Acquiring Funds/Passive Income

So I've just spent all my saved money on my trip to South Africa - and it was well worth it! But I'm now back to square one, saving up again. Sometimes it seems a silly task due to the fact that as soon as I've saved a decent sum, I spend it all at once!

My mum is a big believer in building up a passive income and I'm starting to see the benefits. The general idea of a passive income is to have funds coming in without having to put in the work. Well that's not quite right. You put in the time and effort to start off with, but manage to build up a process by which eventually you're not working but still receiving money for the initial work. For example, you write a book and get it published and then put it as a product on Ebay. You've put in all the work and as the book gain's interest, you continue to sell it with no real continual effort from your behalf.

Now it's to be a long time before I see this dream realised, but it's nice to be aware of ways to bring in funds to put towards a goal and if I had this built up now, I'd be less worried about taking working holidays (granted, I learn lots and work lots and acquire contacts on these holidays) that aren't actually earning me any money while I'm away.

If you've a goal in mind - whether it be instructing horse riding; running your own property; renting a horse related property; start up your own business but you're not sure where to find the funds. For example, for insurance, purchasing a property or shop or ongoing costs of rent, feed, etc I encourage you to look around at the funds on offer. Just be willing to prove that you can make a living off your dream.

The Nescafe Big Break (http://www.nescafebigbreak.com.au/) although taking a break this year, has for the past 17 years provided funds (up to $20,000 to winners) for young Australians/New Zealanders to start up their own business.

The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (http://www.nna.asn.au/NEIS.htm) is focused on bringing back to the workforce people whom were previously unemployed, by training them up in business skills, creating a business plan and helping with funds to start their own business. I have a friend who is so excited as she has just finished work with NEIS and is to start her own photography business. Have you a passion for taking photos of horses, creating calendars, diaries? Perhaps you hadn't considered the possibility of turning it into a business…

Sorry that both of these links are Australian oriented, but if the only thing holding you back is funds, start researching the schemes or people that are willing to invest their time and money in others. Initially it may be a way for you to kick start things, but who knows - in the future it may be a way for you to invest in someone else's dream.

Also, don't underestimate the value of putting your money to work. Consider a savings account - every little bit helps. Ing Direct, an online savings acount is free to set up, has an interest rate of 6% and has a competition offering $10,000 to a random person whom sents up an account:
"When you use an Automatic Savings Plan (ASP) between 1 August and 31 October 2007 to deposit funds into your Savings Maximiser, you'll be automatically entered into the draws to win $10,000 in bonus interest. For every one dollar you deposit in August, September and October, you'll have one entry into the draw for that month. Deposit $100 in August and you'll have 100 entries into the draw for that month."

"If money can't buy happiness how do you get a horse?"

Jumps Course Design

Really enjoy jumping? Love riding and working out related distances, setting up different types of jumps with rollbacks and interesting changes of lead? Perhaps you should look into jumps course designing.

http://www.aachen-course-design.com/ - Seems to be the place to go to learn about course design and get yourself known in the industry/gain certificates. Links to seminars on Course Design run through the Federation Equestre Internationale; upcoming seminars in Brazil, Russia, France, Australia and Germany.

http://www.jumpdesign.net/ - website of Eduard Petrovic, International Course Designer.

http://www.mudhotline.com/la/coursdes.htm - Longacres Course Design
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_jumping - Show Jumping on Wikipedia
http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/horsesense/sporthorse/jump_design/interview.html - Interview with Richard Jeffrey, renowned course designer.

"Been There... Jumped That!"

Professional Riding: Polo

Different types of the sport:
Arena and outdoor polo. Read about the history of polo at http://www.hpa-polo.co.uk/about/history_polo.asp.

Horses needed – number:
As a beginner, 1-2 horses should do suffice to practice on and play matches. This can increase to 4 as your level progresses and even stables of 10+.

Costs involved:
Horse care – tack, polo equipment – helmut, boots kneeguards and mallets, shoeing regularly, vet bills, rugs, feeding and stabling. Game entries, tuition.

Rules of game:
Arena polo is made up of 4 chukkas (each 7 minutes in length) with teams swapping horses and goal ends at the end of each chukka. Indoor is played with 3 players per team on a field 300 x 150 feet.

