Future Requirements

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

To step back into the equestrian world. Ideally I’m looking for a five‑day week, and I’m very happy to be flexible with evening checks, especially if accommodation is on site. I’m hoping to find a long‑term position where I can properly settle in and become someone’s right‑hand woman. I’m also more than happy to do a paid trial week so both sides can be sure it’s the right fit. Open to different setups — part office/part yard, full yard, or full office support. Just to note, I’m not looking for a riding school position. I don’t mind doing some training, but not teaching day in, day out.

I have been away from professional equestrian work for the past seven years, however after several years in high‑pressure NHS roles, a return to the equestrian industry would be very welcome. I am open to a range of opportunities, ideally home‑based grooming, riding, and yard management.

Alongside my practical experience, I have a strong administrative background and would be happy to support with office‑based duties where needed. I would prefer to avoid competition grooming, as maintaining a healthy work–life balance is important to me at this stage in my career.

I am seeking a long‑term position where I can settle into the role, contribute meaningfully, and help make my employer’s day‑to‑day life easier. I bring reliability, experience, and a positive, team‑focused attitude to any working environment.

• Do you need accommodation?

Accommodation would be required, or at minimum support in finding suitable accommodation in the local area unless the role is based near my current location. I would be relocating with my partner (Director of an industrial fencing company, typically home at weekends) and my 14‑year‑old daughter, so private accommodation with at least two bedrooms is essential.

We are currently exploring relocation to the Midlands, largely due to my partner’s projects being predominantly based across the Midlands, North East, and North West. At present we live in Devon, and the ongoing travel up and down the country is no longer sustainable for our family. As we are already planning a move, I am using this opportunity to explore equestrian roles, as it feels like the right time to transition into a different working lifestyle.

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

No animals to bring with me.

• Do you have any ongoing commitments?

Just my daughter, as stated I am looking to relocate and get away from the hustle and bustle, as a long term position is required my daughter would be moving schools and starting a new life in a new area with us.

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

October half term

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 been involved with horses since early childhood and have ridden for as long as I can remember. My professional equestrian career began at 16 when I joined Maurice O’Connor’s showjumping yard in Ireland as a work rider and groom while he was competing at Grand Prix level. I later worked for Killian Browne, also a Grand Prix rider, before spending two years with Damien Griffin as a work rider and show groom. Damien continues to produce top‑level horses for the national and international showjumping circuit, and his yard is widely recognised as a starting point for many of Ireland’s leading riders. A significant number of Irish international competitors send their young horses to Damien for early production and mileage in the young horse classes before taking the ride back to campaign them on the international stage.

During these years, I gained extensive experience across all aspects of professional yard management — from breaking and producing young horses to home schooling and jumping top‑level competition horses. I have strong flatwork skills, a calm and confident approach with young or sensitive horses, and a solid understanding of developing horses correctly through the levels.

Groomed over the years at all major Irish shows at times having up to 12 horses as the sole groom due to staffing shortages. This involved preparing horses for numerous classes over multi‑day shows, maintaining exceptional turnout standards, and ensuring smooth operations under pressure. These roles demanded outstanding organisation, prioritisation, and multi‑tasking skills. While I am happy to support occasional show commitments, I am not seeking a full‑time competition grooming position.

Over the years, I have not only managed my own yard but have assisted in the running of every yard I have worked in, overseeing all routine care and operational requirements. Including, but not limited to, organising physio, dental and farrier visits, tracking vaccinations, ordering feed and bedding, and maintaining a high‑standard, well‑run yard environment.  As anyone in the industry knows, the list of tasks is never truly finished — jobs have a habit of growing legs, multiplying, and creating new priorities as the day unfolds.  I am not afraid of everyday practical tasks such as mucking out, clipping, and general yard maintenance, and I bring excellent business management skills from running equestrian operations and later transitioning into corporate work.

Following my time on professional yards, I ran my own yard focused on breaking, producing, and sales horses. I then co‑founded Nagero Irish Sport Horses with my mother, launching a bespoke agency and sales platform. This was a full end‑to‑end service: sourcing suitable horses, arranging veterinary inspections, organising quarantine and international flights, and coordinating transport for European clients. I worked closely with buyers both nationally and internationally — collecting clients from the airport, accompanying them to multiple yards, and riding horses on behalf of clients purchasing unseen.

Matching horses to riders is one of my strongest skills, and over six to seven years I successfully sourced, sold, and exported thousands of horses worldwide. Although I have spent recent years working outside the professional equestrian industry, I have continued to ride regularly and help produce young and sales horses in my spare time, ensuring my skills remain current and well‑maintained.

During the lockdown period, I made the decision to step back from the equestrian industry and transition into corporate work, but I am now exploring opportunities to return to the sector where my experience, work ethic, and passion lie.  I am open to positions and ideas, happy to have a chat with any perspective employers to see if what they are looking for and what I am looking for align.

More than happy to have a joint role where my extensive management and office skills can also be utilised.

 

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 have extensive experience across all core areas of professional yard work, including but not limited to high‑level grooming, work riding, young horse production, and day‑to‑day yard management. My skill set covers all aspects of horse care: plaiting, clipping, bandaging, competition turnout, lunging, schooling, and handling horses of all ages, temperaments, and levels. I am confident with fit competition horses, green youngsters and stallions.

I am experienced in managing busy yards, organising farrier, dentist, physio and vet visits, maintaining vaccination schedules, ordering feed and bedding, and ensuring the yard runs smoothly and professionally at all times. I am equally comfortable with the practical daily tasks — mucking out, sweeping, tack cleaning, and general maintenance — as I am with the more advanced responsibilities such as producing young horses, schooling, and supporting owners or riders with competition preparation.

Equally as happy to work alone as I am working within a team.

 

Strengths and Weaknesses

• What do you most enjoy about working with horses?

I like working outside, enjoy physical work and have missed having horses in my day to day life.  I love watching horses progress whether that be from being backed to being ridden away or further up the levels.  I also love ensuring horses go to their perfect matches.

• Is there anything you’d like to improve?

Not having ridden competitively or every day for some time my core muscles aren’t as strong as they were and my eye to a fence will need to refocus, being nearly 40, my rodeo seat would rather take a long term break, however, once muscled back up. my seat I am sure will still be pretty handy!

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

I bring a huge amount of hands‑on knowledge to any yard — the kind of experience you simply can’t learn from a book. My skill set spans both the practical and the office‑based side of things, and I’m a genuinely well‑rounded, easy going person with a great sense of humour (which, let’s be honest, is essential when working with horses or humans). I’m mature, reliable, and experienced, and I slot into a team quickly and naturally.