Equine Apprenticeships – Hard Work Brings Rewards say Stubbing Court Training

Equine apprenticeships, could one be right for you?

There’s no doubt that people learn in different ways. It is very common, however, to find it much easier to absorb information and properly understand it through practical experience. If you are one of those people, and want to work in the busy, exciting equestrian industry, then an equine apprenticeship with Stubbing Court Training Ltd (SCT) is for you.

It’s certainly working out well for Jordan Bock. After passing her Level 2 Apprenticeship, the 18-year-old has just started an Advanced Apprenticeship while working for eventer Kelly Aldous and showjumper Kyle Hassell (a former SCT apprentice with Andrew Saywell) at BDA Equestrian, Honington Grange, Grantham.

Kelly and Kyle run a large professional yard, breeding, producing and competing sport horses. Both aim to ride on championship teams – for Great Britain and Bermuda respectively – in the future, and have a lovely crop of young horses to help fulfil these ambitions.

Kyle has qualified their home-bred six-year-old grey showjumping stallion, Zilveren Icoon BDA, for the national six-year-old championships at Stoneleigh, while Kelly has qualified Winair BDA for the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Championships at Burghley.

If you are willing to work hard, this job really rewards you,” said Kelly. “SCT’s equine apprenticeship programme suits me very well as an employer as I am able to train people to work in the way that I like – correctly and safely. In the past I have sometimes found that young people struggle to stay focused once they leave the structured environment of education, and an apprenticeship provides structure and a qualification while being broad-based and practical.”

Jordan, who grew up in an unhorsey family and learnt to ride at a riding school, started an equine college course, but found it too basic and prescriptive.

I prefer being hands-on and learning while I work in a professional environment,” she said. “My training with Kelly and Kyle is so broad and is ‘real-life’, not out of a textbook. I am seeing everything, from mares being scanned and foals and stallions at work to young horses being broken in and going on to their competition careers.”

SCT have been very supportive – my assessor Zoe is amazing and really helps me fit in the apprenticeship curriculum round my work. I would definitely recommend an SCT apprenticeship, particularly for someone who hasn’t found academic work particularly easy. You learn so much more – and so much quicker – this way.”

SCT’s equine apprenticeships allow young people to earn a wage and gain valuable qualifications while learning from excellent professionals, giving them the best possible start to working life. It provides all-round support and advice to both apprentices and employers and, through its superb network of contacts within the horse world, is perfectly suited to fit the right person to the right set-up.

Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.