What would you do???

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MissDeMeena

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If you were offered a job by your idol
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For a very small wage, but with the chance to keep your horse there too (so obviously wage isn't going to be big).
But very little if no training at all.....

So, would you work in the yard just cos of who it is, and the fact that it would look very good on your CV in years to come, and the use to some fab facilities (that you wouldn't have at home)..

Or, could you not justify working for such a small wage and not getting any training either!!
 
Depends what your primary objective is really - if it is about improving your riding then perhaps better to look for somewhere with more commitment to provide meaningful training. If it is about improving your CV then go for it.

Not much experience of the horse world as an employment market, in most industries you need to stick at something for 2-3 years to make it meaningful. The attraction of being close to your idol could wear thin (particularly when you get to know all their bad habits and naughty tricks).
 
It would very much depend on how the yard operates. Eg I worked with a fab guy years ago, never had any training at all, but learnt a huge invaluable amount in a very short space of time. Not wishing to be a creep, but your riding is pretty advanced and as an intelligent person I am sure that you would be able to learn and apply methods with out having a 'lesson' thrust upon you
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If it is a 'once in a lifetime' and you can then do it!
 
Ok, being impartial and practical and trying to put myself in your shoes:

What will you achieve by working there? Will you have the time and money to compete your own horse? Will you improve your skills just by being there and riding the horses? If you take the job, how long are you planning on staying there for? Is it likely that other doors will open as a result of you being there? What are your other options?
 
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Ok, being impartial and practical and trying to put myself in your shoes:

What will you achieve by working there? Will you have the time and money to compete your own horse? Will you improve your skills just by being there and riding the horses? If you take the job, how long are you planning on staying there for? Is it likely that other doors will open as a result of you being there? What are your other options?

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^^^^
What she said.
If you dont get the time or have the money to afford to compete is it worth it?
If however, you are likely to make a name for yourself like others have for working there, perhaps opportunities to ride other horses for ppl will come along?

Put it this way, you could do it now, but not in 10 years time
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Well i've just come back from a 3 week trial there..
I took a horse with me that was just about happy at PN level, but it's owner wanted it to have a go at Novice level, which we'd done twice, and twice not finished..
My 3 weeks ended on Sunday, with the Novice at Dauntsey, where the horse stormed round like a pro (it did have two stops at a skinny, but was 100% improved)..

So i guess i have learnt alot in 3 weeks, but i also spent alot of time poo picking fields
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I know in a yard such as the one i'm thinking of, no one is too good to poo pick fields, and i'm more than happy to muck in and help out with any job.. but at the same time it made me feel like i'd taken a huge backward step, having come from a yard where all i ever did was ride, (Grand National and potential Gold Cup horses up the gallops) in this yard i'm not aloud on the gallops till i've ridden the old school master up there a few times and learnt how they like you to ride up the gallops...
 
Go for it! - if your like me and most of your expenditures go on horse and rent costs anyway. - if you find it doesnt work out that stick it out for the winter - nice facilities make bad weather seem less bad if you know what I mean esp if your not trudging about in the mud! Lucky you! - would love such an opportunity - whos it with?!!?
 
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Crikey Baydale - *and breath* - interrogation or what....!

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Well she did ask.
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(And we've had a conversation about it prior to this post, so I'm not being sharp or short, just less flippant than usual!)
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Well i've just come back from a 3 week trial there..
I took a horse with me that was just about happy at PN level, but it's owner wanted it to have a go at Novice level, which we'd done twice, and twice not finished..
My 3 weeks ended on Sunday, with the Novice at Dauntsey, where the horse stormed round like a pro (it did have two stops at a skinny, but was 100% improved)..

So i guess i have learnt alot in 3 weeks, but i also spent alot of time poo picking fields
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I know in a yard such as the one i'm thinking of, no one is too good to poo pick fields, and i'm more than happy to muck in and help out with any job.. but at the same time it made me feel like i'd taken a huge backward step, having come from a yard where all i ever did was ride, (Grand National and potential Gold Cup horses up the gallops) in this yard i'm not aloud on the gallops till i've ridden the old school master up there a few times and learnt how they like you to ride up the gallops...

