Caitlyn, who grew up just 20 minutes from Telford on her parent’s sheep and beef farm, started riding when she was six and her passion for horses grew consistently from there.
As a local, Caitlyn knew of Telford and had always been keen to attend. “I decided to start at Telford after going to one of the taster camps… I wanted to improve my equine knowledge and get out and socialise more,” she says.
“Seeing what they get up to and what they get to do made me adamant that I wanted to go. I was very excited to get the news that I had been accepted.”
Prior to starting at Telford, Caitlyn says she hoped the staff and students would be supportive and positive. And they were, she learnt a lot on the back-to-back courses.
Completing the New Zealand Certificate in Equine Skills (Level 3) (Sporthorse Stable Assistant) and the New Zealand Certificate in Equine Skills (Sporthorse Groom) (Level 4), Caitlyn particularly loved having the opportunity to work with yearlings and 2-year-olds during the course.
Due to Telford’s extensive equine facilities, Caitlyn benefitted from learning everything on her programme working with her own horse, Martini.
“Being able to connect and work better as a team with Martini was one of the most fulfilling aspects of my year… Watching Martini become more confident when she was out competing was very rewarding as well.”
“Having this extra knowledge after completing Telford helps me with my new business and it puts my new skills to the test,” Caitlyn explains.
Another pinnacle of the year was graduating. Alongside receiving the New Zealand Certificate in Equine Level 3 and Level 4, Caitlyn was awarded the cup for Excellence in Equine Studies, Equine Cup for Most Improved Student, and the Telford Enterprise Cup. “[It] showed that my hard work had really paid off and [I was] able to celebrate that moment with my family.”
A valuable component of the Telford experience that Caitlyn relied upon were her tutors. “[They] were so supportive; if you needed help after school hours, they would still be there to call or message, to ask questions, or when you needed a little support.”
And while she had a very successful year, it wasn’t without its trials; hands-on learner Caitlyn admits she struggled a bit with the assessments on paper; however, she achieved good results by utilising the support of her tutors and applying herself to her studies. “I studied really hard, I worked through it and stayed focused, which helped me.“
Caitlyn acknowledges Telford opened her eyes to how people do things differently.
“I became a more confident person by being exposed to more than I normally would. I also learnt that stepping out of my comfort zone was really good for me.”
Caitlyn has wasted no time in pursuing her goal to run her own equine business; the motivated graduate is now self-employed with her horse training business, Homestead Horses, where clients bring their horses to be worked or broken in.
“I also have a couple of horses that I’m bringing back into work. I'm in the process of training them to sell them on, as another source of income. It is a very rewarding and satisfying job; I am loving it.”
And now that she’s underway, Caitlyn intends to grow her fledgling business. “I would love for my business to become bigger and better,” she says, adding that eventually she intends to start her own small stud and breed horses.
The hard work and discipline she put into practice at Telford has paid off for Caitlyn and she advises potential students, “Follow your heart and back your decisions; you won't regret it. Everyone at Telford is so supportive and is there for you, whenever you need them.”
“You’ll find good loyal friends that have a lot in common with you, and that makes the study and course so much easier.”
“Telford has helped me in so many ways in becoming a more confident and understanding person which I am very grateful for.”