? Working your ass off for that mere 45 minutes you get to spend in the ring? Cleaning roughly 10 stalls, twice a day? Being your trainer’s servant? Lunging the crazy horses for hours? Then this is the job for you.
3. Horses? Of Courses.
Pretty soon, you’re going to find yourself loving all of the horses as if they were your own. They all have their own personalities and little quirks but don’t get me wrong, your favorite horse is the one whose stall is easiest to clean. You have all the horses' feed and supplements memorized, but you can’t seem to find the time to feed yourself.
4. Your Real Purpose is to Get Coffee and Lunch.
Starbucks is the source of all your liquids and energy. Bonus points if you've been through the drive-thru lane in a golf cart or on a horse. Pretty soon, you’re going to have all your trainers' orders memorized.
5. Hide-and-Seek.
If you liked this game as a kid, you’re going to love it as a working student. Your job is essentially to find your trainer’s phone, spurs, crop, hairnet, number, etc. It gets even better when you’re under pressure.
6. Mind-Reading.
You pretty much need to know what to do before your trainer even tells you, especially at shows. Keep yourself busy; there is always something that can be done. If you really don’t know what you should be doing, just ask your trainer they’re probably not as terrifying as you think. Most likely you’ll get a list that will keep you busy for the rest of the day… and a few more days after that.
7. The Interesting Tasks.
These might vary from trainer to trainer. Some tasks could include painting the entire interior of the barn, picking up ungodly amounts of salt, buying a tractor tire or weed whacking with a machete. You never know what the work day might bring.
8. There is No Better Time Than That Spent in the Saddle.
If you're lucky enough to land this job, you're going to get some great opportunities to ride a lot of different horses. You might get to ride some really well-trained horses and you might get to ride some really green horses. Each horse will teach you something.
9. Making Connections.
As a working student, you can expect to make a lot of beneficial and meaningful connections. If you’re like me, you might establish a really great relationship with a vet. You might also meet a lot of great trainers that you could work with in the future. You’re probably also going to meet a lot of other people on the show circuit. You might not remember their name, but you will definitely remember their horse.
10. The Opportunities are Endless.
I don’t know if there is any other job out there that allows you to gain as much hands on experience that you will have as a working student. I’ve had the opportunity to watch and even assist with the birth of foals, learn how to set courses, take hay samples, medicate and clip horses, how to ride and jump them and so much more. This job allowed me to break into the horse world when I otherwise didn’t have the money to do so.
Being a working student is a blessing in disguise because when you're loading your twentieth hay bale and the twine is starting to cut into your hands, you’re probably not thinking about how much you love your job. But, when you take a moment to step back and look at all of your hard work, how much you’ve grown and how far you’ve come because of this job, you'll realize that it's completely worth it.
