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| Author |
Message |
    
Qwinn
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 23, 2000 - 6:02 pm: |   |
If you have a 13 year in barn hanging out with your children, and you run a riding stables does the law condiser this to be child labor if the child is not hired or paid to be there. But the child is working with a horse to take to camp and show without paying board or rent on horse. The parents decide that they think she should be paid to be there when she is only thirteen or they will call child labor if you do not do this. The child has only worked with the horse that she is going to show. But the year before she stay on her own accord and rode horses for free. Help |
Nancy Herbert
| | Posted on Saturday, Jun 24, 2000 - 11:58 am: | |
I don't know what the law is, but from the information you give in your email, the parents expecting the child to be paid certainly sounds ridiculous to me. I don't suppose you asked for babysitting fees when they dropped their child off at your barn unsupervised. Are you helping the child? If so, are you charging them for lessons? If you aren't charging for lessons, it seems to me between babysitting and lessons, they'll end up owing you money.
If there was no verbal or written agreement between you and the parents, I don't believe they have a leg to stand on. If it was me, I would call the child labor board myself to find out if the parents have a legitimate claim. Nothing like going straight to the horse's mouth, so to speak ... |
claire sidebottom
| | Posted on Saturday, Jun 24, 2000 - 1:49 pm: | |
The riding stable where we used to keep our horse had about 10 children aged between about 9 and 18 who were 'helpers' and before we had our present horse my daughter was one. they all come down after school or at weekends and do all the yard jobs, muck out, groom, tack up, muck pick etc and in return get a free lesson. my daughter, then 10, went down at 3.45 and came home at 6.30-7pm and was down most of the day on wekends. for this she got 1 hour per week lesson and sometimes free rides in the school. tell the parents not to be so daft! |
Sheila Prescott-Vessey
| | Posted on Saturday, Jun 24, 2000 - 9:12 pm: | |
I agree with everyone. I've worked in stables since the age of 12, in order to get free riding. It's a fair exchange. Tell the parents that the option is that the child starts paying to ride the horse -- which will be a lot more expensive than what that child would make mucking out stalls! |
Qwinn
| | Posted on Saturday, Jun 24, 2000 - 11:24 pm: | |
They are saying we had a verbal agreement and we did not. We paid half for her to go to camp and this year the only time she was at the barn was working her horse that we bought for her to go to camp and horse show with our daughter. Supplied all show clothes, saddles and money to spend at camp. All this means nothing! If she brushes one horse besides this one or cleans any other stalls out this means we are working her no matter if there is a verbal or no agreement on pay. You can not have kids thirteen years old at your place of business doing anything. If the regulations that was told to me are right every stables can be at risk of losing their business license or being fined alot of money. Thanks for all you great comments, this means alot to me because I really did think I was being nice and did not mean to nothing against the law. |
claire sidebottom
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 25, 2000 - 11:43 am: | |
She is/was getting an extremely good deal here - there would be many other thirteen year olds who would be very very happy at this deal - possibly point this out to the parents and say that you will have to stop letting her come to your barn if they are not happy. |
Christine C. Mills
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 26, 2000 - 1:50 pm: | |
Or, offer to charge them a lease fee for the horse, a lesson fee when receiving instruction, a baby sitting fees when she is there unsupervised and not working, and then pay her an hourly salary when she is there and is working (besides riding and grooming her leased horse).
I think she has been given a very good deal.
You need these people like a hole in the head.
Hope things improve for the kid's sake. |
Qwinn
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 26, 2000 - 9:50 pm: | |
You guys are great! But it comes down this if it turn in it puts all stables at risk with having 13 to 15 year olds in their barn - it does not matter if I charged her but if she done any work in the barn? You can not exchange work for lessons. Unless there is a law out there that I don't no about concering recreation businesses. Everbody comments has made me fell lot better about this and less depressed. I won't to thank all of you. |
Christine C. Mills
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jun 27, 2000 - 12:20 pm: | |
I believe child labor laws are local to each state. In the old days, before I was 16 yo, there was a permission slip that parents signed, certain restrictions such as hours on school nights/equipment useage/etc. that were in effect. However, I was allowed to work for a wage.
I imagine there are similar rules for your location. |
RAINEY VALLEY FARM
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jun 27, 2000 - 12:34 pm: | |
What happens in the case of injury? Does L & I insurance need to be purchased by the stable owner? |
Cheryl Anderson
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jun 27, 2000 - 5:43 pm: | |
If you are in Canada, you may also need to consider Worker's Compensation (big $$). |
Bonnie Donelan-Dunlap (Bojedo)
| | Posted on Saturday, Oct 7, 2000 - 2:57 am: | |
Dear Quinn, you have to write and tell us how this issue is going for you!!! I was checking out this spot and can't have this end this way.
I think that the parents of this girl are taking advantage of you BIG TIME. The opportunity for learning to ride, show and work around horses, while being supervised for no cost is a real gift to this girl. She is fortunate to have you and her support.
