How to Learn to Ride Horses for Free (or very cheap)

Horseback riding is expensive. Horses are expensive. Every conversation I have with a non-horse person seems to center around horses being expensive. It sometimes feels like I have to justify why I am spending money on horses, as it’s such a frivolous thing to do, and there are real, grown up things I should be spending money on.

But the truth is they don’t have to be expensive. Learning to ride doesn’t have to be expensive. And I would guess that most people who are involved with horses are not “rich.” They probably aren’t “poor” either though, they just choose to spend their money on horses instead of nights out, vacations, or other kinds of hobbies. 

But most people outside of horses don’t realize this. They just assume it’s way out of their reach.

I see so many comments on social media that someone must be rich if they have a horse. They themselves will never be able to experience horses but they love them so much. Horses are a dream that maybe they’ll be able to pursue it one day. 

I’ve written out responses for them before, but it’s impossible to know if I made a difference. I can only hope some people saw it and started their equestrian journey but I’ll never know. 

Which is why I’ve come here, to my own website to write out exactly how anyone can learn to ride for free, or for very cheap. I can’t promise you’ll never have expenses, it’s more likely you will have to pay for something at some point, but if you’re really lucky, you may be able to do it for a fraction of the cost. 

So what’s this magical secret? Read on to find out. 

Self-Education

This isn’t the secret. But it definitely helps to have some kind of knowledge before you start. People are more likely to take you seriously if you seem somewhat familiar with some horse knowledge and some terms. But it’s also important not to pretend like you have knowledge you don’t have. You might have been trying to sound confident and knowledgeable, but horse people will pick up immediately that you don’t have the experience and will brand you as untrustworthy instead. Keep in mind going on a tourist trail ride any amount of times does not make you an experienced rider in any way. That one time you rode your friend’s horse does not make you experienced. Getting a pony ride at the carnival when you were 6 is not riding experience. 

So as long as you stay humble about what you truly know, it’s a great idea to learn what you can because this will make you more valuable. Some options are books, online learning, or just search YouTube for horsemanship basics. YouTube is completely free, so that’s a great place to start.  

Do NOT Buy a Horse

I’ve seen this so many times, and I can only imagine it’s because people think they need to buy the “equipment” in order to do the sport. Like if you’re going to take up tennis, you probably need to buy a tennis racket, right?

Except we’re talking about a huge, expensive animal, not a one time inexpensive purchase.

Do NOT buy a horse under the delusion that you’re going to learn to ride on your own horse. That’s not cheap or free and comes with tons of responsibilities. 

Sometimes people buy horses just because they are “cheap” and pretty, like someone buying an Arabian yearling (true story of someone I knew), and then just expect the horse to know how to behave. They don’t realize they require training, and end up getting hurt or they have to pay a lot for someone else to come train the horse. 

In the case of the above mentioned Arabian, the guy actually bought two of them, and he was mad to have to pay for training for it. It was incredibly awkward every time my friend and I showed up to work with his horses. He legitimately thought that they should be like machines and know everything. I truly hope he’s moved on to ATV’s or motorbikes, which seems way more his style. 

Please please please don’t just buy a horse with the idea of “learning together.” You will end up getting very little enjoyment out of the progress and it could be years until you’re able to ride the horse without assistance. 

And it’s definitely not cheap. You’d probably end up paying thousands to tens of thousands before you have a rideable horse. 

Don’t Plan on Showing

When people think of horseback riding as expensive, they are most likely thinking of horse shows. Horse shows are expensive. From the outfits, to the fees, to transporting the horse, to stall rental, and so much more, it all adds up. So as much as I’d love to give you a roadmap to your Olympic dreams, I don’t have that. You would have to spend money if your goal is high end shows. 

But If you do stick with these guidelines and become good rider, there is the possibility of “Catch-riding,” which is when someone has a horse they want to show but aren’t able to show it themselves. I haven’t actually done that myself, so I can’t advise too much on it, but it does exist. I know several friends that have shown other people’s horses as a favor to them. Pretty cool favor to do for someone! 

In general though, showing = expensive. So this is more of a guide for those who want to ride simply because they love horses, without any real showing goals. But I would be optimistic that as you learn to ride, showing opportunities will eventually present themselves. 

The Concept

Let’s move on to how this is going to work. This is not at all a secret in the horse community, but if you’re on the outside, it might seem like it. 

Barns will exchange ride time for labor. 

