The equine industry functions worldwide. Apart from perhaps Antarctica, you’ll find horses where you travel around the world. If you’re looking for a job with horses in a different country, you’re in luck – horses eat and pass manure and need looking after, wherever they are! It doesn’t matter what language is spoken, the needs of the equine are universal.
If you plan a career with horses, it is worth knowing about both northern and southern hemispheres. Entertain the idea of travelling and learning about your industry on the other side of the world.
Some industries follow seasons, for example the breeding industry – this happens in the warmer months of the year. If one was to take advantage of this, they could work spring and summer in the southern hemisphere and then travel to the northern hemisphere for their spring and summer, effectively catching their breeding season. Now this is my idea of heaven – 12 months of the breeding industry!
The same could be said for the competition circuit – you could follow shows around the world and compete, or travel as a groom and follow the show circuit this way.
If it’s riding racehorses you’re into, again you could follow race meetings around the world. If you fancy parading and selling horses, you could follow the yearling sales.
Your career challenge for this month involves educating yourself about your chosen industry and how it functions around the world:
- Find out if it exists in other countries, particularly those in the opposite hemisphere to yours
- Do the main events of your industry occur at a different time here? If so, could you travel and experience it first hand?
- Do you have any contacts that could get you established overseas to gain this experience? If not, where could you find some?
- Do you need a working visa to be able to carry out this work overseas? Look into it!
- Plan a trip!
There is nothing like experiencing something first hand. Often this will involve research first and maybe some saving. Why not entertain the idea of travelling and experiencing your opposite hemisphere?
When I studied at the Irish National Stud to experience the breeding industry in the northern hemisphere, I gained invaluable hands on experience, saw many breeding firsts for me (a red bag delivery or placenta previa was one experience over there); I also gained horsey contacts in 12 different countries. Not bad for my first trip to the northern hemisphere! What could you gain?
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