Happy hacker to yard owner/manager ?

[PlanZed]

Say you wanted to improve your equestrian skills from averagely competent weekend rider with BHS level 1/2 stable mgmt skills to professional standard - capable of backing / improving young horses and having sole charge of yard of 8-10. Trail riding yard not competing or showing. How would you do it ? Is working FT with horses and learning on the job the only way ?

I think so. I don't think any amount of qualifications/reading would come close to years of practical experience. Especially for backing/breaking!

Yes, people will only send their horses for backing to people who know what they are doing. It is too important a stage to trust to someone who has theoretical knowledge only.
If you are wanting to offer services to improve a horse then you need to be capable of doing that, practical experience is way more important than qualifications.
For sole charge of a yard you need skills up to BHS Stage 3 as a minimum, preferably Stage 4. Obviously there are people running yards without those qualifications but I wouldn't want my horse at a yard with someone who didn't have the skills up to that level. Too many things can happen with horses and I need to trust that the person I'm paying to look after my horse as the same, or higher, level of knowledge and experience.

Yep especially if you want to be backing and breaking which is something no book could teach.
The one course I can think of that might help is the British Racing School one which I think is 6 weeks, or it was back in my day (Disraeli was prime minister back then) they’ll take novice and even non riders. Racing in terms of “work” is one of the better horse sports to work in, better paid, incredibly well regulated, good halter/bonus money that has to be paid to the stable staff for winners and sold horses and you can travel.
But it wouldn’t get you to a point where you can open a yard and start breaking the week after

Thanks very much for your replies. Just to clarify I wouldn’t be offering to back anyone else’s horses, just my own (want to be able to buy youngsters and back/bring on for my own use). And wouldn’t be offering livery. Idea is a trail riding yard abroad - but a good one. Sorry shd have made that clearer.

thanks @Lastqueenofscotland2 for the racing tip I’m thinking of doing the 1 week transition course & if I survive (I’m 50 :)) maybe a longer course.

You need the hours. Hours and hours and days and weeks and years, it's the only way.

You need to have ridden a huge range of horses with a huge range of problems and be confident in working with youngstock.

You need to be a brilliant rider with great hands and balance, and instinctive knowledge about what each horse needs.

Would it be feasible for you to employ someone, maybe with lodging and livery as part of wages?

And the real stinger - and I say this aged 52 - there's a reason that experienced trainers put small teens on as first rider, they bounce where you'll break.

@ChangeEmailAddress you are right. I’m a decent rider but nowhere near that level. I don’t have that kind of time either especially still having to work in a non-horse job for a while. Employing someone young and skilled as an excellent idea, thank you.