Outdoor polo is played on a field of 160 x 300 yards – 10 times the size of an official arena. There are four players to each team and goal ends are changed each time a team scores a goal. There are six chukkas in outdoor polo. More horses are needed for outdoor as it is a faster, more demanding and longer played game.

Links to associations:
http://www.aapolo.com/ - Argentina Polo Association
http://www.us-polo.org/ - United States Polo Association
http://www.hpa-polo.co.uk/ - The governing body of polo in the UK, Ire and other countries worldwide.
http://www.sapolo.org.za/ - South African Polo
http://www.australianpolo.com.au/ - Australian Polo Association
http://www.fippolo.com/ - Federation of International Polo
http://www.polo.org.nz/ - New Zealand Polo Association

The game is fast paced and no doubt requires a decent amount of time and money to invest in horses! The financial rewards may not be the amount invested into polo, but many would argue the thrill of the game is award enough.

"A polo handicap is a persons ticket to the world." - Sir Winston Churchill

Job Opportunity: Weatherbeeta

Hi guys!

Back from a week up in Sydney - have a post for you once I sort through all my stuff! Just thought I'd post a job possibility received through an email from Horseland.

'Weatherbeeta are looking for a new Marketing Coordinator to join their vibrant Marketing team based in Nunawading, Victoria. If you have a passion for horses, a marketing degree, and at least 12 months marketing experience Weatherbeeta would love to hear from you!

Send your resume to jobs@weatherbeeta.com.au by 11th July.'

Weatherbeeta specialise in horse rugs and provide for the US/Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

"Horse people are stable people."

Calling All Bloodstock Wannabes

So I've signed up to receive news from William Inglis, a rather large bloodstock setup here in Australia and thought I'd share one of the emails as it's regarding a 12 month position with the Inglis crew.

So if you're interested in/wanna learn about "an excellent opportunity to gain an understanding of the workings of William Inglis & Son... spending 12 months gaining experience in all facets of the company," take a look at the William Inglis and Son Internship.

"Time will be predominantly spent within the bloodstock sector of the firm, while the opportunity to work within the company’s marketing, leasing and insurance divisions, will offer this person a succinct knowledge and thorough understanding of the runnings of a respected auctioneer/bloodstock agency."

They have setups in Newmarket, New South Wales and at Oaklands Junction, Victoria, Australia and applications are due in by October 26, 2007.

"Whoever said that money cannot buy happiness didn't know where to buy a horse."

Your Hands, Their Feet

I always thought farriery was the way to go - variety, good money, physically active - and then concluded equine dentistry was even more appealing. Yes, it was the money that persuaded me, how did you guess? However, I see some pros for farriery in that this business is easier to run on a smaller client base - your horse's feet need doing every 2 months, unlike the teeth which are done annually, calling for more people to use you to be constantly in work.

Spending the majority of my short working life on studs, I've viewed many foals born with the most interesting looking legs. Sometimes it's the vet's job to fix problems; others the farrier can fix in various ways.

The legs are a focus over the first few months of a foal's life as at this age, things can be adjusted to "encourage" growth in a different direction (correcting/minimising the problem).

For example - a foal that toes in - a farrier can rasp a little more off a particular side, encouraging extra growth on this side, pushing the foot in the opposite direction, straightening it out over time. The end result may not be a 100% correct horse, but can alleviate problems, make them more correct and therefore more appealing to buyers/less likely to receive stresses on their legs while in work.

In Victoria it's pretty common for a farrier to charge around $50 to trim your horse's feet (less, the more horses you have) and around $100 for a set of shoes all round. Now in a day one farrier can easily manage 20 horses. Say they were all done at the same place, all trims and therefore at a cheaper rate - $30 - this is still $600 for the day. And honestly, they can manage more, but 20 horses would be quite a demand on the body!

To become a farrier in Oz, you're looking at a 3 year apprenticeship with what I've been told is an average income, but once you've invested this time over the short term, the wage is a lot more appealing.

