I'm Afraid To Ask..

Im going to have to get a job this summer. Any way I look at it. It's inevitable. Im probably going to need money and theres no way my mom is letting me sit around for 2 months not working >=P

I have had my share of absolutely awful jobs that I hated and dreaded going to every day (in a small town there's not much choice of places you can apply), so I really wanted to work for my dads trainer friend who breaks horses; I could clean stalls or feed horses or even tack them up in between her training times...Then I asked dad if she might need any help this summer and he said "No not likely. She has that other girl around working for her all the time, remember?"

Well all my hopes came crashing down. That was the one job I might actually enjoy, and I would be learning and gaining horse experience to boot. I have wanted to "apprentice" with her for so long, even if I wasnt getting paid for doing chores-i could work in exchange for the experience, right? Last year we boarded at her barn for a few weeks and she was always really great and helpful to me, but I don't know...do you think she would want some annoying teenager hanging around? She is a nice person and would always educate me when she learned I was eager for the knowledge, so theres a chance she might say yes, but im just so afraid to ask in case she says no...i don't want to be turned away!

Well you wont know if you don't ask ! What do you have to lose ? I say go for it but you can also start looking for other places to work incase it doesnt work out.

Ask her! The worst she is going to say is "sorry, no"

Ask! But, look for other things that would be interesting too!

You know...she might have been just like you as a young girl and teenager. She loves horses obviously or she wouldn't have her business involved with horses :) Express how you feel. Tell her it is your dream to work with horses and you believe you can be quite successful at it if given the oppurtunity. Tell her you will do anything and everything and can fill in on days if needed.

All you have to do is ask and here is your chance. Who knows..someone else might ask and she might give them a job to do.

Ask! There is nothing to lose. A lot of good horse trainers and managers would kill to have a barn hand in exchange of free board, or free lessons, or free horse training. As for "an annoying teenager", are you planning to get in her hair??
You won't know what they are willing to work with you until you ask, so don't waste time. Make a plan, think of what are some of the options and go talk to them. Make sure you do it in person. Over the phone is never a good idea and voila! Let us know how it goes

What do you have to loose she knows you that's a good first step. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Gotta try. I was shaking when I approached one of our local trainers (I needed another job besides my job at my normal trainer) and this particular trainer is Skip Brown, cutting hear trainer. He has a little facility down the road. I got the job....But quit soon after when he kept showing up to the barn drunk.

Point is, I got the job and worked with some cutters....Lost nothing. Gained a shiny new penny that helped me pay for my OTTB mare.
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Yes everyone is right, you need to ask. If she does say no then ask if she knows of anyone. It's not what you know, it's who you know. Also look into getting a stable hand licence, you can print a form off the net then send it away; this will give you more chance finding work with horses and also give the owners insurance if something does happen to you or a horse. If not then why not put a poster in your local store asking for job experience with horses? It's worth a try.

Better to ask and be told "No", than to never ask and always wonder if you might have been told "Yes".