Horseback riding is expensive. Horses are expensive. Every conversation I have with a non-horse person seems to center around horses being expensive. It sometimes feels like I have to justify why I am spending money on horses, as its such a frivolous thing to do, and there are real, grown up things I should be spending money on.But the truth is they dont have to be expensive. Learning to ride doesnt have to be expensive. And I would guess that most people who are involved with horses are not rich. They probably arent poor either though, they just choose to spend their money on horses instead of nights out, vacations, or other kinds of hobbies.But most people outside of horses dont realize this. They just assume its way out of their reach.I see so many comments on social media that someone must be rich if they have a horse. They themselves will never be able to experience horses but they love them so much. Horses are a dream that maybe theyll be able to pursue it one day.Ive written out responses for them before, but its impossible to know if I made a difference. I can only hope some people saw it and started their equestrian journey but Ill never know.Which is why Ive come here, to my own website to write out exactly how anyone can learn to ride for free, or for very cheap. I cant promise youll never have expenses, its more likely you will have to pay for something at some point, but if youre really lucky, you may be able to do it for a fraction of the cost.So whats this magical secret? Read on to find out.Self-EducationThis isnt the secret. But it definitely helps to have some kind of knowledge before you start. People are more likely to take you seriously if you seem somewhat familiar with some horse knowledge and some terms. But its also important not to pretend like you have knowledge you dont have. You might have been trying to sound confident and knowledgeable, but horse people will pick up immediately that you dont have the experience and will brand you as untrustworthy instead. Keep in mind going on a tourist trail ride any amount of times does not make you an experienced rider in any way. That one time you rode your friends horse does not make you experienced. Getting a pony ride at the carnival when you were 6 is not riding experience.So as long as you stay humble about what you truly know, its a great idea to learn what you can because this will make you more valuable. Some options are books, online learning, or just search YouTube for horsemanship basics. YouTube is completely free, so thats a great place to start.Do NOT Buy a HorseIve seen this so many times, and I can only imagine its because people think they need to buy the equipment in order to do the sport. Like if youre going to take up tennis, you probably need to buy a tennis racket, right?Except were talking about a huge, expensive animal, not a one time inexpensive purchase.Do NOT buy a horse under the delusion that youre going to learn to ride on your own horse. Thats not cheap or free and comes with tons of responsibilities.Sometimes people buy horses just because they are cheap and pretty, like someone buying an Arabian yearling (true story of someone I knew), and then just expect the horse to know how to behave. They dont realize they require training, and end up getting hurt or they have to pay a lot for someone else to come train the horse.In the case of the above mentioned Arabian, the guy actually bought two of them, and he was mad to have to pay for training for it. It was incredibly awkward every time my friend and I showed up to work with his horses. He legitimately thought that they should be like machines and know everything. I truly hope hes moved on to ATVs or motorbikes, which seems way more his style.Please please please dont just buy a horse with the idea of learning together. You will end up getting very little enjoyment out of the progress and it could be years until youre able to ride the horse without assistance.And its definitely not cheap. Youd probably end up paying thousands to tens of thousands before you have a rideable horse.Dont Plan on ShowingWhen people think of horseback riding as expensive, they are most likely thinking of horse shows. Horse shows are expensive. From the outfits, to the fees, to transporting the horse, to stall rental, and so much more, it all adds up. So as much as Id love to give you a roadmap to your Olympic dreams, I dont have that. You would have to spend money if your goal is high end shows.But If you do stick with these guidelines and become good rider, there is the possibility of Catch-riding, which is when someone has a horse they want to show but arent able to show it themselves. I havent actually done that myself, so I cant advise too much on it, but it does exist. I know several friends that have shown other peoples horses as a favor to them. Pretty cool favor to do for someone!In general though, showing = expensive. So this is more of a guide for those who want to ride simply because they love horses, without any real showing goals. But I would be optimistic that as you learn to ride, showing opportunities will eventually present themselves.The ConceptLets move on to how this is going to work. This is not at all a secret in the horse community, but if youre on the outside, it might seem like it.Barns will exchange ride time for labor.Barns are usually chronically understaffed. Theres always stalls to be mucked, horses to be