Some Associations:
American Farriers Association:
http://www.americanfarriers.org/

Aust. Farriers and Blacksmiths Association:
http://www.afba.org.au/

New Zealand Farrier's Association:
http://www.nzfarriers.co.nz/

Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association:
http://www.bwfa.net/

"Be wary of the horse with a sense of humour." - Pam Brown

An Abundance of Horse Jobs

So! I've added a random "quote" generator to the page, listing horse jobs, careers, possibilities working with or in relation to horses. There's 54 in total listed in the coding, so if you think of other job possibilities with horses that you think others should know about, feel free to let me know so I can add them to the coding!

Invest in the Best

5 Top Tips to further/establish your equine career.

Invest in yourself:
If you're looking to improve yourself for a particular field but struggle with the idea of a full time focus on acquiring skills or a piece of paper; consider work and study. For example, I was working on a horse stud and am interested in teaching, so took up a correspondence course for instructing while working. I could do it at my own pace and because it all relates to horses, things I was doing at work (although not directly related to teaching people to ride) were of benefit to me in this study.
Many put off furthering their skills/starting in a new area until they can focus solely on this decision and consequently end up not doing anything at all.

Invest in others:
Make yourself known; get out there. Attend events related to an area you are working or wish to work. It is possible to do so through work, for example I attend horse sales with my job and have received other work through being seen at these sales. People start to recognise you if you get out there often enough and if you're taking the time to get to know them and what they do, you may just find it'll help you in your particular focus.

Invest in education:
Consider saving to invest in furthering your knowledge - books, a particular course, even travel to a particular property or country to focus on a certain discipline. If this is the place where you can get access to the 'experts', then consider going there.

Invest in the future:
Set goals for tasks that would be of benefit for you to have achieved and find ways to learn or master that particular skill. When I first started out working on a stud, through my six weeks of work placement leading up to that employment I did all I could - injections, dealt with the birth of foals, handled the stallions, mares for covers, helped with vetting, feeding. In the last week I concluded the only thing I hadn't done was drive the tractor around the farm... A rather amused boss obliged to this request, also!

Invest in your industry:
Find out if there are any clubs, federations, etc that you can be a part of in a particular industry you want to work/be known. Many of these clubs have a fee which means you're putting money into that industry, proving you're taking it seriously but as an added benefit, you're being informed of events, changes, important things in relation to this field. Also, you're getting to know key people in this industry.


"A horse is like a violin, first it must be tuned, and when tuned it must be accurately played."

The Value of Planning and Planting

Many people that are strong influences in my life teach and agree on the value of planning and planting - my parents, pastors at church, people I work with - all of whom are successful people that I look up to.

It is so important to (metaphorically speaking) plant a seed - discover your life's desire - and work (plan) on having this come to pass. For me, it's of course my property and reaching people through it and doing what I love.

One of the beautiful men I work with up in the country when doing the whole stud thing works on a few different studs as well as running his own 50 acre property. He has commented often on how he wishes he'd planted trees on first purchasing the property over seven years ago. The time has quickly passed and he knows it would have been smart to take the time initially, to see the fruits now.

In the middle of a strong drought for us here in Australia, the upkeep of horses is proving to be difficult and very expensive - especially for those utilising these gorgeous animals as part of a business. My current boss who has the facilities to keep horses is taking advantage of this time, getting good horses cheap because she can afford to keep them while others can't. I'd much rather be in this boat than considering selling my beloved equine because I couldn't afford to keep him!

Always with my (yet to be purchased) property in mind, I am looking for ways to be able to set myself up to be self sufficient so that I won't suffer from problems that could have been at least lessened due to planning.

Trees provide shelter, wind breaks, shade and more importantly at this time I'm coming to realise, can work well as fodder. My boss has recently been pruning back many trees on her property - not as a big garden clean up, but because certain trees are quite appealing to the horses and work as a gut filler in this time where grass and hay is scarce.

The worker who has implanted into my brain the importance of planting trees on your property when first purchased has mentioned how valuable something like a lucerne tree can be - it's a big bushy plant that can act as shade or a windbreak but more importantly, is appealing to horses and if planted and allowed to grow, can be of great value in times of a drought. Curious about other trees that could do the same thing, I did a search on the net and have found a half dozen trees that could be used as fodder (and wind breaks, shade, fire protection, etc).

