Opinions on Oatridge

[brucea]

Daughter thinking about equine behaviour at Oatridge.

I've heard some seriously uncomplimentary feedback - anyone have any experience that they can highlight - good and bad?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I have never been a student there myself personally but it is notorious for it's drinking culture. We won't employ anyone from there full stop now. Too much hassle. Sorry!

 

[highlandponygirl]

I was there as a teenager and never stuck the course. I thought it was very disorganised and being 16yo and first time away from home, I felt there was not enough support for some of the younger students. Also agree with EKW, the drinking culture was pretty awful then, and a few partook in all sorts of drugs too :/ Was not for me.

 

[EventingMum]

Sorry, a definite no from me as far as equine courses (NC etc) are concerned. However if it's the Debbie Marsden part time course as opposed to the full time courses then I really don't know much except for the one person I knew who did the course was still as clueless after the course as they were before it however that maybe more down to the individual than the course.

 

[Quadro]

Not really for the intellectuals!!
Q

 

[TPO]

I know quite a few people who've "qualified" from there and they barely know one end of a horse from another.

I actually feel quite sorry for those people because if you don't have a horsey background and perhaps have only had access to horses via weekly riding lessons then an equine college course seems like the ideal "in".

No idea what the curriculum is but the "graduates" I've known do t know the basics of health care, management, feeding or schooling. There is no depth of knowledge at all. This is only based upon approx 6 people so I'm sure that there are dedicated switched on people they gave followed this path too.

Agree with EKW re the drinking culture. From all the courses there getting as wasted as possible and doing as stupid as possible things in the places you shouldn't be seems to be top of the priority list at that place.

 

[Jenni_]

Here's an opinion from an ex Barony College Student and very recent ex member of SRUC staff...

when I was at college, I chose Barony because of Oatridge's bad reputation, back when all the colleges were their own, and I loved Barony- especially the lecturers.

They now all belong under the SRUC umbrella and now (very recently) the Head of Equine from the Barony now looks after Equine for both Oatridge and Barony- and she is fantastic. Strict, but fair and a fountain of knowledge. I came out from college very employable- unlike many Oatridge Students I've known in the past.

Pair this with Oatridge's facilites and I can say its a very different place than many of the people in this thread (including me, if I hadn't went back to work for them) will remember it.

Saying that.... I'd still pick the Barony over Oatridge any day!

And those saying it was notorious for its drinking culture... whats going to happen when you put a huge group of Young Farmers together on their first taste of life away from home? yes some people take it too far occasionally, but I managed two years of college, a double distinction, whilst making time to be heavily fueled several times a week....

 

[brucea]

Wow. Food for thought there.

 

[laz]

I was there for 5 years as a student. Was an experience between the drinking and the tiredness of doing stable duties all week as they used the students as grooms as they only seemed to have one paid groom. Have no idea what's it's like now but we were treated quite strictly. I think I was at Oatridge at a good time, when Patrick was the head of the equine. I think standards dropped after he left.

 

[Marydoll]

Jackie at Barony is excellent, she was my mentor for my level 2 sports coach, what she doesnt know about horses isnt worth knowing

 

[Jenni_]

Jackie at Barony is excellent, she was my mentor for my level 2 sports coach, what she doesnt know about horses isnt worth knowing

Its Jackie who now looks after both Barony and Oatridge, and you're right- what she doesn't know isn't worth knowing.

They have a selection of staff to look after the college yard now (new yard, relocated beside SNEC. Old yards used as DIY for students horses I'm sure) The Yard Manager is great and a lovely lady, and she has a few staff ( I did the Payroll / HR so have a good idea of all the staff!) so I'd say its now pretty well staffed and students aren't free labour- although you still have duties.

I'd still pick Barony over Oatridge, but Oatridge isn't the place it used to be.

 

[brucea]

Interesting thanks. A real mixed picture.

 

[ridefast]

Get her to apply for an internship here http://www.scottishhorsehelp.com/

 

[Jack&Gill]

Oatridge is only what you make it. I have learned a lot from my three years (pervious to sruc). I've met friends for life and made many happy memories. Many of my friends were knowlagble before Oatridge and more so after, I also understand someone's reservations for hiring a student too. Some people just want to get drunk and I can assure you that many live in campus' are the same. If you're daughter really wants to go somewhere, personally I'd say, Hartpury college or get her BHS stages.

 

[lynspop]

I spent 2 years there from 2002-2004 (so before it became SNEC) doing my HND. Learned a lot and gained a lot of experience riding a variety of horses. Lecturers were good (don't think any are still there though) and we got a lot of practical experience.
Yes, we did "duties" for a week at a time about one a month or so but I would say they gave people a taste of what working with horses, and working on yards are all about. There was a lot of drinking when I was there, but most students I know party hard.
I have worked with horses continually since finishing and have spent the past 10 years as a yard manager/instructor at a small riding school/livery yard, so they must have done something right!
We often have students for work placement etc from a local college and I often think they are pretty useless, so I don't think Oatridge is the only college to have students leave who are not up to the job.
Things have changed a lot since I was there and facilities etc look better now, but I certainly had no complaints during my 2 years there- lots of riding, lots of hands on experience, lots learned, variety of horses to work with, good staff and help with BHS exams etc.
Shame if things have gone downhill since then.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I've done a few non horse courses there and found it really disorganised, often non-compliant farming practices being carried out. Poor fencing, lack of decent facilities. For instance I did a quad course there. The instructor regularly referred to the "hardcore ramps and tracks" we would be using later. Went out to the carpark and I kid you not the "ramps" was a big pile of what I had assumed was rubble, including concrete posts with the metal reinforcing rods actually sticking out the bottom of the pile. We then proceeded to "the tracks" which entailed clearing glass and nails from the entrance way from a recently disposed of, by burning, portacabin (!!) round what appeared to be the college dump, with long grass where you couldn't see hazards (tyres, rubbish, bits of metal). I've honestly never experienced such a dangerous "training course" in my life!