riding instructor what is wrong with this industry - rant alert

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SouthWestWhippet

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I currently work part time as a riding instructor, I absolutely love it, I'm good at it, I'm committed to teaching and I would LOVE to do it full time.

But.... if I went full time at my local riding school as an instructor I would have to survive on a salary of abou £6 per hour. Which I really don't think I can do. Consequently, I also have a part time job working for the Council. I hate this job, I suck at it, I am completely demotivated... yet they pay me about £19,500 per annum pro rata.

I just don't understand why it has to be this way. Being a riding instructor is a difficult job to do well, the qualifications required are not easy to achieve - the work is mental, pysical and emotional... so why is it so badly paid?

I look at some of the people around me who have full time office jobs. Yes, they work hard but they have flexi time, holidays and sick pay, sometimes spend time on the internet messing around or emailing mates, and they are paid good salaries with plenty of career progression. They have bought houses (or are saving), drive nice cars, they go out socialising, buy clothes etc have pleasant lives. Yet if I was to go full time doing a job to which I am 100% committed, working long fixed hours, with minimum holiday entitlement, no sick pay, no pension etc etc (all of which I would be prepared to do)... I would basically be trying to survive on minimum wage. I'm a single person, I have no support from my parents so I would not be able to save for a house or get a mortgage, I'd probably have to part with my horse or at least stop competing her. I certainly wouldn't be able to go out socialising with friends.

All the riding instructors I know are married with their other half being the primary bread winner. But in the 21st centuary you can't go into a career on the assumption that you're going to get married soon so money won't be an issue!

Why is that a perfectly respectable career, requiring commitment and qualifications, is out of the question for me finacially unless I want to live in poverty for the rest of my life? It is not even as if there is huge career progression, especially if you want to focus on teaching rather than riding (I doubt I would ever achieve my stage IV riding for example). I'm 27, I don't want to still be worrying about paying the rent and living like a student but if I went full time as a riding instrutor, I don't see an end to it.

Ugh, I am really miserable today, I actually came home from the yard and cried. It is so ridiculous - I loathe my other job and dread going in yet the job I love and am good at, I can't afford to do. Maybe I have got the wrong end of the stick with this career but I feel so helpless.
 
Working in childcare is much the same - minimum wages yet you are entrusted with people's most precious possessions - their children. Then there are these footballers earning xxxx thousand per week - crazy isn't it? Hope your feeling better now.
 
hey
i also gave up teaching at the riding school i was at.
the wages were totally rubbish and i was struggling to afford my horses.
i worked my but off and was tired all the time.
i took on extra things such as running the pony club, training them for their badges and sorting outside examiners so they could take the tests.

i did all this off my own back and got zero back in gratitude or extra pay from the owners of the yard - despite me sometimes working til 9pm at night.

in the end i had no other option to quit and get a full time job as a flight attendant. i can now afford 4 horses ( were as i was struggling to afford 2 before) and i am happier but i do miss the teaching so i do a little freelance in my days off.

it is a situation that sucks isnt it?
is freelancing an option for you??
 
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Working in childcare is much the same - minimum wages yet you are entrusted with people's most precious possessions - their children. Then there are these footballers earning xxxx thousand per week - crazy isn't it? Hope your feeling better now.

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Just what i was gonna say!!

im on £6 ph working 40+hrs a week & trained for 2yrs years to do my job yet my friend work in an office & is on £5K more a year than me & 'any monkey can open mail & distribute to the departments'!

im now looking to go to uni to do my Early Years teaching degree so that i can continue to work with young children but earn enough to live off
 
Oh you poor thing hopefully you'll get some positive responses on here to cheer you up! Sending you a big hug via the net!

Suppose a lot of vocational jobs are low paid as they expect you to be so keen that the money isn't the main reason you do it.

I was also going to suggest the freelance option, don't know what qualifications you have to have/level to do it though and assume you'd have to have insurance etc? Could be worth looking into.
I pay on average £16 for a 40 min private lesson and have paid up to £30 for a dressage trainer, that was going to her and riding my own horse so she didn't have any outlay re travelllng.

