How do young riders find rides/owners?

Ride well and win stuff. ;)

All joking aside, while self-promotion has become a popular art and a virtual necessity, at the end of the day the rider is selling a product - his/her ability - and be able to convince owners that they will get their money's worth.

About the only things a young rider can offer over someone more established is value and personal attention. Some owners really like supporting and being involved with someone up and coming, although this can be a double edged sword. My advice would be to start close to home, with people you already have connections to. Do you teach? Are you on a yard? Have you worked for a more established professional? All these can be roads to potential syndicate options and/or horses to ride. They may not be the horses you WANT to ride but beggars can't be choosers and if you do a decent job it's a shop window for you talents.

Always be professional - polite, neat, well spoken but not overly gossipy. Go to clinics, both for the instruction, obviously, and so that people can see you ride well. Don't promise what you can't deliver but, equally, don't hide your light under a bushel, either.

This is not a great climate to be looking for people to risk their money but try to show them why they should risk it on you.
 
Get lucky/ noticed?

Al started with Reg, and worked her bum off with him. And his owner decided to take her little mare out of training and see if she preferred eventing, so she got the ride on Bee by riding Reg well and being herself, and being a bit lucky. She does a lot of PC stuff, and got noticed for the way she managed whatever she was sat on tactfully and quietly so was asked if she would ride Lily while a new owner is being found...

So while it's all very low-key still (3 rides, 2 at BE100 and 1 aimed at BE90 this year) she's getting there by quietly plugging away and being as professional as she can. So she keeps personal stuff personal, never complains and works as hard as she possibly can.

(proud big sister, she's right at the very bottom sure, but she's slogging it!)
 
I agree with the comments made by TarrSteps and Lolo. Our elder son is getting more offers of horses to produce, school and compete because he rides well, can market his business effectively and without as Lolo said any personal issues being introduced, and is seen to be professional when out and about.

Best of luck getting established.
 
I have been involved with a few up and coming riders. Number one for me is honesty at all times and do not trade one owner off against another.Or should I say treat them all equally.
Dont expect to make money at it as the owners are taking a risk when for a few quid more get somebody very experienced.
 
Agreed with what has been posted, and would like to add - not all owners are attracted purely by competiton results.
Owners who have contacted us have been impressed with the way B is a sympathetic and thoughtful rider too. She is prepared to be very patient with quirky or young horses, and she has been approached many times because of this.
 
Owners will be paying for a service so make sure you understand exactly what they expect and be honest about what you can do. After that, as others have said, be professional.
Good luck :).
 
All of the above plus do be aware of the extra pressure that owners & sponsors can bring, even with the best of intentions. Suddenly there are more people to answer to other than the Bank of Mum & Dad and not everyone can handle the pressure.
 
As others have said, being hard working, reliable and honest whilst also being a good quiet sympathetic rider. I think it helps if young riders are mature in their outlook and understand that it's about the long game as well as the short term one. The riders who have impressed me are the ones who graft and make the most of what they have, rather than always wishing that things were different or they had better horses/facilities/owners. That's not easy when you're young and ambitious but a can-do attitude goes a long way.
 
I can give you some first hand experience from an ‘owners’ perspective.

I use the term ‘owner’ loosely as I only have a small stake.

A while ago I set out looking to become more involved in eventing and started exploring syndicate routes. I initially approached established professionals, with varying success, but what did become apparent was that most were in general trying to fund/syndicate established horses, usually between 3-4 people. The investment for established horses was more than I was able to commit to and at a personal level it didn’t really interest me either, as in my mind I had missed half the journey anyway.

I got into discussions with 2 different professionals regarding specific horses.

One of those pro’s gave me a lot of spiel and was very ‘facy’. There were some untruths told (or stretching of the truth) and also an indication of ‘playing’ other owners. My gut said NO and I backed away with a smile.

The other pro is a pretty big name with an excellent record. The deal didn’t go ahead unfortunately (for very valid reasons) but my dealings with this person showed true professionalism throughout, with strong consideration to existing owners and open/honest conversations. So whilst it didn’t happen for me, this individual I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone in the future.

Fast forward and I was put in contact with a young local rider via a mutual friend.
A pretty different situation, as the rider in question is doing it on a budget and just trying to break into professional eventing. The horse in question is nice but in all honesty unlikely to go to the top. The things that swayed my decision to invest in the unproven were the following:

a) Personal recommendation from a mutual friend
b) Local – means I can be involved and rider keen for me to be involved
c) Grateful for even my small contribution – (when starting out don’t turn down any help, no matter how small, you never know what that may grow to in the future ...)
d) The right balance between self-promotion and being too pushy. A CV was produced giving key achievements (which IMO for the rider of their background and support were considerable and something to be proud of). Never over exaggerate, the internet is a powerful tool, and untruths promote distrust.

