Advice for a non/equestrian parent

[Dad_of_equestrian]

Hello

I’ve joined here to try and understand a bit more about the equestrian life. Our daughter (10), after everything from martial arts, gymnastics to drama has seemingly found her passion in horse riding. She’s been riding for 18 months and recently moved to a more formal riding school as we struggled to get lesson time in where she was previously.

Her long-term goal is owning her own horse and working as a riding instructor somewhere. She’s not interested in academics at all, but does it because it’s here route in to college to for Equine Studies. Her mum and I no nothing about horses or equine careers, but want to try and learn more so we can be supportive. Does she need specific qualifications to work as an instructor or is it more vocational?

I’ve read a lot about horse sharing, which I know we’re not experienced enough for yet, but I wondered what the sort of experience/skill level riders get to before they look at that. Is it realistic at say, 13 with 4 years of riding twice a week?

Sorry if that’s a ridiculous set of questions.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Skib]

In the UK there is more than one route to becoming a riding instructor. The British Horse Society, the Pony Club and British Association of Riding Schools each have a series of qualifications, (both exams and continuous assessment), some of which can be taken by young people already working on a yard or riding school. But it is also possible to do a degree course at an equestrian college.
Whatever your 10 year old has in mind, the Pony Club is a good start. But even young people who train on the job in riding schools, also need to have a qualification in Maths and English language. You will find the basic requirements for a riding instructor on the web site of the National Careers Service. My own experience of hacking for years with young women in training is that in addition to the main BHS Stages exams, students need to take tests in Road Safety, First Aid and Teaching skills. They had to work hard for three years to cover the syllabus, and then progress to a specialist yard to get sufficient experience to complete Stage 3.
The drop out rate was high because pay on yards for people working with horses tended to be lower than what they could earn working in a shop or in an office.
I also rode at a RS where people (adults) who could ride and who already had a degree in an unrelated subject, took all three BHS stages in one year.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

As a mum with a daughter my advice would be…encourage your daughter to maximise her academic abilities and keep horses as a hobby. It’s a blummin hard life once you leave your twenties. She’s only ten..join pony club…ride as often as you can finance at riding schools…loan a pony through pony club when she’s a bit older and more experienced and the pony clubbers know her. I suspect you ll succumb to a pony purchase when she’s 12 or 13 and you ll be fully immersed in the money pit of horsey life like the rest of us!

 

[ycbm]

That doesn't sound anything like a ridiculous set of questions, it sounds like one great dad!

 

[ycbm]

This is the main organisation in the UK, but there are other pathways into training. She could also look at careers like horse hospital nurse, physio, dentist, saddle fitter, farrier, barefoot trimmer. Some of those will offer apprenticeship pathways that may suit a less academic child.

BHS Coaching Pathway | The British Horse Society

Highly respected around the world as an achievement in Complete Horsemanship, this pathway supports the fundamental skills required to teach and coach from entry level up to professional and competitive equestrians in riding and horse management.

www.bhs.org.uk

 

[HappyHollyDays]

There is a dad on here called @Darbs, his daughter started out aged 5 and I think she is mid teens now and still riding. He might be able to help out from a dad’s point of view with any questions you have. I echo what others have said re academics though. My god daughter hated school but worked hard at the subjects she needed so she could become a qualified veterinary nurse.

 

[Dad_of_equestrian]

Thanks everyone. It looks like I’ve got some evening reading material to be getting on with!

Just to clarify the academic points. Shes home schooled. She’s doing fine. She’s reading well ahead of her age and doing English and science work in the next key stage. It’s just more that she’s honest with us that she doesn’t enjoy it and knows she wants to work with horses.

 

[Rowreach]

I think you sound like great supportive parents and I'm sure you will look at keeping her options open whilst helping to foster her dream.

If she really struggles with academic studies, there are some college options still open to her. She would need English and Maths but could begin a course at equine college at 16 (she might have to upskill if she doesn't achieve her English and Maths at school), and then she could stay at college and pick up subsequent courses over the next 2/3 years. But having seen what the colleges produce, I would suggest that you maximise her experience in riding, handling, managing horses so that she can add that to any qualifications, because imo (and I used to teach at one) the colleges don't necessarily produce people who are actually much use in the industry.

I would say having done 30 years in the industry, I am extremely glad that I have non horsey qualifications and experience to back up the horsey ones, especially now I'm of an age where I still need to work for the foreseeable future but couldn't physically do now what I did ten years ago even.

What ycbm said upthread about the other employment options in the equine industry is also relevant, and the more multiples of skills your daughter can combine, then the better earning power she will have and the more options for work, wordwide.

 

[nagblagger]

Hi and welcome - to the world of poverty.

 

[Kunoichi73]

Does her riding school do pony management days in the school holidays? If so, it would be worth signing her up for those occasionally. She'd start to get some experience of looking after horses, rather than just riding them.