I also stumbled across the book - Managing Horses on Small Properties by Jane Myers - which I purchased online (74 horse books in My Library, now!). Check out http://www.landlinks.com/?nid=20&pid=4896 for info on this book. Listed in this book for good fodder trees are:
- Willows, especially Weeping Willows - drought tolerant
- Poplars - tolerate dry periods
- Carob
- Honey Locust
- Tagasaste (Lucerne tree)

Also take a look at Landscape Design on the Sustainability Victoria Website - ESHousingManualCh10.pdf
Did you know that:
- Dense trees and shrubs can deflect strong winds and channel cooling summer breezes?
- A tree shading a window can reduce a room's temperature by up to 12 degrees celcius?
- Deciduous trees provide summer shade yet allow winter sun access?
- Winbreaks are most effective when located at 90 degrees to the direction of the wind?

Some very helpful points on this .pdf file linked above. If you're going to invest time in your horses and have a property, why not invest in planning and planting as well? It'll only benefit you.

"Love means attention, which means looking after the things we love. We call this stable management." - George H. Morris, The American Jumping Style

More of the Force

So I got an email back yesterday from a Senior Sergeant at the New South Wales Mounted Police. Here are her replies to the questions I've sent out:

Do you have to be a certain rank as a police officer to become a mounted police officer?
To join the Mounted Police you need to have 3 years of general duties policing experience.

Do you need horse skills or are these taught?
You really need to have some basic horse knowledge and skills to be a successful applicant. And also a good level of fitness as it is quite a physical job riding all day and working with horses.

Why did you join the Mounted Police?
I joined the Mounted Police along with most of my collegues to combine a love of horses and riding with a worthwhile career in policing. It is a very unique job and I feel priviliged to be a part of this organisation and the continuance of such a historical institution.

How much of the job is horse related?
All of this occupation is revolved around horses being the riding of and management of. Obviously when we do Police work on our horses we have to do relevant paperwork and go to court etc...

How long have you been a mounted police person?
I have been with the NSW Mounted Police for 18 years.

Is lots of training involved for the horses?
Yes the horses have quite extensive assessment and training. This training is pretty much on going for the horses to keep them fit and obedient.

What would a normal day consist of for you?
For me a normal day could be anything from completing my relevant paperwork, to attending a demonstration or public protest, patrolling the streets of sydney or a country location, training at randwick racetrack or just mucking out some stables, grooming horses and doing general tasks that need to be completed every day such as vetting horses and checking shoes etc taking horses for spells, assessing new horses and instructing new riders.

New South Wales Police Website:
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/

"How to ride a horse:
Step One - Mount the horse...
Step Two - Stay mounted..."

A Tooth Fairy Goldmine

Admittedly, I am terrible with my horse's teeth - I've had him rising 10 years and not had his teeth done once. (Gasp, shock horror!). Initially, it was ignorance and quite possibly still could be, but I've figured as long as he's in good condition and having no problems keeping weight (he's always rather festively plump) that he's chewing and digesting everything alright.

Well he had them done for the first time today, along with 23 other horses at one of the riding schools I work at. Apparently they get done this time each year and the same trusty equine dentist comes out with his helper and they get them done in a day.

Now, between the two of them they managed 24 horses in 4 hours. For curiosity's sake I enquired about costs - if it's a special visit for just your horse, you're looking at around $110 to have their teeth done. For a number of horses, it's $50. So, in the four hours, they made $1,200.00 between the two of them and this was only from the one riding school.

They'd done a few before coming out to us and had another half dozen or so to do before finishing up for the day. What an income! The main dentist pointed out he has a bit in the way of expenses - the big one being insurance and then lesser - petrol, cost of floats (used to do the horses' teeth - one costs around $100 and he went through four between the 24 horses). But still, taking out $400 for the floats, say $60 for a tank of petrol and then giving even half to his coworker would leave him with around $370.

I'm sure it's higher as the apprentice probably gets a lot less than 50% of the day's earnings! So, for around $100 an hour, not a bad way to work at all!

