Trust & Safety
Verification, consent and a shared standard
The horse world runs on handshakes. We kept the handshake and added the paperwork: identity checks for everyone, background screens you can read, reviews in both directions, and a code of conduct inspired by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Identity
Everyone with a key is a real, verified person
Hosts must verify before publishing a listing. Owners verify before booking with payments on. Stable hands verify to earn the badge employers filter by.
Government ID + live selfie
Processed by Stripe Identity. We never see or store the document — only the pass/fail result and the name on it.
Payments held, not handed over
Stripe holds every booking payment until the host accepts. Refunds follow the published cancellation policy automatically.
Health records read by AI
Coggins and vaccination documents are classified and dated on upload. Hosts see expired or lapsing records before a horse arrives.
Background checks
What a StableStay screen actually checks
A background check is only as honest as its labels. Every component in a StableStay screen says where the data came from and whether it was really run. Components a deployment hasn't activated are shown as pending, never as clear.
- Paid by whoever orders it. A stable hand can screen themselves and carry the result between jobs. An employer can order one on a candidate.
- Consent first. Nothing runs until the person being screened reads the disclosure, enters their legal name and authorizes it — the same FCRA sequence a staffing agency follows.
- Both sides see the same report. The subject always sees everything the employer sees, and chooses whether the badge appears on their public profile.
Reviews
Reputation that goes both ways
You can only review someone you actually stayed with, hosted, hired or worked for — and they can review you back. No drive-by ratings, no anonymous pile-ons.
Employers rate stable hands on
- Reliability
- Horsemanship
- Communication
- Teamwork
Stable hands rate employers on
- Workplace safety
- Fair pay & hours
- Housing honesty
- Respect
The Barn Safety Standard
Six commitments every member makes
Modeled on the U.S. Center for SafeSport's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies and adapted for working barns, where staff live on site, families are present, and the workplace is also someone's home. Hosts, owners and stable hands accept it once; acceptance shows on their profile.
Observable and interruptible
Work involving one adult and one minor — lessons, grooming, hauling — happens where others can see and step in. Doors stay open; closed-door one-on-one time is not part of any job on StableStay.
Safe, private, honest housing
Staff housing has a lock on the door, heat and water that work, and is described truthfully in the job post — including who else lives there. Families are told what to expect before they arrive.
Written expectations, paid time
Hours, duties, pay, days off and what happens at the end of the engagement are written down before day one. Overtime and night checks are paid, not assumed.
Respect, no retaliation
No harassment, no intimidation, no withholding pay or housing as leverage. Reporting a concern in good faith is protected; retaliating against a reporter ends your membership.
Animals first
Horses in your care get water, feed, turnout and veterinary attention as agreed — regardless of disputes between people. Neglect is reportable by anyone, including guests.
Duty to report
If you see abuse of a person or an animal, you report it — to us, and where the law requires, to the authorities. Looking away is not neutral.
Members accept the Standard from their profile or when creating a stable-hand profile or job post. Read the full Terms of Service.
Report a concern
If something isn't right, tell us
Unsafe equipment, staff housing without heat, a horse not getting care, a boss who won't pay — or anything involving a minor. You don't need an account, and you can report anonymously. Reports about a specific profile can also be filed from that profile.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first. Concerns involving sexual misconduct in an organized sport setting can also be reported directly to the U.S. Center for SafeSport at 833-5US-SAFE.