Daughter wants Equine Management BTEC instead of A levels after open day

[Brainfreeze1]

Hello, my daughter in year 10 is a hard working student with expected 6 and 7 grade passes. Up until recently she was set on history and English A levels and off to university. All good. Until that is I took her to a land and agricultural college who were having an open day. The sun was shining the setting was beautiful. She is now determined to go there and study BTECH in Equine Management (she horse rides every week).

Whilst trying to support her I can’t help but feel this is the wrong choice and will limit her choices going forward. She loves horses but I always saw this as a hobby not a job.

i wondered if anyone had similar experiences of this. Do I respect her wishes and hope for the best or do I insist she goes to college to do a levels?

Isn't that B's and A's? And she's just in year 10! Talk about writing kids off!

@DesperatelyseekinglazysusanWell maybe but no one gets a 2:2 these days. Plenty with those grades get firsts! Whether they get a job afterwards is another matter.

Many years ago I went to agricultural college, working for 3 to 4 days per week, 1 to 2 days at college, and studied A Levels at nightschool at a different college. While that took some dedication, bundles of energy, and motivation, as all education does if you want to get good grades, I came out with two ag qualifications and 2 A levels all of which helped towards going on to university. I still managed a busy social life with several sets fo friends and a shed load of life experience some of my peers were running to catch up on.

Having spent a childhood immersed in equestrian activities, I knew damned well I didn't want to work in that industry although I kept horses right into my 30s when I became too fat. What I can tell you though is, unless you are born into that life, working with animals and on the land is very hard so it weeds out people who don't have a strong conviction to do it very quickly. I've seen many do a week or even a couple of months and decide it's not for them. There are also very few job openings equestrian jobs at junior levels are hotly contested. If there is someone at the place where she rides who could have a chat with you all or even give some voluntary work experience to your DD it might be worth a chat?

Sounds like an AI proof job, probably sensible in the current climate

I can see my youngest daughter doing similar. She is only 11 but horse mad and insists all she wants to do in the future is work with horses.
Everyne doesn’t have to go down the university route even if they are bright enough for A levels

You can do btech subjects for a levels which can be used for uni entry? She also needs to
look at what unis she would potentially go to and what their entry grades are for history / English as a 7 does not translate usually to an A. Chatgp gives an idea:
A common rule of thumb for A-Level outcomes:
If you get a GCSE 8-9 (A) (\rightarrow ) You are most likely to get an A-Level A or B*
If you get a GCSE 7 (A) (\rightarrow ) You are most likely to get an A-Level B or C
If you get a GCSE 6 (B) (\rightarrow ) You are most likely to get an A-Level C or D 1, 2, 3, 4]

Get her to have a look at Tami Elkayam Equine Bodyworks on FB - Tami posts a lot of videos on what she does. Tami is British but has been based in the US for years now. She came to doing what she is doing via quite a circuitous route.

The Royal Ag and Harper Adams also offer foundation courses for people with BTECs who want to pursue a degree. They also both have placements which are great opportunities to build connections.

https://www.rau.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/bsc-Bloodstock-equine-performance-foundation

The way things are at the moment I think she’s sensible to choose vocational over academic training. Say she gets good A levels and leaves university with a mountain of debt and joins countless other young graduates who can’t get a job. Much better to train for a job that she’s passionate about and stands a decent chance of getting.

Such a mix of views. I am interested how Op and dd will chose. My own dd is horse mad but I do not want her on a career path to such low salary. Is vet nursing an option? Not well paid but could g on to be becoming a lecturer in time.

I can't think of anyone I know who teaches any kind of hobby - sports, dance, music - who doesn't also have a day job.

That sounds strange, I can't remember any sport, dance or music teacher (and we've met dozens over many years) doing some kind of "day job" 🤔 Coaching is their only job.

Just to add that my degree wasn’t horse related either, they just cared about UCAS points.

I don’t think it’s all about money, I think happiness has to be the driver.

I left being a groom because I was being practical about money and wanting a family down the line. I now work in an office, my mental and physical health is so much worse.

The thing with university is that you only get 4 years funding. I'm a big fan of not seeing it as the only option. I went to university and even with swapping courses midway, I know I'd choose something totally different if I could go back today.
If she really wants to do it let her, make an agreement that she will work hard just as if she's working towards university and see how she goes.
If in 5/10 years time she changes her mind, she has funding options and she can always do a foundation year to make up for difference in b-tech and a levels!

Surely you don't need a degree to shovel horse sh*t?!
She should consider veterinary medicine as a vet ideally, or a nurse.
Or keep horses as the hobby and choose roles that pay well enough to afford them.

She's young, a child, and requires guidance

Be a plumber or electrician in that case

My friend’s DD wanted to work with horses. She’s now riding for a successful trainer as a jockey. She’s having some wins and is living her best life. She’s also learning the ropes of training and hopes to move into that.

My daughter did this. It was a great course for her as she's AuDHD but didn't open up many university courses for her. The only degrees that accepted it were equine science or vet nursing.

So she did an equine science degree and then decided she didn't want to work with horses! It wasn't a mistake for her to do it as she is still a graduate, but had she chosen an animal care BTEC she could have done bioveterinary science at uni for example, so she did regret the narrowing effect.

Good for her! My DD did a BTEC and earns £10k a month!

whilst at secondary school I worked voluntary at the local riding school all school holidays and weekends it was all I wanted and I didn’t ‘try’ in exams / coursework as I didn’t need to it’s horses I wanted.

i left school and did an apprenticeship type scheme at a stables and gained qualifications to become a riding instructor. I loved the 2 years training and then loved my first 6 months at a different riding school as an instructor and then hated it (horse people/ yards can be competitive and bitchy). I got physically injured when doing my training and had to take time off too. There was little money for so much work that was heavy going and strenuous. Aged about 20 I thankfully had a career move and went into care roles as it was better money for less work and time I could earn while deciding what to do. I ended up studying again for 4 years (whilst working in care) to train to do my still current well paid role which can pay for horses of my own (horse yards are still bitvhy though!)

My dad didn’t want me to leave school and go into horses but I was adamant. However I now see his point.

if my dc wanted a career in horses I’d do what I could to steer them elsewhere. Pay is peanuts, work is demanding (although doesn’t hurt!) and there is a higher risk of getting hurt. Many roles make you reliant on your employer- such as free keep for your horse / free accommodation which don’t allow you to step out in the real world and blossom.

I suggest doing a course for a job to earn ££ which in turn provides a lifestyle with horses.
While doing the course, work a day or 2 at a riding stables to get your horsey fix.

The industry is poorly paid with long hours and some exploitation. Riding at a riding school once a week does not really give her a feel for what it’s like looking after horses day in, day out, in all weathers. If her wants to work with horses ask her to look at equine dentistry or physiotherapy.

Seems infinitely sensible in this AI driven digital world. Especially with the sheer amount of debt students leave university with. The way is see university today is that it’s important for those who want to become a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer etc. A vocation where a degree is a non-negotiable, but otherwise it’s a bit of a waste of time.

Also isnLevel 3 Btec equivalent to doing A Levels?

Perhaps the open evening opened your daughter’s eyes to another dimension to education? Not one just based on the academic?

Did you enjoy being a groom?

@Crispynoodle In equine management? Where?

I did most of the time but it often came down to the employer.

I worked for some great yards that cared about their staff and horses, and others that didn’t care about either. Don’t think the more professional the better either, the worst I worked for competed at Olympic level.