Working Pupil?

madm167

madm167

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Hello everyone,

I am currently trying to decide whether to leave college after getting 4 AS levels and go and work with horses for a year. I want to get a working pupil position at an eventing yard but want to find out a bit more about what its like to work as a working pupil before i decide to take the leap!
Any information would be hugely appreciated!
 
I am year above you currently. If I were you keep at collage for one more year get full A-levels. Looks a lot better than just AS. I am hoping to be a working pupil in my gap year. So intested to see replies from people too.

From what I have heard it is very hard work and you have to be dedicated.
 
agree with the above if you can stick it try and finish your A levels with decent grades as it'll look better and be a bit more of a back up plan, if you don't enjoy life as a working pupil.
I use to work once a week at a big yard that took lots of working pupils and as places went it was quite reasonable run and despite that the majority of the working pupils there said that they were going back to non-horsey jobs once there year was out or that they wished they could... Still hope you get some more optimistic responses.
 
You need to make sure you go to the right place. Some people do and will take the piss.

I worked at an event yard for 8 months. The first 4 months were fab, I was the favourite, rode all the nicest horses, schooled the youngsters,hd3 or 4 private lessons a week. I worked very hard but got a lot out of it.

Then the girl i worked with left and 2 new people arrived. One of them was the new golden child. My youngsters were taken out from underneath me although i wasn't doing a bad job, i went down to 1 shared lesson a week with the other new girl although we were at totally dif levels (I was looking to move up to novice eventing, she was working at medium dressage and 70cm jumping) and the new fav groom didn't pull his weight at all on the yard.

We spoke to ours boss several times to no avail. I left at the end of the season. About 2 weeks before i left things improved, as I lost my temper (after 8 months of doing so, they suddenly decided my horse who was turned out at night, in during the ay, couldn't stay in the night before an event) and I told them quite frankly how I felt about the place and threatened to walk out there an then.

The last few weeks were just like the beginnning and amazing. My riding has improved beyond recognition, but had I had the same lessons all throughout I would be so much better. I'm glad I did it though.
 
I was a working pupil at a riding centre many years ago.
I think I was lucky I loved the yard/ people and job. I did the exact same work as the others. I did get good training at first and definitely learned a lot.
Pay wise my actual wage was £90 pw but take into account my free living and extra money for food then on top of that my boss paid for my own horses shoes and shavings. Not bad I don't think!
It all went wrong when the owner fell very ill other than this I loved it all.
 
Thanks everyone

I've thought a lot about whether or not to stay at college or not and find it so boring I don't think i can bear to do another year, although I know it won't look as good on my cv. I also think that if you do really well in that year and get a good recommendation will surely be as good as AS's?
I basically want to do learn as much as possible in a year so a working pupil position will be perfect, but as you say Ahrena, I would hate something like that to happen to me or just end up with someone working me to the ground at absolute minimum wage and not get lessons in return! I would like to think/hope that there are lots of employers out there who are interested in helping someone gain experience and become a better rider, than just take advantage of you.
 
Hello,

Just thought i'd reply as i have been working on yards for the last 6 years, i absolutely love it, but it can be very hard at times, and you need to be the right sort of person and have the right mentality to cope with it.

I did get my A-levels before starting to work, im glad to see you are going to finish the year your doing atm. But do think it would be better to get your full A-levels.

So why not try and find a position for the summer to see how you get on working on a yard? see if you like it and if its right for you, at the end of the summer then you can either decide to stay on or find a different yard to work at, or it wouldnt be to late to take your place back up for your A-levels?(do accept your place back as you can always cancel or possibly defer depending whether its a college or sixth form).

Good luck :)
 
Sorry to say this but if you ever decided you wanted to go to Uni, or you wanted a full-time job away from horses, then AS levels would be worthless. No employer would take them seriously, they are not full qualifications and would indicate you are the kind of person that cannot stick to anything and flakes out at the first opportunity. It would not say good things about you as a person if you could only be bothered to do 1 year and then gave up because you were bored.

Finish your A levels, no matter how boring it may be you need them as a back up for your future. Unless you get very lucky working with horses is VERY poorly paid, and chances are when you grow up and start to think about buying houses and having kids, you will have to get a job away from horses because the horsey world just doesnt pay enough to support a family.

