Working pupil - tell me about it

[Always_A_Moody_Mare]

So, now I have decided to have a gap year I would really like to do something with my riding. Bit of background, riding for the last 12 ish years, have never owned my own but have been sharing for 5 years and for the last 2 years working for someone in return for rides – riding up to 4 horses (mix of hacking, schooling and jumping (1m ish) 4 x per week, with a bit of dressage or hunting. Not a great rider by any means as I haven’t been able to ride or have lessons as much as I have wanted but I really just want to learn more and get better.

Do you think I am good enough to be considered for a WP place? Probably eventing but open to ideas.

Can you tell me more about it? Your own experiences? I'm not worried about long hours, low pay etc – I really just want to learn, I lack skills such as bandaging, clipping etc and I just want to get my riding up to a better standard.

Is there a minimum time for WP places? I would prefer 2/3 months but not sure if this is possible?

Other options include staying where I am and continuing with the odd dressage competition/hunter trial/clear round? Opinions as to whether this would be a better option?

Finally, if you had the option of doing it again would you? Or would you do something different?

Alternatively I have thought about exercise riding racehorses in Ireland but I don’t think that will ever happen!
Thanks

 

[spacefaer]

It depends vastly on the yard you go to as to how much training or riding you'll get. Some of the bigger "names" may look good on your cv but you'll be mucking out, tacking up and washing off for your whole stay.

2-3 months isn't very long for an employer to invest time and money in training you up, , only for you to leave. I know I would want a bit more commitment from any WP -I always promised mine that the more they put into the job, , the more I would give them back.

Mine got a lesson and a lecture 5 days a week, mostly on their own horse, then rode mine as well (mainly hacking to start with) I took them competing or they groomed for me, and we went showjumping/dressage/hunting/team chasing all winter and eventing all summer.

Great fun but they came for a year otherwise it didn't work.

 

[Always_A_Moody_Mare]

Thanks for your reply, to be honest I am only just looking into it and didnt really know what to expect/what was expected of me, except for looking on a few websites. I thought the length if time might be the issue and I can completely see your point. It's a lot of time and effort for the employer.

May be better to just do work experience then I guess? I am completely committed but unfortunately cannot do anything long term (6-12months).

 

[CaleruxShearer]

I was a WP on an event yard during my gap year, I think to be honest you might struggle a bit if you lack skills such as bandaging etc, as a WP you may not be doing loads of riding but will be doing a lot of these sort of jobs. I had had my own horses for about 6/7 years and was eventing at Novice level when I went. I typically rode 3 or 4 a day - whatever I wanted to do with mine then usually a couple of hacks and schooling one of the Novice horses generally. On days when the Head Girl was off I would do more riding and the other WP who was less experienced than me would do the tacking up/washing off etc.

I think you might struggle with that time period, it often takes a month or so to get into the swing of things working on a new yard, learning how your new boss likes things done etc so you might be better just looking for work experience.

 

[Ahrena]

I was a working pupil last year.

I'm glad I did it but I'm also glad my 'time' is done but I think that was partly due to that thry started messing me around a bit, not giving me proper lessons ect when a new person came.

I think you would struggle with lack of care knowledge as I had very little in the way of instruction with that. My bandaging wasn't great and they did help me with that, and would help with like first aid advice ect but we had a bloke start who could virtually not muck out and it was VERY tough on the rest of the team.

I rode 3-4 a day, a mixture of hacking, lunging, schooling and the odd bit of jumping. Oh and gallop work.

I learnt a LOT but although the people I worked for were very nice people, they weren't the best to work for as simply expected too much for 2 people to do without burning themselves out - not membeing lazy, just an observation as I was chatting to a girl who has been doing on and off part time work ther and has seen 11 people come and go in 3 years.

Also, i went prepared for long hours and low pay but tbh it was very tough at times. I was exhausted after every day, I fell asleep roughly an hour after i got home very day and eventually felt I had no life.

But I am glad I did it as my riding improved a lot and if I went back in time I'd do it again BUT now I've done it, I wouldn't go do it again next year.

 

[shampain]

Agree with all said above. Be careful to 'vet' who you go to thoroughly; simply because they're more experienced than you and showing interest does not necessarily mean that you'll get a good return on the work that you put in around the yard. Just remember that they're not giving you anything for free, and therefore you have no need to be grateful for simply being there. It should be a fair exchange, so provided that you're able to hold up your end of the bargain and work efficiently, they should be ensuring that you have an adequate amount of training in return.

I've been on a couple of placements now; one was to a riding school (not your typical 'trudge in a circle' place), where I was given a room in their house, fed, rode several times a day (generally schooling) and given 4 lessons weekly in return for working 6 days from 7.30 to about 5.30. I loved it there, and as a first experience it did wonders for both my self-confidence and my riding/general knowledge. The second was with a 4* eventer and gave accommodation in old, musty mobile homes where the furniture was all falling apart, we had to buy our own food and weren't allowed to ride the horses aside from a single hack on the same route each day (never school and certainly never canter). I didn't stay long there as I tend to think that working 10 hours, 6 days a week entitles one to some return on their efforts.

So basically, be careful. Don't be afraid to question the people whom you contact intensely; you don't want there to be any doubts in your mind before you set off. It's far better to know what to expect and be able to turn down a position if it doesn't sound right, than to get there and be disappointed. I'd suggest that going to a professional who's actively competing will give you experience of working to such standards, of turnout and the running of competition yards etc, but your riding and instruction might get a little left out. Whereas if you find a yard that has a set working pupil scheme (rather than just taking them on whenever a little extra help is needed), then you're more likely to have a little more focus on your own learning.