The dentist who annually comes out to this riding school advocates the course at Melbourne University - one year of study, one year on the job. Apparently there's a lot of people doing the course and too many from Victoria, so quite a few get trained and then head overseas to put their skills to use. But consider two years of training, then another few years on the job and travelling and then you'd be set with experience, a build up of clients in more than one country and the chance to earn a decent income with horses. Not a bad five-year-plan, ey?

"A stubborn horse walks behind you, an impatient horse walks in front of you, but a noble companion walks beside you."

Straight to the Source

And my current source? This week, the force. Mounted Police if you want to get down to specifics.

I've sent out a request to the London, Royal Canadian, New South Wales and Victoria Mounted Police to see if they'd answer a half dozen questions or so for me. I'm waiting on the answers from Canada as they agreed to answer my questions but as yet haven't heard back from London or NSW.

A Victorian Sergeant was kind enough to answer them and promptly returned his replies:

Do you have to be a certain rank as a police officer to become a mounted police officer?
No a constable can apply but only after they have completed their probationary period of 2 years

Do you need horse skills or are these taught?
Yes you do require horse skills as the positions available are highly sought after and for safety reasons you have to be competent on a horse before attempting to become a member of the Mounted Police.

Why did you join the Mounted Police?
I grew up with horses and I wanted to use my experience with horses in a policing role.

How much of the job is horse related?
At the Mounted Branch all of the tasks we attend are horse related.

How long have you been a mounted police person?
I have been a member of the Mounted Branch for 13 years.

Is lots of training involved for the horses?
Yes the horses are constantly undergoing training even when they are a fully qualifed troop horse.

What would a normal day consist of for you?
Stable work in the morning for an hour depending on the current tasks riding my horse at a variety of activities (patrols/ceremonial jobs training or protests).


Victoria Police Website:
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/

"Our hoofbeats were many, but our hearts beat as one."

Unique Opportunity - Level One Instructing

Got some mail from the Equestrian Federation of Australia the other day for those enrolled in their Level 1. Now I've been really slack and not read over it yet but thought I'd post an ad that came with it. This is the sort of situation that I'd take up if I wasn't doing seasonal work! Maybe those interested in competing/teaching should consider possibilities like this:

Provided with shared accommodation and pool on 26 acre Equestrian based property; paddock agistment for 1 horse; 3 lessons a week; attendance at workshops for Introductory/Level One Coach trainees - conducted by resident Coach Educator - all for the price of a normal rental.

Other possibilities include - transport to local competitions; educated horses to learn on; experience in coaching, grooming at shows, etc; help in work placement.

ALL available on flexible part time basis (for those of you in full/part time employment or studying).

Candidates NEED - no previous experience in industry; just keen to learn and a love of horses. Where could you go wrong? Location - Hawkesbury, NSW, Australia.

Contact - Sally-Ann Barbera horswise@acay.com.au (not sure if this should be horsEwise@acay.com.au - but copied from Ad I received).

"You Know You're A Horse Person When... trying to calm down a baby, you start crooning 'Whoa, now, easy.'"

Equine Photography

When I think horse photos, the main name that comes to mind for me is Bob Langrish. Every year for the past decade or more I have been given a horse calendar as part of a Christmas present and every year, the photos have been by this photographer.

Have just stumbled across another who has some brilliant works - Robert Vavra.



*These pictures from the Robert Vavra site and copyright to him.

Horse Photography is another avenue that could be explored as a possible career relating to horses. I'm not aware of a particular course relating to learning how to specifically photograph horses; but am sure there are many animal or live subject courses focusing on photographing moving creatures.

If you're already taking shots, perhaps you haven't considered the possibility of having these published, and why not do so online? There are sites out there that take in people's photos and publish them in catalogs/books that are sold online. They can also be publicised on popular sites and possibly provide a payment for photos that are published.

One site I know of that publishes 'rural' photos and stories is Ridnersnreapers.com. Check it out.

Have you considered horse magazines; sending in pictures where appropriate or taking photos for people that are wanting to sell their horses? Visit horse events to practice and become known as a photographer. Events like competitions, races, rodeos, pony clubs, sale days.

If there is a passion there and you're proving to have some skill, pursue it! Bob Langrish "is a totally self-taught photographer". Who's to say you can't achieve the same?

