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 had horses my whole life and since the age of 14 I worked with them, starting with helping at my local riding school with different jobs from mucking out, grooming and leading younger children. After the odd weekends and growing up a bit when I was 17 I worked at a breaker yard for flat race horses, during my time here I did a lot of riding and learning about working with young horses and being able to keep them groomed to a high standard, this job came to an end after about a year of being there due to no riding as it was foaling season. After racing I started work on a polo yard where I learned a different side to the equine sport, during this job I had to keep horses turned out very well on game days this included making sure manes where freshly shaved and there coats where clean and glistening, polo season came to an end so I moved onto a p2p yard. I wasn’t working here very long due to injury (not from horses) and sadly the yard owners moving but during my time I was in charge of 8 stable making sure they where mucked out, fed, groomed and exercised. I have a range of experience with many kinds of horses, pony club is where it all started for me and I hope to continue to have a career in the equine industry.

 

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 particularly good at working alone and being able to figure out my own routine and do things in a way that work well for me, but also I do work well with others as I have great communication skills and leadership if necessary. My clipping and plaiting experience is not huge all the jobs I have worked at they had a specific person for this and when I used to take my horse hunting she was hogged so no need to plait, but I do now how to get a horses coat nice and clean and ready for a show ring. I have experience with handling young and green horses that may test your patience, not only handling young horses but also a lot of ridden work on them also being at the breaker yard I learnt how to break in horses from the very beginning such as just being able to get the head collar on as a foal alway to the first time you sit on its back. Non equine skills I have I’m an organised person and I know how to do things in efficient ways that work well for me, being secretary of my young farmers I do often find myself with 100 things to do and barley any time yet I seem to manage my time well and get things done. I also work well with children having a niece and a nephew has taught me about patience and just letting go and having a bit of fun I am dbs checked and do really enjoy working with young people.

 

Strengths and Weaknesses

• What do you most enjoy about working with horses?

I love the trust and the bond you build with horses both on the ground and ridden I enjoy the whole process of human and horse interacting and getting to know and understand each other and being able to know boundaries of what is okay and not.

• Is there anything you’d like to improve?

I would love to improve my plaiting and clipping skills I’ve never really had the opportunity to do it so that would be nice to do

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

I believe I am a good character to have around and to work with I’m a big people pleaser so I want everything done right so others are happy and I feel like I have done my best.

Requirements

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

I would just like to gain more experience in any part that the job has to offer I’m only 19 so as much experience at life is great

• Do you need accommodation?

If close by to home then no as I do drive but if I move away from home then yes.

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

No

• Do you have any ongoing commitments?

I currently milk cows in the afternoon as I am also a dairy farmer but for the right job I would consider doing it less.

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

No