Horse work abroad!

(Last week I realized that I have learned a lot about working with horses in general in these last few weeks. With my knowladge and experience I'm now able to see things I didn't saw before. So I decided that I could share some of the tips I have learned over the last couple of years! Hope you will find it usefull!)

More and more people are going to work with horses abroad. Some forced by financial difficulties some by a simple desire to try something new. What it really means,  whether it is for you, what to expect, where to find a good job and how to contact prospective employers are only few things to think and take care of before even getting in the plane. Not knowing what kind of job you want, aiming higher than you should, not knowing how to set your expectations can easaly leave you unsatisfied or even cheated.

You should definitely be aware of the reasons you are looking for job abroad. It will help you detune and find what the most suitable work is for you. For instance if you have money problems and you are more or less forced to go abroad to work and earn money you should make sure of how long time you want to stay abroad and what is the minimal amount of money for it to be worth while. Next you should also make it clear if you want to be a rider or a groom. A lot of people expect to ride when they start to work as grooms and are very disappointed to learn that in many stables you just can’t. If you decide that you want to be a rider, again, make sure you’re skills are appropriate. Maybe you should consider taking lessons before heading to future work. If you want to try something new or take some time off before starting to study it could be a great way to do that. When you are working abroad alone it really tempers your will and reveals things you never knew about yourself besides it can also bring a lot of contacts and some lifelong friends!

 Working abroad brings it’s all: hard work, long hours, fun and a chance to widen your horizon. To begin with employers are not always the kindest people, expectations are high. Depending on the job you might have to work alone and spend long hours by yourself or function as a part of a big team and learn to play nice with everyone. It is also important to note that every place you work comes with a different way of doing things, so you will have to be open minded. Therefore multi functionality requires being able to do what is needed at the moment from holding a broom to assisting a vet.

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What to expect is where most of the heartache starts. People often tend to wear pink glasses before they go. Some might think that taking riding lessons twice a week is not much different from working as groom six days from 7 to 5. There are people who go to work as a rider and even if they have jumped at home 1.20 m that they will get a lot of horses to jump and ride. Jobs vary but what remains the same is that you will always have to prove yourself. Expect most certainly that you will have to work your way up and that it will take time. No one just hands you his horse without testing your abilities, commitment and willingness to learn. Bear in mind that even though you are a good rider or groom there can always be people who just don’t like the way you work.

 The best jobs always are the ones you can get trough connections. It is easier to know for bought parties what to expect. But if you don’t have any contacts you can always visit www.yardandgroom.com ! This is the best website in my eyes to find you a job. You can search by countries, by disciplines, or some might even find you. They offer a way to contact employer’s trough email. You can always visit a homepages for different stables you know of and if they have free vacancies sent them a CV. The best way to get a feeling about the job is trough phone. You should always remember to be polite and use all the formalities. For some it might seem self-evident but frankly there are still people who start a conversation with “Hey you…”! Make sure your first impression is professional grooming or riding is a job as any other. When an employer considers you as a possible employee make sure you talk everything trough: work duties, your experience and what kind of person is needed, payments and contracts, time on how long you will work. Check out their homepage. Make sure bought parties are aware of everything and satisfied.

In BOLD! Make sure you and your next employer talk trough all the payment matters! When, how much and how? Keep in mind that contract gives you safety and a legal document to require you’re money. And if you haven’t received your money after one month don’t be naïve or scared to ask!!!

 When you have found your job and all the requirements suits you and you have to know everything you can possibly know pack your bags and good luck!

P.S. Please leave a comment if you found this information helpfull or you have something more to add.