WWYD?

CharliesAngel

CharliesAngel

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2010
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I have been advertising for help recently (mainly poo picking) and not really had any joy. However a 16 year old girl called me last week and after a short chat I said I would text her to let her know when would suit to come up and meet me and the ponies. Im offering £10 an hour for poo picking and in the summer there will be some hours helping to show prep ponies and some days out to shows to groom. I also said if she was competent enough there would be some opportunity to ride (she could hack with me). Well I texted her to say 10am Mon morn but got no reply. then at 10.20am this morning I got a text from saying is it still ok to come and meet you and when suits ?! I messaged back that Id said 10am but had no reply and she claimed she never got the text but would come up straight away. (she had said she was within walking distance). An hour passed before she turned up - dropped off in a car. Turns out she lives about 5 miles away so is going to be relying on lifts and / or cycling. She seemed a really sweet girl, painfully quiet. I offered her 2 hours poo picking to see how she got on today and she agreed. Honestly, she perhaps filled 4 barrows. I asked her to do a small 1/2 acre paddock that I am honest is in a bad way but Id have cleared it in 2 hours - she barely scratched the surface. I paid her and thanked her said Id be in touch. But eek, what do I say? Im a bit of a softie it seems.
 
Hmm, maybe you should pay by the barrow load instead.
If it were me I'm honestly not sure, she doesn't sound like she'll be very reliable but I guess it depends how flexible you want to be, is any help better than no help?
 
Thanks KR> at the moment Im having physio after my year of having a bad leg - i know now its been due to a herniated disc and i feel fine! The physio has said the action of poo picking is literally one of the worst :( Hubby has been helping but he’s just locked his pelvis out - then gave himself such bad burns on his back from a hotwater bottle (!?!) he has ended up in A&E and at the Dr now every 2nd day having dressings changed ! What a pair! I am sneakily doing a bit and I do rotate and harrow but with 14 ponies here it does build up.
 
well she has messaged me saying how much she enjoyed herself and could she do 2 hours every day through the hols!! I dont have that much work for her anyway but after today, no way! i havent replied yet but was thinking of saying if she wants any work here then it would need to be based on an amount per area - so clear 1 1/2 acre paddock for £20 etc . How does that sound?
 
14 ponies. Didn't know you had that many.
I am surprised people haven't responded though.
I used to do work for rides, is that an option?
 
@newforest I have Brook & Skye but I also have a Shetland Pony Stud

tbh Id have been happy for her to ride with me for free, the main thing i need help with is the poo picking while we are both broken :( I mean, i feel ok now but the physio has warned me on pain of death not to do certain things
 
I would say that you will pay her by the amount cleared/by the paddock rather than by the hour. I expect she was not taking the piss, just naive, but she could quickly learn that she can dawdle and pat ponies and still get paid if it's by the hour!

It's a shame not to give her a go as this kind of experience can be so helpful for youngsters, but it has to work for you too. So I would say that she's on a 2 week trial, that you would like her to come on x days at x time (if this is necessary) and that you will pay her £10 per paddock or whatever.

For what it's worth when we had 4 horses together on 3 acres it was still no more than 40 minutes' hard work to clear it and I would have said £10 was fair.
 
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thanks J&Z, Ive messaged her and said im only looking for someone once a week and really need someone who can get more done in the time but im willing for her to come back and have another go if she likes and we can see how she gets on. As you say its nice to give her the opportunity and another chance.
 
Being too slow wouldn't bother me unless she was obviously just dawdling - she could easily speed up. I remember how long it used to take me to muck out a single stable! It's more saying that you will be there in 5 and rocking up after an hour. On your very first day!! But by all means give her a second chance. But I'd be clear from the outset that she needs to be reliable and punctual.
 
Too unreliable - she'll drive you nuts! And I speak as someone with the job of hiring interns. Honestly, it's enough to make you say stuff like 'millenials! Urgh' and 'Kids today, eh?!'
 
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If she is young and dependent on her Mum I wouldnt necessarilly blame her. But young people and kids (like horses) need to be told exactly what you want of them, then have you show them how or teach them how, and then reinforcing to do it.
By not saying anything you provided her with no guidance or proper feed back so that her satisfaction seems wierd to you - but shows the difference between what she thought was going on and what you thought.
As the grown up you need to talk to her on the phone and explain that you cant do hard physical poopicking at the moment and you need to pay someone to do it. You know it was a first time for her so the next thing is for you to teach her how you do it and how fast you think she should work - i.e. the number of hours to clear the field.
That gives her a chance to see if she can do the job required and you a chance to see whether she is a good learner and a conscientious worker.

I notice having written this that once again she didnt reply to a message - but the story before was that she didnt get the message. May be her phone was off or something else caused that. My view is that messaging is not that reliable when it comes to grandchildren - they often have cheaper phones and may switch them off, unlike their adult parents who are continually checking emails etc.

She has gone now so this post is unnecessary - but this is not the first time on NR we have had a horse owner complain about a young person coming to help or share. They really depress me. It is worth remembering that young people require the same approach as young horses.
 
No they dont! I worked from age 13 onwards. I was reliable, conscientious, punctual and efficient. The idea that a teenager is not capable of understanding that being an hour late requires communication (a quick text saying she was waiting for a lift) explanation or apology is just patronising to the many teens who are resourceful, hardworking and reliable.
 
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KP nut said:
No they dont! I worked from age 13 onwards. I was reliable, conscientious, punctual and efficient. The idea that a teenager is not capable of understanding that being an hour late requires communication (a quick text saying she was waiting for a lift) explanation or apology is just patronising to the many teens who are resourceful, hardworking and reliable.
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I agree - my mum drilled into me the importance of being reliable and working hard. She'd have kicked my ar$e if I'd let someone down like that. I think helicopter parenting and social media has a lot to answer for, it's created a generation who don't seem to have a grasp on reality and expect the world on a plate with no effort from them. On the one hand, I feel really sorry for them as they're screwed as far as debt/owning a house/decent jobs are concerned, but on the other hand, they are fairly frustrating to deal with! Hopefully the generation below them (our kids!) will have their heads screwed on a bit more tightly.
 
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