Equine Apprentice

Role Overview

This is a rare opportunity, to work and train with an elite yard, rider, and horses. The horses are a mixture of youngstock, world-class dressage horses, and livery horses.

This is in a rural setting with no public transport. This is a non-riding position.

What You'll Do

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

Responsibilities Include:

• All aspects of horse care e.g. grooming, mucking out, trimming and clipping, plaiting, lunging, health care, feeding, assisting with customer care
• Handle young fit competition horses
• Help with the preparations for training and competing

Learning Opportunities

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Course Contents:

• Work safely and efficiently at all times and comply with current health, safety, and security policies and procedures (including PPE).
• Carry out all yard and field duties to include mucking out, skipping out, tidying and cleaning the yard, watering and feeding.
• Assess suitability of stabling and grassland environments for horses including checking for hazards etc.
• Assist with the arrival of a new horse to the yard, following current yard procedures and measures to prevent and control the spread of disease.
• Recognise, identify, and describe horses including sex, height, type, colours, and markings. Identify basic anatomy, to include points of the horse.
• Recognise signs of good and poor welfare (including ill health) and check for injuries.
• Report relevant information and assist with medical treatment and other industry specialists, including Senior Groom, Dentist, Farrier, Veterinary surgeon.
• Ensure the horses’ welfare before and after exercise or travel.
• Handle a variety of horses in the workplace to include tying up, leading, trotting up, turning out, and catching in.
• Recognise different types of feed and hay and check their quality.
• Groom a horse including checking feet and shoes.
• Demonstrate trimming and plaiting.
• Fit a variety of common saddlery, equipment, and horse clothing.
• Remove, clean, and store common saddlery and equipment.
• Check the safe and effective working condition of all saddlery, equipment, and clothing.
• Prepare horse(s) for travel using appropriate clothing and equipment.
• Assist with loading and unloading before and after travel.
• Prepare for and provide a variety of appropriate non-ridden exercise including an introduction to lungeing.
• Demonstrate basic safe competence in handling equines used for breeding purposes including assisting with teasing and covering.
• Observe the onset of, and assist if required, foaling of an equine and following on procedures.
• Demonstrate an awareness of reproductive status; including the interpretation of teasing results and the specialist care of breeding equines at all stages of the reproductive cycle.
• Recognise the importance of; and participate in, the maintenance of disease control within an equine breeding population.
• Assist with the work of breeding industry specialists; using equipment, machinery, and technology appropriately as directed.
• Assist with the preparation and show of equines of varying ages, as directed, for commercial and/or private sale.
• Harness up and put to with an assistant a single turnout in both a two and four-wheeled vehicle.
• Act as a groom/backstepper in exercising/show/trials (select one discipline).
• Exercise horses/ponies in a non-driving environment, to be able to lunge or longrein in an enclosed area, in a circle for exercise purposes.
• Drive a quiet pleasure single turnout in an enclosed area demonstrating safe rein handling, turns to the left and right, in the walk and trot.
• To be able to halt.
• Mount and dismount in a safe manner.
• Demonstrate safe use of the whip.
• Take horse out of vehicle with assistance and unharness horse in a safe manner.
• Handle Thoroughbred racehorses in and out of full training.
• Fit a variety of specialist racing equipment and tack.
• Carry out the specific routines required in a racing yard and in taking horses racing, complying with industry regulatory requirements, policy, and practice.
• Provide exercise regimes to racehorses as directed and effectively care for horses prior to and after strenuous work and racecourse performance.
• Prepare and lead up a Thoroughbred racehorse at the races in accordance with industry practice and the Rules of Racing.
• Provide after-race care including compliance with industry regulations and post-race dope testing procedures.
• Adopt an appropriate basic riding position.
• Ride an experienced/schooled horse according to instruction, independently and as part of a group in an enclosed area.
• Ride in a balanced, secure position showing control in walk, trot, and canter, working with and without stirrups whilst demonstrating movements i.e. circles, turns, etc.
• Ride in the open, in a forward seat according to instruction with control, security, and balance.
• Ride with a balanced, secure, forward seat over ground poles at trot to enable progression to ride, where practical, over a short course of fences with control, security, and balance.
• Ride on the road or in public places according to laid down procedures, Highway and Country Codes.
• Open & close a gate whilst mounted.
• Negotiate everyday obstacles/hazards with control, security, and balance.
• Ride a quiet horse whilst leading another quiet horse or pony.
• Assist with storage of supplies and stock rotation.
• Contribute to the organisation and maintenance of establishment.
• Engage with customers and identify their needs.
• Assist with appropriate office duties including answering the telephone, processing information, and use workplace IT systems.
• Contribute to yard-based records including passports, vaccinations, worming, farriery, dentistry, etc.
• Assist and support Riding Grooms and provide non-ridden exercise regimes.
• Prepare for and lunge a horse for exercise in an enclosed area according to instruction.