Based on this, I would echo that any young rider wanting support has to raise their profile locally as this will be your key market.

You might find it helpful to go onto the EHOA website as this has a section about what to consider when syndicating a horse.

There are a few questions worth asking, some food for thought ...
1. How much on average will it cost you to keep, train, compete and insure said horse? An attraction for me was a set fixed monthly cost.
2. What if the horse reaches it’s limit? Will you keep the horse and run it at a level in which it is happy or will you sell? If you sell what will happen to the money – will it be re-invested in another horse?
3. Prizes – who gets what?
4. What if the horse is badly injured and won’t return to competition – what happens then?
5. What if you ‘need out’ – can you sell your share? Can you stop making monthly payments?
 
Hello

To help you find rides/horses use "word of mouth" mention to all horsey friends your looking to take on new rides and see what comes of it.

Being a competent rider is important but so is personality and professionalism. Even if something goes a bit sour always steer clear of slagging someone off...the horsey world is a small place. It is always good to have a good reputation so start as you mean to go on.

It can be hard work riding other people's horses but very rewarding and you can met some really awesome people and have some amazing experiences...good luck :)
 
Thanks for all the reponses - I was enquiring for my daughter - who appears to have all the traits mentioned (I know I may be prejudice (sp?)) often commented on by others - She works hard, is a very sympathic rider, is very professional and really has a passion and ambition for horses and the sport. (has been a WP)

She has schooled, ridden and competed horses for other people - they have now been sold. She would dearly love 2-3 rides as described by Lolo.

I just wondered if I could do any more to help!!
 
measles said:
I agree with the comments made by TarrSteps and Lolo. Our elder son is getting more offers of horses to produce, school and compete because he rides well, can market his business effectively and without as Lolo said any personal issues being introduced, and is seen to be professional when out and about.

Best of luck getting established.
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I think, to add, you need to remember you're in public nearly all the time. And whoever you talk to might be your next owner. So never talk down about someone else, or a different horse, or blame the horse. Even if you know it was a filthy stop that was undeserved, you don't say that in public.

Who was she a WP for, and do they have any suggestions?

Al isn't a WP, and won't be for a while (too expensive, and she's not established enough) but she has people round who know her pretty well and who she listens to and asks advice off. They've proved pretty key in helping her out...
 
Back in the olden days when I used to ride for other people Pony Club was a major help to me in getting rides to compete. However, that was in the days when instructors used to swap you around to ride each other's ponies.

Then, partly because I am small enough to ride ponies but big enough to ride average sized PC sized horses I used to get pulled out of my group to have a sit on ponies/horses that were messing around with smaller or more nervous riders to see whether the behaviour stopped or continued - and from there some parents asked me to ride the pony/horse to get some results until it could be sold to someone more experienced or the child grew into it/built up their confidence with the pony being worked regularly by me as well.

It was great experience and more or less paid for my own pony's keep and transport to events.

The legacy of all this appears to be a tendency to be offered horses for nothing which tests my willpower regularly.

If your daughter is now out of PC does she hunt? That's usually a good place to make contacts as well. Good luck to her :)
 
To add to Lolo's point about reputation, this also applies to social media. There are riders who are probably quite decent but I would steer away purely on the basis of how they deport themselves in cyberspace. There are lots of decent riders in the world,.who needs one who us going to blab your business or cause trouble.
 
jellyshark said:
Thanks for all the reponses - I was enquiring for my daughter....

....I just wondered if I could do any more to help!!
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Also - a) never ever approach people on her behalf, she has to do that, and b) don't do what people seem intent on doing in my industry which is sabotage themselves before they have even started. Like the person today who got my number from a mutual friend, and who could have rung me to discuss their career. Instead I got a text asking me for work experience. I am sorely tempted to reply with my husband's suggestion of: Bearing in mind you have sent me a text, I'm not even going to consider it. Treat this as a lesson in life.

I also get CVs very regularly asking me for jobs - most of them don't even bother to research my name. In 3.5 years of running my company, I've circulated 1 CV to people I know, because it was the only one worth doing so. Then there was the guy who got sent out to work with me by another company - I gave him my card and told him to get in touch as I had other projects coming up and he was good - didn't hear from him.

I suppose the moral of this is that you need to follow up all leads, and you need to conduct yourself like a professional if you want to be taken seriously - and that means not initiating contact via text, or writing generic letters/emails and not addressing them personally etc.
 
