experience to find out if you’re cut out for this. It’s definitely not an easy life.”
A Fair Exchange? Some top level riders charge for the privilege of
being their working student, while others find that keeping track of specific jobs results in a fair deal for everyone involved. Will reasons, “Sometimes it’s a very expensive sport, but if you’re willing to hustle and make yourself a viable commodity, there’s always a way to make yourself useful.” He cautions, “You also want to make sure that the instructor offers what you want.” Beth has had many working students over the
years and says that she always organizes things by dollars and cents, so that everyone is treated fairly. “People would come to me and inquire about working student positions usually because they couldn’t afford lessons,” she says. “I’ve never really had live-in students who came from a distance; in that case they would probably have to find housing and cover the cost of the horse’s board. I’d say the work is valued at $10/ hour, which is appropriate for this area. I pay grooms more because they have to be more skilled—they usually get $150/day for grooming, or say if they clip a horse I pay $100. You have to break it down to dollars and cents, otherwise they end up working really long hours or you get behind in your lessons.” Beth also has two paid employees: a groom that also rides, and a man who cleans stalls and maintains the farm. A student might help grooming, getting horses fit, and whatever else she needs help with. Dorothy also finds paying her working students the most
satisfactory arrangement. “I charge working students the same as full paying students; I then pay them an hourly rate, $6–10, depending on their skill level. They choose how many hours they want to work. They must tell me at least one week in advance what they want to do and then they must show up—no sleeping in because they are tired! This works for me because the less they work, the more they pay. The average student working a six-day work week will easily take care of the room and board, and they can take as many lessons as they need.” She points out that with this system it is within the working
student’s power to work off what they can’t afford. “I have had a few motivated kids who have put in the extra hours and worked off room, board and lessons and I owed them money. In those rare cases, I’m happy to pay!” You also have to take the big picture into account: does the
situation include stabling? Accommodations? Sue’s partner, Jeff Johnson, says, “There’s a difference between someone who wants to be a working student and someone who wants a job. I
Sue Cooper helping her working student Kate Breiner on Impulsion Unlimited’s Stallion Jorongo Mor. Photo courtesy Jeff Johnson
talked to a girl who wanted a minimum of $250/a week and I had to explain the value of the stall, the apartment, and the lessons—but she could only see that she needed X number of dollars per week.” To avoid misunderstandings, when making arrangements
to become a working student, both the student and instructor’s expectations should be clear from the beginning. Will says, “To me there are no real hard-set rules on how things are set up. I think that being a working student is a great lesson for the horse business itself; everything should be spelled out right from the get-go. It might be a fantastic deal for some and a terrible deal for others. It has got to be flexible.” Will advises, “Usually a working student is someone on
the young side, so you want to have a parent or responsible advisor help with the negotiations of the position and to be there at the meeting, writing things down. Negotiations should be signed off so everyone’s on the same page. Communication on a regular basis is important. At the end of the first week there should be a review of the student’s efforts—see if everyone’s happy and keep the dialogue going so nobody’s wasting their time.” Similarly, before you apply for a position, Dorothy suggests,
“No matter how sure you are that the person you want to work with will be perfect for you, go take a lesson. Even better, go spend a few days at their facility. Shadow a current working student, live in the house, work, and take a flat and a jump
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