Stable management - where did you learn yours?

Where did you learn stable management

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Books, and from my first riding instructor. Used to work at her yard (unpaid!) once a week after school, every Saturday, and most days during the school holidays - she would pick me up on her way to work and drop me off as she drove home.

Problem solving, fractions, carrying heavy bags, how not to get squished, and more - all learnt at the yard :)
 
I haven't voted because there's not a button for a mixture of everything! I think the place I learned the most though was pony club. I come from a non-horsey family and learned the basics but not much more - literally how to groom, tack up and muck out but not much else - from the older girls when I was working for free rides at the local riding school. The owner of my first share pony taught me a bit but was quite a free range owner. Her horses lived out she did very little other than make sure they were healthy and their feet were nicely trimmed or shod.

It wasn't until I went to pony club with him that I had any 'formal' stable management education. We had weekly rallies in the school holidays and when the ponies were resting at lunchtime we always did an hour of stable management. February and October half terms were also stable management rallies as the pony club fields were usually too wet to ride. I remember spending one session learning to plait a tail. I went home and practiced until my fingers bled! That summer my pony developed sweet itch and never had enough of a tail for me to plait after that!

This place is pretty educational too ;)
 
Mine was, initially, garnered through books, which I read every day through out my childhood. The BHS manual was my bible. I did work experience at a riding school (I ended up staying on there for a few months). Then I did a youth training scheme at a horse sanctuary. I also worked, for a number of years, at several livery yards.

If I'm being perfectly honest, my knowledge came from all the books I had read prior to getting actual practical experience with horses because not once was I ever shown/taught how to muck out, clean tack, groom, tack up etc. I only knew how to do it because of the books. So, when I did my work experience at a riding school, I was pleased that the worst criticism I got, in the first week, was that I was "a bit slow," which considering I had no actual horse experience at that time wasn't too bad. The other work experience girl, despite telling everyone she was inexperienced with horses, was often referred to as "thicko," "moron" and an "idiot." All within her earshot. She only lasted a few days. She was kicked in the face, which broke her nose, when she was hoof picking. We went to the same school and it put her off horses, particularly "horsey people," for life, which is a terrible shame.
 
I would tick all those boxes bar the family one as I'm the only horsey person in my family.(and don't I know it sometimes!) I started as a child helping my friends who had horses and ponies, that progressed to helping at riding schools,going to college and taking my BHSAI, owning my own horses, and career as trainer and instructor. It staggers me sometimes to see people that have owned horses for years, still don't appear to know very much? If there has ever been something I was not sure about, I would read about it, google it, do anything to find out. When you see first hand the neglect some horses and ponies suffer, you wonder if some sort of aptitude test should be introduced before owning an equine. OK - stupid idea.
 
I read about all aspects of horse care for years and constantly watched videos, occastionally visited friends horses but not much hands on work or being around horses apart from lessons now and then. I then took a four day stable management course and rightly or wrongly, a few weeks later bought my own horse. I don't know everything but 1)I know that my horse will always be cared for and loved and 2) I am on a yard where the people around me have always had horses, if I am unsure, there is always someone to ask. Basically, I am learning on the job which some may not agree with and honsestly even I had doubts but its the best thing I have ever done :) if It was possible, I would have chosen to learn to have more hands on experience before buying, but like I say, I have learned more In a few months by Looking after my horse everyday and taking advice than I would be going to a riding school or something similar once a week :)
 
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