Is it time for me to grow up?

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ridefast

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I'm 23, I've spent 6 years working with horses and getting more dissillusioned with the horse world the longer I do it. I'm currently a working pupil which is great and gives me somewhere to live and keep my horse but I just don't see a future. I'm qualified for nothing other than mucking out really. I'm not competitive I just want to have fun with my horse. Do I look for a "normal" job? The only thing I'm passionate about is horses. I've reached a crossroads and don't know where to go. Half a bottle of wine if you're quick to reply ;)
 
I would suggest that if you want to retrain for another career, then do it before you get too old to qualify for sponsorship/apprenticeship & before you have any more commitments. I changed career in my 30's, it can be done but you are constantly playing catchup with younger people.
 
ridefast said:
I'm 23, I've spent 6 years working with horses and getting more dissillusioned with the horse world the longer I do it. I'm currently a working pupil which is great and gives me somewhere to live and keep my horse but I just don't see a future. I'm qualified for nothing other than mucking out really. I'm not competitive I just want to have fun with my horse. Do I look for a "normal" job? The only thing I'm passionate about is horses. I've reached a crossroads and don't know where to go. Half a bottle of wine if you're quick to reply ;)
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What about a job elsewhere in the industry? Food company rep etc there are jobs in H&H quite a bit. PS: you are so young don't worry for a while yet.
 
Is it time for me to grow up?

Yes :D

No seriously it is time to decide what you want from the future................

I decided at around 25 to get out of horses and get a job that I don't especially enjoy, but paid enough for me to keep a horse that I wanted to ride (rather than riding whatever I was told to get on).
 
I was almost in your position at 22 - all I'd done was horses, but I did have a degree (albeit a horsey one). I got pretty much chucked out of a recruitment agency once when I told them my degree was an equine one.

I can't really give advice as it's up to you, but the year I met my boyfriend (now fiance), ditched my stressful horsey job for an office job and started looking at moving out of my parents' was the turning point in my life. I felt utterly trapped in my minimum wage poo-shovelling job and I now have double the wage and horses to ride at weekends.

I think you've got to be 1000% into a horsey career, but I wouldn't say I was passionate about my office job!

Have a very good, long think about where you want to be and how you might get there :)
 
I understand where you are coming from. The horse world is not what it used to be and to be honest some of the people are just plain horrible.

In my day people had horse usually because they had been brought up with them, not like today when just anyone gets one with no training or know how.

My routine was 6.30 at stables, feed, hay net, 8.00 groom and i mean proper groom if staying in or tidy up if riding then full groom on return. Feed at 1pm if in and net. Bring horse in at 3 if turned out, groom them. feed at 5pm night check at 8pm with final net.

These days its nothing like that, horses seem to be accessories and the people who own them are not true horse people.

I did what you are doing for many years passed my AI but felt the industry was crap so came out of it for around 10 years. I then got the urge to have another horse so went onto DIY yards which was horrible. Over the next few years I got more horses and ran 2 successful businesses and put them on part livery which was awful as yard owners incompetant.

I now own my own yard with my own 5 horses and to be honest its great not having anyone else around.

I think it may well be worth you trying something else so at least you can see what your missing. If you dont like it you can always go back into working with horses but maybe on differnt types of yards or if your able travel abroad and work with horses in another country. I did and it was great.
 
I had a great 'horsey career' from 16 till 27 then retrained in law(night school) - wanted a house of my own!! Never competely left horses as in always had some, still taught and competed. Am now 18 yrs on and about to retrain as a part time editorial assistant and re-enter the horsey world proper. For me it is a vocation no matter how much I fight it, however never too young/old to do anything
 
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