Stick to your guns though I have had jobs in the past that I hated and didn't even want to get out of bed in the morning for. Maybe try contacting colleges or training yards where you can get higher qualifications or specialise in a certain part of teaching or horse care? Life really is too short to be stuck in a job you hate, I know I have been there! Good luck! X
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I'm qualified too....but would never dream of working as a riding instructor...nobody does for long...although it's fun when you're young.
The only way you can earn a living wage is in a college...where you can earn up to approx £40k, if you're head of a department....but then you need at least a first degree....and other skills.
In an industry where people advertise 'Minimum wage' and '4 weeks holiday' as though they were benefits, the signs are not good for any change....there have been threads on 'Career grooms' in that forum incidentally, with the new 'qualification'.
Nothing you can do...
S
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Very well said. I'm twenty-eight and have had my groom's job for four years. I absolutely love it, the ponies are lovely my boss is great to work for and I don't think there's another job in the world I'd prefer. That said I work a few hours a day 365 days of the year, have sole responsibility for the ponies and put my life to one side throughout the competition season while we travel up and down the country to do shows that last four days at a time. So not a job to suit everybody.

Comparitively speaking I believe my wages are quite good for a groom's job and I get flat accommodation and loads of perks but it remains at the back of my mind constantly that sooner or later I've got to get a proper job with prospects and higher wages. I have no pension, no healthcare, no house and no likelyhood of getting one. My parents still have to help me pay for my horse's insurance, vet bills and keeping the lorry on the road, and while I know they're happy to do this and can afford to, I should be able to pay for it myself.

I have no kids and no plans to have any, haven't had a holiday for thirteen years and am forever going to stay engaged as my OH is in very similar employment and situation so we will never have the money around for a wedding. Why are horsey jobs so miserably paid anyway???!!!
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Sorry for going off on one. You're probably sensible splitting yourself between the two jobs. Keep the one that pays well, doing less hours if you can, and freelance teach around it, IMO
 
I have every sympathy and next time someone on here complains about the price of lessons, in a riding school or not, perhaps they will think about this post especiallyas they tend to comment that These peoplesay they do the job for love. Well yes but like everyone else they tend to like a living as well.Its also interesting that Riding Instructor of the year comps tend to be won by people that don't work in riding schools.This might be one of the reasons why.
 
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ts also interesting that Riding Instructor of the year comps tend to be won by people that don't work in riding schools.This might be one of the reasons why.

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The BHS Young Riding Instructor was won by a very good candidate who deserved the win...
S
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[ QUOTE ]
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ts also interesting that Riding Instructor of the year comps tend to be won by people that don't work in riding schools.This might be one of the reasons why.

[/ QUOTE ]

The BHS Young Riding Instructor was won by a very good candidate who deserved the win...
S
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Think anyone who wins that award or indeed gets to the final (like one my RS instructors did) deserves the full credit.

RE RS wage - it does depend on where you're working as I know full well my instructors arn't on minimum wage by a long way.

Saying that - I'm earning £6+ per hour for my part time job in a shop and that's easy compared to working in a RS (having done that for 3 years too)
 
If you are young, I would keep at it for a few years. There is plenty of time to buy a house when you are older. I really wanted to work with horses when I left school, however was talked into getting a 'sensible' job. For years I regretted it and envied the grooms at badminton etc.

If would rather enjoy my job then work somewhere you hate. There is time to be sensible when you are older.

Obviously if you are in your 40's then ignore the above!! x
 
Luckily for me my mum thinks like you and has encouraged me to keep doing my ace job and helps pay for my horse.
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You're right I am lucky, I'd just really like to be self-sufficient and a bit more prepared for the future.
 
I totally agree with you, it is wrong and it sucks! Nowadays you either have to re-train or have loads of qualifications and neither are possible if you are on your own or have financial commitments like a horse, house and bills. It is the main reason I went self employed because I knew I could earn more money that way and once I had a couple of clients, they acted as a guarantor as such for further contracts. BUT the downside of this are many...not knowing where your next job is coming from, working all the hours god sends and evenings too, no sick pay or holiday pay or pension etc etc. But I would consider it if I were you because you can charge a lot more and word of mouth is very strong in the equine world so it will not take you long to build things up to a full time position.
Despite the above I would not go back to being an 'employee' for all the tea in china because despite the long long hours that I do, I work from home a lot so can at least nip out to ride my horse from time to time...that is worth it's weight in gold!
 
i know that feeling. I worked as a groom for a few years after leaving college, and just couldnt afford to make ends meet, and have a life. I now work in an office earning more than i did as a groom, but hate it! Im qualified to teach, but just don't have the means to be able to go freelance, and i hated teaching in a riding school environment....... it sucks doesn't it! People were paying £16+ for an hours group lesson with up to 8 people in, and i was earning just £6 for the whole hour!
 
