Finding a nanny or au pair who's also interested in riding...

[PNWjumper]

Does anyone know of any sites related to finding nannies or au pairs who are interested in horses/riding?

I have 2 kids and have the best nanny ever this summer. She lives by the whims of my [fairly unscheduled] job which means working 50 hours some weeks and 20 hours other weeks and (obviously the most important part) takes great care of my kids. But in addition to the obvious parts of the job she's also a rider. I picked up a little mare this spring and basically handed it over to her. She's ridden her every day and taken her to a couple of shows so far this summer (we head to our first big AA in a couple of weeks and we're both excited for it!). She's helped out tremendously in keeping my horses exercised and really done wonders for the little mare who I hope to sell before the end of the summer.

Anyhow, it got me thinking. I can put my kids back in daycare for the year next year, but I've got a decent riding set up (and a string of nice horses to ride) and was toying with getting an au pair anyways. So it occurred to me that maybe it could be as mutually beneficial of a job for someone else out there beyond just my college-bound nanny. I limit my herd to the horses that I can ride, but I'm willing to basically buy a project for someone (and pay all upkeep/maintenance/etc) if they're dedicated enough to hack that horse regularly and ride the others on occaision. I would have jumped at the opportunity right out of college, and I thought that there must be some kids who do the au pair thing who were riders at some point.

Then I got to thinking that there's no way I'm the first person who's thought of this, so maybe there's a website or agency out there somewhere???

Anyone have any advice?

[Pirateer]

Somebody is gonna be pretty lucky :)

[SaturdayNightLive]

Sounds like an amazing opportunity.

I've seen ads for situations like this on Yard and Groom. Maybe start there?

[hellerkm]

WEll if no one has then you have a new job! find a web designer and start advertising! i am sure you can find a TON of horsey families who would jump at the chance to hire a horsey nanny! I know I would!

[analise]

I am not sure. I can ask the au pair I know, though, as she is into riding (and got lucky to also end up with a family who has a barn. ;) ).

[Mav226]

I posted an add in the print version of COTH a few years ago looking for a position like the one you're describing. I got TONS, TONS, TONS of responses and offers. Try posting a help wanted add there.

[dghunter]

Can you wait two years? Then I'll be out of college :lol:

[JohnDeere]

I know one but their past college age.

Maybe you coud advertize on COTH?

[jn4jenny]

Some tips from someone who's married to a pro nanny:

You will have no problem finding a candidate. With the recession, the nanny industry is crawling with recently-graduated education and/or child development majors who can't get a job. There are also lots of teens who in better years would do the working student thing, but with the recession, the parents can't afford to be footing the bill for their food/shelter.

Agencies do tend to have good candidates, but they also have very steep placement fees. A lot of good nannies never need the agencies; the best nannies go from gig to gig without ever going unemployed (my hubby had a new family lined up 6 months before he needed to move jobs!) If you're willing to do some legwork, you can get an excellent candidate on the "open" nanny market.

You already have a nanny so I won't lecture you about the tax implications of hiring a nanny, but I'd urge you to choose a candidate with good health insurance. Many full-time nannies are not insured, and if your nanny is riding, you can't afford the risk.

[Event4Life]

www.yardandgroom.com is where I found my au pair/groom situation last summer. Just PLEASE be honest about your situation and what you would require of the candidate. Mine didn't work out because I ended up sitting around doing nothing 80% of the time and she wasn't really clear about what she wanted when she did actually need me to work.

[Riley0522]

Let me just convince my boyfriend to move across the country and I'll do it for you!

Sounds like a great opportunity for someone! I have no advice on where to find that someone though.

[FlashGordon]

PNW, try Bunac.org. My husband used to be a Camp Director and got most of his staff through there. He had tons of awesome counselors who were fabulous with kids, had great work ethics, and were very capable in the barn. I am not sure if they staff nannies but I'd look into it at least. In the 8 years hubby dealt with them he had very positive experiences.

I have an Aussie friend who would have jumped at the job had she not just gotten married. ;)

[beesknees]

Can I apply? haha! I'm quite serious starting May 2010!

[Candle]

Oh jeez, why did I *just* sign a lease? :D Good luck!!!!!

[Whitehedge Farm]

Yes!
I have found hmm. maybe 6 different girls on aupair-world.net
I have not had one now in a while as my kids are a bit older and I have great local help,but had some great experiences (only 1 bad one) from these girls.

