Haddon Training blogger and Horse Care Apprentice Katie Ruben shares her latest thoughts…
Well, what a crazy few months it has been for me. In many ways it has been amazing, however there have been some low points as well.
So you may remember that I gave a few tips in my last blog on loving being an apprentice and how excited I was for the season to start and to be able to start event grooming however the reality was… that unfortunately I never actually got there.
Due to various reasons, I left (what I thought would be) my dream job, which I took a massive blow to. It seemed as though the many nights suffering with homesickness that putting my all into all the horses, making progress at the yard and trying my hardest had come to nothing.
However, fate turned round my life for the better.
Another job was placed on my lap, 15 minutes away from home at a professional show jumping yard where I could continue my apprenticeship with Haddon Training.
I went for a trial day and got my assessor from Haddon Training to swap over my placement records – in which they did an amazing job, and that was me ready to continue my apprenticeship.
Since starting I have never ever looked back. Two months into my apprenticeship, I have already groomed at some of the most incredible shows – one of which recently was Windsor Horse Show.
However my biggest highlight (so far), was being whisked away for four days on my first day working to Wales for the ‘Welsh Masters Series’. They really were the best four days of my life ever considering I barely got a chance to meet my bosses and the horses before going – they were all incredible.
Now just over a month into my new job and I still get that butterfly feeling in my stomach when I go to ‘work’ although it seems as though I haven’t ‘worked’ a day since I’ve been here!
In the future I hope to return being a live-in groom, however due to learning to drive it is just easier to be at home at the moment because I can come home to practice.
I have now taken time to reflect on the past and I have learnt an incredible amount – nothing to do with the horses, (although I have done that too!) but, lots about myself which I thought I completely knew.
For me one big lesson is how important it is to be happy. Nothing has to be a big deal when making a change, but sometimes it is just so important and really can change your life positively when thought out correctly.
So the moral of this blog is to never be afraid of making changes. Happiness is the key to success and after all working with horses is NOT a job – it’s a way of life.
It’s also been reassuring to know that the team at Haddon Training have been so supportive and helping me relocate.
If, like Katie, you’d like to become and apprentice then please give us a call on 01672 519977 or send us an email to enquiries@haddontraining.co.uk.