Please drop in and let us know how this has evolved! |
Susan Qwinn (Susieq)
| | Posted on Thursday, Mar 22, 2001 - 5:03 pm: | |
Dear Bonnie
I am still in business. They tried to turn me in to child labor but because of it being a new year and the only time she was at the stables was working the horse we let her use for 4-H. I learned a hard lesson. Then she was at 4-H camp wtih the horse so thank goodness we were safe. If you want to stay in business do not let anyone under the age of sixteen in your barn. The sad part about this is stable owners are not aware of child labor laws and you can not let anyone under the age of fourteen do anything that you pay a employee for. This is threw out the US. Thanks for you comments. |
dina
Member
Username: Paix
Post Number: 37
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 18, 2005 - 12:24 pm: | |
Im wondering if there are any health reasons to keep my infant (6 mos) away from a barn setting? As a new mother, I appreciate any feedback on having my little guy at the barn with me!
THX! |
Christos Axis
Member
Username: Christos
Post Number: 616
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 18, 2005 - 1:50 pm: | |
I guess it depends on the barn, Dina, whether you allow him to crawl around or not and whether you leave him unattended for any length of time.
Rodents and snakes are an issue with infants, even in their cradles. They smell milk from a mile away. |
Debbie Green
Member
Username: Green007
Post Number: 54
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 18, 2005 - 2:15 pm: | |
I took my son with me to the barn since he was 2 weeks old, with no adverse effects. One thing I did as a precaution was to keep him in a snugli, and close to me at all times. Even a playpen can get run over by a loose horse. If I did have to put him in a playpen in order to handle a horse that was being difficult, I would put the playpen in an empty stall momentarily.
While my son was in the snugli, he really enjoyed being at the barn, and even laughed out loud as a youngster at some of the horses' antics.
However, use caution. It only takes a moment for a horse to headbutt your baby if you are too close to the horse. Avoid horses you know are flighty, and ask a barn teenager to hold him while you are working with a horse, if you have any at your barn (I got through many horse shows this way - I have video footage of me riding a dressage test while a fussy baby with "Mommyitis," that dreaded disese where only Mommy's arms will do, is screaming in the backgound)!
Also, keep watch for hay allergies and such.
Other than that go for it! I don't regret any of the days I brought my son to the barn with me, though it certainly limited what I could do. |
joj
Member
Username: Jojo15
Post Number: 520
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 18, 2005 - 2:32 pm: | |
what about all the dust. wouldn't that hurt a babes lungs so little? I would ask your doctor
joj |
dina
Member
Username: Paix
Post Number: 38
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 18, 2005 - 3:01 pm: | |
Thanks for all the quick replies!
...Never unattended and never out of an adults arms. Yes, I was wondering abt the dust and any possible disease (salmonella, etc) from fecal dust.
Thanks again - I have REALLY missed being with my horses!!! |
Debbie Green
Member
Username: Green007
Post Number: 55
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 18, 2005 - 3:25 pm: | |
I am not a doctor myself, but I do read a lot. From what I understand, it is the children that are overly protected from dust and germs early in life that most frequently get allergies and asthma later in life. Low grade exposure is actually good for them (within reason of course). Horse dust and dander is much thicker and more irritating than house dust, so probably couldn't be considered "low grade exposure."
That said, my son turned out fine! No allergies or asthma, 9 years old now, healthy, with half his classroom made up of children with allergies and asthma.
|
Stacy Upshaw
Member
Username: 36541
Post Number: 48
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 19, 2005 - 8:36 am: | |
Hi Dina! Isn't it great to be back with the horses? My four at home continue to recharge me spiritually, and the kids have been growing up in the barn(ages 2yr and 4 mo). I am an ER doc and my opinion about the dust is that if you have a problem with visible dust it will be a problem for anyone with respiratory sensitivity. It is not going to cause asthma or increase illness. I would strongly recommend the website www.kangarookorner.com for a babysling that is more barn friendly than a snugli. I can fill haynets, put blankets on and off, and clean stalls with my 15lber in it, and her face is protected while she sleeps. She often sleeps through the whole farrier and/or vet visit, and I can chase the two year old as well. Try the original fleece sling that the site owner designed - best baby money I have spent and my husband uses it too.
My broodmare is the only horse I allow my two year old to be on the ground around, as she has demonstrated a motherly interest in him, and never moves her feet at all when he is near the crossties. I did have a very scary moment when the same two year old was trying to climb over the wall of an injured yearling's stall - said he was going to "kiss bo-bo and make all betta"!
Good luck riding, I have become a "night rider" for now... Stacy |
dina
Member
Username: Paix
Post Number: 39
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 19, 2005 - 11:33 am: | |
Thanks for the great sling website. I use a sling now, but it doesnt really allow me to be hands-free. The Kangaroo pouches have more material and appear more snug. Im going to give it a try.
Ive been hoping someone might respond with a sling-barn-horse success story!
Thanks again - Take care.
dina |
