Our horse hobby is an expensive one, but did you know that you can actually use your love of horses to earn a little extra money on the side? If picking up a part-time job isn’t for you, perhaps one of these money earning activities could help, instead.

Be a Ring Steward

Many horse shows need extra staff. Acting as a ring steward can be a great way to earn money while being right in the thick of a horse show. Other potential ways to get involved in a show are to act as a scribe for dressage tests or even to volunteer at a larger, prestigious event. Working as horse show staff requires that you be available on horse show weekends, but it leaves your other weekends open for your own riding and competitions. If you’d like to find a staff position at a horse show, try contacting local breed registries and clubs that host shows to see if they need help.

Pull and Braid Manes and Tails

If you are talented in pulling and braiding manes, you can make fast cash during horse show seasons. Braiding a mane and tail well is an art and requires the utmost of patience and early morning hours, so if you have these skills, you may find yourself in high demand.

Looking to establish your braiding services? Make sure that your skills are up to par with the demands of the competition levels that you will be preparing horses for. Practice braiding on a number of different horses to hone your skills, and make sure to get photos of the results. Show these photos to anyone interested in your services, and be prepared to be on time and reliable each and every show morning to truly build your business.

Body Clip

In addition to braiding and pulling manes, body clipping is another much sought-after service in the equestrian world. If you are talented in body clipping, consider offering your services to your barnmates and to outside clients. Be sure to account for the wear and tear on your clippers when deciding what to charge.

Barn Sit

Many horse owners have need for reliable, trustworthy, and knowledgeable barn sitters for when they travel or are otherwise unavailable to care for their horses. One of the best ways to get into barn sitting is by means of referral through your horse friends, trainer, and other equestrian connections, but you can also occasionally find barn owners looking for barn sitters and caretakers.

Take Sale Photos and Videos

If you’re skilled with a camera, you might consider lending your services to horse owners. Owners who are selling horses often need quality sale photos, and even if owners aren’t selling their horses, they might appreciate having nice photos or videos of their horses. Maybe riders at your barn would be willing to pay to have their lessons videotaped for them to review later on. There are many ways to make use of your photography and/or videography skills.

You can earn extra money in the horse world using a variety of techniques. Be sure to keep track of your expenses and the money that you earn so that you will have good records when it’s time to do your taxes at the end of the year.

Original source: How To Turn Your Love of Horses into a Barn Side Job