Experience in college

[Dolly_Brat]

How experienced a rider do you have to be to go to college and does it matter what age you are when you go- ie could you do a year in a collge or 6th form not enjoy it then go and join an equine college?
I'm scared if i do decide to go i will be the crappiest rider there! Some advice?

[No_Angel]

You can join college whenever you want, a good few of my friends at college were in their 20s wen i was 16.

You can even do ** a levels and tehn go onto college. Dont be scared, I had lots of fun at college :D

[charlotte+jill!]

I did one year of Alevels i hated it and really wished id gone to college :rolleyes: now im going in sept and cant wait!

Dont worry about riding......... you get lessons and you'll improve no end :D

[lynz+ollie]

i have been at moreton morrell for the past year and although i think my understanding of the theory of riding and why and how we do things has improved loads but i dont think my riding has improved as much as it could have (the two terms i was at college). all lessons are group lesson and although with good instructors i dont feel you can make big improvements as they have 5 other people to focus on as well and you. Having my own horse there really helped as i could practice in the evenings.
at the start i was put in bottom group out of 4 groups and it really knocked my confidence, college is VERY competitive and you are constantly having to prove yourself. it doesn't matter what experience you have but if you aren't very compitent you will need to be strong and really prepared to tryy and improve. and even if you are a good rider you still have to constantly prove yourself, my friends is on the british young riders dressage elite squad (only 16) and still got put down sometimes. they can make you feel like you want to give up and i think 8 from our course left. but i moved up the groups which gave me a real buzz to improve more over the summer.
lots of people there have done 1 year of a levels then came to college.

[shirley]

Why not think about working pupil and doing National Vocational Qualifications or Modern Apprentiship. You are working and getting basic pay and training / lessons during the time as well. All the above are attached to local colleges and training centres are validated by these colleges as well. Bascially works out four days work and one day in college. You will still have to do work alongside i.e. in your own time as well, but this will just to add knowledge to give a good base for what you are learning in practical areas.
The yard manager at our yard does this scheme with local agricultural college and it works really well for the people she is training. They get great tuition, great experience and regular lessons each week.
National Vocational Qualifications begin at level one, basic, level two are equivelent to GCSE and level three to A levels. May be worth finding out your local college where these are run and seeing if they can help find establishement for training.
Good luck - do not forget it is ok to change your mind about what you want to do at any time during your life, and have the courage to change as you want / need to.

[Marleycat]

I would agree with the working pupil option, if you get the right place it alot more interesting than college. And i'll probabley get knocked down for this but if horses is the way you want to go college students are considered abit of a joke out there amongst grooms/riders and most importantly employers

I would go into the sixth form and think about a working pupil job when you finish. Always wise to have backup of a levels should you decide horses isnt for you full time(which happens 90% of time)

[Dolly_Brat]

wow thankyou all for your posative feedback. I would really like to do a working apprenticeship and i would probably get a few alevels aswell. Does anyone know a web site that lists the places where i could look into working?

[lynz+ollie]

i think the whole college experience is a must though!!! it is a totally different life, parties all night everynight haha. and also i think you can go more into the detail when learning things at college, what ive done is a ND. ive done terms at college then a 5 month work placement, then ive got to go back to a full yesr at college.
equine students dont have a good reputaion inmthe horse world but that is because there is so many of us now days and some people go straight from there course onto a working yard and just cant cope with the work, which is why i think our course is good.
working pupils on yard are good but i think it seems to take ages to get the qualifications you want, and for the rest of the time your a very badl paid slave

[lynz+ollie]

wow thankyou all for your posative feedback. I would really like to do a working apprenticeship and i would probably get a few alevels aswell. Does anyone know a web site that lists the places where i could look into working?

www.bhs.org.uk, they probably have information on it.

[Dolly_Brat]

lynz + ollie = My friend is at a college and i know she really enjoys it, im just not sure it would be for me. I'm not much of a party girl :P and i have been looking into doing the NVQ and i think that you work whist doing the course? But i'm not sure. I'll get some alevels done then have a look at it. I just need to find some places that would suit me and take me on to do the course!

[Volvic]

working pupils on yard are good but i think it seems to take ages to get the qualifications you want, and for the rest of the time your a very badl paid slave Oi! Thats not always true! I've just spent a year as a WP at a small riding school & I loved every minute!

Dolly Brat - when are you looking to go to college/be a working pupil? If you're not bothered about moving away from home, you could find some local accomodation & do the course I'm just finishing in Surrey - its really good fun :) Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details :)

[lynz+ollie]

sorry didn't mean to affedn you volvic! i just trying to make my point that colllege is cool!! but it depends what suits the person, every1 is different.

[laz]

I would try working pupil NVQ. I went to college full time and the lessons were good but you didnt get a major amount of practical experience. Some of the other students were seriously bitchy :(

[Dolly_Brat]

I would try working pupil NVQ. I went to college full time and the lessons were good but you didnt get a major amount of practical experience. Some of the other students were seriously bitchy :(

Thats what i want to get away from bitchyness but im sure that will happen where ever you go.

I think i need to work out which would suit me best!

[Volvic]

sorry didn't mean to affedn you volvic! i just trying to make my point that colllege is cool!! but it depends what suits the person, every1 is different. I'm not offended! I was actually talked out of going to college & stayed to do my A-levels instead :rolleyes: so my working pupil placement was for my gap year before I go off to Hartpury for my degree!