"Horses leave hoofprints on your heart."

Time is Short, Use it.

I was chatting with a few of the girls down at horseriding over the past week and realised a few things that could help those pursuing a lifetime of horses.

Taking Advantage of Hemispheres:
One is doing year twelve with the aim to become an Equine Vet. She commented on how the study is long (5 years) and the pay not so appealing initially. Looking at the midterm (say 10 years out of highschool - which moves quicker than you realise!) it is possible to make your input of 5 years at uni and the first few years out turn into a job you love, decent income and still some time to enjoy yourself!

On the studs I frequent there's a vet that works the breeding season here in Australia. In their mid to late twenties they haven't been out of study all that long, but in a short time (because they KNOW where they want to specialise), they have taken advantage of the two hemispheres. Our breeding season (August 1 - December 31st) they spend in Australia before soaring over to Ireland for the stud season there.

Effecitvely, they're getting twice the amount of hands on in the peak of the season in comparison to those who stay home during the quieter time of the year for a reproductive vet. Result - one who has commented on having too much money and too much time! Not that I would ever complain about that!:)

Riding Schools in Your Area:
Another I was chatting with is quite a bit younger and eager to start working in a riding school as this is where she'd spend all her time if permitted. If you discover your passion at a young age, pursue it! It'll put you largely in front of those who are still deciding in their later years of highschool/uni.

It is possible in Australia from the age of 13 to be a 'helper' at riding schools that need the extra pair of hands. They take on the horse crazy (often) girls and over the weekend have them help to tack up ponies, assist others learning about horses, pick up yards, feed horses, etc. Some, mundane tasks indeed, but why not at a young age learn about the good and bad jobs so you can ascertain if that industry is for you?

If considering this field, look into the riding schools in your area and give them a call if old enough to see what you can do to help and most importantly, learn.

"If you look back over mans path to victory, you will see it is lined with the bones of horses."

Qualifications Needed to Own a Horse Stud

So I don't believe there's any rule about this one... one of my bosses bought a stud after managing his own mechanic shop. Another grew up on the property and took over after his dad. I think anyone with the money or interest can manage this one; whether or not they have any pieces of paper to say they know a thing or two about horses.

Just thought I'd put a piece up here cause it's a topic or phrase that was searched upon and resulted in someone visiting this blog.

The above is exactly what I want to do with my life - own my own horse property and breed horses (plus lots of other things!). Currently I have three pieces of paper - all pretty much in the same area. Certificate II in Horse Studies (12 month course gained at 17 years of age); Diploma of Horse Studies (2 year course gained at 20 years of age) and a Certificate of Merit from the Irish National Stud (6 month course gained at 21 years of age).

I don't believe any of these are NEEDED to own or run a horse stud. However, I believe ALL have brought me to the stage where if I had the funds at this very moment, I'd happily consider myself capable of running a horse property; focusing on breeding.

If your desire is to run your own horse place; I encourage you to look into doing a course, expecially if you haven't been brought up with horses. It's an awesome way to get experience and a piece of paper; to gain friends in the industry for life and to learn of important contacts in that same industry.

There's no particular course that is the essential one to help you do so; but if you're considering studying, think about doing a course that is at least 12 months, moreso 2 years or more and is at least at Diploma level. These courses are generally 'management' courses; designed for people with this level of work in mind. Another thought - make sure it covers that which to wish to focus on; find something a little more specific rather than general if you have a specific goal in mind.

"Poverty is another word for owning a horse..."

Job available in North East Victoria on TB stud.

Hello out there! Anyone interested in a job? Was chatting to a previous boss not too long ago who is looking for at least one person to fill in a permanent position at a Thoroughbred stud.

Don't think TB experience is necessary, but definitely horse experience. In the middle of weaning foals currently, breeding season starts August 1 and Yearlings from December. Accomodation available on the property and about 5 mins from town.

I worked here for nine months, learnt lots and gained lots of sale experience through many yearling preps. For the breeding enthusiast they are a decent sized stud with many mares going through the property to foal down and be bred and they have their own stallions.

If interested get in contact with me via darquette_@hotmail.com or leave a comment with a way to contact you.