Barns are usually chronically understaffed. There’s always stalls to be mucked, horses to be groomed, horses to be fed, and things to be cleaned. If you want to ride horses free, all you need to do is help take care of those horses. If you love horses, this is already the best idea in the world. Pay for your ride time by spending more time with horses. 

It really is that simple. I worked off most of my lessons throughout my life, mostly when I was a student without a steady paycheck. Sometimes I was a full fledged “Working Student,” which is more involved. That’s more like a full time job, with several days of labor a week, a few riding lessons, and sometimes pay, too. It’s a hard life though, and nearly impossible for anyone who’s working another job or in full time school. It’s more for those interested in making a full time living with horses, which honestly isn’t something I’d recommend, especially if you like having money and benefits. But this isn’t the article to go into that. 

So I’m not talking about a full Working Student position, I’m talking about a more casual arrangement. I am very against committing to something big without knowing what you’re getting into, so this first step is just a taste of horse life. If you want to go full working student later on, by all means, knock yourself out, but not so hard you forget that a working student’s life and a professional horse trainer’s life is hard.

Usually the arrangement is a few hours of work is equal to one riding lesson. I’ve had riding lessons at the end of my working shift, or I’ve had a riding lesson on a separate day for a few hours of labor. It really can vary, but it’s important to make sure the terms are clear so you understand exactly how much work you’re doing for how much riding time. 

The great, fantastic, amazing news is that as you continue to work and ride, more and more opportunities are going to open up for you. Sure, you might be a beginner at the very start, but after a while, you won’t be anymore. As you become a better rider, learn more about horse care, and prove your work ethic, more riding opportunities will open up. Private owners going out of town who want their horse exercised. A horse that’s been off a while and needs a rider. Another trainer will be impressed with your work ethic and ask you to come work for them in exchange for riding more advanced horses. 

The more you learn, the more other people are going to want you to ride their horse. And every horse is a opportunity to gain more knowledge, and continue to advance your riding. You can work your way up, without having to spend any money on riding lessons, because people will want you around, either to help out, or to ride their horses. 

Exchanging Professional Services for Lessons

There have been a few high level barns that I rode at without doing barn work. I gave them some kind of professional service, and they gave me riding lessons. These were not long term arrangements, but I had barns accept website building and photography for lessons.

This kind of exchange is usually done when there’s a prior relationship with the barn. It would be in poor taste to  just cold call a barn and ask for this kind of exchange, it’s a weird thing to do. But as you network and meet horse people, you’ll start to see some opportunities outside of barn work that can give you more ride time.  

How to Do It

Now that you know the concept, let’s talk about how you would actually do it. 

Step 1: Find a Barn

Googling “Horseback riding lessons near me,” is a good way to start. Usually you’ll find some barns nearby that offer riding lessons. You’ll simply send them a polite email, “Hello, I am interested in learning to ride horses but I’m limited by budget. Is there any chance you offer lessons in exchange for barn labor?”

You can also make a post in your area Facebook group, something like this:

“Hello, I’m looking for riding lessons in exchange for barn work. I’m a beginner, but eager to learn. Is anyone looking for barn help or know of a barn?”

Putting it out there like this may result in more private barns reaching out to you, like the working mom who’s tired of mucking out every single day and wants a break, and would be happy to give you some lessons in exchange for letting her relax a few nights a week. 

Chances are you’ll get a few leads. Talk to all of them, and decide based on these guidelines. 

• They make it very clear what the exchange of work vs riding would be. Do not go to a place that’s vague about the amount of ride time you would get. 
• The farm seems mostly tidy and safe, and doesn’t give you “scary” vibes. There’s too many nice barns to go to a place like that.
• Horses seem well fed and cared for. 

Notice that I didn’t say to decide based on the riding discipline. Honestly at the beginner stages, they are all pretty similar, and even if you start western but want to ride English, you can always switch over at a later date. Don’t be picky about it at this point, you can be picker when you have some experience. It’s more important that you pick a place that’s safe.

Step 2: Do a Great Job Working

I would hope this is a given, but I want to emphasize this. It’s not about how much you can squeeze from this barn. It’s about you learning, growing, and being known as a reliable help. It’s very important that you have a great reputation in order to progress your riding.

People help people that they like. Put in an honest effort, and people will respect that. They will want you around. They will want to reward you, which means more riding time.