groomed, horses to be fed, and things to be cleaned. If you want to ride horses free, all you need to do is help take care of those horses. If you love horses, this is already the best idea in the world. Pay for your ride time by spending more time with horses.It really is that simple. I worked off most of my lessons throughout my life, mostly when I was a student without a steady paycheck. Sometimes I was a full fledged Working Student, which is more involved. Thats more like a full time job, with several days of labor a week, a few riding lessons, and sometimes pay, too. Its a hard life though, and nearly impossible for anyone whos working another job or in full time school. Its more for those interested in making a full time living with horses, which honestly isnt something Id recommend, especially if you like having money and benefits. But this isnt the article to go into that.So Im not talking about a full Working Student position, Im talking about a more casual arrangement. I am very against committing to something big without knowing what youre getting into, so this first step is just a taste of horse life. If you want to go full working student later on, by all means, knock yourself out, but not so hard you forget that a working students life and a professional horse trainers life is hard.Usually the arrangement is a few hours of work is equal to one riding lesson. Ive had riding lessons at the end of my working shift, or Ive had a riding lesson on a separate day for a few hours of labor. It really can vary, but its important to make sure the terms are clear so you understand exactly how much work youre doing for how much riding time.The great, fantastic, amazing news is that as you continue to work and ride, more and more opportunities are going to open up for you. Sure, you might be a beginner at the very start, but after a while, you wont be anymore. As you become a better rider, learn more about horse care, and prove your work ethic, more riding opportunities will open up. Private owners going out of town who want their horse exercised. A horse thats been off a while and needs a rider. Another trainer will be impressed with your work ethic and ask you to come work for them in exchange for riding more advanced horses.The more you learn, the more other people are going to want you to ride their horse. And every horse is a opportunity to gain more knowledge, and continue to advance your riding. You can work your way up, without having to spend any money on riding lessons, because people will want you around, either to help out, or to ride their horses.Exchanging Professional Services for LessonsThere have been a few high level barns that I rode at without doing barn work. I gave them some kind of professional service, and they gave me riding lessons. These were not long term arrangements, but I had barns accept website building and photography for lessons.This kind of exchange is usually done when theres a prior relationship with the barn. It would be in poor taste to just cold call a barn and ask for this kind of exchange, its a weird thing to do. But as you network and meet horse people, youll start to see some opportunities outside of barn work that can give you more ride time.How to Do ItNow that you know the concept, lets talk about how you would actually do it.Step 1: Find a BarnGoogling Horseback riding lessons near me, is a good way to start. Usually youll find something.You can also make a post in your area Facebook group, something like this:Hello, Im looking for riding lessons in exchange for barn work. Im a beginner, but eager to learn. Is anyone looking for barn help or know of a barn?Putting it out there like this may result in more private barns reaching out to you, like the working mom whos tired of mucking out every single day and wants a break, and would be happy to give you some lessons in exchange for letting her relax a few nights a week.Chances are youll get a few leads. Talk to all of them, and decide based on these guidelines.They make it very clear what the exchange of work vs riding would be. Do not go to a place thats vague about the amount of ride time you would get.The farm seems mostly tidy and safe, and doesnt give you scary vibes. Theres too many nice barns to go to a place like that.Horses seem well fed and cared for.Notice that I didnt say to decide based on the riding discipline. Honestly at the beginner stages, they are all pretty similar, and even if you start western but want to ride English, you can always switch over at a later date. Dont be picky about it at this point, you can be picker when you have some experience. Its more important that you pick a place thats safe.Step 2: Do a Great Job WorkingI would hope this is a given, but I want to emphasize this. Its not about how much you can squeeze from this barn. Its about you learning, growing, and being known as a reliable help. Its very important that you have a great reputation in order to progress your riding.People help people that they like. Put in an honest effort, and people will respect that. They will want you around. They will want to reward you, which means more riding time.If for some reason that barn doesnt work out, dont burn the bridge. Just politely say your circumstances are changing and you found a situation that works better for you. You still gained valuable experience that you can carry to your next barn.Step 3: NetworkIn order to get more rides, other