Life After School..

When I was in Year 12 I left the supermarket and started working Saturday morning's at the local vet clinic. This was a great door opening for me, as I wanted to be a vet nurse. Majority of the work on Saturday's was reception, but I started to get a feel for the job and loved it. After leaving school, a position for a nurse became available so I started working there in December 2004. No schoolies for me!
In 2005 I started my Vet Nursing course, certificate 4, and completed it under the allowed time of 3 years. But like most occupations, just because you have finished a course and have a piece of paper, there is still plenty to learn! I have been at the clinic ever since and still enjoying it. Surgery would have to be a favourite of mine, and I have definatly got a strong stomach from working here! The vet industry has been very useful in careing for my horses, as I have all the knowledge available at my finger tips, and the vets go out of their way to help my 4 legged kids. It has also helped me to know the best way to treat and approach any injury that is thrown upon me - thankfully nothing serious. The vet industry is definatly a good area to work in when you have horses!
In 2010, Gamble and I went back to ESB to visit for a few days and help out where we could. After playing with the youngster's and picturing several of them in my paddock, Vanessa mentioned Goblin's name, among several others. I pricked my ears up, as Goblin was a horse I remembered from my initial visit when I was looking for Gamble. He was so amazing! I can remember him walking up with the other 2yr olds, and just standing, looking at us, before comeing up a bit closer for a pat. He was definatly my favourite at the time. He just had this look about him, that he was quite, and nothing really worried him. After questioning Vanessa a bit more, I found out he was due to be broken in and was still a very calm horse. I thought he might have left the stud and someone lucky had already got him. After meeting him briefly in his paddock, my mind immediatly went into planning mode, of how I could buy this horse! He reminded me a lot of Gamble, personality wise. I asked Ness to let me know when he was coming back from the breaker as I was very interested in him. Goblin came back and Ness updated me on his progress. She also asked me to be on the Team ESB. I was a tad shocked, as this was AMAZING! Things like this don't happen to me, and I was soo excited! Goblin is now my Team horse and he came home within a week of coming back from the breaker. He is my first young horse and what a horse he is. I could not of dreamed of a better horse to bring on. He is very obliging and happy to do what I ask. He hasn't put a hoof wrong since I have had him. Such a pleasure to work with.
I have continued to volenteer at the local Pony club, instructing when I am not competing, and have been the secretary for the past 3 years..and counting! I organised and helped run a small Combined Training day for the club last year and we are hoping to run 2 more competitions during 2011. Hopfully we will get enough members to run a One Day event again very soon.
I have also been a dressage judge at local clubs up to grade 3 level, and quite enjoy it! Grade 5 is very hard to judge as the kids try so hard and the ponies are so cute..how can you say anything slightly bad, and give them anything less then a 7?!
Other volenteering work that I have done, not horsey, is being a leader of the local youth group. I was a leader for 5 years before deciding I had had enough of kids! The group met every Friday evening, and organised different activity nights each week for the local teenagers from the surounding towns. It was a great experience and taught me a lot about planning, organising, communication and people skills.
Now that I have 3 horses and working, I don't have a lot of time for much else! But I wouldn't have it any other way! Horses are a part of my life and always will be. I couldn't imagin it any other way :)