Working with animals

[tagimnottheit]

DD14 says she wants to work with animals. She is academic, not top 5% more top 25% in her high-achieving state comp. Vetmed is one option, but it’s very competitive and sounds incredibly intensive.

I saw someone mention their DD studies around 60 hours a week including lectures, which made me wonder what other options there are for working with animals. DD is very hands-on, natural problem solver and not phased by much.

She’s previously been sharing a pony, helps run pony club at her yard for DofE and has a natural way with animals, as well as a genuine interest in them. How about equine physio? What other fulfilling careers or degree options are there that would allow her to work with animals?

I would say right now she is making a great start with the horses. Well done her.
As she has a few years left to decide i would br ensuring that the maths and sciences were top priority. This will give her the best choices come university.
Careers advice ...there is an excellent web site , the National Careers Service which gives you all the options.
They are not vast and with so many youngsters wanting to work with animals it's often poorly paid, vets aside.
I wish her loads of luck.
My daughter did her undergraduate in wildlife conservation but did end up doing a PhD in urban sustainability.
She still gets to work with animals, but more the "critter" types.
Keep up any practical volunteer work she can get.
This is so often the way in. NETWORKING she yelled.

From your description she'd not make the grade for vet med. It's very competitive, but you need to be able to absolutely breeze the work at school because the jump up in speed of delivery and the amount of content means if you are having to work flat out to get an A at school you just don't have enough in reserve to do well at vet school. I had lectures 9-3 most days, so it wasn't as intense as your friend said, but when I was revising it was 7am-2am. Also most of it isn't really working with animals the way it sounds like she wants - it's dealing with customers (pet owners) and time pressure.
Horses are a good route. Or dog training could be another good option.

I'd recommend she takes a look at Harper Adams for some inspiration. Lots of different animal/vet adjacent degrees there.

Animal Sciences and Zoology
Veterinary Sciences and Professions

Feel free to totally discount this but I want to put forward the piece of advise my parents gave me when I was her age! I was smart - not top 5% but in the top group for any subjects where classes were split by academic capability. I love animals. I was involved with horses, had a loan pony, etc. My dread future was anything where I spent my day with animals.

My parents pointed out that many jobs working with animals tend to be low paid (unless you have the academic capability to become a vet or the likes!) They asked me to consider whether I would want a future in which I spent my day with animals to earn minimum wage, therefore impacting my ability to afford animals of my own. Or did I want to chose a career that did not involve animals, but paid me enough to have my own pets without worrying so much about counting the pennies.

I am now a structural engineer which I enjoy. And it pays me enough to have my pets and spoil them without considering the cost!

I understand this isn't what you're asking. And she has a few years before she's making the choices. But I really valued this piece of advice from my parents and it set me on the road to being comfortable AND indulging my love of animals.

What are your nearest agricultural colleges for 6th form? So many courses available.

Like PPs said, she'd probably like an agricultural college, or one specialising in animal care or equine, like Myerscough, if you're in or around Lancashire.

By far the most popular university for the students leaving the agricultural college where I work is Harper Adams (it has a beautiful campus, too!), though the Royal Agricultural University gets a mention sometimes (but is much further away for our students).

My family discouraged me from working with animals, because unless I intended to be a vet, it wasn't a 'proper job'. The 'proper job' that I got, and they were proud of, sucked and gave me a breakdown. Let her do what she wants! No amount of money is worth her mental health... and if anything, I work less hours, don't take work home, and make more money than I did for my 'proper job'!

I actually think this is good advice. This was just the discussion I had with my DD - but she's always ignored our advice, and is now a vet!

However, if your DD does have any other interests, I think it would be a good idea to explore these as well, as she is academic. I would discuss salaries and career progression, as even today, girls often don't seem to consider that.

Hartpury have lots of equine science degrees: https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/university/study/undergraduate/equine-degrees