Uni or horses ?! Any advice, contacts or experiences? Help!

[Katie :)]

Hi, please bear with me on this one!.... I'm 17 and currently doing AS/A levels. I'm in a big debate with myself on whether to scrap my ideas about doing ecology(I love ecology)at university and work on my riding, with aims to reach top level showjumping, because horses have always been my passion since I was very young. However my head's telling me to sell my horse and go to university and then get a job, which hopefully will allow me to buy a horse again afterwards and be in a better economic situation. But on the other hand, I'm worried that returning to horses after university might mean i'm not in such a good position to ride at the level I dream of (plus I'd have to sell my horse!)! I've read up about doing courses and working pupil placements, but I'm just really worried I won't get anywhere, or be able to afford it...I'm not from a wealthy background (we have 1 acre of sloping land and nowhere to properly exercise my 17hh sports horse!) so I feel that could be a big set back, also meaning I'm less likely to be spotted. I think a big part of it is letting down my parents because I'm an only child and I don't want to fail and regret not taking the sciency academic route(which I do also love)! Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone has been/is in a similar situation or has any advice? I'm really struggling! Thank You!

 

[DiNozzo]

I'd stick the horse you have on loan to a decent rider who is at a similar level of riding as you, go to uni, get your degree and a job, and then take your horse back. The horse won't have lost too much if at all f you choose the right rider, and you can continue to ride through the BUCS riding teams if your university has one (and this would be one thing that would help me choose which to apply for), which would keep your eye in and allow you to compete.

 

[MyDogIsAnIdiot]

Honestly?
Go to uni.

There are so many other young girls like you with dreams of making it to the top and very few (I'd say less than 1%) actually do. Most end up working as grooms for the more successful competitors. The odds of you doing well in top level SJ are stacked against you - you/your parents can't afford the horses to get you out there, it sounds like you don't have any facilities at home, and what about transport? If you could get other rides how would you transport 3-4 horses at once?

I hate to come along and be a downer but you really do need to go to uni and get a good degree (at least 2:1, though aim for a first). It increases your earning potential so much and may find that you don't enjoy horses so much when you're being paid peanuts to shovel ***** with little/no riding.

Do you have to sell your horse when you go to uni? Could you take him/her with you? Or loan him/her out to a private individual or an equine college? It will depend on where in the country you are but I bought my horse in my second year of uni (now in third year) and she wants for nothing - it's not a struggle to afford her, but my accommodation is very cheap and I live with my OH.
You could always join the uni riding society which gives you the chance of competing all over the UK without the cost of having your own horse, and lessons will be subsidised. Riding strange horses every week will improve your riding no end.

I assume that you're applying for UCAS next time round? So you're currently in lower sixth/year 12? Depending on what uni you choose to go to you could take your horse or find one to share locally. If you're going to focus on London unis with a higher cost of living then you obviously wouldn't be able to keep a horse with you, but if you look at more 'rural' unis you'd find livery easily. I'm currently at Swansea and live about 16 miles away from the uni, there's fields round me for rent for £5/week, or livery yards with school, good hacking, and gallops for £20/week.

 

[Lipza767]

I feel differently than the other posters. Follow your dream but be realistic about how unlikely it will be for you to get there. My sister has just finished her masters degree and guess what she is doing for a job now .... a part time teaching assistant! 4 years of study for nothing as she realised she didn't want to work in the kind of jobs she studied for and loves kids. I work in an office and many of my colleagues have degrees and now work in a call centre. Having a degree doesn't guarantee a good job anymore. Follow your heart and except you may be someone else's dogs body or you may be lucky and make it. Maybe look at other areas to like dealing to help fund your competing.

 

[Katie :)]

Thank you! I'm not sure if I will be able to keep my horse because he's a 17hh sports horse who needs so much attention and exercise and is a 1rider horse, if that makes sense! You've made some really good points there thank you! I'm thinking uni will be the best choice

 

[Katie :)]

Lipza767 that's the thing i'm struggling with..If I go to university, will I regret not riding? If I follow riding will I regret not going to uni?!! It's so tricky :/ thank you though

 

[Tiddlypom]

Whatever you decide to do, keep working hard at school/college so that you get the best A2 grades that you are capable of.

That way, even if you decide to keep on with horses for now, you can always pick the academic route back up later on.

 

[ajn1610]

It's your life, you only get one shot at it. A fault in the education system is this idea that it is an inevitable linear treadmill. As long as your grades are good you won't shut any doors. My advice for what its worth: work your arse off apply to Uni accept a place but defer a year. Find a WP position you can take your horse to and spend the year doing the horse thing working for someone else learn everything you can. If at the end of that year you still want to work with horses then do it. If not you'll have worked it out of your system and won't spend your life wondering what if. Truthfully unless you are exceptional talented, motivated and lucky you are unlikely to be riding at top level competitively with the circumstances you describe but you may be able to spend a year really learning and improving your riding working for someone and then use that experience whilst you fund yourself as competitive amateur post Uni.

