working with horses - are qualifications always neccessary?

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swfy03

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Hi,

From this september (2012) to next september I am taking a gap year before going to uni. I'd like to do some travelling, but whilst I'm at home I need a job. I'd really like to work with horses, I'm an experienced rider and am confident at performing all stable duties. Only problem is I don't have any horsey qualifications... Do you think there's any chance of riding schools or livery yards giving me a job even if it's just yard based with no riding involved?

I've volunteered on an RDA yard for several years and I'm sure they would be happy to write me a reference saying I'm sensible etc and can do yard duties and am knowledgable about horses as well as being a confident rider at flatwork, jumping and hacking, but will that be enough?

Thanks
(also in careers and education)
 
Depends where your interests really lie. If it is in a riding school you might need some qualification of some sort maybe, I don't know.

Unless things have changed dramatically since my horsey working life, I always found that experience was more valued than qualifications. I worked in polo, dressage, hunting and point to point, no qualifications, but a few employers knew each other, which helped. If you can get into a polo yard at this time of the year, maybe with other experienced polo grooms, that can be great fun for a single person, lots of travelling around the country, fun ponies to ride (very different from your usual hack!)

If you want to combine work with travel, America have a lot of vacancies in their summer camps, though it may be a bit late for this year. A friend of mine did it (years ago, mind) and loved it.:)
 
Are you just intending to work with horses for one year before uni? If so I wouldn't worry about qualifications, if you were thinking about horses as a long term career than it might be slightly different.
I think most yards value experience, and you should certainly be able to get a job at a riding school as most of the work there is pretty basic...you might find it a bit more difficult to find a place at a serious competition yard without previous experience, but again its usually about who you know not what you know!
The best thing you can do is contact all your horsey friends and see if they know anyone with a yard you can go to, and also try looking in tack shops etc. for jobs and try emailing local yards. Yard and groom.com is also a good place to look :) Hope you find somewhere.

Equinus - funny you should mention polo yards! I've got a job working at a polo yard (well I'm not getting paid so not technically a 'job') for the summer, helping exercises the horses and going to matches...I'm so excited :D
 
I would always employ someone with experience, common sense and enthusiasm over qualifications. I an not the
slightest bit interested in pieces of paper.
 
Yeah, just for the year. Ok, I dont really mind just doing stable duties in a riding school, exercising horses would be a plus but I have my share horse to keep me busy riding-wise so i'm happy just mucking out etc. thanks for the advice :)
 
With horses its pretty much experience > qualifications. If you aren't looking to work as an instructor or something then experience is all you need (or even just dedication and a hard working attitude). I'm sure you'll be fine with what you have especially just for a gap year job. :) Good luck
 
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