Gaining experience

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warthog

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It seems to be really difficult to gain experience with horses if you don’t have your own horse?
I am a capable experienced rider and have worked for 5 years with horses alongside school, gap years and uni, owning a horse is not financially possible.
However around me in south east England there seem to be mainly competitive people that don’t care about their staff or horses for that matter!
I would be really interested in working in exchange for experience with a trainer or someone like that. I have messaged a couple of people but they have seen my message and not answered. I understand it is difficult and people don’t have time for this but surely there must be a way or someone out there that can help?
Feeling a bit defeated on how to go about this!
 
warthog said:
It seems to be really difficult to gain experience with horses if you don’t have your own horse?
I am a capable experienced rider and have worked for 5 years with horses alongside school, gap years and uni, owning a horse is not financially possible.
However around me in south east England there seem to be mainly competitive people that don’t care about their staff or horses for that matter!
I would be really interested in working in exchange for experience with a trainer or someone like that. I have messaged a couple of people but they have seen my message and not answered. I understand it is difficult and people don’t have time for this but surely there must be a way or someone out there that can help?
Feeling a bit defeated on how to go about this!
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I think it being school holidays will be making it more difficult for you. The people you messaged probably thought 'crikey not another one!' My yard seems absolutely awash with students wanting to help at the moment. You dismount and get mugged by teenagers!
If your work allows you would get more luck outside the holidays probably, although the trainers I'm thinking of only take full-time working pupils who apply for interview when a vacancy is advertised (may be different where you are).

(Speaking of where you are, I wouldn't be openly critical of the people you are asking for help from, it's a small world.)

As @Midlifecrisis says RDA is a good place to start, or contact show organisers to see if they need fence judges or just gofers directing parking. Anything that gets your face known and makes contacts will help - unfortunately you are looking for something that a great many other people are also looking for.
 
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warthog said:
It seems to be really difficult to gain experience with horses if you don’t have your own horse?
I am a capable experienced rider and have worked for 5 years with horses alongside school, gap years and uni, owning a horse is not financially possible.
However around me in south east England there seem to be mainly competitive people that don’t care about their staff or horses for that matter!
I would be really interested in working in exchange for experience with a trainer or someone like that. I have messaged a couple of people but they have seen my message and not answered. I understand it is difficult and people don’t have time for this but surely there must be a way or someone out there that can help?
Feeling a bit defeated on how to go about this!
Click to expand...
I'm in the South East and beg to differ with your rather generalised comment.

It occurs to me that you have not been able to widen your network sufficiently in the locality as I can assure you that there are many yards who certainly care about their staff and horses.

Depending on your location, there are RDA groups openly asking for help, you would meets guite a few horse owners there. Depending on your experience, there are also a few competition yards asking for seasonal help, you may not get to ride though, but clipping and plaiting and general show turnout are valuable great skills.

Good luck in your search, please don't tar us all with the same brush, we are quite friendly really.
 
warthog said:
It seems to be really difficult to gain experience with horses if you don’t have your own horse?
I am a capable experienced rider and have worked for 5 years with horses alongside school, gap years and uni, owning a horse is not financially possible.
However around me in south east England there seem to be mainly competitive people that don’t care about their staff or horses for that matter!
I would be really interested in working in exchange for experience with a trainer or someone like that. I have messaged a couple of people but they have seen my message and not answered. I understand it is difficult and people don’t have time for this but surely there must be a way or someone out there that can help?
Feeling a bit defeated on how to go about this!
Click to expand...

Dealing yards would be your best bet.
If you are feeling brazen id rock up with your CV printed and a smile on your face.
People are busy and it’s sometimes difficult to filter time wasters by text. But if they get a good feel for you with you stood right in front of them offering free/cheap labour ….
 
Unpaid work is only legal in limited circumstances in the UK - which might well be why you aren't getting any responses from reputable trainers. You would also not be covered by insurance, unless your time on the yard is very clearly spelled out in ways that make it clear you are in a permitted volunteering / shadowing role.
 
What experience do you actually have? And what are you actually looking for - is it full time employmemt, part time or employment or a share horse to ride?You may be better looking for a paid sharer you can have lessons on rather than working on a yard initially to help create contacts in the area.

I'm a bit confused by the experienced rider but also wanting to gain experience with horses. It's possibly confusing others too.

Joining a RC to volunteer at events might help you broaden your social circles abd lead to more opportunities. Ditto the RDA and possible local charities.

