Who on here used to work professionally with horses?

[Tiddlypom]

As title, really.

A fair few HHOers seem to have worked professionally with horses in the past, but have now gone on to work in very different fields. Several seem to have acquired some pretty serious equine qualifications, such as the BHS stage 4 and what not.

I'll kick off. I'm very much an amateur, though I did briefly work on a yard under the eagle eye of a dragon lady BHSI who taught me a lot about stable management. I got properly bawled out if my work did not come up to scratch! I worked to offset my diy livery bill rather than actually getting paid, though, so it doesn't really count.

I don't have any of the BHS stages, though I do have the Riding Club grade 3 which was supposed to be the equivalent of BHS stage 3.

For those who did used to work with horses, would you also mind saying what you do now ?

 

[Clodagh]

I am an amateur who has been paid over the years to look after horses. No qualifications higher than lowly PC ones. Started on a Connemara stud as a teen, then in Australia I handled yearlings for the sales. Back in UK as a parent I did freelance groom work and then worked at a livery yard.
ETA I forgot the best bit of riding for a dealer who imported decent Irish horses.
I now work in a pub. Mainly though I’ve been in retail.

 

[Rowreach]

...

 

[windand rain]

Used to teach kids to ride but retired 5 years ago

 

[SibeliusMB]

30 years in horses. Started riding at 6 or 7 and was working at the barn by the age of 10, thankfully at farms that emphasized correct horsemanshippractices. Was the weekend/assistant barn manager by 18. Went to college for a four year equine business management degree; had many riding, training, anatomy/physiology, disease & injury, and general barn/yard management classes in addition to the business curriculum. Trained in equine first aid and qualified to give IM and IV injections of prescribed meds...back home in the States, anyway. I rode, trained, and managed farms in the US professionally for four or five years before I got completely burned out on horses and joined the military instead. Much better pay and benefits.

Now I just do the horses for fun but am grateful for the experience and knowledge I received.

 

[HashRouge]

I was a groom on two different SJ yards for about 18 months total. It was never intended to be permanent, just a way to save up to go travelling. When I left my second yard (where I was YM for a year) I spent 3 months in South America then did a masters at Oxford. Now I'm a teacher

 

[chaps89]

A summer in a riding school after leaving college was enough to put me off working with horses. It was the people that put me off though!
I did btec national certificate and nvq level 2 (equivalent to BHS stage 2 at the time) at college many years ago.
I’ve dabbled in working with horses since, teaching (which I love, I did all my training could just never afford the exams) and freelance a little bit now.
I work 4 or 4.5 days a week in tech for a charity, do a pub shift once a fortnight and work at a yard one afternoon a week, occasionally more.
Occasionally I cover at a friends yard too.
As much as I like the variety and it’s nice to be paid for easy mucking out/turning out etc, I definitley couldn’t do that any more than I do, it doesn’t occupy my brain enough.
About 8 years ago I ‘worked’ one day a week at a dealers yard, no payment but plenty of riding, the odd lesson, outings in the lorry. I loved it and wish I could find the same thing now!

 

[teapot]

Five years of ops/office management for commercial yards, have part of my I/Stage 5 (and what gets you to that point too).

Recently left for the Civil Service and forgotten what a horse is already ?

 

[Smoky 2022]

I used to spend the summer as a teenager working in a riding school . I did get my BHS stage 2 . I quit when I turned 20 and bought my own horse.

 

[Pippity]

Weekend job as a riding instructor at my local dodgy riding school when I was 15-17. I was just teaching the lead rein tots, so hopefully I didn't do too much damage.

It was when I realised the YO who looked in her 40s was only a few years older than me that I decided not to work with horses. I'm now a network consultant, which is a far easier, better-paid life.

If money wasn't an issue, I do quite like the idea of being a stud secretary or something along those lines.

 

[Burnttoast]

I freelanced from about the age of 15 until I went to uni at 21 (after my back said no to further exertions ) I worked in a variety of yards/disciplines, got my Stage II and trained to III, but didn't take the exam as by then I was also doing the extra A-level I needed for my university course. I spent 10 years at uni and started doing academic copy-editing while doing my PhD. Am still a self-employed copy-editor/indexer 17 years later. Totally broke of course (physically and financially) and a bit late to get a proper job! Once I got back into horses after uni I did a bit of clipping (but didn't fancy making it a major part of my working life, so it fell by the wayside) and occasionally I'd teach for the RS I helped at - now I just help a friend with her flatwork/schooling.

