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Jobs for Pony & Me?

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  • #1

    Jobs for Pony & Me?

    Hi all!

    I have a PERFECT 13hh Camelot rescue pony who is my soulmate. I named him Dr. Watson. I'm DYING to do some kind of job(s) with him to help us earn our keep. Making a living (or a fraction of one) with your horse-partner seems like a beautiful way to bond, so it is really important to me, plus it will ensure that I can keep him (though I will always do anything I possibly can to make sure we can stay together). He rides and drives and is not scared of anything. However, he does prefer being ridden/handled by me rather than strangers, so pony rides are out unless it means I sit the kid in front of me as I ride. Ideally I think our job would involve driving him in some way.

    We live in New York City and he is boarded at a stable in Manhattan, so I'm able to take him anywhere in Manhattan, and possibly the outer boroughs, though I may need to find some kind of truck/trailer situation if we go too far. However if the situation seems lucrative enough I may be able to rent my own truck and trailer for this purpose.

    I was thinking of licensing him as a carriage horse and driving him at night (I would be the only one driving him), but with all the controversy going on, and the fact that he is smaller than most of the horses they use these days, I'm a little bit afraid to. I do drive a carriage at night but not with him. I use horses that aren't mine for that. I'd have to get a scaled-down carriage for him, probably the Voitures Roberts pony vis-a-vis. The stable I'm with told me they used tons of horses his size 'back in the day' and they all did just fine, but as the years went on people (idiots) started to complain so they eventually phased them out in exchange for the giant farm drafts they use today. So it may not be the best idea, but I don't know--I would think that if the carriage is an appropriate size to him, it would be no worse than anything else and I wouldn't get attacked anymore than I already do just for using a horse for work.

    I'd like to know what anyone else might think about those potential risks.

    Here are a few other ideas I had - maybe you guys could let me know how far-fetched these sound or what seems the most practical regarding my situation:

    ---Driving him at an open air/living history museum (does that pay at all? and where are some around the tri-state area?)

    ---Presenting myself and him as some kind of act or ambiance as a rider at Wild West City, NJ (no idea if they'd even be open to the idea)

    ---Getting a scaled down carriage and hiring us out to private parties nearby

    ---I'm an artist, so I had this idea of creating some kind of art wagon and selling my work while driving through the city or Central Park (though this would require some crazy negotiating with the Health Department, Dept of Consumer Affairs etc. and a lot of legwork and pulling strings with the authorities)

    ---Along similar lines to the above, building a wagon through crowdfunding etc. as a kind of historical traveling art exhibit (if I didn't sell anything directly from the carriage I may be able to avoid the Dept of Consumer Affairs)

    ---Taking steps to train/register him as a visiting therapy animal (this would be so cool!)

    ---Doing some kind of outreach program in schools, bringing him in and showing kids about handling horses and what incredible animals they are (maybe I could put some kind of art twist on it)

    Right now I'm teaching a class on Tuesday nights at the stable he's boarded in, "Sculpting with horses as live models" where (obviously) I teach people to sculpt horses, in front of real horses. This is great but there is nothing athletic about it, unfortunately.

    Anyway, I'd LOVE any feedback or ideas anyone here might have. I adore NYC and I think it's really important to share with the people here the incredible role horses played in human culture as partners. This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for horses.

    Here is Dr. Watson! http://i.imgur.com/3WdSUBt.jpg (he is fat and needs to work! )
    Tags: art, job, jobs, nyc, pony
  • #2
    What are your income requirements? Most of the ideas you mentioned are hobby/volunteer/pro-bono activities vs. profitable endeavor. Have you priced out professional liability insurance? If you expect your horse to work in public, you will need to train him better (a horse that only works well for one person is not a well-trained horse). Given that you board at a stable that offers carriage-for-hire events, what do they say about you and your horse's ability to join their program?

    Comment

    • Original Poster
      #3
      Originally posted by HungarianHippo View Post
      What are your income requirements? Most of the ideas you mentioned are hobby/volunteer/pro-bono activities vs. profitable endeavor. Have you priced out professional liability insurance? If you expect your horse to work in public, you will need to train him better (a horse that only works well for one person is not a well-trained horse). Given that you board at a stable that offers carriage-for-hire events, what do they say about you and your horse's ability to join their program?
      At this point I don't have any specific income requirements. I really don't want to do stuff for free though, unless it's possibly donation-based or something. I build my income from multiple freelance sources, so this would hopefully be another source. I have liability insurance through NYSHC, but I'll look further into that once I decide specifically what I want to do, because coverage may vary. I'm sure I could work more on him (and I try to whenever I'm with him) but he is not "dangerous" in public. Just a little bit stubborn. Really, I suppose it's more of an excuse on my part---I don't WANT other people riding him without me. I just want to rule that out of my list of possibilities for now. Thankfully at this point it is not that urgent.

      As far as joining up with my stable who does hired activities, I'm sure if a job called for that type of pony they would enlist me and him. However business is really suffering these days, plus I personally think they don't advertise enough. They are a wonderful old stable that does most of their work via word-of-mouth and reputation. Though things are slowing down, (for instance, there are far more funerals now than weddings, when at one point they were doing 3 weddings a weekend) and I don't think they really know how to make use of modern advertising methods such as social media, and they can't really afford to hire a marketing agent at this time either. Though if I had my own sub-company type of thing (i.e. my own vehicle, my own horse, my own product) I could try by starting small and doing my own advertising, which may also bring more attention to them too.

