How to get into Eventing? Not a horse owner

[ShaneJ]

Hello! I really want to get into eventing! I am 16 and have been riding for a year and a half can walk trot canter jump (poles only). I don't own a horse as my parents can't afford it. I go riding every saturday and just really want to rise through the ranks in riding but have no clue how to. I live in merseyside the St Helens area. I am very confident in riding i would have no fear trying an XC Fence. At the riding school i go to currenty i feel like a 1 hour group jumping lesson where it is full of kids is not going to benefit me but i don't know how to tell the instructor i want to go into Eventing. Any advice is appreciated i am new to this forum.

 

[FireFly29]

Hi, welcome to the forum!
Have you had much experience of yard management? If not I would suggest trying to help out at your local yard to get some more experience and then maybe look at getting a share horse? That way you'll get experience of riding a non riding school horse and may get a chance to compete if the owners have transport.
It will be important to still have lessons though.
You could also try volunteering at local unaffiliated horse trials by being a fence judge, organisers are usually really grateful for the help and you'll learn a lot about how the day runs.
If its something you want to make a career out of then you may benefit from going down the working pupil route and working your way up. It will probably be hard graft, poor pay and there's no guarantees of anything!
Eventing is a very expensive and time consuming sport, so your other option is to get a better paid non horsey job and fund it yourself, which is what I did.

 

[blitznbobs]

i think with your v limited experience you have 2 options.

1) get a job on a yard with horses tbh your chance of getting a job on an event yard is minimal atm so go for any yard you can find and work your way into some experience.

the more reliable way is


2) get a good education and a good job and pay for a horse yourself... takes a bit longer but youll own your own horse and have the freedom that youll never have riding other peoples.

 

[pip6]

Ditto above. Trouble is you are comparing your experience to the level you see in the RS lessons. 'Real' horses, outside of RS are often much more energetic & forward going. An event type not being rude will be way above the level you have come near. Get a job in a private yard, expect to work a long time getting used to horses on the ground before you ride. Be realistic, expect to start at the bottom. About 80 hours riding experience in a RS is not going to impress a YO such that they want to stick you on their prize eventer. Everyone, even the top riders, have had to put many years of work into stable management & basic riding before they got near a quality animal going XC. Like the rest of us you need to put in the time before you get to follow your dreams. It can be done, show them your enthusiasm & willingness to do all types of work in order to learn. As for your RS lessons, chat to your instructor & tell her your dreams & what you want to work towards, it will help her in structuring your training. Make it so you do benefit from the lessons. Don't forget, if you want to jump you flatwork has to be very good as well, you have to be able to control strides & place your horse in order to give it a chance to clear a fence.