Some photos from South Africa

A river we had to cross on the third day on trail. On Puzzle, I had to bring my feet out of the stirrups and rest them up on the pommel to not get wet!


One of the three 3 month old cubs we got to play with at the Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve. This picture is huuuge if you click on it!



The view I woke up to outside my room two mornings of the trail. I could have lived at Wavecrest!




A photo of three of the boys used on trail; left to right - Suave, Puzzle and Dougal. Puzzle was my mount for the five days on trail - he is rising five, was one of the shortest on trail but boy could he move! Loved riding him.

"As the wind swept over the saddle, it turned to a mixture of bright colors and painted the world." - Ronan Warriors

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

The Joys the Wild Coast has to Offer.

Well, I've less than a week left in South Africa and I've had an absolute ball. The current group of work riders plus one staff and the proprietor of Wild Coast Horse Trails have just been out on a trail for five days. The trip in a nutshell? We rode from Kei Mouth to Trennery's to Wavecrest, along the Eastern Coast of South Africa.

Consequently, you see a lot of sand and surf! Two nights are spent at each place in gorgeous rooms on the beach. The trail involved around 3-5 hours in the saddle each day, long canters up hills and across the beach; a gorgeous gallop and lots of breath taking scenery - a ship wreck, sand dunes, rocks, hills and beach, cliffs and valleys and South African culture.

Before the trail I had the time to ride 15 of the horses here - up roads working on fitness; on trails round the 400 hectare property and at the beach and school horses in flat and jumping - what a great riding experience!

I also got to work with a foal that was born the night I arrived, work with weanlings, yearlings and stallions; free lunge endurance horses and learn Join Up and start two 3 year old mares under saddle. Oh, and I've raided an impressive horse library here, making note of a half-dozen must haves for my collection and have read five books while here - relaxing!

Yesterday we got to go to the Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve and saw warthog, giraffes, a rhino, many types of antelope, lions, ostriches, wildebeast, kingfisher, elephants and finished up playing with cheetah and lion cubs - just gorgeous. Photos to follow when I get home!

For the horse riding enthusiast, you can't pass this working/riding holiday up!

"Good horses make short miles."

Ask and You Will Receive

One of the horse's I've ridden and watched closely while here in South Africa is a piebald mare rising four years old, who was backed (put under saddle) last November. Partly her temperament and breeding can be attributed to this responsive young animal. The other instigator? The backing method here is along the lines of Monty Robert's classic 'Join Up'.

I was curious to hear this as for my next adventure, I want to be just above Australia; helping out at Tiwi College and helping with 2,000 or so wild horses on the islands. The man I know linked in with the Tiwi College plans has informed me they use the Monty Roberts' method for young people from broken homes so suddenly this way of doing things has my attention twofold.

I commented how I was disappointed that I couldn't see this process carried out before I went home from South Africa and suddenly the proprietor was on the phone to friends and days later, we had two mares about 3 years of age, barely handled to practice Join Up with.

Four days into the process (working with each mare for about an hour each day) and we have been on the chestnut mare twice, having her happily walk and trot around under saddle with a rider in the saddle. The bay mare we started under saddle today and she took things well.

It has been amazing to see all the signs these gorgeous animals give off in regards to body language and submission. Sometimes it's very subtle, other times it's as if their whole body is shouting, "please, let me be friends. I'd rather be with you than away."

Now both have been amazingly quiet in accepting the saddle, but just so you know - it took hours to get a head collar on both mares and a long time to get them into a lunging ring to be able to start the process. Oh, and the bay mare loves to bite - anything within her reach and the ears go flat back and the teeth are bared - she is obviously the dominant one of the pair. And go figure, only by asking have we been able to get a saddle on her so quickly. Amazing.

"It is easier to attach reins to a freight train and practice pulling to a halt than it is to slow down some of our horses."

What Could Be More Appealing?

Three days in South Africa and I’ve been horseriding twice – all day Friday (beach to town to bush) and 10kms Sunday morning up the road. Rhino were pointed out to me and warthog and there’s promise of many more rides and scenery to come. I had the joy of riding Top Deck – a roan/grey arab gelding on Sunday morning and was riding with a young man who does endurance riding. The result: trotting 4kms or so before heading back at a walk (only cause my mount felt a bit sore, or I’m sure we would have continued at the same pace).

To keep up with the horse in front, Top Deck extended his trot beautifully or broke into a rocking horse canter which I could have sat to all day. What a gorgeous feeling!

Running a trail ride business is half of the package here. I’m learning a bit about the family’s real passion: endurance racing in South Africa.