If for some reason that barn doesn’t work out, don’t burn the bridge. Just politely say your circumstances are changing and you found a situation that works better for you. You still gained valuable experience that you can carry to your next barn.

Step 3: Network

In order to get more rides, other horse people need to know you’re looking for more rides. I don’t advise directly asking people to ride their horse (which people won’t like, do not do this), but you can and should be talking to people you meet at the barn. The more horse people you know, the more likely you’re going to run into someone who needs a rider for their horse. Sometimes it’s just a friend of a friend situation, where someone you met at the barn will recommend you to her friend. 

Although you’re aiming for more riding, think of the real goal as making as many horse friends as possible. What could be better than talking about horses with all your new friends? NOTHING THATS WHAT. GO MAKE HORSE FRIENDS. 

Friends help each other out. So the more horse friends you have, the more likely they will recommend you for opportunities.

Step 4: Seek New Opportunities

You may like the barn you work at, you might like the horses, you might love every detail of your experience. But you should always be seeking to grow. 

Alternatively, you might be hating your experience, you might not like any barn you’ve worked at, and you feel like this is just frustrating. 

Well, it’s time to expand your circle. You need to start volunteering. 

Lots of horse places need volunteers to keep things running. Therapeutic riding centers need volunteers to help the riders. Horse shows need volunteers to keep the show running. Other non-profits rely on volunteers to operate. 

It’s another way to keep learning, and expand your circle. Volunteer to scribe at a dressage show, you get to sit with the judge all day and learn about dressage. Volunteer to run the gate and you’ll meet all sorts of riders. Volunteer to help out behind the scenes and you’ll meet all the people running the show and learn how it operates. 

These are all horse people! They can become your friends! They can connect you to riding opportunities!  

I cannot stress enough how much there will be opportunities to ride once you have some experience. People have horses that need exercising, or they want to trail ride but don’t want to go alone, or they just love to take people out riding. These people exist! You just have to connect yourself to the horse world!

I frequently took my friends riding because I wanted to trail ride but didn’t want to go alone. For years I did this, and made some awesome friends. I’ll do it again if I ever get another second horse for people to ride.  

The Bottom Line

To sum it all up, learning to ride a horse for free comes down to two things: being willing to work for it, and making horse friends. That’s it, that’s the whole secret. It will take time and work, but literally anyone could do it. There’s no income barrier, or invisible wall keeping people out. Come join the horse world, and you’ll see for yourself. 

All the Extra Expenses

When you’re entering horse world, you have to realize that people are going to try to sell you stuff. Whether it’s a saddle, or riding pants, or boots, or a crop, someone’s going to try to convince you that you need to purchase gear. Purchasing stuff is not free or cheap, so I encourage you to push back on that. You really don’t need a lot to ride. In fact, here’s what you need:

The Ultimate Complete List of Everything You need to Horseback Ride

• Riding helmet
• Riding boots

That’s it, that’s all you need. You don’t even need riding pants, you can ride in jeans. You don’t need a fancy shirt, or jacket, or matching saddle pads or a pom pom helmet cover. You literally need a helmet and boots. 

Of course there’s no denying that it’s fun to get all those things, but that would be neither free nor cheap, so just cross that right out. 

Helmets (like this one) you should buy new because you want to be sure that no one had a fall in it. Boots you could buy used from marketplace but you could also buy new, too. 

Below are examples. Cheap, and serves the purpose. 

If you decide you do want riding pants, which can be useful due to the sticky seats, here’s examples of cheap and useful. You don’t need anything fancier, it will not make you a better rider. 

Please don’t buy a saddle, or bridle or any sort of horse tack. Whatever horse you ride should come with all of that, it’s unnecessary for you to buy your own. 

The best way to keep things affordable to don’t start buying things. It’s very easy to think you need all the stuff, but you really don’t. The barn should provide tack and grooming equipment, and you can use super basic clothes you already own for riding. I promise you that no one will think less of you or judge you. No one cares. (If anything you look even more like a gritty, salt of the earth, true horseman, who doesn’t care about such things).

Of course I don’t blame you if you want to purchase things, we all have fun buying stuff, but just remember, it can add up, so be careful with your spending.

I hope this helps you out. So many people, including myself, have learned to ride using this system, and you can, too. It doesn’t take owning a horse, or spending lots of money, it just takes time to prove you’re a hard worker, and making some horse friends.

Wishing you all the best on your equestrian journey!