I think it's not just a problem with teaching being poorly paid but the issues lie a lot deeper within the industry - How many times have you heard horsey people complaining that things are too expensive? Always asking for cheaper options etc etc etc - I was discussing a similar thing with another HHO member a few days ago - the thing is - If people aren't willing to pay more to the riding school for their hourly lessons, they're not willing to pay higher livery/feed costs, how on earth are the employers supposed to be able to pay higher salaries?

I think your only option really is to either stick with it part time and freelance for the other part time hours - or go freelance altogether.
Good luck
Kate x
 
Like many others on here, im qualified and worked for a number of years in the horse industry. Initially as a competition groom on a show jumping yard, then as a RI and then went back to grooming on a dressage yard. All I wanted to do, all through school was work with horses. I liveried at a centre where I can do all my stages and focused completly on getting those under my belt.

I always worked myself to death for my employers and took a great deal of pride in my work for it to rarely get recognised.

The last job on a dressage yard was more flexible in the hours i worked but the pay was still very poor at 5.50 an hour. I was even schooling horses that the YO wouldn't get on herself and interestingly, she was charging her liveries 20 pounds per hour that they were schooled.

Im quite fortunate in that i dont need to work anymore as the amount I was bringing was just not worth it and my OH was generally disgusted with the hours i was working for the money I was paid.

Ive done a bit of freelance teaching over the years which certainly paid better, but i never actually persued this.

My dream has always been to have a small livery yard at home where I can keep myself busy but not worry about the stress of profit margins and that's one of the reasons we moved over here.

Sadly though, its not just the horse industry, take a look at areas such as veterinary nursing also and you'll see those people also work insanely long hours, often more antisocial than grooms and are still paid very little.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
ts also interesting that Riding Instructor of the year comps tend to be won by people that don't work in riding schools.This might be one of the reasons why.

[/ QUOTE ]

The BHS Young Riding Instructor was won by a very good candidate who deserved the win...
S
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[/ QUOTE ]

I came third in the young instructor of the year 2006 and was told I was 'too riding school' to have come higher (not complaining as I was chuffed to have come that far up, I was only 20 at the time and was a BHSAI competing against BHSIIs etc, the winner was 29) I dont think RIs in riding schools are given enough credit for what they do, I echo the comments from most of you, especially the pony club, work til 9 and the benefits of freelancing. I worked a salaried RS job for a year, was eventually on £15,000PA which is brill for the industry and my age but I was chief instructor and yard manager, when I worked out my hourly wage after many weeks I was earning an average of £3 an hour with all the hours I put in!!!!!

Its definatly time the job, wage, holidays and sickness issues are addressed, hopefully with the introduction of the grooms union etc and the lobby to control insurance costs this will start to come more into the spotlight. It is appauling that the qualifications for teaching cost, on average, over a weeks wages for the average trainee. I have paid £thousands to the BHS between training, qualifications, the register and 'keeping up to date' and still this means very little to many employers.
 
Work backwards. You need to earn let's say £35,000 per year before tax and vehicle and petrol expenses.

Allow for 5 weeks holidays (including bank holidays and any sickness per year) and working 5 days per week.

I would suggest that you build up your reputation and start off doing just freelance lessons charging no less than £25 per hour and then try to build this up to 8 hours per day 5 days per week which will bring you in a decent income.
 
People will pay their cleaners and gardeners£10 per hour but when it comes to looking after their expensive horses will only pay the minimum...its madnesss.
If you enjoy teaching and are good at it then freelance is tha way to go, around here it costs around £35 + travel for a good instructor to come to you and give a 45 min lesson.
 
Everything in horses is too expensive and yet almost everyone who works in horses doesn't technically make a living wage.
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It's the same all over.