I live and have worked with horse's in the SE as well as owning my own now and it's definitely not just competitive types that don't care about horses or staff. I've met lots of lovely people along the way, both as part of working in the industry and as horse owner. Good luck :)
 
Lots of events are advertising for help/volunteers at the moment.

Local riding clubs usually cry out for help on or before event days. Eventing always looking for stewards, fence judges etc. Bigger shows too.

It does depend what you are looking for experience in, but the above should get you a foot in the door and help to start build you a network.
 
I could have written exactly what DL has written, in fact I was about to write it but they got in before me! I know our local riding club is always looking for help and some of the BE events are advertising for stewards. It's a great way to start getting to know people and you may just find that someone needs a hand with a horse and is looking for a willing volunteer to hold it while they walk a course, especially if they've gone on their own to an event.
 
Most people start by taking riding lessons at a yard. That means the yard owners and staff get to know you. By doing that one learns how to tack up and untack and to put rugs on and to remove them.
I would then look on the BHS site for a yard that offers the BHS Stable management course. I found that just taking the course (without doing the exam) counted in my favour when looking to help out on another RS yard.
Some Riding Schools offer lessons on grooming and picking out the feet and on ground work which involves safe controlled leading, with backing up and trotting up. One needs to book these lessons and to pay for them. This is what I did and after I had had that training, then I was able to help out once a week (unpaid) on a yard where I had lessons.
It is worth reading around the subject; you can borrow books from your public library by Kelly Marks amd Michael Peace. or these days can watch videos on line.
But my entry point was through grooming. I like grooming horses and found that they liked being groomed by me.
No one asked about insurance but I had BHS insurance plus our household 3rd party.
 
warthog said:
However around me in south east England there seem to be mainly competitive people that don’t care about their staff or horses for that matter!
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Can you elaborate further as to why you think this?
Is this from 1st hand experience of these people?

Regarding getting more experience, a lot of good advice given above, summing up:-

The shows and comp centres are often looking for helpers where you'll pick up a lot of on the ground experience.
Also the RDA.
Waiting till schools are back (some are, the rest are next week) then asking in person to RS and comp yards.
Try also rescues, there are several equine ones in the SE
 
warthog said:
It seems to be really difficult to gain experience with horses if you don’t have your own horse?
I am a capable experienced rider and have worked for 5 years with horses alongside school, gap years and uni, owning a horse is not financially possible.
However around me in south east England there seem to be mainly competitive people that don’t care about their staff or horses for that matter!
I would be really interested in working in exchange for experience with a trainer or someone like that. I have messaged a couple of people but they have seen my message and not answered. I understand it is difficult and people don’t have time for this but surely there must be a way or someone out there that can help?
Feeling a bit defeated on how to go about this!
Click to expand...
(Ignoring the comment about the South East) I'm confused by your post - exactly what experience are you looking to gain?

You already have experience with horses - you are "a capable experienced rider who has worked with horses for 5 years". Are you now looking for something different to do? Presumably after 5 years working with horses you have got to know a reasonable network of horse people - can you ask any of them for opportunities in what you now want to do?

By "working in exchange for experience with a trainer", do you mean like an apprentice? Have a look on local equestrian Facebook groups, or sites such as Yard and Groom for any apprenticeship vacancies near you.
 
If you want more experience, step one is realising that it’s a surprisingly small community, and maybe you shouldn’t criticise everyone in your local area…..

Off the top of my head:
RDA volunteering
Signs up in local tack shop offering help/poo picking/exercising.
Sharing
Riding club volunteering
Dressage writing

Get your foot in the door with people if you’re not getting any response to you emails
 
Added note. I am in the South East and grew up near Epsom Surrey. In my second year if riding, I liked to hack from different places so I used 5 or 6 yards and I have never been to any yard where the people didnt look after both their horses and their staff.

Most yards wanted one to have a school lesson before one hacked out. But fair enough. It forced me to grit my teeth and overcome my fear of canter in a school.
 
Thank you everyone for your reply helpful advice!

I want to apologise for my ignorant comment, it was definitely uncalled for. I have worked in a couple of not great places and was in a mood about it. I know most people and places are wonderful, I am looking into your suggestions.
I hope no one was offended, I will take a breath and think next time before saying!
 
warthog said:
Thank you everyone for your reply helpful advice!

I want to apologise for my ignorant comment, it was definitely uncalled for. I have worked in a couple of not great places and was in a mood about it. I know most people and places are wonderful, I am looking into your suggestions.
I hope no one was offended, I will take a breath and think next time before saying!
Click to expand...
Big of you to come back & say that. Well done.
 
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