help on what to do with (my eventing spell) in my life.. dilemmmaaa!

woodlandswow

woodlandswow

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sorry i have posted this in CR as you guys are friendly and kinda know me :o and it is about eventing.. kinddaaa? ;)
basiccs
In my gap year, i am planning to give eventing my best bash and then do a bit of travelling. This week i have been very distracted by a decision i would need to make if i got a job i have a good chance of getting. (modest, me?)
Basically i would like some opinions and support on which way to turn as i am in a dilemma!

Choice 1) do a 1 year gap year, go travelling then come back dec/jan to start eventing and get a job with a 4 or 3* rider. I am in contact with a couple so getting a job wont be too much of a problem and i have been offered a position as a working pupil i probs wouldnt take (cos of the ppl). The problem with this is i am aware they are paid peanuts as working pupils and work stupidly long hours and very hard. Downsides to this is not as good facilities to equestrian centre (choice 2) and my friend who works for a 4* rider says he is hardly ever there as he is eventing away a lot.

Choice 2) involves taking a 2 year gap year as it involves a job in an equestrian centre which i know well , now run by a top trainer. There are pretty amazing facilities (indoor, outdoor, xc course) but the job entitles working from jan to jan which means i would have to do 2 years but a 5 day week.(means i could certainly event at weekends) I could then go and do 6 months travelling before uni. Downsides to this is only really the two year thing. Two years is a long time not to be in education and i would be worried about going back.

I need to make the decision sharpish as have the interview at weekend and need to say what i want that evening as there is demand for the job. I normally follow my gut feeling on these kinds of problems but it is quite a big decision and i don’t want to regret it!
Any suggestions, help or comments greatly appreciated!

thanks kerilli.. also just to add i wouldnt be old going to uni as i am the year above myself anyway!
 
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2 years out is a long time at that age, you will prob feel ancient if you have 2 years out and then go to Uni. i had 1 year out, as did quite a few of my friends, and we all felt quite a bit older than those who hadn't...
why is it one or the other? why not find a WP place which will suit you, time-wise.
btw, the long hours, hard work, no pay etc is par for the course... if you want to go and swan around and just get lots of experience and instruction, you have to pay for it! ;) ;) ;)
 
two years really isn't that long i've been out of college since i was 17 and have been working between equine retail side of things and on a yard, im now only considering going to uni next year, getting a bit of life experience behind you is always a good thing, had i gone to uni, after doing my national diploma thing in horse management i would never have stuck to it and been more interested in partying and all that, taking the time out teaches you about the real world before going to uni so you dont get a shock once you finish, thats just my opinion though.

its one of they things you have to decide im afraid, whether two years out is worth it, at least if its two years you get the travelling and more experiance than you would if it was only one year out
 
Another option might be to go to uni, but get in contact with some 4* riders and see about working for them during holidays, etc.... My uni summer holiday used to be from the last week of May through till the middle of October - the busiest part of the season and riders are always happy/ grateful for extra help! I worked for a 4* rider for free and made money by working in a local Co-op, because we had a deal where I worked for training, which suited us both as I couldn't afford my own horse at the time, and she couldn't financially afford any more help! It will also give you the chance to decide if it is something you would want to spend a year doing full-time. I left uni and became a full time groom for a year and loved it, (odd as it sounds as working such stupid hours) it did give me a chance to really chill after the pressure of my finals, and I was able to really think about what I wanted to do.

On the other side of the coin, two years isn't really that long - at our uni there were plenty of people who had taken time out before going to uni and they were the people who really put the effort in - never missed lectures, still had a great time but also knew how important it was to put the work and effort in. So if anything a couple of years out would probably help you grow and really appreciate it when you go to uni.

Sorry if I've rambled on but hope it helps a little xxx
 
Personally I think option two is the better bet. Two years isn't a long time, and you will find you will have a far more adult and sensible attitude to work and uni than the piss heads straight out of school!
 
I guess it depends what your long term plans are. Are you able to keep a horse at both? The equestrian centre, will your horse be on site? Will your days off be weekends?
I guess in your position if it's all round experience and learning you are after I would go with the equestrian centre, if you are serious about a career in eventing then go with the event rider.
If you are a year ahead of yourself anyway I wouldn't worry too much about the age thing. A friend of mine and I were talking about this yesterday, she is 6 years younger than me and now that seems nothing in our later (well I'm late she is mid!) twenties, but for the first year at uni more than a year's age gap can feel a lot, but a week or two in you will have forgotten all about how old people are anyway!
 
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