Equestrian Career Advice

To run a successful and viable business, yard owners should be constantly looking to develop and evolve their businesses. With fierce competition to fill vacancies and find clients, being able to take additional training for yourself or your staff can allow you to provide dedicated services outside of standard livery packages, and can help you stand out from the crowd.   Over recent years the livery packages available have developed from basic DIY, Part and Full to the huge deve...

Wondering how you can solve the issue of competition nerves and how they impact your performance? Dr Tracey Cole touches on her top tips and advice for how to shed the nerves and take control of your mind when competing, or going about your daily life.

The changing ways we manage horses, especially in Winter, can compromise their respiratory health, which can over time affect the well-being and performance of the horse. Tom Wells, founder of online retailer Farm & Country shares some advice on equine respiration, how owners can improve the air quality in the stable, and signs that show a horse’s respiration may be suffering.   What’s the Big Problem with Dust?   Irritation or allergic reac...

Across all industries, prices are increasing, and the equestrian industry is no different. Soaring costs for yard owners are resulting in huge difficulties for them and their clients in terms of the sustainability of running their yard or keeping their equines.   A recent investigation from SEIB Insurance Brokers confirmed this with a pair of nationwide surveys finding out how these increasing costs are affecting yard owners and their clients. The surveys confirmed that yard owners ...

The Jockey Club has ended its agreement to run Blenheim Horse Trials two years before their five-year contract expires.    The Blenheim horse trials were run by British Eventing (BE) before The Jockey Club. However, in August 2020, BE announced that the event (which had already been cancelled due to Covid that year) would no longer be organised by them, with the reasoning being the need to reassess the organisational structure of the event, and the decision was made that BE wou...

Do you find yourself saying you ‘should’ do something; there’s a lurching feeling of either dread or pressure to get it done. As riders, there are should about riding, ourselves as riders and carers for our horses. It may be time to re-evaluate when and how often you say ‘should’, it could be revealing more than you think about your mindset! Think about your own equestrian 'shoulds'... I should ride more   I should compete   I shoul...

Do your riding fears stop you thinking rationally? Your brain may be being hijacked! Sometimes, when we’re anxious, all rational and logical thought goes out of the window. You can’t think straight and all you can think about is your high state of alert and fear. There’s a good reason why this happens – part of your brain is being hijacked! How do you free yourself? Read on! Knowing a little bit about the brain and the mind helps us to put fears into perspective. ...

In the equestrian world there are many people offering lessons, some describe themselves as instructors, others as trainers and some as coaches. But how do you decide who is right for you? And does what someone calls themselves really matter? If we took a straw poll of the industry we’d likely get the following general definitions: Instructor -  Someone who focuses predominantly on the rider and developing their riding skills and technique by passing on facts and knowledge. Of...

Well, I’m sat writing this new Horsemart article in front of a heater while the weather is honestly biblical outside. I’ve got my ski fleece on already and I have officially retired from shaving my legs for the rest of 2020. Anyway, not to sound all Jon Snow but winter is coming. Yeah, I know... Game of Thrones is over and we should all get over it but I will never be ok with that final season. Bran on the Iron Throne? The little twerp that thinks he’s a bird? Get real. He&r...

Have you ever wanted to ride down the centre line on your beloved horse to show the judge what you’re capable of, but have felt intimidated by the flashy warmbloods in the warm-up? Do you ever think ‘what’s the point’ competing my genuine all-rounder against the horses bred to impress in the dressage arena? I know I have. So to find out if it’s really possible to realise our dressage dreams on our ‘ordinary’ horses, I met up with Irish international dres...

The School of Equine Shiatsu has been in existence for nearly 20 years and hundreds of students can testify to its first-class tuition delivered by experts in this niche field.  We are very passionate about our school ethic and aim to give the best tuition we can. Whilst doing this, we have a lot of fun and enjoy being with the horses, giving them this lovely oriental treatment, which is such a privilege. So, to give you a little information, Shiatsu is a similar therapy to acupuncture ...

Ever wanted a career as a Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist and wondered what a typical day would include? Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist Kirsty Haines specialises in treating animals and equine clients make up about 75% of her caseload. She has been riding for more than 20 years and owns an Arab and a Shetland pony. She gives us an overview of what it’s like to be a Chartered Veterinary Physio below.   To qualify as a veterinary physio it’s strongly advised tha...

“Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The saying rings true, time and time again! If your passion lies in equestrianism, and you're on the lookout for your dream career; then working with horses may well be the perfect career choice for you. With a multitude of different roles available, no matter your preference, be it marketing, or mucking out - we’re confident that there are equine jobs out there to suit every personality and skillset. ...

It's been said (by many) that, 'if you work in something you love, you'll never work a day in your life,' and if what you love are horses, there are endless options available to start your dream career. If you are looking for a career in something equestrian related, there's also a tonne of ways to get your foot in the door. Qualifications range from foundation degrees (FdA, FdSc), HNDs to BSc (Hons) and BA (Hons). Courses are available in Equine Anatomy, Equestrian Performance, Equine Scie...

Looking for a new job and struggling to update or write a new CV? The team at Equine Careers (www.equine-careers.co.uk) give us their top five tips to help you start writing and get noticed ahead of the competition. 1. Tailor your CV; Make sure your CV is tailored to the job you are applying for. There's no point writing about your office skills if you are applying for a job as a groom. It may sound like a time consuming process, but making the effort to tailor your CV to suit the re...