“I think as horsemen go, it’s our duty to pass on what we know. . . It’s for the benefit of the horse – more horses are ultimately in better hands.”
your standards, you happily pay them!” So why do instructors take the time and make the effort to
hire working students who may not know all the ropes, when they could hire an experienced worker to handle things around the barn? Will’s take on things is this: “I think as horsemen go, it’s
our duty to pass on what we know. It’s not like you can just go to Harvard and learn about horses. Now there are more opportunities since good horsemen are willing and eager to pass on what they know. It’s for the benefit of the horse - more horses are ultimately in better hands.”
Career Beginnings 35-year-old Alex Robertson, who now trains and shows for Iron
Spring Farm, worked for dressage trainers Gunnar and Birgit Ostergaard for three years when he was in his early twenties. “I suggest you only do a working student position if you’re willing to work your tail off!” he says. “It is an invaluable experience and the only one that can really prepare you for working in the
horse industry. You will learn a lot more than you could learn at any school, just being immersed in the horse world all day every day.” He adds, “If you can find a position with a schoolmaster to ride, that’s worth its weight in gold.” Beth Perkins, who represented the United States in Three-
Day Eventing at the 1978 World Championship, spent close to a year in England working with Lars Sederholm and then three years riding with Jack LeGoff as a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team in the 1970s. Prior to that she had earned her ‘A’ Pony Club rating and participated in clinics with a number of top riders, including frequent lessons with Olympic dressage judge Jessica Ransehousen who was involved with the Pony Club when Beth was young. Beth says, “There are people who think you shouldn’t
Alex Robertson and Iron Spring Farm’s Watch Me, by Sir Sinclair, have successfully competed through Prix St. Georges. Photo by Terri Miller
120 March/April 2012
‘hang out your shingle’ as a trainer until you’ve apprenticed with one person for a few years. There is so much to be gained by being a working student rather than just driving in and taking one lesson a week; you get all the years of experience that person has to offer. There’s something to be said too for doing that with a couple of people that you respect, for a couple of years with each person.” Grand Prix dressage rider Sue Cooper, whose business Impulsion Unlimited is based near Lynchburg, Virginia, found that working for a professional not only gave her the education to start her career with horses, it helped her decide that it was the right lifestyle for her. Sue worked for Gina Smith in Canada for a year and as then an assistant trainer under Pam Goodrich for another year and a half. “Working for Gina was really my biggest inspiration that I could work in the horse world,” says Sue. “She was like me: an average person, not from a wealthy family, who was willing to work hard. I had the riding skills, and I like to think I have the talent, but I didn’t have the business skills to know how to take the next step; after being immersed in it 24/7, I think there’s no other way to do it than to work for a professional. I think horse-related colleges are great, but I don’t think they give the
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