Job with horses... i'm stuck.

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PingPongPony

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It's the time of year for me when all the important GCSE exams are coming up in a week or two. It has hit me that i should know by now what i'd want to do with my life.. but i don't know! All i know is that i want a job with horses.
I used to want to be a jockey, i love speed and horses, but soon i've realised i'll never be able to become one as at the age of 16 i hit 5ft11 so my dream is well and truly a dream for the rest of my life. I used to want to become a vet but after seeing my mums friend work sooo hard and sometimes come home too tired to eat, then also the extra hours, extra courses to keep on top of medicine all the time, i don't think i'd be able to keep up, plus i would not be able to put a horse down, ever, the thought makes me feel sick. So i'm really running out of ideas as to what i can become to earn enough money to have my own horses etc but something i'm gonna love. I just really don't know. Any ideas?
 
I had a friend who had her own riding school and had a nervous breakdown. She told me always to keep horses as a hobby-she was right. What about farriery or veterinary nursing? OH a farrier-very hard work, but without the nights and weekends of the vet's life.
 
All I can say is - don't work with horses longer than a couple of years. It's a life but it most certainly is not a living. Stay on at school, get your exams, go to uni and keep horses as a hobby.
 
Seriously? Who on earth knows what they want to do with their life at GCSEs?

I changed my mind about 5 times sine those, and even started the wrong degree course and changed my mind again...

I wanted a job with horses at 16 as well... soon got some sense though!

Do your GCSEs, faff around with A levels/college for another couple of years and then maybe you'll have more of an idea. Although at 18 I still didn't know.

You are only young, why squander any opportunities and tie yourself down?
 
since i was little i connected with animals better than any human including my own mum, so a job with animals is a definite yes and not even thinking a job without them. a different kind of animal as well so any jobs with animals.
farrier is a very physical job and even thou i'm strong i'm still a girl so would be harder for me...
 
Try not to worry, at your age (guessing around 16??) I was sure I'd work with horses even signed up to a college course for it after my highers were done. By 17/18 I changed my mind, realising that I didn't have the stamina for it and lots of other reasons, but didn't have a clue what to do next, by 21 I was working towards being a Librarian, now at 29 I'm qualified and working as an Assistant librarian :-)

Horses are a great hobby and to be honest I'm glad I kept it that way.

Whatever you end up doing good luck :-)
 
shiny-ISH said:
since i was little i connected with animals better than any human including my own mum, so a job with animals is a definite yes and not even thinking a job without them. a different kind of animal as well so any jobs with animals.
farrier is a very physical job and even thou i'm strong i'm still a girl so would be harder for me...
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Equine Dentistry?

Something naturey/conservationy?

What subjects do you enjoy at school? Take those for A Levels and give yourself another two years to think... :)
 
well for my GCSE's i took : History, Spanish, Polish, PE and Art.
Out of those i only regret taking history. i was thinking maybe mounted police but apparently is incredibly hard to get in nowadays.
 
Wow, Polish! We could do French or German, I would have been up for a more interesting language!

What about any of the core subjects? Do you enjoy those?
 
shiny-ISH said:
but if i dont know what i want to do then how do i decide which A levels to take?
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Then do the subjects you enjoy and are really interested in. If you find further down the line something is missing most colleges around the country do courses which link in to Universities superseding the need for A-levels or highers. I got my degree by doing 2 years at an FE college and the 3rd yr at Uni.
 
have talked to careers advisor but ended up arguing, my school is very pushy and posh so when i said i will not study at cambridge and i will not become a vet, the careers advisor told me that i shouldn't have come to a grammar school if i'm aiming so low... :mad: i suppose i might just relax and go with the flow, see where i'll end up :)
 
shiny-ISH said:
have talked to careers advisor but ended up arguing, my school is very pushy and posh so when i said i will not study at cambridge and i will not become a vet, the careers advisor told me that i shouldn't have come to a grammar school if i'm aiming so low... :mad: i suppose i might just relax and go with the flow, see where i'll end up :)
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Do what is right for you (except a become job-shy, that's not a good idea ;) ) Hate seeing people being pressured into going to uni, exactly why I went the route I did, much more chilled out :)
 
I'm doing my As levels if this helps, I feel very commited about working with horses but do take time and look at courses now in order to choose the right a levels... I wish i could have applied for equine science (hartpury equine has a good write up of what it entails) think this is an interesting area as you could go into nutrition which is always in demand... Whatever you do go to university and if you can get a degree then at least you have a back up if it suddenly hits home too hard... thats my plan anyways...
 
You probably won't believe this just now, but you are WAY too young to know what you want to do!! Give yourself a chance. I'd advise doing a broad range of A levels to keep your options as wide as possible. Include one or two sciences. During your AS and A level years you might be able to do some work experience and that, more than anything else, will help you narrow down your preferences. Take your time There are lots of paramedical careers you could looks at - physiotherapy, equine nursing, radiography etc. etc. Don't be in too much of a rush. You spend a lot of time at work and it is best if you are doing something you enjoy!!
 