A horse will start around the age of four and a half or older. If only four, they can start in 30km rides, but no more than this distance. There are 80, 120 and 200km rides. You can race an 80km competitively or can enter and run the first leg (30km) and if all’s well the next 30 and finally the last 20. You get no recognition of having competed, but do build up km’s for you and your horse.

At the end of each leg, a horse’s fitness is tested and if deemed fine by a vet, you can continue racing the next leg of the ride. Before the race, the Cardiac Recovery Index (CRI) or Ridgeway test is performed on the horses.

The essential element of this test is the horse is put through an exercise period of around 30 seconds followed by a similar rest period. The horse’s heart rate is then monitored a minute after the exercise starts to see if it’s heart rate has returned to normal – this being the heart rate that is taken before the test is started to establish a resting heart rate figure. The exercise is carried out at the trot and over 80 metres – 40 away from and 40 towards the vet.

There is no monetary value for endurance racing though some events have sponsors who provide prizes. However, most are taken part in for the recognition of kilometers for the horse and rider. There is of course also the sense of achievement through having trained up a horse to be fit enough to cover these distances at a trot or canter. If you love your time in the saddle and to be constantly moving, consider this form of horse riding!

"Riding is not a sport, it is a passion. If you do not share the passion, you do not know the sport, and therefore are wasting your time."

Mixing Cattle and Horses

I was at work last week and sometimes feel rather like a valet parking person... for horses. One of our clients had just finished his ride and I took his horse off him and started to untack while he got the trusty animal some snacks that he'd left in the car.

Upon his return, I was amused to once again have someone comment on my age. For a 22 year old, rising 23, it's funny when people question "So, you got a day off school today and wanted to play with some horses, ey?" Where I instruct, some mothers don't consider me looking old enough to drive - I'm gonna having fun when running my property convincing people of my age and experience!

I got chatting with the client and he mentioned how he was having a few lessons before heading off on a Cattle Drive coming up very shortly. Curious, I found out from him that it's an annual event that people can take part in for five days at a time.


The drive starts in South Australia and works in around four parts, a certain number of people trek the cattle to a previously planned location and then do a swap, after the 5 days of travel, another group takes over the large head of cattle and moves them onto the next location and so forth until the whole trek has been carried out. Sounds very interesting and a great chance to see some awesome scenery in Australia's bush!

Looking at the site, it states the ride "...offers people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, the opportunity to re-live the glory years of Australia's outback cattle drovers by riding alongside real working people, moving a real herd through real outback wilderness."

Check out the Annual Great Australian Cattle Drive at http://www.goway.com/cattledrive/.

"Heels down and head up, knees down and heart up, ankles close to your horse's side, elbows close to your own."

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..."

Movies and Novels Igniting the Passion

There’s nothing quite like a viewing of the Black Stallion or settling in a comfy chair on a rainy afternoon and delving into the likes of the Silver Brumby or the classic Black Beauty. And really, this is where the passion for horses starts for many.

It’s been a very interesting week – working at one of the riding schools and ending up with new instructors and therefore learning even more while in the saddle. This has been topped off by a weekend of teaching today and a gymkhana tomorrow and Monday I’m going to another Thoroughbred Sale. And in less than four weeks time, South Africa! Guess I can’t complain about things being boring ;)

I had some friends over last night and yesterday morning in anticipation of wanting to eat lots of junk, I drove down to the local IGA store to stock up on the essentials – chocolate, icecream and Pringles. Where could you go wrong? My mistake – parking right in front of the Opp Shop next door to the IGA.

Now I keep telling myself that I won’t purchase any more horse books until I’ve read all the ones I’ve got (still got 15 of those to read. Well, now it’s 17). It’s a bit hard not to notice when you look up from parking the car and staring at you out of the shop window is the front cover of a book that definitely has a horse on it. Now horse books are enough to have my attention, but extremely cheap horse books? I’m doomed. So of course I wandered in and go figure, the book I’d seen wasn’t actually about horses, just had one on the front. But this led me to spotting A Horse Called Butterfly by Thurley Fowler. The front cover of a girl sitting in a tree looking completely unimpressed with a Palomino beside her jogged a memory of reading the book around fifteen years ago in primary school – scary!

So, I just had to add it to my collection and another – Pony Jobs for Jill by Ruby Ferguson that was on the same shelf. Addicted? Indeed.

I was telling a client about this at one of the riding schools that I was at earlier in the week and she commented how it was the movie National Velvet that actually convinced her to follow up on a childhood dream. Now with a child of her own who is old enough to be riding, she has finally acted on the desire to ride that was long ago ignited probably due to a similar movie or favourite horse book. It’s the likes of these classics that keep instructors and stable hands in work, I do believe.

