ihorse
in
equestrian
Working as a Stable Hand
Hey guys, some exciting things happening in my neck of the woods lately! Some of you may remember I worked at a tack store - Columbia River - for several months, which was awesome and I really appreciated the discounts I got! Well, unfortunately the store closed and the owners moved back to their hometown in Oregon, so I lost my job with them back in March or so. As disappointing as that was, I think it was meant to be as now I have the possible opportunity to be working as a stable hand at a super swanky dressage barn, feeding and turning out horses, doing stalls, etc. I will likely be starting out part time, and possibly by September transitioning to a full time position with them. It's a well-paid position, and if all works out I will be living on the farm after I finish my last class this summer and get my Associate's Degree.
This will be a huge step for me, as I'll be turning 21 in September and have never lived away from home. I'm really excited for the possibility of adventure, though, and literally living and breathing horses! I met with the barn owner this past Monday, she gave me a tour of the place and we talked about my duties, the expectations, etc. and after exchanging a couple emails she told me I was her first choice for the position at this point.
I'll be doing a week "trial" to get a feel for the work where I'll be working alongside with someone else - so luckily I won't launch into doing 20 stalls a day all by myself! I'm pretty physically fit, small and thin, but pretty strong, so while I know it'll be a challenge I'm excited for it! I've really been loving how I look lately, so I'm really excited to become more fit and strong. I'm sure this is made worse by the fact that I've recently befriended a super hot army guy that will be visiting in August. ;)
Anyway, just wanted to brag about all the really cool things that are happening lately, but also have a couple questions for people who have worked as stable hands in the past. This facility is gorgeous, very high class, and there are a lot of expensive horses here. My question is, what should I wear? We've been having a pretty mild spring and summer so far here in Washington state, but if it gets hot, are shorts appropriate? What should I wear for footwear? Paddock boots? Shorts and paddock boots don't exactly mix, and while I know it's not a glamorous job, I want to be respectful as a worker and fit in with the crowd. Probably one of my biggest concerns is overheating in the summer. I am not very tolerant of heat, especially if I'm wearing long pants and boots. This would probably improve if I just drank more water, but I want to stay as cool as possible while working. I'm thinking of investing in some lightweight athletic clothes, but I don't really want to wear sneakers to be mucking stalls and handling horses. Any recommendations?
Thanks! You guys are always so lovely and offer the best advice! And so it's not all text, here is an instagram photo from this past Monday. After interviewing for the job, I got to take Andie trail riding! Even though it rained the whole time we had a blast. It was the first time I've ever taken her away from home to go trail riding and I couldn't be more proud of her. She loaded fairly easy into a cramped straight load trailer and was a dream to ride, even though I hadn't done anything with her in like three weeks. Hoping to take her XC schooling soon, and might take her to a derby on July 1st. Crossing my fingers everything works out!
This will be a huge step for me, as I'll be turning 21 in September and have never lived away from home. I'm really excited for the possibility of adventure, though, and literally living and breathing horses! I met with the barn owner this past Monday, she gave me a tour of the place and we talked about my duties, the expectations, etc. and after exchanging a couple emails she told me I was her first choice for the position at this point.
I'll be doing a week "trial" to get a feel for the work where I'll be working alongside with someone else - so luckily I won't launch into doing 20 stalls a day all by myself! I'm pretty physically fit, small and thin, but pretty strong, so while I know it'll be a challenge I'm excited for it! I've really been loving how I look lately, so I'm really excited to become more fit and strong. I'm sure this is made worse by the fact that I've recently befriended a super hot army guy that will be visiting in August. ;)
Anyway, just wanted to brag about all the really cool things that are happening lately, but also have a couple questions for people who have worked as stable hands in the past. This facility is gorgeous, very high class, and there are a lot of expensive horses here. My question is, what should I wear? We've been having a pretty mild spring and summer so far here in Washington state, but if it gets hot, are shorts appropriate? What should I wear for footwear? Paddock boots? Shorts and paddock boots don't exactly mix, and while I know it's not a glamorous job, I want to be respectful as a worker and fit in with the crowd. Probably one of my biggest concerns is overheating in the summer. I am not very tolerant of heat, especially if I'm wearing long pants and boots. This would probably improve if I just drank more water, but I want to stay as cool as possible while working. I'm thinking of investing in some lightweight athletic clothes, but I don't really want to wear sneakers to be mucking stalls and handling horses. Any recommendations?
Thanks! You guys are always so lovely and offer the best advice! And so it's not all text, here is an instagram photo from this past Monday. After interviewing for the job, I got to take Andie trail riding! Even though it rained the whole time we had a blast. It was the first time I've ever taken her away from home to go trail riding and I couldn't be more proud of her. She loaded fairly easy into a cramped straight load trailer and was a dream to ride, even though I hadn't done anything with her in like three weeks. Hoping to take her XC schooling soon, and might take her to a derby on July 1st. Crossing my fingers everything works out!