 

[Gloi]

Well, I had a summer as a pony trek leader when I first left school but that's it.
Was good fun but I had to get a job with proper wages after that.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Did a bit of this, bit of that... grabbed stage 4 and intermediate instructor in passing.
Did more stuff.....
Now 'just' play at being galloping grandma (who is wonky due to previous crashing off equines), dabbling in everything and haring around the countryside enjoying myself with no big agenda ?
Current role is pt in solicitors practice.

 

[babymare]

So more years than I won’t to admit to I trained in a wonderful yard in Surrey. Past BHS 3, horse masters cert and then AI cert. Great to have passed the exams but more importantly, at 16, it was an amazing time in my life giving me wonderful memories ??
current role Global IT Buyer who is baffled by computers ??

 

[rextherobber]

I used to ride for a dealer when at school, and after leaving school for a bit. Then worked as a groom at a dressage yard. No qualifications for equine work.Then worked at various "proper" jobs (non horse related, retail, hospitality and children) some of which I did have qualifications for. Am now a bit broken and retired!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

17.5years in a racing yard later ...

I do need to get out but i quite simply don't know what I want to do instead. I do not have a single qualification to my name. Not one.

 

[rextherobber]

17.5years in a racing yard later ...

I do need to get out but i quite simply don't know what I want to do instead. I do not have a single qualification to my name. Not one.

Nor did I, I sort of drifted into/got offered stuff, got a few qualifications along the way - variety is the spice of life! ( But part of me wishes I'd worked at what I needed exam wise to follow my original dream to be a vet nurse! )

 

[chaps89]

Did a bit of this, bit of that... grabbed stage 4 and intermediate instructor in passing.
Did more stuff.....
Now 'just' play at being galloping grandma (who is wonky due to previous crashing off equines), dabbling in everything and haring around the countryside enjoying myself with no big agenda ?
Current role is pt in solicitors practice.

You undersell yourself and past achievements ?

 

[rabatsa]

A spell working at stud with young NH horses and another with a small private yard before working out that full time horses was a mug’s game 40 blob years ago.

I did up to BHS stage 4 care and knowledge off my own bat 25 years ago, I also did some British Driving Society exams at the same time.

 

[Starzaan]

I have managed yards and run my own rehab yard for a long time, and did a good few years as head girl and instructor on a very large mixed yard (polo, hunter hirelings, riding school, full and part livery, and schooling liveries). I have worked in just about every discipline, and I am incredibly proud to have written references from some of the most respected vets, trainers and riders in this industry, many stating they have never found anyone able to offer a higher standard of care and rehab work than me.
I'm so proud of the respect and trust I have gained from people whom I have looked up to for years, but now I will never work with horses again.

My last job literally almost killed me, and I am done. I never want to work on a yard again. I can't handle the bullying, and I don't want to end up being hospitalised again, almost killing myself for a boss who didn't care about me at all.

ETA - before the pandemic I was working as an account manager for an equine brand, selling equine products into stores in Europe. I got made redundant and went back to horses as a safe bet while the world fell apart. So I’m lucky that when I’ve recovered from my injuries I can go back into a sales role. I do feel sad though, I’m never happier than when I’m fixing broken horses. But it’s just not an industry I can stand anymore.

 

[Blanche]

I worked with horses for many years. I started while still at school when we moved back to this country. When I came home in the holidays I would be on the yard, five and a half days a week for no pay! I did get to ride a lot of horses for free though. I worked on and off for many years at that stud, getting lots of experience handling stallions, mares and foals and backing lots of youngsters. I have mainly done stud work but have worked on NH yard, harness racing yard, show hacks, dealer, taught children, showjumpers, dressage. I think that’s it. Some I stayed for years, others just for eight months or so. But stud work and youngsters are my first love. I have some great memories and worked for some great people, the opposite is also true! I wish sometimes I had got out earlier. I always think I would love to find a little part time job mucking out/ poo picking as I find it meditative. I now work as a courier going to the same businesses everyday delivering and picking up. That is all I can say for security reasons, which makes it sound more interesting than it is.