horse people need to know youre looking for more rides. I dont advise directly asking people to ride their horse (which people wont like, do not do this), but you can and should be talking to people you meet at the barn. The more horse people you know, the more likely youre going to run into someone who needs a rider for their horse. Sometimes its just a friend of a friend situation, where someone you met at the barn will recommend you to her friend.Although youre aiming for more riding, think of the real goal as making as many horse friends as possible. What could be better than talking about horses with all your new friends? NOTHING THATS WHAT. GO MAKE HORSE FRIENDS.Friends help each other out. So the more horse friends you have, the more likely they will recommend you for opportunities.Step 4: Seek New OpportunitiesYou may like the barn you work at, you might like the horses, you might love every detail of your experience. But you should always be seeking to grow.Alternatively, you might be hating your experience, you might not like any barn youve worked at, and you feel like this is just frustrating.Well, its time to expand your circle. You need to start volunteering.Lots of horse places need volunteers to keep things running. Therapeutic riding centers need volunteers to help the riders. Horse shows need volunteers to keep the show running. Other non-profits rely on volunteers to operate.Its another way to keep learning, and expand your circle. Volunteer to scribe at a dressage show, you get to sit with the judge all day and learn about dressage. Volunteer to run the gate and youll meet all sorts of riders. Volunteer to help out behind the scenes and youll meet all the people running the show and learn how it operates.These are all horse people! They can become your friends! They can connect you to riding opportunities!I cannot stress enough how much there will be opportunities to ride once you have some experience. People have horses that need exercising, or they want to trail ride but dont want to go alone, or they just love to take people out riding. These people exist! You just have to connect yourself to the horse world!I frequently took my friends riding because I wanted to trail ride but didnt want to go alone. For years I did this, and made some awesome friends. Ill do it again if I ever get another second horse for people to ride.The Bottom LineTo sum it all up, learning to ride a horse for free comes down to two things: being willing to work for it, and making horse friends. Thats it, thats the whole secret. It will take time and work, but literally anyone could do it. Theres no income barrier, or invisible wall keeping people out. Come join the horse world, and youll see for yourself.All the Extra ExpensesWhen youre entering horse world, you have to realize that people are going to try to sell you stuff. Whether its a saddle, or riding pants, or boots, or a crop, someones going to try to convince you that you need to purchase gear. Purchasing stuff is not free or cheap, so I encourage you to push back on that. You really dont need a lot to ride. In fact, heres what you need:The Ultimate Complete List of Everything You need to Horseback RideRiding helmetRiding bootsThats it, thats all you need. You dont even need riding pants, you can ride in jeans. You dont need a fancy shirt, or jacket, or matching saddle pads or a pom pom helmet cover. You literally need a helmet and boots.Of course theres no denying that its fun to get all those things, but that would be neither free nor cheap, so just cross that right out.Helmets you should buy new because you want to be sure that no one had a fall in it. Boots you could buy used from marketplace but you could also buy new, too.Below are examples. Cheap, and serves the purpose. Ovation Deluxe Schooler Helmet (Black, Small/Medium)TuffRider Ladies Starter Front Zip Paddock BootsIf you decide you do want riding pants, which can be useful due to the sticky seats, heres examples of cheap and useful. You dont need anything fancier, it will not make you a better rider.FitsT4 Sports Womens Full Seat Riding Tights Active Silicon Grip Horse Riding Tights Equestrian BreechesFitsT4 Sports Womens Full Seat Horse Riding Pants Bootcut Riding Tights with Pockets Equestrian Breeches for WomenPlease dont buy a saddle, or bridle or any sort of horse tack. Whatever horse you ride should come with all of that, its unnecessary for you to buy your own.The best way to keep things affordable to dont start buying things. Its very easy to think you need all the stuff, but you really dont. The barn should provide tack and grooming equipment, and you can use super basic clothes you already own for riding. I promise you that no one will think less of you or judge you. No one cares. (If anything you look even more like a gritty, salt of the earth, true horseman, who doesnt care about such things).Of course I dont blame you if you want to purchase things, we all have fun buying stuff, but just remember, it can add up, so be careful with your spending.I hope this helps you out. So many people, including myself, have learned to ride using this system, and you can, too. It doesnt take owning a horse, or spending lots of money, it just takes time to prove youre a hard worker, and making some horse friends.Wishing you all the best on your equestrian journey!The post How to Learn to Horse Ride for Free (or very cheap) appeared first on An Equestrian Life.