TarrSteps said:
To add to Lolo's point about reputation, this also applies to social media. There are riders who are probably quite decent but I would steer away purely on the basis of how they deport themselves in cyberspace. There are lots of decent riders in the world,.who needs one who us going to blab your business or cause trouble.
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I think SM is a bit of a minefield! Everyone has such different views on it's usefulness. I absolutely agree that you have to be professional at all times though. Sometimes it can seem like you are bragging :(

I feel my daughter was very brave to delve into it. It is not really her style to publicly promote herself .

She has had some really good, positive feedback ... but she has had very negative stuff too, which is hard to deal with, especially when you are young.
It's a tough world. :(
 
Bubblegum said:
She has had some really good, positive feedback ... but she has had very negative stuff too, which is hard to deal with, especially when you are young.
It's a tough world. :(
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Yes, don't be mean about others but be prepared for them to be mean about you. Thick skin and ability to bounce back is very helpful ;).
 
Rosiefan said:
Yes, don't be mean about others but be prepared for them to be mean about you. Thick skin and ability to bounce back is very helpful ;).
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Thick skin is a MUST :( Poor things. :(

Some of these girls work so hard in a a world full of of £'s. It is tough, but all power to them. I love reading their pages, they are awesome:)
 
Bubblegum said:
I think SM is a bit of a minefield! Everyone has such different views on it's usefulness. I absolutely agree that you have to be professional at all times though. Sometimes it can seem like you are bragging :(

I feel my daughter was very brave to delve into it. It is not really her style to publicly promote herself .

She has had some really good, positive feedback ... but she has had very negative stuff too, which is hard to deal with, especially when you are young.
It's a tough world. :(
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I do think younger riders do have to do something along those lines though. It's like being in the phone book or having a sign up in the local saddlery used to be - not so much advertising as a place for people to find you when they need you.

Re self-promotion. . .that really is a minefield, especially in this country! I think riders just have to grit their teeth and do it to some extent. So long as she is honest about her achievements and able to back up her claims then it's advertising not bragging. After all, Sainsbury's isn't bragging when they have on sale.:)
 
TarrSteps said:
I do think younger riders do have to do something along those lines though. It's like being in the phone book or having a sign up in the local saddlery used to be - not so much advertising as a place for people to find you when they need you.

Re self-promotion. . .that really is a minefield, especially in this country! I think riders just have to grit their teeth and do it to some extent. So long as she is honest about her achievements and able to back up her claims then it's advertising not bragging. After all, Sainsbury's isn't bragging when they have on sale.:)
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Thank you for posting. I don't think she brags. She has put a lot of thought into her website to try and be honest.
I am going to show her your post :)
It IS tough, and brave, of some of these kids who need promotion - as they do not come from wealthy backgrounds. Literally they need support to carry on. Sometimes it is seen as over the top, self promotion.
 
A friend and I have sent horses away to stay with young , professional event riders a few times and the one thing that really gripes us is horses being sent back sore, unhappy and in poorer condition then when they left. There is no excuse for it and so many people, including 'professionals' are totally blind to how a horse should and could be looking.
My friend tried another young pro to produce a horse,and the horse came back looking fantastic and even more muscled up and my friend was delighted and sent more horses to her to school and compete and I was going to send a horse to her as well. There were lovely videos of the horses up on her website and for the owner this was very rewarding to watch!

There is a definate art to managing and producing horses if I sent mine away again, I would want them coming back looking AMAZING, this time I would watch out at shows/ events for the people who had their horses looking really muscled up and good, as well as being efficiently and sympathetically ridden.
I would always choose to send my horse to someone who can produce horses like this - over some big name.
 
seabsicuit2 said:
A friend and I have sent horses away to stay with young , professional event riders a few times and the one thing that really gripes us is horses being sent back sore, unhappy and in poorer condition then when they left. There is no excuse for it and so many people, including 'professionals' are totally blind to how a horse should and could be looking.
My friend tried another young pro to produce a horse,and the horse came back looking fantastic and even more muscled up and my friend was delighted and sent more horses to her to school and compete and I was going to send a horse to her as well. There were lovely videos of the horses up on her website and for the owner this was very rewarding to watch!

There is a definate art to managing and producing horses if I sent mine away again, I would want them coming back looking AMAZING, this time I would watch out at shows/ events for the people who had their horses looking really muscled up and good, as well as being efficiently and sympathetically ridden.
I would always choose to send my horse to someone who can produce horses like this - over some big name.
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Traditionally, of course, this work was not done by the young rider, it was done by a parent/trainer/head groom - or possibly all three - who were older, established horsemen, and a support group of people they oversaw. As discussed in another thread recently, it takes a village to make a good horse. Young riders now seem so keen to go it alone and I don't get it. Learning good horsemanship has always been an apprentice based process, with power often done by a baton pass! Now people expect to know everything about everything almost as soon as they are old enough to drive.
 