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Im delighted Orla went so well for you yesterday in testing conditions.
Equally, doing what youve been doing is the norm.
One yard I had to be taught how to muck out WTF
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but thats what they do.
How often do these opportunities come along? thing is, atm you wouldnt be able to set up on your own as you dont have the name for yourself.
But in time, and with thsi type of back up at home you may do
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Look at your achievements with little to no facilities!! they could be even better with what you now have available - with a little poo picking in between lol
 
What will you achieve by working there?
I hope to go from someone who just takes part at 2* level, to someone who's getting placed at 3* level.. Weather that happens or not is quite another matter

Will you have the time and money to compete your own horse?
I get one day off a week, therefore if i go to an event that'll be my day off.. so yes, i'll get the time to compete (tho i'll obviously be shattered)... re. the money, with the new sponsor, that should help with paying for it..
The one fairly big problem will be getting to the events.. i have been offered free lifts on the lorry to events, if they are going, and if there is space.. however, the change of there being space sounds fairly slim..
option 2.. i've been offered the little lorry to get myself to events, but if that's the case, then i'd have to put fuel in myself.. affording that is quite another matter..

Will you improve your skills just by being there and riding the horses?
At first i thought not, but so far i've been proved wrong, having had an amazing ride on Orla at Dauntsey, and mum also noticed an improvment after the first week when i came home to ride Polly

If you take the job, how long are you planning on staying there for?
For as long as it works.. so far i've been told that if i just want to stay for xmas, then that's fine, but if i want to stay for longer, like 1 or 2 years, then am sure that would be fine too..

Is it likely that other doors will open as a result of you being there?
Not sure, but i'd say yes, as it would be a good name to drop
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What are your other options?
Well this is my first day home, and i've had a good look, and i can't find much, so not alot it looks like
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Mmm, interesting one. Are we allowed to ask who it is? Or can you PM me? I do think it makes a huge difference to work for your idol but I also think that you may have to put your own eventing career on the backburner because of it. But if it means you gain more knowledge and experience, I would go for it but maybe only for a year.

I think there are too many for's and against's and you have to go with your gut instinct on this one.

Very exciting though
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So what's your gut feeling MdM? That's what I'd end up going with.

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Agree with this, especially as you've had 3 week trial so should have a pretty good idea what you are letting yourself in for. FWIW if wage tiny and no training as such, I think you need to be clear in your own mind what's in it for you as you are too experienced to be a WP
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Beware of people abusing their "idol" status and taking you for a ride
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No idea of who you are referring to and what the deal is but I'd go back to Baydale's question, and don't do it just because you feel flattered to be asked. Good luck whatever you decide...

PS You are West Country, aren't you? You must know Helen West, ask her about her Mark Phillips experience as could be relevant
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Knowing what I know about it I would stay if I were you. Simply because if you look at the people whose footsteps you are following in, they were not prominant on the circuit whilst they were there....but they sure as hell are now. Which to me suggests that if you sacrifice the short-term gains of being out competing a lot for the next two seasons say, then the long-term rewards are likely to be far higher than if you try and 'go it alone' from here on in.
 
''Will you improve your skills just by being there and riding the horses?
At first i thought not, but so far i've been proved wrong, having had an amazing ride on Orla at Dauntsey, and mum also noticed an improvment after the first week when i came home to ride Polly''

So you did actually get training on the horses? They gave you tips on how to ride them etc?
Or were you just poo picking/mucking out the whole time?
 
Re: The poo-picking? Could that just be a little 'attitude tester'?
The reason I ask this, many people who have competed at a decent level (and quite often IME in racing yards, the lass with her eventer!Bitter experience speaking) usually have a bit of an attitude that requires adjustment. To be perfectly honest if you think your riding has improved by spending 3 weeks poo-picking then surely it has be a good place?
 
Actually your dilemma is exactly what Ive thought long and hard about recently. I like you have an ace horse so I did seriously think about going to be a WP for someone good.