My tips: In your ad you place put HORSES somewhere in the opening line- this is just a regular aupair site (and there are others) so you need to fact that you want someone with horse experience to see it. I got sometimes 20 applications a DAY for several weeks before I picked someone. Be patient, and the right now will come along- there are plenty of girls ,especially from Germany and France that do have some riding experience.
And then when they get here be flexible about their job- some girls will be awesome at feeding and caretaking, some great riders, and some great with kids, not usually all 3 at once! I just ended up tailoring the job to fit their strengths so everybody was as happy as possible.
For age around 19-20 is great- over 21 and they seem to start to want to go "out" on weekends (and I am NOT interested in strange boys coming over to the house ;)
My girls would only come for 3 months at a time as I did not go through an agency (very expensive!) and that was all that they could stay on tourist visas. A couple already had extended visas and stayed 6 months. So turnover can get a bit tiring, one of the reasons I am taking a break right now.
I worked out a room/board (private upstairs with TV and internet) and lessons and ride time in exchange for some house work or barn work, and play time with kids. Along with spending money. Worked out pretty well!

[beesknees]

For age around 19-20 is great- over 21 and they seem to start to want to go "out" on weekends (and I am NOT interested in strange boys coming over to the house ;)


haha! Actually, that depends on the country where the girl is coming from. If it's a country like Canada where the drinking age is 19, you want to stay FAR FAR away from ANY au pair that's 19-21. Those are the silly years--let me tell you. My old 23 year old stomach can't handle more than one drink or staying out past 11:00 at night, haha!

Also, a lot of 22-23 year olds like myself need a break from university in the summer and would love a job like this during the off months from May (sometimes even April) to September. And some just want to do a fun job for a year after school before they get into the real world of 9-5 jobs.

[EventFan]

I would think you will have NO problem finding someone! My daughter would jump at this kind of opportunity (except of course that she is just getting started in college lol!)

[Come Shine]

Wow. Did I ever have a different experience. I couldn't find a soul in our area interested in an nanny/riding position. Even going through an agency, finally had to give up the hope of finding someone even horse savvy.

[Angela Freda]

Did anyone mention to advertise on Equimax?
Then, regardless of where you find them, make sure to get a background check on anyone who you are seriously considering. :wink:

[RileyMonkey]

I suggest that you be very clear about what you're looking for and make sure that the candidates understand.

I've seen some people who have tried this arrangement but didn't make the kids the priority and they are then often ignored as horses are more fun and less annoying.

Good luck. I have a nanny and wouldn't trade her in for the world.

[To the MAX]

You can just adopt me, problem solved!

[tazz001]

Gee...give me a couple years to get my kids out of the house and I will come and do for you...I can be a grandma nanny...will muck, feed not only the horses but the kids as well:yes:

Gee this is a situaton I really should look into for when my kids get older and out of my house....bemoming a ganny nanny..LOL

[tidy rabbit]

I just PM'ed you my resume PNWJumper. Sounds like a way more lucritive situation than my current arrangement! :lol:

[DiablosHalo]

I've been told yardandgroom as well. Haven't brought anyone over bc I'm too nervous about not knowing them. Word of mouth I think would be best. I'm looking for the same thing but don't know many people that have nannies or riding nannies to be able to recommend someone?

This is the situation I'm looking for as well, but am hesitant to have them live in the house. Anyone been taken by a nanny when you are not there all day? Ugh- my stomach churns just thinking about it!

I then thought of keeping dd in her inhome day care situation which is great and having the employee be more of a barn employee (muck/ride some days/week) and babysit weekend day or night here/there. I have 3 spare bedrooms and a bath - or entire 3rd floor unfinished right now in our house. And an empty 3/2 mobile home - but I'd hate to give an entire 3/2 to one person. And a two studio apts on the farm- both would need renovation before use.

I'd love to find an older couple that could live in the 3/2. Hubby can caretake the grounds and muck (very easy to maintain- small postage stamp farm!), wife can possibly ride a few, keep house cleaned up, babysit here/there. Anyone know where to find that kind of situation? LOL! A friend of mine had that and it worked out perfect! They stayed for like 20 years!

[MILOUTE55]

How long would you like the au pair to work for you?

what about a French girl? I'm sure there are a lot of girls who would love this kind of experience + they could even teach French to your kids!
My best friend actually came to the US this way... 13 years ago! She is now married to an American and working in the film industry, but she's still great friend with the "kids" she took care of (they're young adults now). Everybody seemed to have loved and taken advantage of this experience!

