American Riding Academy

Barn Work Exchange Program

The ARA Barn Work Exchange Program gives Academy families and adult riders an opportunity to earn lesson credit by helping with approved barn projects and chores.

Our goal is to create a win-win arrangement: participants can reduce the cost of their riding lessons while helping keep our barn, horses, and facility running smoothly.

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How It Works

Participants complete approved barn work in exchange for lesson credit. Work must be:

  • Pre-approved by ARA management or an instructor

  • Appropriate for the participant's age, ability, and experience

  • Completed safely and according to ARA instructions

  • Documented by the participant and verified by ARA staff

Lesson credit is applied after the work has been completed and verified. Work exchange credit may be used toward riding lessons and approved ARA programs. Credit is not redeemable for cash and may not be transferred to another person unless approved by ARA management.

Work Exchange Levels

  • Level 1

    LESSON CREDIT

    $10  per approved hour

    Junior helpers may not operate heavy equipment or perform other adult-only tasks.

    Suggested age: approximately 10–13

    • Sweeping aisles, walkways, and common areas

    • Cleaning and organizing tack and grooming areas

    • Cleaning and maintaining grooming supplies and equipment

    • Picking up manure in designated areas

    • Cleaning and filling water buckets

    • Organizing feed, supplies, or equipment

    • Assisting with basic horse-care tasks under supervision

    • Helping with general barn cleanup and organization

    • Assisting with other age-appropriate projects as assigned by ARA staff

  • Level 2

    LESSON CREDIT

    $15  per approved hour

    Suggested age: approximately 14–17

    • Stall cleaning

    • Manure cleanup

    • Feeding and watering assistance

    • Barn and property cleanup

    • Tack and equipment organization

    • Grooming and basic horse-care tasks

    • Weed removal and landscaping

    • Basic barn maintenance

    • Assisting with approved barn improvement projects

    • Helping with other age-appropriate tasks as assigned by ARA staff

    Junior Barn Helper Mentorship

    • Demonstrating proper barn chores and procedures

    • Helping Junior Helpers learn how to safely complete assigned tasks

    • Working alongside Junior Helpers and providing guidance

    • Modeling appropriate barn behavior, horse handling, and work ethic

    Senior Barn Helpers who demonstrate maturity, reliability, good horsemanship, and a strong understanding of barn safety may be invited to shadow and assist with training Junior Barn Helpers. Mentorship must be approved by ARA staff and is intended as a leadership and learning opportunity — Senior Barn Helpers remain under the direction of ARA staff and are not independently responsible for supervising Junior Helpers.

    ARA may provide additional lesson credit, recognition, or increased work-exchange opportunities to Senior Barn Helpers who take on approved mentorship responsibilities.

  • Level 3

    LESSON CREDIT

    $20  per approved hour

    This is the standard adult work-exchange rate.

    Adults and experienced older teens

    • Stall cleaning

    • Manure removal

    • Heavy property cleanup

    • Moving materials

    • Fence and gate maintenance

    • Installing panels

    • Painting

    • Landscaping

    • Barn organization and maintenance

    • Equipment cleanup

    • Assisting with construction or improvement projects

    • Other work approved by ARA management

  • Level 4

    LESSON CREDIT

    $25  per hour, or a mutually agreed-upon project amount

    All Level 4 work must be approved by ARA management before the work begins.

    Projects requiring specialized skills, experience, or tools

    • Welding

    • Electrical or plumbing work

    • Equipment repair

    • Construction projects

    • Other specialized maintenance

Important Guidelines

1.  Work Must Be Approved in Advance

Not all barn chores automatically qualify for lesson credit. Participants should check with ARA management before beginning work to confirm:

  • The task qualifies for credit

  • The appropriate work-exchange level

  • The expected amount of time

  • Whether supervision is required

2.  Safety Comes First

ARA reserves the right to determine which tasks are appropriate for each participant based on age, experience, physical ability, and demonstrated competency. Participants may not perform tasks they have not been trained or approved to perform.

Safety-sensitive work, including the use of power tools, machinery, certain equipment, or work involving significant heights or hazardous materials, may be restricted to qualified adults.

3.  Time Tracking

Participants should use iClassPro to record:

  • Date

  • Start time

  • End time

  • Type of work performed

ARA management or designated staff will verify the hours before lesson credit is issued. Work time should be based on actual productive work time and should not include personal riding time, socializing, breaks, or time spent waiting for instructions.

4.  Quality Matters

Work-exchange credit is earned for completed, acceptable work, not simply time spent at the barn. If a task needs to be redone because it was not completed correctly or safely, additional credit may not be awarded for the time required to correct the work.

5.  Lesson Credit

Lesson credit is applied at the appropriate work-exchange rate. For example:

  • ADULT PARTICIPANT

    • 3 hours × $20/hour = $60 lesson credit

  • JUNIOR PARTICIPANT

    • 2 hours × $10/hour = $20 lesson credit

Credit may be accumulated and used toward future lessons.

Interest Form

Complete the interest form and we will get back to you based on the amount of availability.