Experience with Horses

Outline your experience with horses here/the scope of your freelance services. If you’re looking for a non-equine or non- yard-based job please use this space to describe your experience skills/abilities and adapt the questions to suit your line of work.

I have worked with horses all my life. After school I had the choice of a job on a dressage yard in Germany or going to University to study biology. I ended up going to University and getting my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and have been working in science since then. Now I want to move back to a job with horses which is my passion rather than working in a job that I don’t enjoy.

I have held many equine related positions over the years. The most recent has been as a groom and rider for an international para dressage rider, where I was in sole charge of 7 horses, cared for and schooled the horses at home, and attended competitions as groom and support rider. I have also held a post as a rider at an endurance/trekking yard backing young horses, exercising endurance horses and taking clients on treks. Before that I worked on a livery yard performing general yard duties and riding clients horses for exercise and retraining.

With my own horses I have competed up to advanced medium dressage through Byrds and brought on my current horse from an unbacked 4 year old. I have also done some low level unaffiliated judging, written for higher level judges and taught various levels of riders.

 

Key Skills

What are you particularly good at? For example: working alone, working with others, clipping, plaiting, turning out for shows, handling stallions, handling/riding young horses, non-equine skills etc

I am highly adaptable and confident working alone, in sole charge or as part of a team. I have held a number of roles over the years and have personal experience in most aspects of horse care, training and competition. I have been complimented on my turn out and plaiting skills by olympians, have handled and ridden some difficult horses and am always happy to learn a new skill or try my hand at something I have not done before.

 

Strengths and Weaknesses

• What do you most enjoy about working with horses?

I most enjoy spending time with horses, getting to know their individual characters and watch them learn and improve.

• Is there anything you’d like to improve?

I have done some teaching before but I would like to improve this and possibly gain some qualifications. Most of my experience has been with dressage horses although I have worked with backing diverse breeds of youngsters (cobs to warmbloods), so I would also enjoy widening my skill set and brushing up on any skills I may not have used in a while.

• Why should employers consider you above any other job seeker?

I have a very different background from most other candidates what with having had a career in science, but this shows that I am professional, dedicated, a fast learner and a hard worker.

Requirements

• What would you like to do or gain in your next job?

I would like to improve my range of skills, learn new things and potentially pursue some equine qualifications, but most of all I want a job that I enjoy.

• Do you need accommodation?

Not for a job within a 1 hour drive of Edinburgh. For any other location I would require accommodation or at least some time to find a suitable place to stay if no accommodation is available.

• Do you have any special requirements for any animals you wish to bring with you?

No special requirements. As above if the position requires relocation I would be looking to bring my 16 year old trakehner gelding, he is very easy to handle and would not require any special considerations.

• Do you have any ongoing commitments?

I have no ongoing commitments and would be able to start work immediately.

• Do you have any holidays booked that an employer needs to know of?

I do not have any holidays booked.