Amandine

[IfWishesWereHorses]

My neighbour here in NZ uses aupair world to find her girls. They generally stay for around 3-6mths at a time (due to visa constraints). They are contracted to work 40 hours per week. Hers are all from Europe and have been amazing. The current girl has been there for a while, (finishes up this week tho, sadly!) and has taught the kids french, and is just awesome with them. She's not horsey, but the girl arriving on Friday from Germany is, which is double the fun as it now means that the kids can go to daycare one or two mornings a week, and the aupair can help with the riding (which she is VERY keen to do).

They pay the girls around $150NZ a week, plus cover all food and board (beautiful huge bedroom with large doors opening onto a huge decking area etc), plus have a car provided and gas paid for. THey have plenty of down time to go and do their own thing, plus my neighbours are very careful to make sure the job is fun and they involve them in family outings/holidays etc. THe property is in the countryside, but only 15mins from the beach, and 30mins from the central city.

The European girls that she has had, are out here to learn english and have a bit of pocket money on the side. They are very careful when choosing who to employ, and so far have been spot on in their selections.

If I ever have kids, I'll certainly be looking for an aupair!

[blaster]

Just curious why does an au pair have to be from some far and wide exotic land? Seems like there are many US folks chomping at the bit here, but the preference is to say 'my au pair is from XX'?

[Angela Freda]

Just curious why does an au pair have to be from some far and wide exotic land? Seems like there are many US folks chomping at the bit here, but the preference is to say 'my au pair is from XX'?
THANK you!
El Ed certified adult US citizen here who could not get a nanny job because so many of the better agencies who have the clients who pay would only take foreign candidates.

[Ravencrest_Camp]

My girls would only come for 3 months at a time as I did not go through an agency (very expensive!) and that was all that they could stay on tourist visas.

Isn't it illegal to work while in the US on a tourist visa? :confused:

[COTHergrl]

God, sounds like a lucky person who takes your job!! Where's the drool icon? :lol:

Equimax and the other Equi-jobs site worked great for me in the last few instances of employement (job seeking on my part). :yes:

Definitely try those sites! Good luck, whoever gets the part better appreciate it! :winkgrin:

[PNWjumper]

Thanks for all of the great advice! I wasn't sure anyone would have any answers, but there are a bunch of great places to look!

In response to the "exotic" au pair thing.....I would be happy to employ someone from the US, but it's tough to find someone whereas there are a bunch of agencies that are easy to find "repping" European (and other) au pairs. I wish I could talk my current nanny out of college, but I think her parents (who are family friends) would be a little peeved at my ideas to derail their daughter's life just to make mine easier :lol:

Oh and p.s. Tidy Rabbit YOU'RE HIRED! How much fun would that be??? I have this friend in Dayton who has some cute pinto horsies for sale. Maybe I could buy one of those for you :D

[Angela Freda]

In response to the "exotic" au pair thing.....I would be happy to employ someone from the US, but it's tough to find someone whereas there are a bunch of agencies that are easy to find "repping" European (and other) au pairs.
And I'm tell you I applied, or tried to apply, to Au Pair America and they would not take me, college educated, El ED Cert., years of experience running school age day care settings and caring for small infants.
I guess my question, which is not really for you, is why are those firms so quick to rep candidates from other countries and quick to dismiss a 'local' qualified candidate?

And how do you run an FBI background check on someone not from this country? Anyone who cares for my kid, particularly before he can speak and for more than an evening here and there, gets a background check run on them. Any agency placing nannys and any daycare, who doesn't do those checks... yikes!

[beesknees]

Isn't it illegal to work while in the US on a tourist visa? :confused:

Yes, it is illegal to work on a tourist visa. The au pair really needs a temporary working visa which usually as to be sponsored by the person hiring them. Now, some of the au pairs do get paid "under the table".

[Firebug]

Oh and p.s. Tidy Rabbit YOU'RE HIRED! :D

Tidy Rabbit. You just landed yourself a sweet job! My job is ending this fall maybe I should look for a gig like this.

PNWjumper- My advise is to make sure you are very clear what you want from the au pair.

[jn4jenny]

Just curious why does an au pair have to be from some far and wide exotic land? Seems like there are many US folks chomping at the bit here, but the preference is to say 'my au pair is from XX'?

It's often an economic decision. The cultural thing is just gravy. Au pairs will work a 45-hour work week for $150-$250 depending on the arrangement, plus a private room and free meals. If you hire a foreign au pair, you also don't have to pay social security and medicare taxes.

