We will be following Zoe’s learning journey on Instagram as she progresses through her level 2 equine groom apprenticeship and beyond. Here is a little bit more about Zoe in her own words:
“I got into horse riding when I helped a friend of mine with some farm work over the winter and they had 7 carriage horses; I formed a bond with them and they built the foundations of my interest in horses. When I was young I used to love seeing them in the field but I was never brave enough to give it a go. However, I slowly gained confidence around these cheeky 17+hh boys and realised that this is what I want to do. I helped to care for one of our sick elderly horses who was just the sweetest. At this point I decided to start having lessons at the age of 17, having overcome my mental block of being too old to start to learn! I now know that you’re never too old to find a new passion! I loved my lessons and had enough money saved up from odd jobs to be able to have 3-4 lessons a week which was amazing.
In the future, I would love to continue my knowledge by either entering a level 3 senior equine groom apprenticeship or if possible continuing my employment at my current yard to train to become an instructor. I think that it’s important to have empathetic instructors and I would love to help young people achieve their potential. I have confidence issues and I understand the mental block that arises in certain situations. I hope that I could be a good and understanding influence on students, proving that you don’t have to be fearless to be great.
My favourite thing about working with horses is the stress relief they provide; they all have such unique personalities that often give comic relief, no matter how stressful a situation or circumstance is. They can really make me laugh. I also love having a skill set that is such an area of speciality. Working with horses has really improved my confidence too because I have been able to become a useful member of a team and I can fully contribute to the workplace. I also love meeting different people on a day to day basis and watching students‘ abilities grow!
The best thing I’ve learnt in my apprenticeship so far is how to be independent and confident when providing care for horses. I love learning new information that gives me the means to provide the best care I can and to really get to grips with why certain things are done and the best way to do it. “
We are looking forward to following Zoe on her journey and will continue to provide updates on how she is doing and what she is learning as she progresses on her apprenticeship!
Follow her journey on our Instagram page with the hashtag #zoeshaddonlearningjourney