      Comment

      • #4
        I would be very careful about your liability exposure and would check NYSHC. Their website says is it excess PERSONAL liability coverage. That means it is insurance that goes on top of some existing coverage and it only covers personal risk exposure. If you are doing something for payment, that is a COMMERCIAL risk. A personal policy won't cover you.

        Having run major group insurance programs, I can tell you when there is "free" insurance provided with a $55 membership fee, it is because few if any claims are paid out. The reason is the excess limits are higher than most claims would ever reach and it's only for personal exposure. I don't know what commercial carriage driving coverage costs but it costs considerably more.
        Last edited by IronwoodFarm; Mar. 3, 2015, 12:47 PM.
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        • #5
          You lost me at "I board in Manhattan".
          Where exactly do you board?

          Riverdale is in the Bronx.
          Nevermind, I see he is a carriage horse, so he's in one of the carriage stables .

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          • #6
            Well it's quite an interesting idea, that's for sure!

            Could you maybe package and deliver small bags/pails of manure for city gardeners to the farmers' markets? I imagine people shopping there would be most cool with him.
            Or use him to pick up compost from restaurants or grocers?

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            • #7
              Your pony is absolutely adorable!

              One thing you might consider is using him to visit nursing homes or rehab facilities or inner city schools. I don't know what liability insurance would run or if it is something you could even make money at, but the "feel good" factor is incredible.

              About 20 years ago I had a high level showmanship horse and a co worker asked if I would take her to visit a nursing home as a favor. The really cool part about it was many of the residents were former Amish, Mennonites and old time farmers who had horses as part of their daily life when they were younger. Many had not seen a horse up close in a very long time and you could just see the enjoyment on their faces. My horse behaved well and enjoyed all the petting and fussing over her. That is one day I don't think I will ever forget.

              Another similar experience I had was at a show, where I was warming up one of my horses in a field. The show grounds was less than a mile off the interstate and I was approached by an intercity family who has pulled off when they saw the horses being ridden in the field. They cautiously approached us and asked if they could pet my horse as they had never seen a horse in person before. I was blown away by the way the kids responded to him! Being raised in the country, with animals, I tend to forget that many people don't get to see animals like this in person.
              "You can't fix stupid"- Ron White

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              • #8
                That is a CUUUTE silver pony!. I have nothing to add
                Draumr Hesta Farm
                "Wenn Du denkst es geht nicht mehr, kommt von irgendwo ein kleines Licht daher"
                Member of the COTH Ignorant Disrepectful F-bombs!*- 2Dogs Farm

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                • #9
                  I think going to private parties and such is a great idea. You could do your own advertising, and you would be where you are wanted. Look into the want and demand and the prices, etc.

                  What an adorable pony!

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    I am curious how you give your pony exercise in Manhattan, if you board at a carriage stable. Can you just hook him up and go for a drive around manhattan? There can't be an indoor arena or is there!

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Can you list him with location agencies for advertising and movie shoots?

                      I like Suz's idea, myself. I think it has the best potential -- it is much lower risk than moving the actual horse around Manhattan to events etc.
                      https://www.facebook.com/SugarMapleFarm
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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Daisyesq View Post
                        I am curious how you give your pony exercise in Manhattan, if you board at a carriage stable. Can you just hook him up and go for a drive around manhattan? There can't be an indoor arena or is there!
                        Ditto! Or are you in the old police stables with the little indoor turnout?

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Get the liability insurance, and a trailer, and spend some time sacking him out and "nuisance training" him to balloons, music, little yappy dogs, tiny kids in flip-flops, umbrellas, and small fingers feeding pieces of cake.

                          THEN--get a really super-cool kind of cart that would take 3-4 passengers, and hire out for DRIVEN pony-parties! To my knowledge there are TONS of people doing pony RIDES, but NO ONE has a carriage! This would be so AMAZINGLY cool because it could accommodate parents, really timid kids, and handicapped kids who might for whatever reason find riding intimidating or difficult. And that way he'd get all the lovin,' but nobody banging on his back the only one handling the lines would be YOU.

                          Offer your services to Farmers' Market days, birthday parties, church fairs, and even horse rescues and barns looking for fund-raisers. Even old folks' homes, if you get a cart that's easy-entry and exit and there are many such.

                          Damn--that's such a good idea you're making me wish I had a Mini!

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            OP already boards with a carriage operator that does parties, and their business is in the dumps. It's one thing to guess that the reason is poor marketing, but I hope the OP does actual market research (more than a COTH post) and writes a business plan before investing in a carriage, trailer, etc.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              He's BEAUTIFUL!! I used to drive a small horse of similar build (If I'm reading the photo correctly) for many years to a full size vis-a-vis (limiting the number of passengers accordingly) and he was AWESOME at the job. But given the current situation in NYC I really don't think that is a reasonable option for you to consider. I also don't see where a driver's personal horse could fit in to the current licensing, regulations and business model. Who would even insure that? It's not like you can just pick up a few hundred extra bucks a month using your own horse on someone else's carriage when they are already paying to foot the bill on their own horses? And it's not like there are an unlimited number of medallions floating around for you to just go into business for yourself. If a person was to make the investment in running at all- I would think they would need to jump in with both feet and really make a go of it.

                              Comment

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