Love reading horse related pieces yourself? Take a look at ridersnreapers.com – two pieces: Shivers and Taken Care Of. There’ll be another up there titled In the Midst of Adversity when the next edition comes out; a third horse piece I’ve written.
Got a rather large collection of horse books yourself? See if it compares to mine and tell me what I’m missing!

"There are only two emotions that belong in the saddle; one is a sense of humour and the other is patience." - John Lyons

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."

Educating Self with a First Class Teacher...

...your horse.

It's amazing all the different theories, exercises, recipes and discplines that are covered in horse-related books these days. You can learn a lot from them, granted; but it just doesn't beat the hands on experience of having your own horse.

I had one of the girls at work asking me the other week about the costs of owning a horse and have concluded that in Victoria, Australia, $5000 would be a good amount to save up in order to be equipped for 12 months of horse related expenses.

Farrier - the horse's feet need to be done every 6-8 weeks. Cost around $50; this can be cheaper (around $25) if done with other horses.

Food - 25kg bag of oaten chaff, lucerne chaff and bag of pellets. Cost around $80; if the horse needed to be fed; this would last for 2 months, based on a pony being fed at least four times a week

Agistment - $50 weekly; can be more expensive than this or a lot cheaper, but a reasonable rate to expect - should come with somewhere decent to ride.

Extras to consider - riding lessons - one per fortnight at around $50 for a 45 minute lesson.

One off costs - saddle, bridle, brushes, from around $300-$900. You can usually get a beginners start up kit (fully mounted saddle) for around $200-$300.

Total annual cost for farrier, feeding, agistment, fortnightly lessons and around $500 worth of tack - $5,145. Got all this? Better start saving for the horse!

"When in doubt, ask a horse."

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.'"

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."

Aloha

Ok... perhaps a corny title, but just stumbled across a camp of sorts in Hawaii that totally appeals! Was actually searching for employment in the area of flying with horses, but the terms "employment" and "horse" seem to be the main two in the results.



I always wanted to go to Hawaii and learn to surf - yeah, I could do so in Australia, but love the excuse of being able to travel and try something new in a totally new place. Might still have to have that plan on the cards, but I've suddenly found something even more appealing!

Check out http://www.dahanaranch.com/. This is a place that trains "working cow horses, rope, cutting horses and polo ponies" and offers clinics and the most appealing for me - a Horsemanship Camp. Offered over 14, 30, 60 and 90 day terms, it includes airport transfer, room, utilities/laundry, rodeo and competition attendance, cattle work, meeting tourists from around the world, one day of sightseeing per week.

Always dreamed of trying out the joy that is a Quarter Horse or already addicted but want to learn some new skills/improve old? Oh, and ever dreamt of visiting Hawaii? Perhaps this is worth some thought...

"You'll never know how much you love to be on a horse... until you fall off!"

The Law and Horses - Mounted Police

One of my friends a couple of years back managed to get her year ten work experience at the Mounted Police of Victoria, Australia. She thoroughly enjoyed herself, getting to do general stable duties with the horses and also view the sort of training that the animals and riders went through.

If you have an interest in policing and the law and love your horses, perhaps this line of a career is worth investigating? I believe you have to be at a certain rank as a police officer before being able to focus on the specialised area of the mounted police. Ranking works from Constable to Senior and Leading Senior Constable, Sergeant, Senior Sergeant and all the way up to Chief Commissioner.

http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=5 has information on a career as a Police Officer with links on policing as a career, the role of the police officer, being prepared before applying, career opportunities and more.

Some helpful links:
http://www.policensw.com/info/gen/u7.html - mounted police history, NSW, Australia
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=177 - mounted police history, VIC, Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mounted_police - great site with many links around the world
http://www.mountedpolice.com/
http://www.riderselite.com/

"A horse carries a certain goodness, an inner light from which beauty flows."

Polo Fanatic?

Or perhaps you have the potential to be one… I believe I do. Almost anything relating to horses appeals to me and after catching some docos on polo on television and even being along to a polocrosse match, the two sports suddenly had quite an appeal. And of course, anything with horses that can be used as an excuse to travel is good in my books!

Hence my interest in http://www.alejandropolo.com/. Alejandro's Argentina Polo Experience looks like a brilliant way to improve on the game or even learn the basics while being on a property that has the facilities and horses that allow you to do exactly that!

The property offers other activities and facilities for the times when you may need a break out of the saddle - swimming pool, carriage driving, golf - or even just a change of scene with cattle round up programs. And on a gorgeous property with a comfortable and stylish looking place to live out your stay, it looks very appealing for even couples where only one half is polo crazy.

Whether a beginner or at a higher level of polo playing, this place looks fully equipped to improve anyone's game. With Argentina being a Mecca for polo players, I can't think of a better place to try out your game.

