starting to hate my job i once lived for..

[diamond457]

I work with horses. Everyone who asks what i do say im so lucky, they wished they did what i do and i would be mad to give it all up after working hard for it for years.
i work in an equestrian college. I work every every sodding weekend plus Fridays. I also have to do some week days as cover, mainly during summer holidays, Xmas hols etc.
i work in a small team but at the weekends i am the only staff member there. I have students but usually we are short on students turning up which means i need to do a lot of the work. The work is highly physical, i walk ten miles per day to and from fields taking horses in and out. I muck out several beds, i sweep, i wash horses and fill hay nets, we have 30 horses. I rarely get to ride as the students ride them through the week.
i have developed a hay allergy, im sick of coming home that fucked that tidying up is beyond me, all i want to do is shower and sleep. I am fed up of smelling like shit, looking a mess and fed up of freezing winters, mud, rain and ice. In the summer its too hot for hard physical work and i need to wear boots, long sleeves as part of my uniform.
too much is expected of me while every other staff member has a member of staff on with them at all times apart from me. I get pulled up all the time about stupid things like giving a horse a bed that's too big, i even got pulled up for grooming them all last week as they were going out the next day!
my colleagues are back stabbing and sneaky and try and trip you up, leaving spoons in tubs a certain way to find out if you are using what's in the tub. Believe me its true.
i want another baby next year and i worry. There is no way i could work there whilst pregnant, i dont fancy working every weekend and missing out on family time when dp is off weekends. I worry about returning to work and having no energy left for my family when i come home.
should i retrain? What could i do horses is all ive ever known.?

[iamthenewgirl]

Easiest thing would be to work with horses for a different organisation. Another riding stables or horse charity or something to with horses and disabled?

Next alternative would be to work with animals.

Next alternative would be to do something completely different.

Much as you want to do something easier I really don't think you should go from doing a physical job to something sedentary. Surprisingly, that can be just as tiring as you end up feeling like a slug!

Does sound like you need to get away from the toxic atmosphere if nothing else!

[horseygeorgie]

I somehow knew before opening this thread it would be about horses...!

I'm 30 and am a freelance groom working mainly with hunters. I've worked with horses since I was 16 and have run big yards and worked with racehorses, advanced eventers, top class dressage horses stud work etc etc.
I've been kicked, bitten, reversed over. I've fallen off at a rate of 1 fall per week on avarage during a particularly bad phase. I've broken 4 bones in my foot, 3 bones in my hand (in the same incident!) my nose and my back. I used to work from 7-8 them go and ride my 4 horses!

Working with horses is an addiction! I love it but it is not a sustainable career and does not work with children particularly. I've applied for a course at college to start retraining to be an accountant. I would say to you, yes it is fantastic at times and nothing else compares but either get out of that particular job or chat to college about retraining to do something else! It is truly a shit career and far harder work than anyone else will ever know!
Good luck.

[horseygeorgie]

I particularly feel for you in the summer. I was head girl at a stud and summer is just unbearable, mucking out 30 boxes and manhandling foals in 30 degree heat is horrific. Sweat, sun cream and dirt is not a pleasant mix!

[diamond457]

When i was younger i never bothered about the work load, i would get on with it. I would come home, shower and meet with friends.
now i am older i want energy to spend with my little girl, i dont want to work every weekend because i want to spend time with dp and dd together. For the first time in my life i dont feel comfortable wearing manky clothes or being cold all the time. I feel like i dont want to put up with other peoples bullshit anymore.
i love horses but i think i would rather have one of my own than work with them anymore.
in reluctant to find another horsey job as most of them are low paid, cash in hand, every hour under the sun. Its great if you are young wanting experience but when you want a secure family friendly job its not so great.