Ideas, thoughts, advice, all greatfully received. (grab a cuppa first)

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MissDeMeena

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With my life and general quest to be a 4* event rider...

Going back a couple of years, where i said all along that i could get up to 2* level on my own, without any help from trainers, and with no facilities.. I did this, completing two CCI**'s from just pretty much hacking round the roads.. I also rode racehorses part-time to pay for everything, working Mon-Fri, mornings only, this was earning me just under £200 a week.. (i then had a bit more 'pocket money' on top of that, riding a few 'normal' horses for other people in the afternoon, fitted in around mine)...

Then at the end of the '08 year, we thought that for the '09 year i'd really like to have a go at/crack 3* and Adv. level.. but there was no way i could do that without any knowledgeable help, and the facilities in which to practice in...
So, i found the knowledgeable help/facilities, and promptly moved Ernie over there on a DIY bases... (as some of you will remember from a certain post) this person has a rather over inflated idea of what they and their facilities are worth... So, all summer myself AND my mum
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have worked 7 days a week, every week since the day Ernie moved in, in order to work enough hours so as not to have to pay for the livery and lessons...
This has been great for the summer.. i've been living off my savings earnt from the racing yards.. I've learnt alot, and as you know, i've forfilled the dream of Adv. and 3*...

However savings don't last for ever!!!!!

What do i do now... ok, we all know that there's no chance my entry will be accepted at Badminton next year, but there's no fun in thinking like that
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.. So, with the potential that i 'could' be doing a 4* next year.. i obviously can't go back to keeping Ernie at home, and riding round the roads..

My 2 ideas are...
Find another DIY livery yard (without the over inflated prices) near to a big racing yard, work full time in said racing yard, where you can earn around £300 a week, with pool money on top.. and somehow fit Ernie around the racing
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Or
Take a job in an event yard, where i can keep Ernie, with amazing facilities, but a wage of £100 a week, which i just don't think i can afford to run a 4* horse off.. therefore would have to work evenings in a pub too..

Both options involve no sleep..
One involves alot more money than the other..
BUT riding racehorses full time does NOTHING for your riding, which has improved alot since i stopped!!!!!!!
 
why not try to find a place as second rider to an eventer, riding their young horses etc?
the facilities do matter of course, but so does having enough ££s to actually go out and do it... if not Badders, why not aim for Luhmuhlen, grab a lift with someone?
 
The £100 a week was as second rider.. I sent a reply back saying that, as a 3* rider, qualified for 4*, surely i was worth more than min wage.. but i've not had a reply.

Unless anyone knows of anyone else wanting a second rider, AND willing to pay more than £100 a week, when that second rider comes with a horse..
 
Hi MissDS

I don't know much about you or your circumstances so this is totally blue sky but...

It seems like the entire thrust of your ambition is to be an eventer, therefore I'd go for the second option, surely its going to bring you more options for the future and I think you need to be thinking beyond next year.

What about sponsorship, do you have any and could you get some. GiftHorseEventing seems to be pretty successful at getting sponsors, and without decrying her efforts, I think she only events at PN (sorry BE100).

The other option is - is it really not feasible to keep Ernie at home and buy in the help you need with the savings on livery? You might then also have more options of jobs you could take?

Sorry if this is not relevant to your circumstances/experience, they're just ideas and I don't mind if you tell me to P off!!
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Whatever you do - Good Luck!
 
Is it worth putting an ad somewhere, describing yourself and what you are looking for? there are often people who have the facilities, have homebreds they want produced and competed etc, looking for help.
it's difficult, because the 'full keep for Ernie' bit can be looked at 2 ways - if you're doing all the work on him etc it's worth about £30-£40 a week to you (for box, bedding, feed) but if he's filling a box they could fill with a full-paying owner's horse, that's a big difference.
 
Ok, I don't know much about anything, but..

I think you are worth more than £100 a week for you and your horse. Say good part DIY livery for your horse would be £100 a week on a good yard, then I think you need to be paid at least £200 a week on an eventers yard with live-in accomm (if you wanted) and your horse there for free.

My friend is currently getting paid £17k a year, rides a couple of the ladies horses and keeps her horse there for free. Much as my friend is competent, she has herself only competed up to PN level. She doesn't live in, and actually pretty much works a 40 hour week.

If you can't go with an 'eventer' as such, can you get a job with a nice person who has money and competes BE themselves to whatever level? My friend found her job through yardandgroom.com

ETA she also gets lessons etc paid for, and gets to compete her horse alongside her bosses which classes as a working day

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Hmm I don't think you've managed to find quite the right option yet.
Keep searching, I'd say see if you can get a better paying job at an event yard and also see if you can keep Ernie at home but get some better training eg boxing up a couple of evening a week to someone?
Whose that other eventer who manages to get to Badminton etc all ona shoestring, perhaps contact her and ask for suggestions?
You ride very well so I can't see why someone won't take you on.
Is it an option to setup on your own? Rent a yard and take on liveries/clients?
 
