by Norman Thelwell
My passion, vocation and soul are committed to all things horse. I did some teaching (BHSAI) in England at the beginning of my horse career, followed by working in private yards, in England, Germany and France, with high level competition horses (I was the schooling/warm-up rider/groom) and bringing on youngsters from the ground up.
I can organize, plan or motivate most anyone or anything. My interpersonal skills are damn good. I have a talent for customer service. I've got all the reliable and trustworthy boxes checked off. I speak French and German, as well as English, albeit, with an American accent. Cooking, gardening, construction management, as well as designing and drafting scale drawings and solving problems are additions to my bag of tricks. There are not too many job openings in Silicon Valley that fit my profile.
The U.K's Horse and Hound Magazine's classified ads are accessible on-line. There are travel agents specializing in international equestrian holidays; there are animal rescue organizations in need of managers and field officers; there are equestrian centers and places catering to the needs of disabled riders.
I'm not pretending there is no competition for the available jobs but I could be a great asset to any of the above and fill a hole in my life at the same time. I'm not thrilled about the English climate but I think the pros are starting to outweigh the cons.
An unfathomable, that any of you in England can help me with, is "How much does it take to live?" One job proposes 12,000 pounds a year and accommodation. Is that a living wage?
When we were exploring the idea of moving from France to America, in 1985, I called the US Embassy and asked an employee there what she thought of our proposed remuneration.
I'd love to hear some input on standard salaries in England. Horse jobs are never going to pay top dollar. There will always be girls who are willing to work just for the fulfillment of a dream. Let's pretend I might be one of them...