Compare that to hiring an American live-out nanny at $7-$15 per hour + Social Security/Medicare taxes. For the math impaired among us, that ballparks at $300-$675 weekly. An American nanny is hardly getting rich at $20-$30K average yearly salary, but an au pair is only about half that price even when you account for the cost of room and board.

I may be married to a pro nanny, but the truth is, not everyone needs a pro. Au pairs are a great choice if you need more of a mother's helper, meaning you'll be around to supervise most of the au pair's work. If you want the second coming of Mary Poppins to care for your children in your absence and keep your household affairs in order, then yeah, you need a pro.

I wonder, Angela Freda, if the agencies have stopped taking American candidates because they simply have too many of them. The recession has really flooded the childcare industry and many of the people who used to pay for private childcare are now laid off. My husband has been lucky to work mostly for doctors, which is a fairly recession-proof area, but a lot of nannies that worked for lawyers/businesspeople/etc. are feeling the burn.

[Angela Freda]

I wonder, Angela Freda, if the agencies have stopped taking American candidates because they simply have too many of them. The recession has really flooded the childcare industry and many of the people who used to pay for private childcare are now laid off. My husband has been lucky to work mostly for doctors, which is a fairly recession-proof area, but a lot of nannies that worked for lawyers/businesspeople/etc. are feeling the burn.
This was back in '95 when my certification was still 'good'.
At the time I was told they did not hires US Nannies.

[Janet]

HISTORICALLY, an "au pair" (litterally "on a par") was an exchange program rather than an employment program.

The idea was that the "au pair" would become "part of the family", taking on some houshold and childcare responsibility, as would an "older sister", and receiving room, board, free time, and an allowance.

ETA
According to wikipedia, in the US
The Au Pair Program is administered by the US Department of State (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Department_of_State). Participating families and au pairs must work with one of the currently 12 approved agencies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Au_pair_organization#Au_pair_Agencies). Au pairs enter the United States on a J-1 visa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-1_visa). Again, according to wikpedia, an au pair visa is good for a year, and cann be extended to a second year.

[Remy 3 Star]

I do not know if this magazine is still published but it is called "The Lady" it is a British publication and has ad's for Nanny's and Aupairs,I had found my first Nanny job through this magaine (many years ago) if it is still in publication I'm sure you can find it through a Google search.
Also try Horse and Hound another UK magazine,they have a website.

I had a great Nanny who I found through a college that had an Equestrian program,in return for boarding her Horse at my farm,at a wage,she looked after my 10year old Daughter,and did chores for me,she was great with my Daughter,they rode daily,and she was very trustworthy, she even took my Horse to the vet's when she was injured while I was at work,perhaps I was just very lucky with her,but I'm sure there must be more students out there who would love this type of work,just make sure you can get good references,I got to meet her family before I hired her, which helped me make the decision,that she would be trustworthy.

Good luck.

[up-at-5]

I'm almost afraid to tell my daughter about this thread!!! My kiddo au paired in the United Kingdom last fall, for 8 months. She had a BLAST, and also did some riding, but not nearly as much as she would have liked. She's an awesome rider who has trained many horses, and the best part is, she's great with kids.:D When she came back to Ontario, she picked up an au pair job for a local lawyer, who has her own horses, too. Her son is riding my daughters pony in his(the childs) first show, tomorrow:).

My daughter found her UK family on a au pair web site. She interviewed many families before deciding on the right one for her. I can't recall the name of the site, but I can find it and post later.

Good luck ;o)

[Bogie]

I may be married to a pro nanny, but the truth is, not everyone needs a pro. Au pairs are a great choice if you need more of a mother's helper, meaning you'll be around to supervise most of the au pair's work. If you want the second coming of Mary Poppins to care for your children in your absence and keep your household affairs in order, then yeah, you need a pro.

I had a professional nanny for six or seven years when my kids were very young. They were wonderful, amazing, excellent (except for one that I fired). They worked hard and they were completely reliable and had considerable training. I did go through an agency and paying the fee was worth it. I wanted to be certain that the young women caring for my children were honestly represented. They acted like professionals.

I agree that au pairs are generally more like a mother's helper. I have many friends who have had au pairs. Some were fabulous, some were horrendous. The worst I heard was when one of my friends came home from work and found a note that read, "I left your son with the neighbor. I am going home to France (or Germany)." Other friends have complained that having an au pair was a little bit like adopting a teenager . . . and all the angst that comes with them!