What sort of facilities do you need? Do you want someone on site to train you all the time or are you happy to go to a different trainer as and when you need to? Also, if I remember correctly, you're mostly based in the SW - would you be prepared to move anywhere in the UK or do you need to be close to home? I might know of a sort of situation that would really suit but nowhere near you currently!
 
Exactly K.. i guess he would be on 'full keep' because he would be taking up a box of a horse that would be paying that..

Re. putting an add about.. i've had one out all summer (in local tack shops), advertising my survices as a rider/producer etc. based at said yard.. I haven't had any replies, now that could just be because the customers arn't out there (not in this neck of the woods anyway).. OR they are, but they all know how over priced that yard is, so avoided me for those reasons.. Either way, i've had nothing out of it...

Morrighan.. All ideas greatfully received!!
Being at home has been the best option up to 2* level, as i'm VERY lucky in the fact that i get on very well with my parents, i'm also VERY lucky to be living rent free, as well as the horse being rent free.. hence i was able to save alot of money, enough to fund me for the whole summer at the above yard...
However.. we have two stables tacked onto the end of the yard and that's it.. to be eventing at 4* level, you really do need some facilities, of which i have none... hence keeping Ernie at home isn't really an option any more..
 
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Ok, I don't know much about anything, but..

I think you are worth more than £100 a week for you and your horse. Say good part DIY livery for your horse would be £100 a week on a good yard, then I think you need to be paid at least £200 a week on an eventers yard with live-in accomm (if you wanted) and your horse there for free.

My friend is currently getting paid £17k a year, rides a couple of the ladies horses and keeps her horse there for free. Much as my friend is competent, she has herself only competed up to PN level. She doesn't live in, and actually pretty much works a 40 hour week.

If you can't go with an 'eventer' as such, can you get a job with a nice person who has money and competes BE themselves to whatever level? My friend found her job through yardandgroom.com

ETA she also gets lessons etc paid for, and gets to compete her horse alongside her bosses which classes as a working day

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Now that sounds like my PERFECT job!!!!!! Tell your friend she's a VERY lucky girl indeed!!!!!
 
I think you do underestimate yourself. Both of those options would work but at what price? If the aim is the 4* then personally I think the option of being with the professional rider is probably the best bet but with more money.
I see Chloe has been mentioned previously, GHE appears to have an amazing aptitude for PR and promotion. Why not drop her a mail to see how she can help. It could be a mutually beneficial thing as if she helps a 4* rider its another string to her bow.
 
how far away are your gallops, trainers, a good school to use? too far to make it feasible to use those things 3 times a week, and work around that? (or, was that exactly the scenario with the 'staying in racing work'?)
it's a difficult climate, but there are people out there with the facilities etc, Stencilface's friend sounds as if she's in a great place there. of course, that means you'd be more 'go it alone' than in a Pros yard... how much benefit was that this year? did it make a huge difference?
tbh if you and your mum have had to do 7 day weeks to pay it off, sounds as if you're being very undervalued to me...
 
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What sort of facilities do you need? Do you want someone on site to train you all the time or are you happy to go to a different trainer as and when you need to? Also, if I remember correctly, you're mostly based in the SW - would you be prepared to move anywhere in the UK or do you need to be close to home? I might know of a sort of situation that would really suit but nowhere near you currently!

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Facilities.. an arena, and somewhere to do fast-work, that could be gallops, but more than likely i'd be happy with a field... I'm used to no training at all (apart from this summer) so of course i'd be happy to be on my own, and just go to a trainer as and when i needed to, say one a week, or once every two weeks...
I am in the SW, and would idealy like to stay here.... However, if the right opportunity came up, i'd obviously consider moving away...
 
Also do you teach at all? Even if you don't have qualifications many people (myself included) would rather have an instructor with 'experience' over qualifications any day
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Any chance of you relocating to Suffolk (when I move there) I will pay you well to keep my horse working when I get too pregnant and then you can teach me as well when I get back out eventing next year
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You are obviously a very hardworking and dedicated person and I wish you the very best of luck.
I think it would be worth investing in a good advert stating what you have to offer. As someone said before, there are plenty of people competing at lower levels getting good sponsorship, so if you don't have it already, this would be another area to explore.
I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help, I wish I could because I think you really deserve it.
 
Also, what sort of facilities do you have at home? Specifically how much acreage/stables do you have? If it's an arena you need (and I completely agree that it would be pretty crucial for you at 4*!) then why don't you think about getting a loan to do the initial work and offset that by working in racing all winter and maybe taking some schooling liveries/breakers/resting racehorses/whatever? You might be able to persuade a local company to sponsor you by doing the groundworks and maybe get a discount on the surface since you are competing at a very high level. With the prospect of going to Badders/Burghley on the cards, that is a sponsor's dream - the entire eventing market listening!

The problem as I see it is that if you move away from home, you are either going to have to live in somewhere and take a considerable pay cut as a result or you are going to have to find extra cash from somewhere to pay your rent. Therefore doing it from home is going to be the cheapest option by far.
 
OK, I'll keep them coming then!!

