Are you First generation horsey?

Do you dream of working with horses even though you haven't grown up around horses or have very little equestrian experience?

BGA Certified Freelancer, Olivia Hayes, (who also works part time for international dressage rider Maria Nella Dell'Orbo), tells us how she didn't let a non-horsey background stop her from reaching her goals, even though she has had to work incredibly hard to pursue her dreams.

Olivia’s first ride was a trundle down the lane on a family members Shetland pony at the age of 3. She fell in love instantly and after many years begging for lesson, her Nan bought some for her 9^th birthday and she has not stopped being around horses since.

How long have you been working with horses?

“Coming from a family with no interest in horses, (my mum is terrified of them!), I found it difficult to start within the equine world. My parents both worked full time, with my mum working three jobs at one point just to have the necessities, therefore horse riding was a luxury we couldn’t afford until I could pay for it myself.

During the first Covid lockdown, I started riding again, having one lesson a week. On impulse I applied to my local agricultural college not expecting to be sucessfull, however I was accepted onto the Equine Science and Coaching degree.

At the begining I was barely scraping a pass due to having minimal contact with horses, after a lot of dedication I achieved a distinction by the end of the course. I had to provide everything for myself and work 10 times harder than the others who had been around horses consistently from birth.

I have now been working with horses for close to 3 years, I started helping at friends’ yards, and then a weekend job at a local riding school during my degree. In March of 2022 I was offered a job by Maria and stayed with them ever since.”

Who (horse or human), has been your biggest inspiration with regards to your career?

“Maria is a huge inspiration for me. She started her journey during Covid, realising her dream later in life than most - with a motto “Age Doesn’t Count.”

Another source of inspiration is Maria’s horse, Donny. Donny can be unpredictable and sharp, I used to tremble in fear handling him but we both persisted, and he has given me more confidence than I could have ever imagined possible.  We now have a strong bond and are working towards our own dressage competitions together.”

How do you manage your mental health during busy periods?

“I take a lot of me time, and understand when I need a longer break, taking as much time in-between yards to recover as I can. I often do small things to treat myself; a coffee out, visit to the cinema with friends etc. I also spend a lot of time with the horses I work with, giving them attention, grooming them, and loving on them as they help my mental health a lot!“

What sparked your decision to start freelancing?

“After being unhappy in numerous jobs, never finding something that I felt I fit in to, I decided to pursue a career in horses. Receiving the offer from Maria to work one day a week, allowed me to build up my client base to no longer need any other form of income.

My business, Hayes Horses, started from a hope that one day I would be able to have a career doing what I love. Working hard and through word of mouth I have built up a strong support with valued clients and a small waiting list.”

How important is professionalism in the industry to you?

“Professionalism is extremely important to me because it provides security for both myself and my clients. Without the correct procedures being followed (insurance, contracts etc) a client has nothing but my word to ensure there are things in place to support them should anything go wrong. It also gives them an understanding of how I should be treated and the expectations we both present to each other.”

What encouraged you join the BGA?

“When I started looking into my career and the options I had, it was mentioned that I should join the BGA to be part of a community of likeminded people. After researching the BGA, I realised there is way more on offer, a huge amount of information and trusted insurance. I decided it was vital that I join, so I have a source of information and a place for me to go to for support and to ensure I am doing all I can to be a professional freelancer.”

We love to hear about our members dreams being fulfilled. Well done to Olivia for working so hard to make a career with horses work.

You can follow Olivia on her Instagram page Hayes Horses.

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