ETA I do have some stud work qualifications, can’t for the life think what they are called now.

 

[Cragrat]

We need something other than a like button :/

EKW = Do yo want out of racing or out of horses altogether? You have so much knowledge and experience - someone will value you!
Starzaan - no words are adequate. To have such knowledge undervalued and thrown away - very sad.

 

[McGrools]

It was when I realised the YO who looked in her 40s was only a few years older than me that I decided not to work with horses.

Lol! ?? love this!

 

[lannerch]

Worked with polo ponies on my year off and many years before weekends and school holidays. Now a Pharmacist but regret not having the confidence in standing up to my parents and pursuing a career working with horses .

 

[Wishfilly]

I worked for a riding school/trekking center for a few years, starting when I was doing my degree helping out in exchange for riding in the summers, and then as a full time job- I started doing my BHS stages, but I hate jumping unknown horses, so it didn't really work as a pathway for me at the time. I was also having to travel a long way to take the exams, which made the cost pretty prohibitive.

I also worked for Weatherbys for a little bit- but not sure if that counts as "with horses" as I rarely saw a horse in the time I worked there. It was very interesting to get that sort of insight into the racing industry but ultimately being confronted with the level of wastage put me off a career in racing.

ETA: Now work as a secondary school teacher, which has its pros and cons!

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I went to college and did a BTEC national diploma only because my dad was determined I was going to get some kind of qualification. I also did BHS exams while I was there, I got as far as stage 2 before I did work experience on a NH racing yard and decided that's what I wanted to do. When I left college I went to work on the same NH yard I'd done my work experience on and had the most amazing time, there were proper old horsemen there and I learnt so much from them that I'm still grateful for now 20 years later.
After that I went to work on hunting and Point to Point yard, out of season during the summer I freelanced just riding out for the flat racing yard down the road and occasionally covered for my friend who worked on a dressage yard, the dressage yard was not my idea of a fun job, it just seemed to be endless mucking out sweeping and tacking up horses for the guy to ride, if you were really lucky you could sit on the horse and walk it round in circles for 15 minutes to cool down after.

I still haven't found anything to match the feeling of coming up the gallops on a fully fit racehorse or the thrill of taking my favorite hunter out drag hunting and flying over huge hedges, I'm terrified of jumping and a tiny cross pole is normally enough to make me cry, but the adrenaline took over and after squeaking I was going die as I went over the first couple of fences I always loved every second, obviously it helped that my lovely stead loved his job and was going to jump weather I wanted to or not, all I had to do was stay on.

After moving to live with my ex husband there only seemed to be livery yards or riding schools nearby so I got a job in a bank instead and now I have a very dull but fairly well paid admin job and 2 hairy native ponies.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

We need something other than a like button :/

EKW = Do yo want out of racing or out of horses altogether? You have so much knowledge and experience - someone will value you!
Starzaan - no words are adequate. To have such knowledge undervalued and thrown away - very sad.

Out of working with horses completely. It doesn't pay enough and I want to enjoy my own. The winters get longer, colder and wetter every year ??

 

[Charley657]

I worked in a riding school for a couple of years and left just before I was supposed to start my BHS stages. They actually had me teaching just before I left, didn't tell me until 15 minutes before my first ever teaching lesson that is what I would be doing. It was never discussed with me, no one talked me through how to give a lesson, nothing. Not the first red flag but by then I was sick of only getting a weekend off every 6 weeks (had my first boyfriend) and I left and got a job in an office. I work in HR.

 

[sport horse]

I did the other way around. Worked in the City for 7 years, then local government and a lovely job with the nearest County show. Competed as an amateur and got my PC A test. Then married, we bought a derelict farm, husband had a professional job and his own business so I stayed at home and did the horses. Now widowed, still have horses that compete and I employ staff to compete and look after them.

 

[milliepops]

i worked as a groom at a charity and freelanced a bit riding for a dealer, plus did some hunting livery.
I was never happier tbh but i couldn't make it pay on a single wage, running my own little house.
Have worked in the health service ever since, NHS first, now independent sector, slight jack of all trades role, information/process improvement/operations. If i thought i could earn a living i'd go back in a heartbeat.