So since the higher education field is NOT hiring (terrible time to have just finished my Master's degree lmao) but there's a show barn about half an hour from me that is looking to hire a stable hand. I'm super interested, but have no actual experience with horses and they want someone who does, what do you guys think the likelihood of them interested in hiring me is and should I apply? 

If you "show" (hehe) that you're a quick learner and they're in dire need of some help because of COVID-19, they'll probably give you a chance. Is there a way to connect your skills/experiences in other fields/areas with horsemanship? (Dedication to something, attention to precise detail, utmost respect for working animals, etc.)

Show season (at least in MI) is still mostly looking like it's not happening for the most part, so they might have extra time to teach you the ropes before being thrown headfirst into the routines of taking care of showing horses. They'll probably be more intense than a pleasure barn, too, since their main goal is competing (more focus on hardcore training programs, grooming and braiding [or banding] to show, higher level/standard of care [rich horse show people are... well, they are something, sometimes - when you pay 250k for a Quarter Horse to take to Congress and spend upwards of $550 a month in board, you expect a lot, haha], more stalls to clean [a lot of show horses are kept inside during peak season vs. being turned out], needing to use hotwalkers or other tech [treadmills and water treadmills], etc.)

It's worth a shot, basically! Find out as much about the barn and their "barn culture" - what they mostly show (discipline and breed-wise), what kind of social media presence they have (it'll tell you a lot about the kind of interactions you'll have there, as well as maybe scoping out some of the people you'll be working for, with, or under), and research the heck out of whatever info you can find. They'll be impressed if you know things about them and flatter 'em a little bit. Half of the battle of getting into the horse world career-wise is who you end up knowing and impressing versus what you know, sometimes.

(Oh, and talk to Ellie on here if you haven't yet! She works at a barn! I'mma try and convince S.marties [she used to play on here] to come back with some tips for you - she's now an assistant barn manager and knows how to deal with both the horse side and the people/admin side)

I feel most things are worth applying for! What's the worst case scenario: they ignore your application? You get an interview and are told no thanks? Best case, you get the job! Just go in and express a love for the job, and a desire to learn, and show that you've done your research!

To quote Wayne Gretzky "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take" lol. I would say go for it. You wont know unless you try. I applied at a barn 2 years ago with limited horse experience and almost 0% showing experience. There were about 15 other applicants that went in for an interview. I ended up getting the job because they said I showed the most enthusiasm and thought I really cared about the job and horses. I've been working there ever since and it was the best decision I've ever made. I've learned SO much! If you get an interview, just go in with a killer attitude and show them that you really want the job and that you're willing to learn anything. Maybe do some research about the kind of barn it is and the horses they have there, what they expect you to do there, reading some basic anatomy, horsemanship, etc books couldn't hurt either. The worst thing that could happen is you don't get the job, but atleast you could say you tried!