I studied NC and HNC Horse Care at SRUC Oatridge, straight after I left school. This was a fantastic introduction to a working yard for me and certainly prepared me well for the job I am currently doing.

I wanted to work with horses because as the saying goes ‘Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life’ and it is exactly that. I have always loved the outdoors and animals from a young age so I knew working in an office wouldn’t be the job for me. I am very lucky to be able to do what I do.

The Equestrian Centre offers a ranger of indoor and outdoor lessons for all ages and abilities including, hacking, showjumping, dressage and cross-country.

I have achieved up-to my BHS Stage 2 Teach and also hold an NC in Horse Care.

My day at work starts at 7 am where we work as a team to get the horses fed, mucked out and ready for the day. Then some days I stay on the yard, getting horses prepared for lessons and doing day to day yard work tasks. Other days I have a full day of teaching clients of all ages and abilities. We then finish the day as a team anywhere between 4.30pm and 6pm.

Over the year is very similar to day to day but being a part of the hotel means that we are especially busy during the holidays so during the quieter times we are able to get staff training, which is a massive bonus. The only day we close is Christmas Day... the horses need their Christmas dinner too!

Lots of skills are used day to day such as teamwork, adaptability, planning and time management. However, the most important one in my eyes is good communication skills, this helps the team and the day run as smooth as possible.

My job is very hard work however, it is all worth it because we have such a fantastic team of horses and staff! Being able to give someone their first riding lesson and watch them fall in love with the animal and sport is so rewarding. Also, nobody can complain when they have the beautiful hills of Perthshire as their office!

One of the best parts of my job is that every day is different. Being able to do what you love whilst training and earning money is what everyone dreams of and I am very fortunate to be in that position.

Of course working with animals and customers presents challenges but I feel that is all part of the fun! I love being able to problem solve and see a happy horse and client at the end of the day.

I feel a massive benefit is there is always room for progression. It is one of the most rewarding jobs. It teaches you true, passion, dedication and responsibility not only in the workplace but in your own day to day life. I have had the pleasure of working along side the most inspirational and hard working role models, who have come up through the industry and have shown me the skills to progress and hopefully one day I will follow in their footsteps.