Will I regret giving up?

teamsarazara

teamsarazara

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I work full time with horses and I love the job and I love the horses but the people are horrible. I gave up riding last year at a different yard and sold my horse because I was so disheartened by the things that were said (I'm not talking silly little comments I'm talking mega bullying) and now I feel like it's starting all over again and I'm actually considering going into a normal job. I know there are always going to be people that are a pain wherever you go... But I feel like the horse world is just full of hostility!
 
I have a normal job and the office politics and bitching would rival that of the horsey world. I think i would look at the way i deal with situations like this first. Why/how does it get to you so much. Bullying is not acceptable by any means, but i would try concentrate on the positives stay close to ur friends and ignore anything else and just enjoy what u do.
 
If you're unhappy and once you've thought through/talked through the reasoning witha good friend OH, so's it's clear in your mind, then get a normal job and keep horses as your passion and escape.

I worked with horses many moons ago. Got tired of the long hours and no money. Now I have long hours but plenty of money to indulge my horse passion.

Normal jobs can also have nutty folks in them, but at least when your passion is something separate you have something to escape to :)
 
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One of the reasons I work freelance is because I don't want to have to deal with large yard politics! I work mainly for people who keep horses at home, I do work regularly at a riding school yard but due to the set up the problem areas that can exist don't.
Is working freelance an option for you? It depends allot on where you're based if it can work for you, I only work part time and know it would be hard to make a full time living wage but, not completely impossible.
If you are very unhappy I would quit working in horses and get a job that would allow you to let horses become you're hobby again before the joy is completely stripped out. I wouldn't quit horses altogether though, I think you would regret that as it wouldn't be your choice but one others pushed you into.
 
I would highly recommend freelance too.

Money is much better, the clients/employers (in a sense) treat you so much better, you can pick your hours ect.

I had a long hard think when i left my job at an event yard last year. I hate the idea of a desk job and really, working 9-5 was not going to leave a lot of time for my horse. For me, my horse is my life, my job is secondary. But it needs to support him, so for me I needed to find something that would let me have time to enjoy him - and getting to the yard at 6pm when I'm tired and want to go home, isn't for me.

So i went freelance. I was a bit meh at first as it started off still being the same old thing, picking up poo!

But now its really escalated, I'm doing a bit of teaching, riding several young horse's for people, producing a horse for sale for someone, I ride for Niki with Cam on here and do PC, and I think the plan was to get him doing some showing/working hunter this year...have been offered to take horse's hunting ect.

There's even room for progression which i was unsure of to begin with. I event and in the future, as I get better, I hope to offer schooling/competition livery, also once I'm a qualified instructor (working on that one) I can charge a lot more for teaching...once I'm competing at a higher level myself and hopefully getting good results I can raise my prices for riding..

Its absolutely perfect, I love my clients, they're all lovely and really appreciate what you do with them - and it is so satisfying seeing them progress and knowing you helped them. Ie. I ride a mare for someone who was really naughty and nappy, and last Saturday they took her on a sponsored ride and it feels so good thry were planning on selling her before I came but now they're enjoying her...

I can work hours to suit my horse/training/competing and earn a reasonable amount too.

It might not get you super rich - I'll never be a millionaire, but it works for me.

I would go stir crazy at a desk job..
 
Freelance is an option but it would mean moving back to Scotland so alot less money up there... I groom in showjumping so going abroad and stuff is an option for me but the only thing is I'm not guaranteed that i will have work so the money will be there for me to pay my bills. The enjoyment of horses has gone now and it's to do with the people and not the horses. I'm paid well and the conditions are good but I'd rather be poor and happy than rich and unhappy I think!
 
I used to work with horses many moons ago too. It killed the enjoyment of my hobby. I got out of horses for a decade, went to uni, got a well paid job, bought a house etc, then, when I had money, bought my own decent horse, then another couple! It is a hobby again and I love it.

Freelance is an option - we can never find a decent freelance around here. You could even freelance groom with showjumpers if you're prepared to move around - I used to go on a site on Facebook called Grooms and Riders, or something like that, and there were always ads for short term grooms on the sunshine tour etc.
 
Can't help but agree with you OP.
I found the same yonks ago and did walk away.

However, there are places that are better. If you are genuine and keep looking, I'm sure you will find something.

Ask yourself what it is you want to do with horses, do you want to compete, do you want to bring on youngsters, do you just want to enjoy yourself in a horsey job, ect.

And get as many qualifications as you can in the meantime.
 
Listen to Mrs Mozart . She is a very astute lady.(and someone who I would one day love to share a cup of tea with )
 
Maybe look into other jobs? I have preferred doing sole charge jobs like being a hunt groom, the last hunt I saw the kennelman on the yard and my boss text me to say what horses would hunt each day and popped in occasionally. I like to do things my own way, can't be bothered with nit-picking and people stopping to gossip / bitch.

The only thing I have found working with horses riding becomes a chore which I can take or leave if it's not work then I'd rather leave it.

It's been 20 years since I was a working pupil taking BHS exams and there's good and bad jobs out there, some suit some people and not others.
 
As others have already said there will still be a degree of b****yness in any job - but in the horse world I do believe it is much worse. My advice would be to get a job away from horses but keep them as a hobby xxx
 
All jobs have politics. You just have to develope a thick working skin, shrug your shoulders and get on with it.

I gave up working with horses as it was stripping the enjoyment out of it for me, I was so tired looking after other peoples horses that I couldn't be bothered with my own past the care they got, no energy to ride mine after I'd exercised others and did the chores.

I have a part time job now, so time and energy for horses, not getting rich but I can get by :)
 
I have just given up working with horses after 8 years as it had got so all consuming there was no fun it anymore, even when I had the perfect job with no issues I wasn't enjoying it, so I've moved back home and already been offered several non horse jobs aswell as a bit of freelance which would suit me fine, I want horses to be my passion not my life, and the irony is after 8 years with horses I was still on minimum wage or less, the first job I get offered is £10 an hour with no experience or qualifications required. It's early days but just the relief of knowing I don't "have" to do anything but enjoy my horse is wonderful
 
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