Livery yard job dilemma...

MasterBenedict

MasterBenedict

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Has anyone here ever had to make the choice between working with horses and doing a job you will love for less money or staying put where you are in a job that you don't particularly enjoy but is better moneyand hours? What did you decide?

I know money isn't everything, but it is important! ;)
 
When I was younger I was working in a saddlers and someone came in desperate for a young groom to start that day and travel to Belgium straight away. part of me always wonders what would have happened if I had taken that job!

I personally would go for a job with better money, once you start making a bit of money more options open up to you
 
If you dont need the money and are young and fit, take the job! I had nearly 10yrs working with horses every sort of job from skivvy to rider for a dealer who got prosecuted by trading standards to eventually teaching which at least paid a living wage and had accommodation and livery included. I loved it and learnt loads!

However if you need to earn an actual wage and/or arent young and fit dont do it! Its very hard work and generally you arent treated well, and you earn a pittance. I still do the odd bit of teaching now and until last year was still teaching a few hours on a weekend which I loved. But I have a lovely office based job where I earn good money and they love me for my work ethic, learnt working with horses :lol: But I now do 7 hours a day, flexi time ish, and am appreciated for everything I do
 
I am *relatively* young and fit! I think what is making the choice hard is past experience.

I know damn well how hard the work is - I worked as a skivvy for 3 years at a large yard, lived in a caravan and was paid less than £90 a week for 6 days work. Loved the job but had to get sensible and get a proper job. Have a very cushy job now but really do not enjoy it, plus there may be some changes coming up soon (local government) and I have a feeling I may have to re-apply for my current job anyway.

Need to do some serious calculations but I think I can make this job pay the same, guess I just need to have a proper chat with the people offering the job as to what they can offer. Seems a very professional yard, but I would be employed on a self employed basis and I don't like the lack of security....but then my current job doesn't seem that secure anyway! Oh choices choices.....
 
no, no, no, NO!!!! If you have done it and its not been for you forever AND you have a job with local government then just NO!!! Horsey jobs pay minimum wage normally and if they dont, there is no scope for progression. I loved my years working with horses but I am now 10yrs behind the people who didnt! If you work for Local government, no matter how much you hate it, you have nice hours, nice wages and amazing scope for progression.Why not look at a sideways move?
 
I had to make this choice, and I chose working with horses for pittance- did not work out well!! I loved it, but I practically bankrupted myself to do the job and ended up having leave and get another job which was awful hours, shift work, but I needed the money and could start right away. Now I am in a job I do enjoy ish (work is work at the end if the day) not with horses, and I do my horses before and after work, and am actually so much happier this way. I enjoy the benefit of a regular decent wage (also option to pay into pension fund) and have something to look forward to every evening. I found that working with horses was lovely, BUT for me, everyone is different, there is always the danger for it to just feel like any other job and the enjoyment of going and doing my own would also feel like work, whereas now my work day passes so quick because I look forward to seeing my own when I finish.
As always, you have to decide what is best for you, just bear in mind that working with horses is generally pants pay, pants conditions- we all say we don't mind the wind and rain to care for our horses, but in reality when it is coupled with the pants pay to look after other peoples which means affording your own often means having zero cash often dampens the dream! perhaps questionable characters in terms of YO and horse owners ( not all obviously but we all know they are out there!) I have worked at three yards, a hacking trekking centre, a stud, and retirement yard, so all v different. I am happier now with my own that I can properly afford with a job that pays enough to make up for taking me away from my horse for 8 hours a day! Good luck with what you decide, and if you want any deeper info about just how bad money situation was/conditions/treatment, feel free to ask!
 
FrankieCob said:
no, no, no, NO!!!! If you have done it and its not been for you forever AND you have a job with local government then just NO!!! Horsey jobs pay minimum wage normally and if they dont, there is no scope for progression. I loved my years working with horses but I am now 10yrs behind the people who didnt! If you work for Local government, no matter how much you hate it, you have nice hours, nice wages and amazing scope for progression.Why not look at a sideways move?
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I know what you are saying with this. However, I am only on a year long contract that has now been extended 3 times. I have attempted to apply for 5 x jobs within my council within the past 12 months - they have ALL been ring fenced for internal candidates already in that role that are re-applying for that role after yet another shake up. I am always told I am free to apply for the job, but basically told me that someone already has it and they just need the formality of the interview to verify it :(

The horse job role is not a skivvy role. It's wages are much better than I have seen elsewhere and are not much less than I am on now. But I totally get what you are saying and I am very dubious about even considering it. I have always wanted to get back into working with horses but money has never allowed. Now I have a possible chance to do it, I don't want to end up regretting not looking into it seriously...
 