 

[JennBags]

Listen to your head, getting to the top in any sport is hard and competitive. In horse sports it pretty much requires money, land and a horsey background and family. Sure, there are a handful who make it who don't have a wealthy horsey family, but they are few and far between. You go on a working pupil basis now, and within a few years you are likely to have reached the top of your earnings potential, combined with a physically demanding, and potentially dangerous job. By the time you're 30 your joints and bones will start aching, and you'll definitely know about it by the time you're 40.

If you go to uni, by the time you're 30 you'll be just climbing your career ladder, you can keep horses as a hobby (and this will keep it fun).

 

[Leo Walker]

Take a year out, go to a GOOD yard and be a working pupil for a year. A year should be enough to cure you of wanting to work with horses :lol: In all seriousness though, a year out wont hurt, and will more than likely help you settle into Uni having got the what ifs out of your system

 

[MyDogIsAnIdiot]

Even if you go to uni and then decide to do something completely different afterwards you'll have a degree - it's not like they can take it off you because you're not using it! .

If you were considering going to uni to do e.g. Dance or something then I'd say go for the WP position, but as you want to do something that is realistically going to lead to a career in the subject then the degree will be of more use.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Personally I would take a gap year and see how far you can push the riding. However, you are going to have to get very serious about it very quickly. You need access to facilities and transport. You need to be out competing as much as possible. This is expensive but you won't get even local sponsorship until you have proven yourself at a decent level. It's not fair that you need so much money to succeed in equestrian sport, but unfortunately that's the way it is.

 

[Katie :)]

Thank you all, this is really making me think I appreciate the help

 

[avthechav]

My advice would be to go to uni, it is so much harder to go back to education after a long period away. I would apply for an ecology course next autumn, but talk to them about the possibility of deferring if you are still thinking 'what if....?' this time next year. If you have a year off with a uni place waiting for you, it will be easier to go back to education than if you don't- guess you have to weight up the probability of becoming a full time Showjumper vs the probability of becoming a high level competing amateur once you have graduated and have your pay checks! Also remember that depending on your university the holidays tend to be long, and so with good planning and good luck you may be able to combine your riding with studying (or just enjoy the horse free party time while you can, and get back to it when the novelty of mucking out free hangover mornings wears off! )

 

[jrp204]

I work in the Bioscience dept at Exeter university's Penryn Campus, have a look at our Conservation Biology and Ecology course. We have had students livery their horses at the yard opposite the campus.

 

[Katie :)]

Exeter uni Penryn campus is at the top of my uni list! I will definatley have a look, thank you jrp204

 

[Katie :)]

Do you know the name of the livery yard? Thanks

 

[JenTaz]

I'd consider university, I have had my horse with me while at university, and working part time for the last 3 years while still managing to keep up with course work and a social life, although my social life revolves around our BUCs team and club, I would say get a degree and then if you want take a year out after you have completed uni, see if you want to work with horses, i worked with horses for 3 years after school before coming to uni and at the end of it I began to hate horses, and couldnt deal with it, and wanted a chance to improve myself, hence coming to uni.

I wouldnt say that going to uni means you have to sell your horse though, you really would have plenty time for a horse, most courses have a max of 15 hours of teaching a week....my degree- agriculture and animal science has 10, and i work approx 20 hours a week on top of that plus studying and have loads of time to go hacking and compete regularly (when taz isnt injured)

 

[jrp204]

Do you know the name of the livery yard? Thanks

I will pm you.

 

[milos]

I would look at a gap year or two not only to explore horses but also what job you may want to do with an ecology degree. As degrees cost time and money so you need to make sure that when you do graduate that it will lead to a career and a job you want to do and in a location at you want to be in and also will said job fiancé your hobby ie horses. The main thing would be study hard this year get the best grades you possibly can and they will be the key to you doing a fab uni corse when you are ready. I feel that 17 with little or no job experience is very young to be signing up to a degree as although you may be interested in the subject you may not find the job at the end exciting. Personally I wish I hadn't rushed straight to uni put I felt peer pressure I wish I'd taken my time explored the world first a bit. I went traveling after uni had I done it before uni I would have done a very different course. Best of luck with what ever you decide.

 

[Eventer96]

As somebody who has just gone off to university in 2014 I would say uni!!! I sold my horse in the summer and although it was hard, it was the only sensible thing to do. Do I miss riding? Not really, you find other things to fill your time and believe me, there are so many new things and new people to do. Your degree will only take you 3 years and you can always go back to riding afterwards if you want to. I owned my horse outright so I now have a savings stash that is waiting for when the time is right to get another horse post-degree. If it make any difference, I'm doing Law and I would say that riding whilst at uni is expensive and a lot of hassle. If it's what you really want then you will make it work but you don't really appreciate just how much there is to pay for until you get here. I'd rather stand on my own two feet and not ride then rely on my parents to send me money just so I can ride.

