Once you have delivered her to the barn, if you choose to stay while she rides, you are going to have to work hard to not be in the way, because if you are anywhere but the lounge or the parking lot, odds are you are in the way. Riding facilities are built mostly with the horses in mind, and do not often account for horse husbands or other non-essential persons. A horse husband standing in the aisle is like a piece of china in a bull shop.

I started standing in the aisle during the 'tack-up' and 'un-tack' periods, because I thought I could make myself useful. However, first I had to learn what a horse's personal space looks like, and how to stay out of it. For the benefit of any other horse husbands who are reading this, I'll list what I feel are the most important points.

- Never stand immediately in front of or behind the horse.
- No sudden movements.
- DOOR!

Once I had a grasp on how to not be in the way, it was time to get to work. Sweeping and poop pickup were an easy start, and from there I graduated to opening doors and gates while the horses are being led in and out.
At this point I could consider myself a novice stable hand, but I wanted more. While I was not ready to work directly with the horses, there was plenty to do to maintain the equipment used by horse and rider.

I started with the riders gear: Making sure the helmet and gloves were put back in their bag, and brushing off the half-chaps and boots. I then moved up to the horse's gear: First there is carrying the tack in and out of the tack room - there are a few wrong ways to carry a saddle, and I selected the wrong girth more than a few times. With practice, I became adept at brushing off the horse's boots, re-rolling the polos, and hanging the pads out to dry.

Cleaning the saddle and bridle was more advanced than I expected, and would have to wait for my next promotion.