I do agree. The horses that came back looking poor had been at yards where the riders had spent very little, or no time, working away from home . But they did look stunning on top of a horse and very talented riders in their own right but the background knowledge just wasn't there. I will not be swayed by that one again!
 
I'm 20 so starting up in the 'professional equestrian world' so to speak

From my point of view the most important thing to do is get on a yard as a groom/WP, it doesn't have to be a top eventing or show jumping yard- actually a small but professional yard is best where you can have one-on-one help.

I have been working on a yard for 2 years now, it is a small showing yard of around 25 horses in total with a wide range of different horses from the show and competition horses, liveries, breakers + broodmares (in foal), stallions and old/young ponies out at grass.

I have learnt an incredible amount more in the two years I have been there than I have in my whole riding life!

I have a perfect set up which I am extremely grateful and appreciative of- just myself and my boss, it is alot of work for two people but it does mean I get loads of riding- one-on-one tuition and guidance at all times in every aspect of equine care and management + riding, schooling and breaking! I get to show + keep my own horses there!

I love it, I cannot begin to express how much I have learnt from dealing with injury and emergencies- from dealing with foot abscesses, casting, colicing, lame'ness, injuries by the bucket load and how to treat them (something which you don't really get exposed to with one or two of your own horses)

+ I've witnessed and helped foalings and covering mares naturally + AI, Handle stallions on a daily basis

I get to ride and break a wide range of different horses

Learn tricks on feeding and nutrition + tack/schooling/turnout tips/clipping/rugging/conditioning/fittening + helping in the running of shows, and all the rest that comes with it!!!!!

Plus you learn to deal with the responsibility of other peoples horses and time keeping of a yard, I am left in sole charge often at work and can happily manage the yard myself and am trusted to, dealing with owners, feed deliveries, farriers/vets/pyhsios when need be


It's a whole different world being on a professional yard, learning how to deal with clients horses, interacting and being involved in a professional atmosphere and presenting yourself as part of a team! You don't just have your own horses to think about and you're not just living in your own world and doing it your way!!!

I'm the sort of person who has great respect for experience, I respect people who have been doing a job all their lives and believe that is the best way to learn and grow!

+ having your name connected to a professional is a thing in it's self, my boss is a judge and has many many contacts, of course at the end of the day it comes down to - "it's not what you know, it's who you know" and I believe that is especially true in the equestrian world!


I am astounded by the amount I have learnt so far and will continue to do so, I have gain so many wonderful experiences and love it + I adore each and every horse! I am excited for this years foals and getting involved once again in covering and AI'ing mares! + of course getting all the horses out showing which we have worked hard on all winter!!!


in my opinion you cannot pay for experience and you have to build up a solid foundation for a good career in horses, it is not an easy industry to break into, so from YR to YR I would say you need to get yourself into a good yard- doesn't have to been fancy just with someone experienced who is willing to teach you everything and anything, from how to deal with injury to foaling down a mare to riding and competing at top level!!!


You only get out what you put it, no one starts at the top, and if you build up from the bottom with solid knowledge and understand from every angle then the only way it up, but if you rush to the top without that knowledge and understanding then the only way is down!

You need to prepared to work hard, get up early, muck out, ride the rubbishy ones and do the dirty work!!!
 
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^^^ What jessamess said. :)

I worked for a pro rider (not a big international name, but very very well known where I live). I was with him for 12 months and would still be there if it paid better. I loved that job. The work was hard and the hours were long but he was fair, patient and took the time to teach us all the required skills to do our jobs.

At all times he was diplomatic. No matter his personal opinion he never spoke bad about anyone... As has been said before, you never know who will be your next owner. Also over here at least, the horse world is small. Everyone knows everyone, if you whinge and complain about someone it WILL get back to them and normally the comments are exaggerated. It is not worth your good reputation to indulge in gossip and nastiness. :)

The best advice I was given from him was, "If people are talking about you, then you must be doing something right..." although this only applies if you conduct yourself professionally and are honest and trustworthy in your dealings with people.

I have lost count of the random things I heard about my boss while I was working for him, 99% of them where untrue. I was so proud when I had the first rumour spread about me :) Apparently the reason I quit my job was because I was pregnant... People I don't even know were talking about me because of my job. As far as rumours go it was a pretty tame one though. We all had a good laugh about it.

I wish your daughter good luck bubblegum :)
 
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