The freelance route, while it seems so attractive, is not a better deal. First, one has to have something to sell and the competition is fierce. Second, expenses are much higher and most people cannot attract a full slate without gaps and extensive travelling. Thirdly, there is absolutely no guarantee of income, even on a day to day basis, as people can and do cancel on a whim. At least in a good school you know you will be able to put in your hours.

Don't get me wrong, I'm the last person who should comment - I've made a good living in horses. But I've also worked hard, been lucky and had decent success. It CAN be done but it is tough and unforgiving.
 
Exactly the reason that I did not follow a career with horses - rubbish money for lots of skill, dedication and hard work.

If you look at the professional riders, our country does little to promote/invest and they rely on private sponsors to make ends meet. Compare this to third division footballers, who play for a couple of hours a day and their rates of pay !!!!

Its such a shame that the good sports in our country are not well supported.
 
Why don't you get into freelance with the Pony Club? If one of your pupils is successful the phone will never stop ringing.

As far as wages/charges to clients are concerned. I have heard this from someone else (who has since left the job) and I pointed out the the yard owner had to pay for all the expenses of having put in the arena, insurance, accommodation, etc. so they have to cover all that before paying someone.

BTW, this young person is now teaching freelance and has never been as well off.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I currently work part time as a riding instructor, I absolutely love it, I'm good at it, I'm committed to teaching and I would LOVE to do it full time.

But.... if I went full time at my local riding school as an instructor I would have to survive on a salary of abou £6 per hour. Which I really don't think I can do. Consequently, I also have a part time job working for the Council. I hate this job, I suck at it, I am completely demotivated... yet they pay me about £19,500 per annum pro rata.

I just don't understand why it has to be this way. Being a riding instructor is a difficult job to do well, the qualifications required are not easy to achieve - the work is mental, pysical and emotional... so why is it so badly paid?

I look at some of the people around me who have full time office jobs. Yes, they work hard but they have flexi time, holidays and sick pay, sometimes spend time on the internet messing around or emailing mates, and they are paid good salaries with plenty of career progression. They have bought houses (or are saving), drive nice cars, they go out socialising, buy clothes etc have pleasant lives. Yet if I was to go full time doing a job to which I am 100% committed, working long fixed hours, with minimum holiday entitlement, no sick pay, no pension etc etc (all of which I would be prepared to do)... I would basically be trying to survive on minimum wage. I'm a single person, I have no support from my parents so I would not be able to save for a house or get a mortgage, I'd probably have to part with my horse or at least stop competing her. I certainly wouldn't be able to go out socialising with friends.

All the riding instructors I know are married with their other half being the primary bread winner. But in the 21st centuary you can't go into a career on the assumption that you're going to get married soon so money won't be an issue!

Why is that a perfectly respectable career, requiring commitment and qualifications, is out of the question for me finacially unless I want to live in poverty for the rest of my life? It is not even as if there is huge career progression, especially if you want to focus on teaching rather than riding (I doubt I would ever achieve my stage IV riding for example). I'm 27, I don't want to still be worrying about paying the rent and living like a student but if I went full time as a riding instrutor, I don't see an end to it.

Ugh, I am really miserable today, I actually came home from the yard and cried. It is so ridiculous - I loathe my other job and dread going in yet the job I love and am good at, I can't afford to do. Maybe I have got the wrong end of the stick with this career but I feel so helpless.

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Exactly the reason why I work in an office....to afford a horse and to enjoy it on my terms.

Is there any chance of going abroad to work, taking a complete break? Remember that the weather isn't helping any of us at th emoment.....bring on the long eveings!
 
Thank you everyone for replying, I am so glad I am not the only one that feels this way. Doesn't really help, I'm still in the same position but at least I know I'm not alone!

It is a crying shame that riding school instructors are so poorly paid, I don't blame my boss either, he has tight profit margins to manage and high insurance etc to pay. He is a great boss and is very supportive in a practical sense, it isn't his fault the industry is so underpaid.

I think what I might do is to start looking around for another office job that I don't hate 'quite' as much and keep enjoying the teaching as much as I can doing the hours that I do (about 20 per week) - maybe even increase this if I can find a better paid office job. I have a degree for which I am always thankful because regardless I'll have that to fall back on.

Once again, thanks for replying, I know it doesn't change anything but it is good to know I'm not alone in finding it frustrating and depressing not being able to afford to do a job that I enjoy. I feel more cheerful now anyway!
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