I think it's crucial to think through the au pair's responsibilities ahead of time and make sure that everyone understands what the job entails. You might find a few that like the horse part better than the child care part, otherwise!

One suggestion -- try one of the colleges that has a riding program. They might be able to recommend someone.

[up-at-5]

It was Au Pair World that my daughter used, I saw an earlier post and the name rang a bell. My daughter had to get a "working holiday" visa of some such, and the only reason she came home was because it expired. She wasn't a mothers helper, but rather, a full time nanny. Both parents worked odd hours, so it was great to have a live in sitter.

[MILOUTE55]

Just curious why does an au pair have to be from some far and wide exotic land? Seems like there are many US folks chomping at the bit here, but the preference is to say 'my au pair is from XX'?

I don't know, maybe to open the kids' minds a little since US TV and newspapers is never going to show them anything except for their own country?
Or maybe so the kids can learn another language at no extra cost and thus get a significant advantage when they later look for a job?

Trust me, the first time I spent a few months in a very rural part of the US, I felt my stay was very useful to everybody! In fact, I had to explain to some 18 year old "kids" that "yes, we actually do take showers in France"; "Sure we do have fridges"; "no, some people have bicycles and run them on Sundays as a sport but this is not the preferred mean of transport"; "sure I know what Mc Donald's is and we have plenty of those too" (even though I'd rather no know) "and no we don't ride on the other side of the road".... I got all these questions and many more to answer. So yes, I think welcoming an au pair from abroad benefits everybody!
I actually don't understand why all these "US folks" looking for such a position don't look across the border for that.... They'll get a great experience and, considering how strong the Euro, is they might come back with much more money than if they had stayed in the US!

[RedTahoe]

I wasn't an Au Pair, but I have to second what someone else said, "be very clear what you want."

When I was in college, I signed on for a job (didn't sign any paperwork - stupid!) that was advertised as the following:

Need someone to take care of two well-behaved horses on the weekend and long weekends when we go out of town in exchange for apartment on-site.


Sounded GREAT! I bit, and boy was I wrong. The "weekend" job became 24/7 job....while I was attending a university full-time (that the owner knew about). I was to get up at 5am, feed, muck, clean the barn, etc. go to class....be back at the barn (40 min away) around lunch to give the horses carrots.....and home by 5pm to feed the horses, clean the barn, and do anything else that the owner wanted (yardwork, land-clearing, manure spreading, planting, replacing the lights lining the driveway, weed-whacking 300 yards of fenceline, etc.)

It got a little ridiculous when I would tell her that I wouldn't be home one weekend (when they were home) due to school obligations, and she 411'ed my parents and told them I had been kidnapped as they haven't heard from me in two days, and they were going to call Animal Control as I abandoned my guinea pigs. My mother called me, frantically, when I was in a seminar, came out to my phone and had six missed calls including one from a sheriff's deputy.

One day I told her, "we're getting low on hay," and she informed me she had sold her horses, they would be picked up that afternoon, and they sold their house....I had to be out in four days. :eek:


Like I said, NOT an Au Pair, but be VERY specific in what you're looking for. It doesn't have to be the initial ad, but it should be an immediate follow-up when someone asks about the job.

[kookicat]

Pick me! :D Lol!

Yep, the Lady is still going. Here's the website: http://www.lady.co.uk/thelady/

[Kaytaz86]

Try the USPC magazine. There are a lot of very dedicated and reliable 18-25 year olds that would kill for a position like that. (I myself am drooling a little...not sure I could handle WA though--I need sun!) Good luck hope you end up with someone who will earn all that you are offering!

[Catersun]

hmm... would someone that has done this please PM me... I'd like to talk to someone who has done this.

[lxt]

I've been thinking about doing something like this. First baby is due in October and we just moved into our farm. I work as a full time telecommuter from home so would ideally like somebody here to help out/let me focus on work with breaks for nursing etc. I would be available most of the time though.

I had tossed up various options including nanny, au pair etc. We don't have the biggest house in the world - could have someone live in but probably prefer if they didn't (one bathroom). However, we do have plenty of space for horses (huge barn, lots of pasture with good fences, nice riding ring etc) What I *was* thinking was that we could offer free board for someone's horse(s) as part of a nanny's package, and time to ride during the day (at lunchtime, whatever).

Would this kind of arrangement appeal to people? I was figuring to advertise in CoTH/the Equiery.