A morning spent blitzing more stables than you thought possible might not be high on your wish list. But if you are a horseless and horse-mad teenager, here’s why you should sign up for a Saturday job at a local riding school ASAP...
1. Hard graft
Filling haynets and mucking out might not scream glamour, but it will certainly instil some old-fashioned hard graft. And practice makes perfect — you’ll be whipping through jobs in no time, raising your chances of having time for a ride at the end of the day…
2. Soak up the knowledge
A busy yard with knowledgable staff and instructors is the perfect place to garner tips, tricks and advice. And at a riding stables where residents range from Shetlands who are so hairy it’s hard to see where their tummy ends and their legs start, and clipped-out thoroughbreds ready for competition, you will experience the full spectrum of the equine specimen.
3. One eye on the future
If you are considering a future in the equestrian industry, and dreaming of getting a job with a top rider, a riding school is an excellent place to start. A top rider might have ridden around Badminton, won Olympic medals and not stepped inside a riding school for 20 years – but they will recognise that anyone with experience working at a riding school has learnt the basics and notched up their fair share of practical experience.
4. Confidence boost
Working at a yard is a great opportunity to build on your communication skills — whether it’s chatting with like-minded people in the tack room over a cup of coffee, or having to deal with highly strung parents, or nervous pint-sized jockeys.
5. Get the edge
If you’re looking at applying for university in the not-so-distant future, a regular job to which you have shown commitment can look very attractive to universities where places on courses are competitive (even more so if you are looking at a future career involving animals…).
6. And finally… A wake-up call
It can be tempting to while away a long Saturday morning in bed, on your phone, but commitment to a job — and the prospect of the sack if you switch off your alarm again — will tempt you out of bed, and keep your parents on side. And surely it’s more enticing than a paper round?
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