Unfortunately, if you aren't knocking on the doors of Junior teams and the such like it is unlikely to ever happen. I know this may sound brutal but 90% of the time those that get to the top have been there right through the young rider rankings. It will be far more beneficial to your future to get your degree. You've got to look at it like this, would you rather ride horses for a living and be relatively poorly paid and have the risk of not enjoying them? Or would you like to get your degree, comfortably afford your horse/horses and cherish the spare time you have and use them to unwind.

Best of luck!

 

[Pigeon]

Could you not take a year out and really throw everything at horses, and THEN go down the uni route?

 

[Sophire]

Having been to uni, and having had a 'riding' gap year beforehand. I would advise the university route.

I had mine with me for 3 years of uni, along with a part time job, was on the committee for our BUCS team, active YFC member and great social life, along with plenty of time for typical uni laziness! It is completely doable and it's certainly what I would advise.

Without sounding cynical, but if you're not already there at this age, it's unlikely a year would do anything?

 

[Llee94]

Have you thought about Open University? You can do courses either part time or full time and you still get lectures (only 1 a month but they cover loads during them). If you go full time you can get maintenance loans from Student Finance as well. I am doing a degree through them at the moment and it is brilliant. It also means I can work full time and I still have plenty of time to ride and event my horses.

 

[follysienna]

Exeter uni Penryn campus is at the top of my uni list! I will definatley have a look, thank you jrp204

I'm a student at the Penryn Campus so feel free to ask questions! I sold my two before I came down here. The uni does have a riding society, although not a competition team, but they do lessons, volunteering at the Flicka Foundation as well as beach rides! I also posted an add on a horsey Facebook page seeing if there were any horses needing riding and I had loads and loads of messages from people within bus routes!

 

[SusieT]

What about taking a riding gap year between school and uni and then going to uni unless you can afford tos upport yourself and your lifestyle?

 

[Fuzzypuff]

It's your life, you only get one shot at it. A fault in the education system is this idea that it is an inevitable linear treadmill. As long as your grades are good you won't shut any doors. My advice for what its worth: work your arse off apply to Uni accept a place but defer a year. Find a WP position you can take your horse to and spend the year doing the horse thing working for someone else learn everything you can. If at the end of that year you still want to work with horses then do it. If not you'll have worked it out of your system and won't spend your life wondering what if. Truthfully unless you are exceptional talented, motivated and lucky you are unlikely to be riding at top level competitively with the circumstances you describe but you may be able to spend a year really learning and improving your riding working for someone and then use that experience whilst you fund yourself as competitive amateur post Uni.

This is what I was going to say. If you can do some teaching exams in that year this will help you in future - if you do go to uni you can teach at a riding school on weekends for extra cash and that horsey fix and if not then it's your starting point.

 

[Penumbra]

I've just finished uni, and I think it doesn't have to be as hard as a straightforward choice. I agree, there is nothing to stop you taking a gap year, and maybe spending some of that time in a WP position. I think that is the thing that will let you know if horses are for you. If you can take any BHS exams during that time, then do so, and if you manage stage 3, that will also give you extra UCAS points. At the end of the year, you can choose not to take up your place if you think horses are for you. You may not make it to the top competitively, but you might decide you want to be a groom or an instructor rather than going to uni.

While I was at uni, I didn't have to give up riding. The summer holidays are quite long, and I spend some time during them working at a trekking center/riding school. I'm also pretty small and light, and used to exercise and school some children's ponies during term time. Getting experience on different horses in different settings definitely improved my riding.

If you take the option of the gap year, at least you will know that you tried horses and you will be making a much more informed choice. Then, if you decide to go to uni, you will be able to commit wholeheartedly rather than always thinking "what if".

 

[ApolloStorm]

Having just done my first term at uni studying Physics, I'm seriously regretting my choice and wish I'd done something different. My only advice to you is if you do choose to go to uni, make sure you LOVE LOVE LOVE the subject you're studying, I thought I liked physics, but doing it for 1 term at uni and I hate it! So I've decided to transfer to a different course starting next september, ironically an animal based one. Do check if the places your thinking of going have an equi club. That has been a life saver for me, I don't have to work ridiculous hours to pay for a horse, but I still get my horse fix.
On a gap year, you will lose nothing by taking one ( unless you were studying a maths based subject then you'll be a little rusty probably) I would say the same as everyone else, WP, then if you feel that uni will give you more, go to uni, but if you're getting lot from the WP position then stick with it.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was do what you love the most, You'll never work a day in your life if you love what you do. But you just have to be realistic about wage if you work with horses!

 

[Yellow_Ducky]

I agree with eventer96. I went the uni route and can now afford my own transport, good set up and am out most weekends enjoying competing with my horse. I love time spent with my horse and am very lucky. Unless you can make it to the top, there is not a lot of money working with horses and it can turn our passion into a chore. I know I wouldn't want to be mucking out a yard all day then have to go do my own!