When I first arrived at the stables I was really excited. I was expecting to be quiet and nervous, but I wasn’t at all. I think that improved my relationship with the workers because they were all quite loud as well, so I felt like I fitted in, and they made me feel really welcome. The atmosphere was very laid back, and easy. I got about two breaks a day, depending on my hours. I did not have set hours to go home on an evening. I just went home when everything was done. Sometimes this meant me leaving at half past three, and other times half past nine. I also worked both Saturday and Sunday. This didn’t bother me, as I loved working there and being around the horses and the people I was working with.
At lunchtimes, I went into my boss’ house (which was situated at the stables) where I was told to get what I wanted and make a sandwich. I was a bit surprised at this, but by the end of the placement it just felt like I was at home. My other break was usually in the morning, where we were all made a cup of coffee.
There wasn’t many other employees and most of them worked just on the weekends, although there was another girl called Emma there who was 18, and on her work experience from Bishop Burton College in Beverly. I got along really well with her and we have kept in touch, and arranged to go riding sometime in the summer holidays together. The weekend staff were also really nice. I was expecting some of them to be a bit snobby, but they weren’t at all. The riding stables are also a livery yard so I got to meet some of the people that had horses on livery there. They were all really nice. Also, I got invited out riding with them so I felt really privileged. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the students from Ampleforth College come to ride. I didn’t really get along very well with them because they all seemed really stuck up and kept Emma and me funny looks. Needless to say we just laughed at them. I think they got the picture!
Other than my normal daily work, I also did some quite funny and interesting stuff. One of these things was, on a morning, if there were any rides going out in the day, then we had to go get the horses and ponies from the fields which are up a little lane, above the stables. When I had worked with horses before, id been taught just to lead them down from the fields by foot, so I was quite surprised when I found myself riding down the lane, on a racehorse with just a head collar and rope tied round its neck with another horse at either side of me! I felt that they trusted me to do things like that and I actually enjoyed it, so that was ok. The next thing that happened was when I was asked to drive the old truck. It must have been about a hundred years old! I was taking some hay up to the top fields, at this point I was really proud because I could actually drive the truck, when Emma, who could actually drive, couldn’t drive it and stalled it about 6 times!
I got up to the field, and went to open the door. I then found out that you are only supposed hold the door, and not shut it as there is no handle on the inside so you can get out. So I was stuck in this old truck until Emma came to see where I was. I finally got out and I couldn’t stop laughing! It was so funny! Finally, while Emma and I were up in the fields, we took pity on a small pony called Tiddy. We spoke to Chris (the boss) about it, and he told us that Tiddy hadn’t been out of the field for about 7 years, and hadn’t been ridden for about 15. He was 22 which is quite old for a horse and was looking in really bad shape. After that Emma and I took it upon ourselves to sort him out. We brought him in from the field, tidied up his mane, tail and coat, and then Chris rang for the farrier to come. After we had finished he was looking gorgeous, and we couldn’t wait to ride him.
The next day, we found some tack to fit him, and took him into the paddock to have a go at riding him. Emma got on first and he went perfect. He was an Arab, which is a really elegant breed of horse. He had won loads of prizes at shows when he was younger. I felt really proud to have helped Tiddy out. Sadly, a few days after my work experience finished, Tiggy died of a brain tumour. So that was quite upsetting.
All through my placement I kept thinking about whether or not I wanted to pursue it as a career. All the employees were talking to me about it, and nearly all of them said not to choose horses as my first choice of career because there isn’t hardly any money in it, and its very hard work, especially in winter. I think I will take their advice on that. They must know what it’s like seeing as they are in the horse world themselves. I think I will keep riding and horses as a hobby. At the end of my placement my boss Chris offered me a job when I had finished school, gave me a free riding lesson, and he had been to a horse wear shop and bought me some new jodhpurs and boots! I was really happy, yet really annoyed that he had given me all of these presents. I can’t wait to get into the world of work.
Coming back to school after all that was really hard for me, but I found that my concentration levels have gone up, and I take a much more matured approach to the tasks I am given. Overall, my work placement has really opened my eyes as to what I want to do in later life, and influenced me to do well in my studies.
