Experience with Horses

I have over 15 years experience working in varied roles from top level competition yards to riding school and livery.

I recently started freelancing in Cheshire, but up until August was working on a 75 + horse yard at Somerford Park Farm, which included happy hackers and horses eventing right up to 5* level. My main responsibilities consisted of routine care, so feeding, turning out, grooming, bandaging, basic first aid, tacking up, poo picking and paddock maintenance, monitoring for signs of illness. Also, clipping, trimming, bathing, plaiting, and tack cleaning. Exercising consisted mostly of hacking and fitness work around the farms 7 mile farm ride, as well as lunging with various aids. I took on a number of different responsibilities that included supervising 3-4 junior grooms and apprentices, carrying out practical demonstrations on things like clipping and plaiting, as well as having sole charge of a 14 box yard. I also did some travelling and grooming at external training facilities.

Prior to this I was head groom/had sole charge of a 12 horse livery yard for 3 years. I was responsible for daily care (feeding, grooming, bandaging, trimming, plaiting, clipping, exercising, competition prep and training shows.) of the horses which live out 24/7 in the summer and are stabled at night in the winter. My responsibilities include: pasture management to ensure grazing quality and control worm burdens (poo picking, fence mending and ragworting.). I was also responsible for yard and facilities management throughout the year (stock take of feed and bedding and managing deliveries, adjusting feeds according to individual requirements, mucking out and muck heap management, levelling the 20 x 40 sand school and maintaining the grass dressage and jump fields, even building sets of jump wings and fillers using old pallets and plywood.

Before this I worked at Wellington Riding, a large competition centre that also houses a livery yard and riding school. I was employed as a livery groom and cared for 24 full and competition liveries alongside a head groom and one other groom. This role was fast paced and I was often required to assist on the riding school on busier days to ensure horses were tacked up and ready for evening lessons. The centre hosted BHS exams so I did a lot of plaiting, bathing, bandaging and turning out horses to a high standard for those. I received daily training in jump and flat work by top coaches on a range of different horses.

I  also worked at Ryecroft Livery and Training Yard whilst I was studying Equine Science at University. I worked with a head groom and apprentice looking after full and part liveries, and the yard owners hunt horses. This role was routine yard work (turnout, bring in, mucking out, sweeping, feeds, grooming) as well as some schooling and hacking.

I worked at Lassetter Dressage as a temporary summer groom. Here, my main duties were a high standard of routine yard work and care of horses including stallions, broodmares and foals. I was required to lunge horses with a Pessoa, hack and get horses ready for owners to ride.

I worked as a groom at Lavant House stables. All the horses and ponies lived out, so a large part of the job was pasture management. I did bring in and turnout, groomed and tacked up ready for lessons and kept the yard spotless.

I assisted on a small Welsh Section A stud where I assisted in caring for and showing broodmares and foals.

 

Key Skills

Highly self motivated and organised

Prioritise and manage time well

Friendly and personable

Extremely high standards of equine husbandry and yard cleanliness and tidiness

Plaiting/trimming/bandaging/clipping

Exercising (ground work, flat, jump, hack)

Work well in a team

Can adapt quickly

 

Requirements

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

I am looking for a job on a smaller yard that requires sole-charge or has a small, close-knit team. Ideally somewhere that is a mix of routine care, riding, competition grooming, and yard maintenance.

• Do you need accommodation?

I am looking for a live-in role with accommodation that is self-contained and will allow a partner

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

I have one small, very well behaved dog

• Do you have any ongoing commitments?

I do not have any ongoing commitments and am available to start at any time

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

I do not have any holidays booked