Sophie Reid
- February 2, 2021
CV Headline
I am a hardworking, reliable, and punctual person with a strong work ethic and an eye for detail. I pride myself in being a perfectionist in everything I do whilst still being able to complete tasks quickly, and to a high standard. I have highly developed social skills that come from previous experiences within the world of work and education, including working as a waitress throughout sixth form and doing presentations while at university.
Relevant experience
When I was 5 years old, I started horse riding at a local riding school and haven’t stopped since! I have been a member of the Pony Club in the past and have been working with horses for many years. I have a wealth of experience working with and riding a variety of horses and ponies, from 10hh native ponies to 12hh show ponies to 17hh ex-racehorses. I have developed lots of experience working a horse from the ground up, including teaching youngsters to lunge and accept a rider for the first time. These skills have been developed at Willow Dene Stables, where the yard owner here accepts all ponies from any background, meaning that we have a lot of rescued animals in our care that require extra special attention and longer training periods to make them safe to be ridden by riding students of all abilities.
I have also been volunteering at a small riding school since October 2015 called Willow Dene Stables. Here I was put in charge of the general care of all the riding school ponies, including: preparing feeds appropriate for each individual pony, checking tack for wear and fit on the pony, equine and human first aid, and organisation of the yard as a whole. I have also been given the responsibility of teaching sessions to pupils of all ages, including basic care and handling of a pony to higher-level riding skills. I have taught riding sessions to groups of children and individual adults. Here I have also worked with deaf and disabled pupils, allowing them to work and learn at their own pace while still thriving.
Here I have had the honour of working with a multitude of different horses and ponies. I have worked with rescue ponies from rough backgrounds to gain trust on the ground before being backed and ridden, as well as schooling youngsters and off the track thoroughbreds who require some increased education. I have worked with ponies and horses of all sizes and backgrounds, whether this be on the ground or ridden work. I have successfully schooled ponies to carry out low-level dressage movements, allowing for better frame and work carried out in the session with myself and other riders.
While at Willow Dene I also was given the opportunity to hold an “Introduction to Dressage” day where pupils rode basic school movements (transitions between gaits, differing sized circles, transitions within a gait) and were scored on each one to give an overall percentage. The day was a big success where all pupils who participated gained confidence in their riding. I as the judge also gained confidence and skills in creating and carrying out such an event.
In 2018 I also acquired an 18-year-old 13hh Welsh Section A x Cob pony to ride as his owner required him to be worked more. He had been a companion for her horse for 18 months before I started working him, where he was incredibly overweight, had evidence of past laminitis and was severely arthritic in his hocks and hips. With lots of patience and time, Diesel got a lot healthier and began to flourish in the school, learning low-level dressage movements very quickly. He enjoyed showing off his leg yielding and shoulder-in, as well as his fantastic frame that he carried himself in! Due to his arthritis, his workload had to be kept low and I never got the chance to compete him due to COVID-19.
Current role - description
Since May of 2019 I have been working as part-time yard staff at the college yard of Myerscough College. Here I assist in the daily care of all the horses, including feeding, grooming, and exercising. Here I have gained a vast amount of knowledge and experience in the field and have developed time management skills, as well as perfectionism in the work that I do, allowing for me to have developed industry-level skills.
Whilst working with the team I have also further developed teamwork, compassion towards both humans and animals, as well as speed and accuracy while working in a very busy and fast-paced environment.