Chris

"You Know You're A Horse Person When... you try to get by someone in a restricted space and instead of saying "excuse me" to him/her, you cluck at them instead."

Added Benefits

I'm one of those people that jumps more at opportunities to work in an area I'm not familiar with but want to be, rather than looking for the security of decent pay, good hours, etc. For now, anyway.

However, other things that you can get out of a job are really worth looking into, especially if you've been in an industry for say twelve months, have gained some decent experience and are getting to know people in that industry.

For example, currently I'm working at two riding schools with the view to become qualified to teach. Technically, I entered the field blindly, knowing nothing about the rate of pay I should expect, hours or even where to look. I just chose schools that were close to home for convenience and sent out letters to see if any were looking for workers. Now, of the four letters I sent, I got two replies (50%, not a bad strikerate for job searching!) and took on both jobs as it was experience.

In hindsight I realise how blessed I am to have gotten the two positions and how one complements the other. All I really needed was a place to take me on, teach me how to teach others and hopefully help me out with getting a piece of paper to say I had done the study to be able to teach.

What I ended up with was one place where I was expected to do general stable duties and in return, got paid, got to view other's teaching, I'm getting three riding lessons a week to improve my riding and also give me one on one with instructor's teaching and I've got a place to keep my horse at no extra charge. Talk about benefits! At the other school, I am being paid to teach after being under training with other instructors and they are also providing the qualified assessors to mark off my capabilities and teach me so I can get the piece of paper I desire.

If you have been in a field awhile, I encourage you to find out from others why they are staying at a particular job. Do they get benefits?

I have friends in the stud industry who each get different benefits:
- One has literacy problems and on top of being paid to work with horses and working on a stud that could place her in four different countries around the world, they are paying for her to have classes to improve her literacy.
- Another works on a smaller stud where she is given access to all areas of stud work, gaining experience at anything and everything. She also gets a rather nice bonus around Christmas time each year.
- Where I work during the season I am provided with accomodation at no charge which means my only expenses are fuel and food (and I live at work, so there's not too many travelling costs) and my horse is allowed to stay where I work also, an added bonus at no extra cost to me.

On a stud situation or a family run riding property that shows constantly, it is often common for accomodation to be provided. Why not consider adding this to your list of requirements when job hunting? It could save you a lot on rent, especially in an environment where the hours can be many and the rate low.

'You Know You're A Horse Person When... you pull a $17,000 horse trailer with a $1,000 pick-up truck. '

I've been published!

Sorry, no massively insightful piece tonight, just me jumping for joy cause two of my horse related pieces have been published online! Check out http://www.ridersnreapers.com/ and look for the pieces by Christine Thomas. And feel free to check out the others!

"You Know You're A Horse Person When... ...someone asks for a screwdriver and you hand them a hoof pick."

Horse Networking

So I went along to a thoroughbred sale today as I had the day off and wanted to catch up with mates from TAFE. It's a great way to keep in touch with those in an industry that I aim to stay a part of, even when I take short breaks from it.

It's also a great way for someone to get their foot in the door in a particular industry. If you're frequenting events, you're getting your face known and hopefully getting to know others and how they are placed in the industry.

Horse sales can be a great way to get to know who provides a service, sells horses; who is looking to buy horses and race them; who provides transport for horses to and from sales, etc. If you're interested in getting into the Thoroughbred industry, keep on top of when sales are and attend some. So much in relation to employment in this industry is who you know, rather than what. That can be in your favour as long as who you know, is aware of your dedication to the industry.

So maybe Thoroughbreds aren't your scene, but if horses are, look into attending special events - Equitana, the Scone Horse Festival, horse shows or even rodeos if Quarter Horses are more your thing.

Another great way to get contact with horses and meet others who are obsessed and may also be in the industry, is to volunteer for certain horse related events or even sports such as Riding for the Disabled.

If you're interested in a certain horse field but don't know where to start, consider getting yourself known by attending social events relating to that field!

Horse Sales:
Magic Millions
William Inglis
Tattersalls
Tattersalls Ireland
Doncaster Bloodstock Sales
Keeneland Sales

"You Know You're A Horse Person When... your mouth waters at the sight of a truck full of hay."