I agree with K - you're doing yourself down! Local tack shops is not where you should be advertising the services of a 3* rider! I know it won't be cheap but could you try advertising in H&H, Eventing, BE, EHOA etc etc get yourself a website set up and plug yourself all over like GHE does.

Would you be willing to move from your home area?

Are you BHS qualified and could you take a position at somewhere like Somerford or YRC (they are advertising for an instructor and working pupil at moment)
 
I think if you are able to move - which I know is most likely not ideal then you might find something to suit. There are people with endless pockets out there who just love to spend money, you just have to find them sadly
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My friend originally spent a year with a 4* eventer as a rider getting paid £50 a week with no horse kept there, I think she lived on cereal.....
 
WOW, thanks for all the replies everyone.. you're all going too quickly for me to keep up with
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Kirilli.. traveling to use an arena etc. is how it was working when i was working in a racing yard.. it's do-able, but takes too much time out of the day to do it too many times..

kit279, at home i have 2 stables and 2 acres, the land is on a slope and also used as turn-out, i can school on it when the weather is good, but a day of rain and it gets too wet.. there also isn't enough room to put an arena in, although i guess you could always make room for a 20x40.. however, have you seen how much they cost now a days, there's NO chance in me being able to afford one.. i'd have to do 10years in a racing yard before i got anywhere near to one...

Agree. GHE is pretty awesome at the whole getting sponsorship thing!! But surely even she wouldn't be able to swing an arena
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haha
 
I agree with looking for a yard job where you can take Ernie. You'd probs get more money at a general livery/training yard as a very useful rider and groom
 
Could you not put him on DIY livery somewhere and get a 'proper' job..? I know when I used to work as an event groom and then as an instructor after I got my exams there was no way I could afford to compete BE at any level never mind 4 star.

Also, I'd want the horse on a very good yard where you can do it all yourself or somewhere you know very well as I'm paranoid enough as it is but if I had a four star horse I'd be a bit worried about keeping him on your typical livery yard.

Good Luck with it all.
 
How about looking for work one day a week away from horses?

As a totally random suggestion I work for a Uni that runs the 'IELTS' test - stands for 'International English Language Testing System' co-ordinated and produced by Cambridge Examining body.
Anyway this test is run roughly once a fortnight at different centres (can be a Uni, language college, british council office etc...). As there is alot of security/confidentiallity issues associated with the test they pay well. I get $39 AUD per hour about £21/hr.

My only other suggestion is invest in a course to become a qualified 'Wool classer' not sure if shearing coincides with the event season, but they are always in demand and in Aus get about £30 hr.

Apart from that good luck finding a nice person with facilites and I definetly think you are worth more than £100 per week, surely you could make more by giving a few lessons?
 
Have you thought about looking for a Stable/Yard Manager job at one of the Colleges. They pay decent money, come with accommodation, you can take your own horse and they have pretty decent facilities...... the hours are generally regular which would allow you time for Ernie and it would be a coup for them to have a 4* rider on the team. Might be worth looking at?
 
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kit279, at home i have 2 stables and 2 acres, the land is on a slope and also used as turn-out,

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Don't dismiss the idea of building an arena, especially if your land slopes. The YO at my old yard financed and built his arena on the proceeds of building companies tipping the required rubble to level out the surface. Its £100s per ton to tip rubble and totally paid for itself and then some! Would depend on the access to your land, but its a fairly common way of building arenas in hilly Yorkshire.
 
Morrighan.. agree, the whole advertising thing would be great, but right now, i'm back at home with my 2 stabels and 2 acres, therefore i can't take any horses in... and i don't want to comit to renting somewhere fab, only for no one to send me any thing..

I'm not qualified as a teacher, and have done very little teaching.. i'm sure with a little practice i could get the hang of it.. but as some of you might of noticed by my lack of replying to 'help' threads on here, i'm not very good at telling people how to do it... Because i've had very few lessons myself, i never know what to say to people! I've learnt nearly everything i know through feel, therefore during a lesson, i'd probably just want to get on the horse and ride it myself, and poor person wouldn't get anything out of that...

Stencilface.. As i said above, i'll obviously have to give some serrious thought to moving, if the right oportunity came up!!
How on earth do you find someone with an endless pocket, and then talk them into helping you...

I think i'm destined to be like your friend, and live off cereal for the rest of my life. haha.
 
just an idea do you have anyone locally you can hack to re arena when I just had a field I used to pay £10 a week to use the arena on set days / times although they were flexable, just an idea. I would look to a few event riders and see if they want a second rider as I think £100 is too low for you me maye yes !!
 
Fanatical.. i did have thoughts of getting a 'proper' job back when i first moved him to the over priced DIY yard.. But i have ridden all my life and therefore don't have any 'proper' qualifications.. any 'proper' job i'd be able to apply for, was offering less pay than a grooms job, hence i gave up on that idea.

ISZ, no, i've not thought of that.. all sounds good in theory, but i thought all equine collage yard manager jobs would like you to a) teach and b) have horsey qualifications..
I'm just a rider, i'm told a fairly good one, but just a rider none the less.
 
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