Whatever you choose, good luck. It can be really, really good fun. But whatever your skills, your time is of value and should never be taken for granted.

PS. I'm just about to head to portugal for 3 months on a dressage yard; they've outlined exactly what to expect and have put me in touch with a current working pupil. So if you do have a slightly off-putting experience, just live and learn and keep on going!

 

[wench]

How about seeing if a local racing stables needs any helpers?

 

[dianchi]

Would say that it is very unlikely that you could find somewhere that wouldn't expect very high care standards but let you ride. Perhaps look into some of the BHS yards and go to those, that will pull up your skills all round then, but echo what others say 3 months is a very short time.

 

[millitiger]

If you are more into flatwork than jumping, I would highly recommend David and Serena Pincus.

They do lessons every day for WPs on the schoolmasters so you are guaranteed at least 1 hour's riding a day with excellent instruction (and you don't need your own horse).

I could look after horses before I went but i learnt all of my bandaging/plaiting/clipping skills there and I wasn't a dunce or looked down on for not being able to do it to start with.

I was there for just over a year and learnt a huge amount but while i was there we regularly had people in for only short term stays of a few months and it wasn't a problem.

 

[sportsmansB]

I have close connections with an event yard here in N Ireland and would say...

Most places would want to take you on for a min of 6 months if they are putting training into you (though event yards move a bit more slowly from Oct-Feb so a shorter stint maybe possible during these months)...

Winter is LONG and HARD, our competition horses would be out or just fittening, hunting and various babies and so on in, which might reduce your riding potential if you weren't fairly confident and had a bit of stickability (!)

Starting before light and finishing after dark 6 days a week is tough going in the freezing cold, depending on your timescale this might be the only option as lots of event yards turn into well-oiled machines during the season and can't really 'carry' someone, they would train them up over the winter and then be ready to be very on-the-ball by the time 10 horses are going to a competition in March!!

You can be taught the kind of care skills that you need, though some just need practice, and I would recommend that if you want to be valued you practice your plaiting and tack cleaning before you go!!

Lots of places will tell you about the lessons you will get and so on, but unless you have recommendations from previous WP's about the living conditions and what you REALLY get, you could find yourself being one step above very cold slave labour :-(

 

[Always_A_Moody_Mare]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your replies.

I am quite capable of caring for a horse - mucking out (i've been doing it long enough!), tacking up, rugs, turning out, grooming etc, but there are certain things that I can't do like clipping/bandaging as i said above and while I can plait its probably not up to the standard they would be wanting.

I will take on board everything said and have a look around to see what's about, I mainly just want to learn whether it be improving my turnout/skills or my riding.

Thanks again

 

[humblepie]

Many moons ago, I did a couple of months or so on a WP basis for an event rider, didn't live in as was local. Was great fun, not too hard work though imagine that the live in WPs probably did work rather harder though I did start the same time just didn'tdo any late night checks. Had great experience riding different horses and had some lessons on my own. Was during the event season but don't think I did any plaiting but did do lots of stud hole cleaning out (how many per shoe on an event horse!). Good luck and I hope you find somewhere. I just knocked on the door and asked if they wanted anyone!

 

[idx]

I helped at an event rider/livery yard. My horse was not 100% sound and I was looking to ride but didnt want to go to a riding school -the yard was close to me so I asked if they needed help. I offered to work for rides on my days off from my real job. This worked better for me than paying for lessons as I learnt how a professional yard works and it suited them if they were away competing at weekends with the real working pupils. I got to ride a variety of horses and they were fair about lessons but when you are in the right kind of yard even when you are not on a lesson you will be getting instruction from passing comments whilst you are riding or telling you to walk straight across the yard. I eventually moved my horse to livery there too. I have also helped at riding schools but helping at the event riders yard was a completely different experience. Is there any yards close to you? If you cant commit to more than 2/3 month this maybe an option.

 

[snooples]

During school we used to have to do work experience for 2 weeks and I got a job with top 4* eventers. I rode out quite a few horses each day, it was the start of the season so all horses were getting road work but competitions hadnt started yet and cleaned tack in the evenings! Also rugged, out horses out in field, held horses for farriers, groomed etc. It was great experience, I didnt get paid for it though or lessons but it was so short term I didnt expect to. I was only 16 at the time too and eventing at pre novice level so not overly expereinced

 

[joosie]

I agree with the others, you are unlikely to find a proper WP position in a competition yard for just 2/3 months due to the commitment issue - but there are other options you might consider.

General groom positions. For the experience you're lacking (sounds like it's mostly turnout stuff?) you may well find a normal groom job can provide that training. Riding school work won't necessarily be able to offer you experience in the more specialist areas but think about the types of yard that could. A large / full-livery yard for example where there are quite a few people who compete - a small private yard where the owner's out competing affiliated every weekend - a family yard with show ponies, or Pony Club eventers, or parents who hunt - those sorts of yards are likely to be able to offer you training in the areas you lack, without necessarily being classed as a "working pupil" position.

Another thing is how do you feel about working abroad? You may have more luck finding a WP type position in countries like France, Belgium, Germany etc. where employers often look for British grooms because they're seen as more hard-working and reliable. Look at big yards in particular where they're competing all year round, because when the owners/riders are away on a regular basis they'll have a team of staff managing the yard in their absence and are more likely to take short-term grooms.