she had a little horse that was spectacular. Unfortunately she went on to work for another person and she got burnt out and quit riding.” Having been a working
student herself, Sue tries to make sure that she doesn’t treat anybody like they are only at her farm to do manual labor. “We all do everything together— Jeff and I both clean stalls and once that’s done we’re riding all day. We don’t have any paid employees; we do just as much as the students. I would never ask my working students to do something I won’t get out and do myself.”
Beth Perkins (center) with her husband Mick Doyle (left) and Annie Eldridge (right) and Annie’s horse Fernhill Cove at the 2011 Fair Hill International three-day event. Photo © Amber Heintzberger
lesson. It is a huge commitment for both parties and to make it fulfilling, it is best to enter into it without surprises.” Sadly there are unfair situations, where students spend long
hours performing hard labor and do not receive the education that they hoped for. Beth recalls, “I had a very good working student, Hilary Thompson, who was from the Virgin Islands. She won the national Intermediate championships at Radnor one year while she was working for me, which was exciting. She didn’t come from a lot of money but she worked hard and
QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU BECOMEA WORKING STUDENT
What are your typical working hours? How many lessons will you receive per week? Will lessons be with the professional or with an assistant?
Will you receive a salary or spending money? Is housing/stabling for your horse available, and do those cost extra?
Will you be the only person working or are there other grooms/working students?
Will you have the opportunity to ride horses other than your own?
Is there a schoolmaster available to ride? Will you be traveling to competitions? Do you get any time off? Is this a long-term or short-term position?
122 March/April 2012
What It Takes As long as they are willing to
work hard and have a desire to learn, working students can
come from all walks of life. While teenagers and 20-somethings are typical, there are also opportunities for older riders who want to learn the ropes. Even experienced professionals might head to an even more experienced professional, like eventer Sinead Halpin, a candidate for the 2012 Olympic team, who spent half a year in England as a working student for top event rider William Fox-Pitt. Not only did she get an education in riding but she learned how things are done “across the pond” and had a great cultural experience as well. “I learned to just get on with it,” she says. “Some days you
just have an off day and that’s it—don’t over analyze it. I learned that it’s more important to spend quality time on your horses warming up and cooling down than an hour polishing brass.” While she said that being far from her friends and family was difficult, the hard work kept her busy and the time went by all too quickly. Sue says, “I think that a lot of people misunderstand what
the purpose of being a working student is. The biggest thing that I want in a working student is someone with a tremendous amount of desire to learn; I don’t even care if they’re new to the sport of dressage as long as they’re motivated. I’m a giver and I don’t want someone who is going through a phase and killing time for a year. I think so many working students end up as a slave and say, ‘no way, I’m not going to be in the horse business.’ I want them to see that while it’s not always glamorous, you can enjoy the work and have fun. I’ve had people come for a year and say, ‘That was okay but it’s not what I want to do.’ That’s fine, but I also had a girl stay three years and
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