Taking a year out after you finish A levels is a great idea, and if you do your research well then I'm sure you will find a good working pupil position. You will learn a lot and it will be good fun, as well as being incredibly hard work. But you have to think about your long term future first, so finish college - grit your teeth and just get on with it. Then you will have a fun year at the end of it to look forwards to.
 
madm167 said:
Thanks everyone

I've thought a lot about whether or not to stay at college or not and find it so boring I don't think i can bear to do another year, although I know it won't look as good on my cv. I also think that if you do really well in that year and get a good recommendation will surely be as good as AS's?
I basically want to do learn as much as possible in a year so a working pupil position will be perfect, but as you say Ahrena, I would hate something like that to happen to me or just end up with someone working me to the ground at absolute minimum wage and not get lessons in return! I would like to think/hope that there are lots of employers out there who are interested in helping someone gain experience and become a better rider, than just take advantage of you.
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Just stick it out. My sister hated every second of her A2 year and had a rubbish attendance record as she took afternoons out for lessons and days for mid-week hunting (she got paid to take horses/ children out). But she stuck it out and then left as soon as her A2 exams were done and dusted because you need some form of back up (especially if your parents aren't loaded).

I'd wait and go after your A2s. You could write around now and see what offers you get but unless something earth-shattering comes along I'd leave it. Maybe see if you can get some summer experience on a yard though, as that will make you more attractive come this time next year when you're applying properly?
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.
I still haven't made a final decision as to whether I leave or not so I am keeping my options open. I completely understand how dropping out looks to employers and know that it looks like your a quitter but to be honest dreadful grades aren't going to look much better either.
I've done lots of work for yards already through the summer holidays so know what its like and know what kind of person it takes to do the job, i just want to get back out there! I suppose I just find it hard to believe that A levels are the only thing that employers want to see, and its annoying because there aren't many alternatives for people who don't enjoy spending the whole day inside studying!
 
Finish your A levels! Yes, you know about working in yards but do you still want to be doing a six day week in all weathers when you're 30?

What do you want to get out of working in a yard? Do you think you'll be spotted as a future Olympic champion? That very, very, very rarely happens.

Stick with the A levels and keep your options open.
 
I'm not planning to spend all my life working with horses. I want to do 1-2 years working with horses and then get a well paying job that will fund being able to have horses as a hobby.
Problem is i have absolutely no idea what actual job i want to do! :/
 
I know where you are coming from being in the year above you and in a similar situation. Not getting the A level grades that you want will always look better than just AS or GCSE’s as they are more than some people will ever get. Besides if it isn’t what you want to be doing for the rest of your life then by dropping out now really limits your future possibilities.
 
I agree with kc100 - finish your A-levels then take a gap year. I really don't enjoy academics its just not me, but I've now almost finished my final year at uni (politics and philosophy) because whilst I'm not an academic person I want to give myself options. My only other suggestion is if moving to somewhere like Hartpury College for your 2nd year would be an option! I absolutely loved my time there and it kept me sane through my Alevels (I know I couldn't have coped staying at the nasty all girls school I was at so I do understand how you feel). The social side and being surrounded by other people also sporty and in particular other horsey people made it the most wonderful 2 years and I made lifelong friends there. I'd seriously look into it if you are feeling that you can't face the next year where you are.

Working pupil wise I would just do your research on a potential employer beforehand to try and ensure you are going somewhere that will be the best possible experience for you :). Good luck!
 
The idea about moving to Hartpury, is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that...Thanks! Part of whats hard being at my college is that have almost no horsey friends at all, so I think that would help!
 
madm167 said:
I'm not planning to spend all my life working with horses. I want to do 1-2 years working with horses and then get a well paying job that will fund being able to have horses as a hobby.
Problem is i have absolutely no idea what actual job i want to do! :/
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I'm afraid that - these days - well paid jobs with no qualifications are icrtually imposible (unless they are very unpleasant!:rolleyes:) i left school MANY years ago with the Australian equivalent of O-levels because all I wanted to do was horses! I had some good jobs with horses and some BAD jobs with horses, and in-between I took secretarial jobs because I WAS a good typist and I could spell and correct the boss's grammar!

And I fell into some good jobs because of my breadth of interests - campaigning, PR etc - including running RDA in Victoria. When I came to the UK it was to do BHS exams and then go home, but I married a Pom and stayed. I then got some decent jobs and one or two that ended up very well paid - but FAR too busy to give me much time for my horses!

I would highly recommend you get your A-levels - so when you've decided you want to do something in particular, you have what is now THE most basic qualification for anything but being a groom!
 
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