redders said:
I had to make this choice, and I chose working with horses for pittance- did not work out well!! I loved it, but I practically bankrupted myself to do the job and ended up having leave and get another job which was awful hours, shift work, but I needed the money and could start right away. Now I am in a job I do enjoy ish (work is work at the end if the day) not with horses, and I do my horses before and after work, and am actually so much happier this way. I enjoy the benefit of a regular decent wage (also option to pay into pension fund) and have something to look forward to every evening. I found that working with horses was lovely, BUT for me, everyone is different, there is always the danger for it to just feel like any other job and the enjoyment of going and doing my own would also feel like work, whereas now my work day passes so quick because I look forward to seeing my own when I finish.
As always, you have to decide what is best for you, just bear in mind that working with horses is generally pants pay, pants conditions- we all say we don't mind the wind and rain to care for our horses, but in reality when it is coupled with the pants pay to look after other peoples which means affording your own often means having zero cash often dampens the dream! perhaps questionable characters in terms of YO and horse owners ( not all obviously but we all know they are out there!) I have worked at three yards, a hacking trekking centre, a stud, and retirement yard, so all v different. I am happier now with my own that I can properly afford with a job that pays enough to make up for taking me away from my horse for 8 hours a day! Good luck with what you decide, and if you want any deeper info about just how bad money situation was/conditions/treatment, feel free to ask!
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Thank you for your very helpful and lengthy reply. Much to think about :)
 
Also to add to that, money doesn't not make my world go around at all, but sadly we need it for everything! Also, don't forget if it's in a self employed basis, then you will need to do all your own tax and national insurance calculations and keep logs of all your hours for proof. Also them saying they wanted you on that basis sounds a bit dubious, not saying they are doing it deliberately, but I would think if they wanted to offer you a job they could at least actually employ you, as you said, the security is a lot less on a self employed basis.
 
Haha sorry it turned into an essay! I just remember how hard it was for me money wise back then and some of the treatment I received, and how much happier I am now! Best of luck in your choice!!
 
Could you not widen the net with 'normal' jobs on a decent wage, and perhaps use weekends to train for instructor exams? I am using money saved from normal job to hopefully put me through vet school! And if I don't get in I will use money to open my own yard :)
 
Don't work with horses! Eventually you will want to buy a house and slow down and have weekends off and nice holidays and you won't be able to because you will have wasted years working with horses, only just getting by and barely saving a cent....

It sucks eggs having to do trainee positions in the future to get your foot in the door in a normal job when your 30+...... Don't do it! I regret it daily!
 
I was in a fairly similar position to you earlier in the year OP, i worked with horses for a few years when i left college - in the end i hated it, nothing was appreciated, hours were long, i had to work second job to make up my pay so that i could keep my own horse, i never actually got to do anything with my horse because at the end of the day i was exhausted and usually soaking wet to the bone and it just wasn't fun any more. I got a job with our local government, the regular hours/ wages and mainly dry work environment were great! but like you our jobs were always up for review, they were constantly moving goal posts - to those saying dot leave a LA job its not as cushy on the inside as it may appear from the outside any more! In the end OP, i knew i had to get out of the LA when they announced that there would be £800k savings made from business support jobs (me), I toyed with going back to horses but knew i'd regret it further down the line when i wanted to buy a house/ have some security. It depends what you want to get out of life OP i knew i wouldn't want to do it forever so by going back to horses i would just be delaying the inevitable, i just got a new job with a fab company with a great culture and hopefully a lot of scope for progression and am so much happier!
 
Going against the grain here..
I had a "normal" job and hated every second of it. Constantly felt bored and sad to be stuck inside all day.
I was told about a job with horses locally, and its been the best decision I have ever made. It's just on a small private yard, I have nice hours (8-1ish monday to friday with the odd weekend). I have plenty of time for my own 2 horses. I spend the mornings riding some beautiful eventers/hunters, have been given some excellent opportunities (eg taking their horses hunting when they're away, am having lessons from a top pro dressage rider on one of the ponies to make it easier for the young daughter to ride etc). I get good pay for the job/hours. I am definitely appreciated- got some amazing birthday presents off them, I get little treats left for me in the tack room "because I have earned them".
The only draw back is purely that I am self employed and so have no job security and have to do my own tax returns. I also worry about what happens when I want to start a family in the not too distant future, as its obviously not a job I can do when even slightly pregnant, but thats not something I need to worry about just yet...!
Not every equine employer treats you like dirt, trust me. I finally wake up in the morning and look forward to the day ahead, rather than dreading it. As long as it can make financial sense for you (I am in a particularly fortunate position in which I don't pay rent/bills), and you are sure its what you really want to do, then go for it. It doesn't have to last forever if you hate it, at least you won't be wondering "what if?".
 
You say the wages in the horse job are not dissimilar to that which you are getting now. However, you are probably in a pension scheme, and you will have the benefit of sick pay and holiday pay. If you go and work for someone on a self employed basis, you will have none of this, so your wages have to be higher to cover the benefits you will no longer be getting. If you are working solely for one person, and they are insisting you are doing it on a self employed basis, they are doing it to save themselves money, also I was under the impression that this was now illegal after the legislation was changed some years ago (hence the demise of employment agencies).
Having both worked with horses and in well paid non horsey jobs, I would chose the latter every time.
 
Horsey jobs are not all skivvy jobs for no money. Yes they are hard work, but surely better too be doing something you actually want too get up in the morning for that staying a job that makes you miserable. Fwiw I left a "proper" job too go back too horses and I worried that I was making the wrong descision but a year and a half on I couldn't be happier. You've got too make sure the yard is good and that you work for nice people but horsey jobs are not all skivvy work for crap money. What would you regret more? Taking the horsey job or stayijng where you are?
 
Second the not all jobs are back breaking with no appreciation, my boss if lovely she always gets us presents when she goes away and little birthday and xmas gifts and the hours are pretty much normal office hours.
 
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