Want to own riding school...

[Shiny McShine]

I am really down at the moment trying to figure out what to do when I finnish school. Everyone keeps telling me don't worry but it is a bit hard not too. My one major goal in life is to teach riding and own my own school but I don't know/ am not sure what is the best way to approach it. Everyone keeps telling me to do uni but all the courses seem so irrelevant to what I want to do. There are horse courses but they are mostly breeding and stud orientated.

It doesn't help that I live in an isolated area with very little horse activity. I can't afford my own horse, and I don't have any friends with horses. I want an instructors qualification but you need to do practical examinations and no horse = no practical.

Please, does somebody have experience in this area or any kind of suggestion for me. This is the only thing I have ever wanted to do, perhaps I should just wait it out....but I can't!

Basically what I need is training as an instructor, more practical experience with horses, some business skills and anything else you can think of. If you can think of some way I can do all of this from my current situation let me know.

[Waikato Valuta]

Where abouts in Australia do you live

I live in Vic

There are a lot of good ridding schools around who might (if you get lesson of them) lend you a horse for the prac

Have you thought of the EFA. I want to become a level one instructor. And hopefully own a ridding farm like you.

Also look at melbourne uni's web site they offer lots of horse corses. Inc Breaking dentistry farrier and so on.

Tell me how you go!!!

[anuvb]

Don't rule out the University courses if you think you could get the grades to enter. If you are planning on staying in the business a long time, then a good "all-round" training is what you should be aiming for whilst still young and should ensure career longevity in years to come. Okay, so breeding and so on might not be your first interest, but most courses (certainly in the UK) offer a broader subject base and there will be other modules within the course such as business etc which will be more applicable to your situation - plus you never know when that kind of information will come in useful.

Whatever you do - keep your options as open as possible for the time being. Being a riding instructor doesn't pay well, whatever country you are in unless you have a national/international riding career and it is unlikely that without financial backing you'll be able to afford your own school for a while yet. In the meantime, you need to be looking more long term - like what can you do to gain more experience? Where would be the best place to work which can give you the best contacts to get to know people who might be future employers/give you the financial backing etc? If you have a riding instructor then I'd talk to them about it in length.

[Shiny McShine]

Thanks for the imput. It is great to actually discuss my concerns with horsey people who actually know what they are talking about, very relieving - thanks!

Hi Waikato I live in Coffs Harbour. I moved here from Canberra around 2 years ago. When I lived in Canberra it was great but up here there is only 1 school who opperate on a small scale.
Yes, I have considered an EFA qualification but only turned 18 since moving up here where I have no contacts and even less money than ever. I am helping out at the local pony club but it will take me a while to infiltrate their ranks ;).

Thanks anvb, you are right about the uni courses. I think my main concern is that I might have to move to go to a uni with equine courses and leave my boyfriend here while I do it :(. I am trying to get more information about the courses available though and am looking into correspondence which I know one of the uni's do.
What does everyone think of that as an option?

[Waikato Valuta]

My cusin lives in coffs harbour and went to the senior school.

[galadriel]

When I was starting out college, I realized that, while I was enthusiastic about my major, I wasn't really passionately interested in anything academic. Matter of fact, I was only really happy when I was working with animals. I let the people around me talk me into sticking with my major; "You'd be WASTED in anything else!"

Bah. I'm finishing my Bachelor's now, after a year and a half off doing what I *really* enjoy--running a stable and teaching riding lessons, and training horses. I'll have the Bachelor's; it's always good to be able to say that you have a degree. But I frankly have no interest in sticking with the field. I want to work with dogs and horses.

If I had acted on my realization earlier, I could have gotten into what I *really* want to do much earlier, and saved myself a headache and a half. I could have found myself an Equine Studies college & transferred, or gone for a working student position with one of the top competitors, or... Now I have a mainly useless degree--well, in a couple of months anyway--and am back to where I started, almost.

Follow your heart. I suspect you will know early in the studies if you *really* want to stick with it. If you really want to work with horses for the rest of your life, then go find a college where you can get a degree that qualifies you to do so. And...I'm sorry, this sounds kind of heartless...but ignore whether or not it takes you away from your boyfriend. Do what is best for *you*. If you're going to be with this guy for the rest of your life, it'll work out--or it won't. What *you* need long term is for *your* life to make you happy, not worrying about where someone else is. Make your decision based on what's best for your own future :)

Oh, and let me echo what other have said, that there's no money in horses. But I'm pretty sure you knew that already :) (How do you make a million dollars in the equine industry? You start with five million!)

[Shiny McShine]

Thanks galadriel,
don't worry I don't think you are heartless, I agree with you and my boyfriend has told me if I have to do it then do it so I think he agrees too.

I am also aprehensive to move somewhere out of the state but should I also take a chance there? I havn't checked out what is in the other states but I guess I should.

waikato, yes I go there myself :).

[galadriel]

I think you should find the best school for what you want to do, and try to go there :)

[Shiny McShine]

CRAAAAZY double posting!

[Shiny McShine]

Well I have just looked through about a million (it really felt like that many) australian university sites looking for horse courses and came upon the realisation that there are only about four that offer them!

Of all the ones I have seen I like the Uni of Western Sydney best. It seems most suitable, I shall have to dig a bit deeper though to find out a bit more about the others.
Thanks again!

[galadriel]

Good luck!

You can probably call or write them and ask for some information about their curriculum and courses, and also things like what their graduates go on to do (and how much they earn). I was bombarded with such things my senior year in high school--they start sending them to you, here, after you take the SAT test and your address is therefore on file as a senior wanting to go to college.