Things to consider for a trip like this - airfares, cost of staying and participating at the polo property, insurance (horse riding is a high-risk sport).

"Riding isn't the matter of life or death. It's more important than that!"

Machu Picchu, Peru

So my time at the Irish National Stud seems to have turned into a bit of an eye opener in many ways...

One is definitely finding out more about other's cultures and countries and the other day I had a bit of a history lesson. I have a list of what will eventually be (got 53) 100 things I want to do before I die - see the aurora borealis, ride over the snowy mountains, take part in a Group 1 race, etc... and was talking with a friend about it who consequently mentioned her desire to visit Machu Picchu in Peru - http://www.machupicchuperu.info/.

The next day on tea break I was flicking through a horse magazine from last year and stumbled across an article on 'a charity horse ride in Peru, aimed at helping two remote, rural communities in the Andean mountains' which involves a train trip to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas! Go figure.

The site referenced is http://www.perolchico.com/ but doesn't appear to say much about the charity ride although there are some awesome looking tours over this area! Further investigation appears to be required... haven't yet worked out how much it's gonna cost me either, but this'll have to go on the list of things to do!

"The horse thinks one thing and he who saddles him another" - Benjamin Franklin'

Wild Coast, South Africa

I'm a firm believer that if you're interested in it - find out a way to learn more and work in that area.

After finishing studying in Ireland and having a bit of a look around, I'll be returning to Oz to do the breeding season at my favourite stud and all the while, save for another travelling experience: a working/riding holiday in South Africa mid-2007!

I want to eventually be a riding instructor while running an agistment property and so need to improve my own riding skills before I can teach others. This holiday seems like the perfect opportunity!

http://www.sunrayfarm.co.za/ - Check out the working riding holiday link.

Sunray Farm "offer volunteers the opportunity to come to Africa on a working riding holiday. You stay on the farm and time permitting run the riding project for local disadvantaged children. Horse lovers are given an opportunity to eat, sleep and breathe horses from a couple of week’s holiday or up to 3 months in the volunteer program. You will be able to improve your riding skills, learn about the daily management of a equestrian establishment, work with young foals, school young horses, exercise the trail horses, assist and take out holiday riders on the beach rides, and if there is a Wild Coast Horse Trail booked during your stay you will be asked to join us as an assistant trail guide & groom!"

I figure taking into account flying out from Tullarmarine Airport in Victoria, Australia... it'll cost around $4,000 Australian to fly over and pay to stay where food and lodgings are provided for around a month... very, very appealing!

"It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall." - Mexican Proverb

Jackaroo Course, NSW, Oz

So I love looking for any sort of course/holiday/work that I can do with horses that is different to what I already know... and gives me a chance to check out another place! Stumbled across this one the other day... not that I remember what I was looking for:

http://www.leconfield.com/

Tis a Jackaroo/Jillaroo 'school' set over five days that covers grooming, riding, natural horsemanship (Pat Parelli style), horseshoeing, whip cracking, lassooing, mustering sheep, barrel racing, sheep health, shearing, pasture improvement, fencing/yard building, mustering cattle, yarding and drafting cattle, using working dogs and more.

The school is run at Leconfield on a 5000 acre property in New South Wales and those that run the course offer the possibility of helping you find work afterwards if this is your desire.

So, once I'm back home from Ireland and have had enough of the racehorses for awhile, I think I'll check this out... just hope I'm up to it! Has anyone done anything like this before?

"Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground."

Certificate II in Horse Studies

It all begins here... So the earliest I discovered that I could actually start 'studying' horses at school, was in year ten (third last year of highschool in Australia, was 16 at the time) through the joys of work experience.

Only for a period of two weeks, looking back now it seems hardly enough time but I am glad over the course of my last three years of high school, I was able to complete three lots of work experience - at a small racing stable/stud, riding school and a stable at Caulfield Racecourse.

Rather than dissuade me from the not so kind hours and manual labour, this only fuelled the want to get the rest of school out of the way and work with horses.

Fortunately, in between the school I attended had just recently offered the chance to study horses (Certificate II in Horse Studies) as part of your VCE subjects and so over my second last year of school, I was able to actually do one of my chosen subjects as horses, at the end of it having a Certificate II and a little more of an idea of the direction I wanted to head after highschool.

I completed this course at Balmoral Warmblood Stud, attending the stud every Wednesday to work, ride and learn about horses. It is possible to also do the course via correspondence so it doesn't cut in on classes at school.

"The horse through all its trials has preserved the sweetness of paradise in its blood." - Johannes Jensen

Take a look at:
http://www.balmoral.info/ - check out the 'education' area.
http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/Courses/AST20.htm
http://www.landfood.unimelb.edu.au/courses/tafe/c2-equine.html