BUT I remember only too well, how horrible it was never to have time for your own horse, never being able to afford many comps, never being able to afford that new saddle I wanted, or go to that yogi briesner training clinic down the road, or to put diesel in the lorry etc etc etc...

Therefore Id much rather work flexi time in nursing..get the mornings off to go riding.. get enough money to pay for everything that I want for my horse, do all the training I want to do, happily fill the lorry up to the brim instead of putting just £10 in at a time...it is just a bliss feeling to be able to afford that now.
I think being able to afford regular training with the top people is far more beneficial than going to be a WP pupil for someone. Every time you go for your paid lesson, you can always pick their brains about how they run/manage things...

At the end of the day, to be a WP is to just be used as a slave...especially if they are not going to give you any training. But perhaps you might get an amazing insight into how they run things and pick up some incredible tips. Or perhaps not.
 
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So you did actually get training on the horses? They gave you tips on how to ride them etc?
Or were you just poo picking/mucking out the whole time?

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You'll prob. be albe to help with this more than most..
I'm also deaf..
No, no training as such, more that if you get the chance to ride in the school at the same time as them, they will shout the odd bit of advice to you, very helpfull if you can hear what they are telling you.. more often than not i don't, i then have to stop and ask them to repeat themselfs.. during our little 'chat' at the end of the 3 weeks, they did pick up on this, and said that on some days they'll be more than happy to repeat themselft, but on others they'll be too busy... so they were worried by how much i'd get out of it!!
 
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What are your other options?
Well this is my first day home, and i've had a good look, and i can't find much, so not alot it looks like
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Get on the phone to anyone and everyone who may be looking for a rider/know of someone looking and sell yourself. I have this overriding (sorry for the pun, but TD started it!) feeling that you're selling yourself short there. Fire off some letters to other riders with huge yards, really selling your skills and experience, then see what response you get before you make a final decision.

(Btw this is all very easy for me to say whilst sat at my desk in my secure office job that funds my horses,
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but if I'd had your ability and drive when I was younger I'd have been happy for someone to kick my butt and make me stick my neck out to get the best job I possibly could.)
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I would do it for a year and then move on- knowing that my CV was now very string.

One sticking point for me would be how much time you get to do your horse a) At home
b) At competitions
and also, would they do him for you on your days off?
 
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So you did actually get training on the horses? They gave you tips on how to ride them etc?
Or were you just poo picking/mucking out the whole time?

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You'll prob. be albe to help with this more than most..
I'm also deaf..
No, no training as such, more that if you get the chance to ride in the school at the same time as them, they will shout the odd bit of advice to you, very helpfull if you can hear what they are telling you.. more often than not i don't, i then have to stop and ask them to repeat themselfs.. during our little 'chat' at the end of the 3 weeks, they did pick up on this, and said that on some days they'll be more than happy to repeat themselft, but on others they'll be too busy... so they were worried by how much i'd get out of it!!

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No way !! I never realised that you were.. !
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Their attitude to that really bothers me somewhat. But it is reality I guess. However if they ever became really patronising or difficult about repeating stuff I'd tell them where to stick it
 
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No, no training as such, more that if you get the chance to ride in the school at the same time as them, they will shout the odd bit of advice to you, very helpfull if you can hear what they are telling you.. more often than not i don't, i then have to stop and ask them to repeat themselfs.. during our little 'chat' at the end of the 3 weeks, they did pick up on this, and said that on some days they'll be more than happy to repeat themselft, but on others they'll be too busy... so they were worried by how much i'd get out of it!!

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Having met you I think this is the easily solveable bit - you ask them to yell your name and give you a chance to look at them/position yourself appropriately before they give you any advice - that alerts you, they don't have to stop and you don't hold them up. Ok, so maybe it's not instant, but frankly in a windy arena in winter most of us have struggled to hear people so I think that's a bit of a rubbish thing for them to say....like I say I think it is easily worked round and if they aren't prepared to do that then I would be quite shocked.
 
I agree with SC. The stronger your CV is the better especially with horses at the moment. The economic climate means that horses will be the first thing to be cut back as they are luxurys.
 
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