I was in the same position as you last year. I applied for an equine management course at college as well as applying for sixth form, I did my GCSE's and did very well so decided to stay on at school for 2 more years.

As soon as I started at sixth form I wanted to leave, absolutely hated it.
My passion is horses and show jumping and I would of had to put it on hold for 2 years and I just wasn't prepared to do it.

I ended up dropping out of sixth form and getting a full time job as a groom on a big livery yard.
It's hard work, long hours and little money but it's the best decision that I have ever made.
...It has also confirmed that I don't want to work in the livery side of horses as my adult job! :p

So this is my year out.. and this way I get to earn money so I can afford to compete and for the keep of my horse.. as well as getting invaluable experience before going to college in September- to do the course I planned to do last year.

I think it was very worthwhile me going to sixth form for a couple of months, because now I know I made the right decision. :)

Money is important obviously, but it at the end of the day it doesn't make you happy.


ETS: If you want to earn more money than the average groom then I think dentistry/nutrition and the different equine sciences is a good route to look into.
 
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As others have said I would certainly advise staying on at school, if you are not sure what you want to do then take English, Maths and then subjects you enjoy, but probably stick to more traditional subjects. If you decide to go on to uni then you can spend your summers working with horses.
 
I'm doing my AS's now, I was in exactly the same position as you last year, I wanted to work with horses. However looking into them the hours are long and the pay is low, so in reality is it really worth it, when you can have a job that pays more and then have your own horses. And in terms of working on a livery etc you are unlikely to have the time/inclination to ride your own after a long day.

Honestly though, get work experience - anything you think you might want to do, even if it's only a day or so. You have time, and a massively long summer coming up so make use of it (I didn't, and i'm regretting it now.) Courses you colour look into that pay more are nutrition and also equine physiotherapy/osteopathy.

And I would really advise staying at school too, it'll give you more time to figure out for sure what you want to do with your life.
 
tbh you sound like you keep saying 'that's too much hard work' but you want to eat your cake too. I'm afraid a working life is hard work. There are woman farriers, and if you don't want to work lon hours for minimum wage you will not be able to work as a 'yard girl'.
I suggest an office job to pay for the horses tbh,
 
lydia_markwick said:
I'm doing my As levels if this helps, I feel very commited about working with horses but do take time and look at courses now in order to choose the right a levels... I wish i could have applied for equine science (hartpury equine has a good write up of what it entails) think this is an interesting area as you could go into nutrition which is always in demand... Whatever you do go to university and if you can get a degree then at least you have a back up if it suddenly hits home too hard... thats my plan anyways...
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Disagree with the section in bold. University is not the be all and end all- there are plenty of jobs out there that do not require a degree yet will allow you to progress at a similar speed and to the same level as a graduate. Some degrees aren't worth the paper they're written on either with an increasing number of people going to uni. Not trying to devalue a university education but it was that kind of pressure (mainly from teachers and, to some extent, parents) that pushed me to go to uni and "waste" 3 months and a couple of thousand pounds in loan!

OP, my school was similar to yours. After deciding uni wasn't for me, I went to Connexions to get some more balanced advice. They will give you career advice up to the age of 19 (I think) so might be worth finding out where your local centre is and trying to make an appointment with someone there?
 
Don't worry about not knowing at 16- I have way more years than you and still don't know! As the others have said, pick subjects you enjoy and why not try and work/volunteer on a Saturday at a groom's yard or riding school? Then you'll get an idea of what it is like. Whilst I know having a job you hate is no fun, neither is having no money to pay for bills for yourself, let alone a horse, which may be a possibility if you go working with horses, although stuff like dentistry etc might be a good combination? Whatever happens, choose practically what makes you happy and able to afford a comfortable existance and people re-train and move jobs at all stages of their working lives ;)
 
Farriery needs to be decided on early because of age - related funding issues. But doesn't sound like its for you. Get a broad education and maybe some work experience to help you.
 
When I was 16 I was going to be an educational psychologist. Turns out I'm allergic to children though - they bring me out in a rash;) In fact, 13 years later, I STILL haven't settled on one set career! Don't be in too much of a hurry to paint yourself into a corner. But remember, nothing worth having comes easy.

If you want to work with horses, why not consider taking a year or two now to work on a decent yard, get some practical experience, mature a bit, then get your A-levels at college when you have a better idea of what you want to do?
 
Take A level subjects you enjoy plus general ones.

Last year I took English, History and Health and Social. IMO H&S was a waste of time I failed English got an A in history.

Retaking more general A levels this year. Any academic ones are good, history, english sciences, maths and psychology (which I think counts as a science.)

Best of luck and don't panic I'm 18 and still have no idea what I want to do with my life. I thought I did but had it wrong. :)
 
Im 16 and have no idea! Im doing my A levels next year then doing a sports related uni course but then im sure i'll end up working with horses at some point! Just live life as it comes!
 
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